You can probably guess that I (Steve Pavlina) am going to tell you that your health is your responsibility, and of course you’re right. In a world that isn’t fully committed to health, the most natural and beneficial practices are often considered extreme. Favor a salad instead of a steak and you’re labeled a health nut. Make a habit of daily exercise and you’ve become a fitness freak. Stop eating manufactured foods and you’re a fanatical purist. The truth is that if the average person wouldn’t consider your current health practices extreme, you probably aren’t very healthy. In the United States, average people die of heart disease, cancer, or stroke, all of which are heavily influenced by lifestyle choices. Average is slow suicide.
In order to be healthy today, you must exercise your self-discipline to overcome the drag of social conditioning. Summon the maturity to make intelligent choices for yourself, regardless of what throngs of sick people encourage you do.
Set physical goals that inspire you. Being slightly healthier than average is still unhealthy, so aim higher. What do you really want in this area? Do you want to be free of disease, to be physically strong, and to overflow with physical energy and vitality? Poor health limits your power; good health increase it.
Use progressive training to make incremental improvements in your health habits. Don’t try to achieve perfection on your first try. Surely you can identify one small positive change to make. Kick off a 30-day trial today to implement that new habit. If you don’t like it, you can always revert back. Remember that it’s only 30 days. Diet and exercise are habitual activities and will have a major impact on your long-term health results. Use your self-discipline to practice the best habits you can today; then let them run on autopilot.
* Source: Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina