Much of my current reading pushes the concept of mental attitude as a critical factor of success. A strong, if not the strongest, factor in mental attitude is physical well-being. The level of exercise, the proper diet, the amount of rest; each of these has a critical part to play in your physical and mental health.
You can imagine the agony those of us who like greasy burgers and immoderate portions of chocolate feel when this is discussed. It's like living on those cheap cardboard tasting pizzas we used to order all the time. Filling, but...ugh! And we don't even get the pepperoni grease!
So, I know that my body is a temple and I've been making more room for the Holy Spirit. He can do with much less cubic foot space, I'm being told. It may even keep me around longer since my blood has to be pushed through a back lane country road over a lot more mileage.
To act upon this I have started taking a combination of Pilates, Tai Chi, and Yoga. No real mysticism in the class, unless you count what keeps the fat boy coming back. The teacher is helpful, the movements are modifiable to fit what I can currently do, and surprisingly I leave class with more energy than I showed up with.
Since I missed class all last week (I'm blaming work; ignore the Hershey's Kisses wrappers around my desk) I knew it was time to get in some movement. Those of you with pine trees in your yard are probably well familiar with the "rake wet needles against the fence" routine us Westerners have come up with. Some of you are probably used to the advanced modification "while avoiding dog poo".
While I must admit that the workout was harder than reading about a new exercise routine, it seems to have gotten more done. Mostly clean yard, sweaty brow, and blistered hand. My mental state is elevated, no CPR was required, and I can sit back and watch a movie with a clear conscience and "to do" board.
What about you? Have you started linking your diet, exercise, and overall health to your plans for success?