CHOOSE TO SHINE

How would you like to live for an extra year? What would you do with that newfound

time? Would you start a new hobby? Might you learn a new language? Perhaps you’d

finally be able to fit in some exercise?

Well, now you can begin thinking about those options because I am going to let you in

on one of the greatest secrets that humankind has ever sought. I will tell you how to live

for one extra year, and it will not cost you a single penny. I am not touting magic pills,

nor am I hawking the latest fad diet. This is neither a mysterious amulet nor is it Ponce

de Leon’s  legendary Fountain of Youth. But if you invest another few minutes and finish

reading this column, you will find out how to truly live for one extra year. Are you ready?

Because I mean business.

By choosing to wake up only 18 minutes earlier every day, you will gain over 109 extra

hours every year. Do that for the next 20 years, and you will have accumulated over

2190 additional hours. Here in the United States, that exceeds the number of hours in

the average business work year.

Now that you know how to extend your time for an extra “business year,” allow me to

suggest an excellent way to double down and use those precious moments to make a

real difference in your daily life. By making a slight change to your morning routine, you

can supercharge the remainder of each day. Getting up before anyone else in your

household allows time for yourself. The best way to leverage that personal time is to

invest in self-care. The first morning try taking a walk around the block. The next

morning walk for two blocks. Add one more block every day. Pick up the pace and see if

you can walk at least a mile a day. Studies have shown that improving cardiovascular

exercise boosts your mood, improves general health, and even helps people live longer.

Better health means that you might spend less time at the doctor’s office, which serves

to increase the net gain. Are you sensing a pattern here yet?

A study published last month in the journal Emotion demonstrated the healing power

of what they call “awe walks.” By experiencing a fresh perspective of their surroundings

and taking notice of the grand scale beauty, older adults reduced anxiety and

depression while increasing joy and life satisfaction. You can try this yourself and verify

the results of the study. Just turn off your cell phone and take in the majestic sights

wherever you are. Notice the intricate veins in a single leaf or take in the sweeping

beauty of the trees. Pay attention to the sounds around you and allow yourself to feel

humbled by the experience. By letting yourself feel like a small part of the larger

backdrop of the majesty surrounding you, a feeling of becoming part of a greater whole

can transform your sense of belonging. You can feel your place in the universe instead

of thinking of yourself as the center of the universe. It may be counterintuitive; however,

thinking of yourself as “smaller” leads to becoming happier.

Walking has also been shown to lower risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol,

diabetes, cancer, obesity, arthritis, and depression. According to the Center for Disease 

Control, “people who are physically active live longer.”  Our pattern appears to be self-

perpetuating. Not only will regular walking improve your mood and set a positive tone for your day, but

it will also directly affect the length and quality of your life. Isn’t that worth getting up 18

minutes earlier each day? 

Now, what happens if you decide that no matter how beneficial it may be, you simply

cannot surrender 18 minutes of your sleep? Is there anything else you can do to

preserve the benefits of self-care? In fact, there is.  Keep track of the time you spend on 

 social media and reduce that by precisely 18 minutes per day. Which do you think might be easier?