Critical longevity reminders, the power of resilience, and time management for a regret-free life
Critical longevity reminders, the power of resilience, and time management for a regret-free life
Happy Thursday!
Here are 3 things I want to share with you in the realm of longevity this week.
Let’s dive in.
(You won’t want to miss the 2-minute clip from Navy SEAL Jocko Willink at the bottom of today’s newsletter.)
🫀 Live Longer
A boring (but critical) reminder to focus on the cornerstones of a longevity minded lifestyle.
The boring stuff (that actually drives results) doesn’t get much attention in the health and fitness industry.
For some reason, people would rather listen to a juiced-up meat head rant about eating raw liver or how putting butter in your coffee will magically melt fat and boost your brain power.
My advice? Ignore flashy influencers trying to sell you their products.
Instead, focus on the routines that ACTUALLY drive results…
Exercise
Train each movement pattern: push, pull, hip hinge, and squat.
10–25 sets per muscle group per week.
8–30 reps per set.
150–180 minutes of Zone 2 cardio each week split over 3–4 sessions (finish with a few sprints).
Nutrition
Eat strictly whole foods.
Drink at least 3-4 L of water per day.
Include a protein source in each meal.
Throw out all of the junk food in your house.
Practice fasting ― skip breakfast and only eat within a 6-8 hour window (i.e., 12–8 PM).
Sleep
Aim for 7–9 hours per night.
Go to bed at the same time each night.
Ditch the technology 60–90 minutes before bed.
Go outside and view sunlight after waking up (bonus points if you do this on a walk).
Learn how to drop old and build new habits:
Find an accountability partner with the same goal.
Immediately adopt the identity of the person you aim to become.
Split your day into quarters ― if you slip up in Q1 simply get back on track in Q2.
💪 Feel Healthier
The most powerful trait you can develop: Resilience.
Resilience breeds an abundance of positive traits, including these 3 things:
A Winning Mindset―resilient people frame suffering as growth and failure as opportunity.
Accountability―resilient people empower themselves by taking extreme ownership over everything in their life.
Become A Beacon Of Optimism―resilient people attract a strong community of like-minded, driven, and disciplined people.
“Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.”
– Angela Duckworth, Author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
So, how do you build that endurance?
Here are 3 ways to build resilience:
Challenge your mind and body every day.
Seek new activities and experiences that make you uncomfortable.
Be disciplined by doing difficult things regardless of whether you want to.
Now, time for a quick self-reflection…
In what part of your life could you succeed (over the long-term) if you were simply more resilient?
🧠 Cultivate Purpose
The Best Piece Of Advice I Was Given About Time Management For A Regret-Free Life
When I was 11, my Dad gave me an unforgettable piece of advice.
I was just a kid transitioning into a phase where I was paying more attention to the adults around me and thinking about what it was like to grow up.
Like all kids, I was blind to the realities of life and in the early beginnings of building effective mental models to navigate the world around me.
One night, my Dad said something to me that built the foundation of who I am today:
"You don't have time for the things that matter, you make it."
That day, my whole life changed.
Since I heard those words, I've been applying them to my own life and preaching them to others making paltry excuses.
If something is important to me, I do it.
There is no "I wish I did" or "I didn't have time for"―these are not part of my vocabulary.
Instead, I ruthlessly decide my priorities and label the things I choose not to do as unimportant.
If it's important to me, I make time for it.
Simple as that.
A question for you:
What important actions are you putting off out of the excuse “I don’t have enough time”?
That’s all!
Until next week,
Jack Dixon
P.S. If you’re a “Type A” that wants to live longer, feel healthier, and cultivate purpose in your life, follow along on Twitter @jackrossdixon for daily threads.
P.P.S After hearing it for the first time on The Tim Ferriss Show #616, I’ve probably listened to this short 2-minute clip from Jocko Podcast 10 times over the last week. I highly recommend you give it a listen too.