The Free-Time Formula

5Fitness for Busy People: Adopt a Health‐First Approach

Your health is more important than your résumé, checklist, bucket list, or achievement ranking system.

Adopting a health‐first approach is a sure‐fire strategy to guarantee you can achieve your most ambitious goals far into the future.

I am as guilty of neglecting this as anyone.

Over the last few years, I have noticed a trend in my habits and calendaring methods: I am good at prioritizing work or working out, but never both at the same time.

During one season, I can exercise like a champ six to seven days a week, lose weight, build muscle, and feel better than ever.

In another season, I can wake up early and dominate my task list, getting more work accomplished in a few hours than most do all day.

However, it appears that these two seasons have always remained independent. There is little or no overlap, and I wind up either being in the best shape of my life or making tremendous growth in my work, but not both.

This is silly.

It is not only possible to remain healthy while pursuing your goals, but it is also the only way you will be able to pursue them long term.

Think of it this way, if you do not adopt a health‐first approach, where does health fall on your list of priorities? When will you take care of yourself? When will you eat better, get off the couch and go the gym, or stop smoking?

If health is not number one, where is it?

When anything supersedes your physical and mental health, you take a hit. You withdraw from ...