I think of it as my 3 vital life
signs: physical, mental and emotional well being.
Physical well being doesn’t just mean fitness (although that is a major part of it), but it
includes shelter, food, water, air, etc. Can you provide a good home for yourself and
your family? Are you able to provide healthy food for you and your family? Is the
environment you live in safe and healthy? Do you drink enough water? Do you do some
form of exercise every day? We are lucky we live in Paradise, but look along the
beaches on the west side and the sidewalks downtown and around the harbor area.
You’ll see so many less fortunate who can’t (some won’t) provide for proper shelter,
food, water for themselves or their families.
Mental doesn’t just mean doing word puzzles to keep your mind sharp. It includes
mental toughness and resilience. I heard a famous real estate sales agent say that doing
cold calls made him mentally tough because he learned how to handle no. Do you get
enough sleep? Dr. Sanja Gupta’s book, Smart Brain, is an excellent one to skim through.
Did you know that researchers have traced Alzheimers, Parkinsons and Dementia to 3
areas? Regular exercise, 6-8 hours of sleep a night, and daily social activity are 3 keys
to staving off these mental diseases. In that order. Chronic lack of sleep is considered
the number 2 factor in early Alzheimers. And it’s been found that what you do in your
30s,40s, and 50s determines these effects on your brain later in life. So, get some sleep!
And by the way, naps aren’t proven to help much. According to Gumpta, if you nap, only
do so for no more than 20 minute power naps.
Emotional is pretty much what it says. Are you able to handle stress? There is no stress
for real estate agents, right? Ha! How you handle stress can affect you mentally and
physically. Mediate, find a religion, take up Tai Chi. Do you socialize daily? This keeps
your brain elastic and those endorphins firing as you will feel compassion, love,
friendship, etc. when around others that you like or care about. Surf or play golf with
your friends, join a book club or trivia team, volunteer at the Food Bank, etc.
All of the Self Development Gurus out there key on these 3 areas for personal
development. Find what works for you and like James Clear says, build an Atomic Habit!
