Several years ago I read that Ted Turner's response to the question, "How do you stay so healthy?" was, "I just try to do 1% better each year."
Unless you're in the middle of a health crisis (in which case you need to take drastic action), you can take advantage of the wisdom of incremental change. A transformational question for the second day of 2012 might be, "How can I be 1% healthier this year?" What modest change can I make that will move me closer to optimal health?
Whether you're refining your already exemplary health habits or taking drastic action, it's useful to know your "current location." Whenever I use my phone to get driving directions to an unfamiliar place, it asks me whether I want to use my "current location." Here's a simple test you can do today to determine your current location. It's extremely low-tech, easy, and quick. All you need is a tape measure and a calculator. With two simple measurements and one calculation, you will know your odds of developing a life-threatening condition (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease).
Ready? First, measure your waist (around your belly button), then measure your hips (widest part). Now get a calculator and divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. The ideal ratio for women is 0.70 and for men it's 0.90. Greater than 0.75 or 9.95 indicates a significantly higher likelihood of developing one of the above problems.
Now that you know your current location, you can decide whether you're going to make an incremental change or take massive action.
P.S.: Research shows, for best results, make sure you choose something you enjoy.
P.P.S: If you want help with rest of the road map, let us know. We'll make sure you're having fun while you're on your journey.
