Brief Summary
This video provides 46 actionable tips for individuals in their 40s to improve their health, relationships, and overall life satisfaction. It emphasizes the importance of proactive health management, cultivating meaningful relationships, setting clear goals, and maintaining a positive mindset.
- Prioritize health through diet, exercise, and sleep.
- Nurture relationships with partners, children, and parents.
- Set goals and maintain a vision for the future.
- Cultivate a positive mindset and avoid negative influences.
Intro
Dan Go introduces the video, addressing viewers in their 40s and promising actionable advice for improving their lives. He emphasizes the importance of taking these tips seriously to enhance overall well-being.
Cut Out Alcohol
The speaker advises limiting or eliminating alcohol consumption, noting that its negative effects increase with age. Alcohol is described as having "negative calories" because the body prioritizes burning it off before other nutrients. Regular alcohol consumption can reduce energy and mood for several days and increases the risk of cancer.
Make-or-Break Year for Health
Turning 40 is a critical juncture for establishing healthy habits that will last a lifetime. While change is possible at any age, it becomes more challenging over time. The habits formed in your 40s are likely to stick with you, making it essential to prioritize health and fitness now.
Health is the Most Important
Health is paramount; without it, all other problems become secondary. Having no health issues and not needing medication is a luxury that should be valued and protected.
Zero Health Problems is a Luxury
Maintaining a state of zero health problems and not relying on medications is presented as an often-underappreciated luxury. This underscores the importance of proactive health management.
40s Are Not "Middle Age"
The speaker challenges the notion that your 40s are "middle age," given the average life expectancy. Taking care of your health now can extend your life, and advancements in technology may further increase longevity. It's crucial to start now to reap the benefits of a longer, healthier life.
40s Are Not "Middle Age"
Getting in shape is not just about aesthetics but about ensuring independence and avoiding becoming a burden to your family in later years. The speaker contrasts being dependent on family or nursing homes with living independently and actively in old age, advocating for the latter.
You Measure What You Manage
Regularly monitor key health metrics such as weight, waistline, and blood work. Important blood work indicators include complete blood count, lipid panels, blood sugar, metabolic panels, thyroid function, and nutrient levels (magnesium, vitamin D, B12, iron, ferritin, apo B, and ApoE). Monitoring these metrics provides a true representation of your health beyond just outward appearances.
Become Metabolically Healthy
It's possible to look and feel like you're in your 20s at 40 by focusing on metabolic health. This involves maintaining a healthy body composition, managing visceral fat, and ensuring optimal levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Metabolic health makes everything easier and is key to overall well-being.
Don't Stop Lifting
Continue lifting weights as you age to maintain function, muscle mass, and hormone regulation. Weight lifting also improves insulin sensitivity. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being active in the weight room rather than inactive in a nursing home.
Control Your Diet
Controlling your diet is the first step to self-mastery. Establish a lifestyle of eating three nutrient-dense meals a day on a schedule that regulates hunger and appetite.
Protein is Key
Protein is the most important macronutrient for aging. Consume at least 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily as a lifestyle choice.
Become a "Sleep Athlete"
Adopt a mindset of being a "sleep athlete" by prioritizing sleep like a high performer. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night and use a sleep tracker to measure sleep quality. Sleep is crucial for waste removal in the brain, mood improvement, energy regulation, and hormone balance.
Create a Sleep Sanctuary
Set up your sleep environment to make great sleep automatic. This includes using blackout blinds, having the right mattress, using a sleep mask, and maintaining the right temperature. Creating a conducive environment ensures better sleep quality.
Walking is Underrated
Walking is an underrated exercise that reduces stress, powers up the brain, and burns calories. Walking after meals improves blood sugar and digestion.
Get 8k-10k Steps Per Day
Aim for 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day to lower the risk of all-cause mortality by 40-53%. Using an under-desk treadmill is a practical way to increase steps while working. Spending time in nature without your phone is also beneficial.
Find Cardio You Enjoy
Incorporate a form of cardio that you enjoy into your routine, whether it's pickleball, shooting hoops, or surfing. The best type of cardio is the one you don't realize you're doing because it's enjoyable.
Mobility is Non-Negotiable
Mobility is essential for feeling amazing as you age. Incorporate dynamic stretches like the world's greatest stretch, couch stretch, or bar hangs into your morning or pre-workout routine. Mobility improves your capacity to move and prevents injuries.
The Only 5 Supplements You Need
The five essential supplements are vitamin D, omega-3s, magnesium glycinate, a multivitamin, and creatine.
Apply Sunk-Cost Fallacy
Apply the sunk cost fallacy to your life, recognizing that time is a non-renewable resource. Avoid continuing to invest in the wrong direction, whether in relationships, careers, or projects.
Constraints are Vital
Apply constraints to achieve a great and successful life. This involves setting boundaries to maintain important aspects of your life while pursuing your goals. Constraints help you avoid over-indexing on one thing and neglecting other important areas.
Make More Considered Decisions
Understand the second and third-order consequences of your decisions. Every decision has multiple consequences, and considering these helps you make choices that support the life you want to live. Balance this with avoiding overthinking and having the bravery to make decisions based on what you know.
Hang Out With People Younger Than You
Hanging around younger people keeps you on the pulse of what's happening in the world, introduces new ideas, and provides motivation. Drop the ego and be open to learning from younger generations.
Don't Be This Guy
Avoid being the person who says, "Wait till you get to my age" or "Wait till you have kids." Your perception shapes your reality, so maintain a positive outlook on aging and life's changes.
Cherish Your Children While They're Young
If you have young children, cherish the time with them because it passes quickly. Make an effort to spend time with them, even when tired, as these moments are irreplaceable.
Do Your Kids Like You?
A sign of being a good parent is whether your kids want to spend time with you when they're older. Invest time now to build a positive relationship rather than thinking you can make up for it later.
Being a Parent is a Rite of Passage
Being a parent is a unique experience that allows you to love something more than yourself. The joys of parenthood outweigh other experiences like travel or material possessions.
Appreciate Your Parents
Becoming a parent makes you realize the challenges of raising a child, which should increase your appreciation for your own parents.
Love Your Partner
The best thing you can do for your kids is to love your partner, as you are their first example of a healthy relationship. Make a daily choice to love and appreciate your partner, and express this through compliments and recognition of their efforts.
Set a Good Example for Your Kids
The example you set for your children becomes their normal. If you neglect your health or finances, they will see that as normal. Actions speak louder than words, so lead by example.
Break Your Generational Curses
It's your responsibility to break generational curses, such as poor health habits or financial mismanagement, so your kids don't have to deal with them.
Your Kids Will Tell You the Truth
Your kids will provide unfiltered feedback when others may not. Listen to them and take their feedback seriously.
Listen to Your Partner
Your partner will give you hints about areas where you're not showing up. Pay attention to their feedback, as they may not repeat it. Ignoring their concerns can lead to them stopping communication.
Retiring Isn't the Goal of Life
The goal of life is not to retire but to remain useful for as long as possible while doing something you love. Retire when you no longer feel useful.
Find a Great Community
Find people who share your values and inspire you to be better. Community and camaraderie are key to living a long and fulfilling life. Life is meant to be shared with others.
Will You Regret This Decision?
Ask yourself if you will regret the decisions you are about to make. Focus on regret minimization to lead a good life. One common regret is spending too much time on phones instead of engaging in more fulfilling activities.
Study the Regrets of the Dying
The top regrets of the dying include not living true to oneself, working too hard, not expressing feelings, losing touch with friends, and not choosing happiness. Learn from those who have these regrets.
The Best Advisors on the Planet
Your 8-year-old self and your 80-year-old self are the best advisors. Your 8-year-old self reminds you of the excitement of making decisions, while your 80-year-old self advises on whether your decisions align with your ultimate vision.
Listen to People with Skin in the Game
The second-best advisors are people with skin in the game. Ensure that those giving you advice have experience and a vested interest in the area you're seeking guidance on.
Earned Status vs. Borrowed Status
Know the difference between earned status (great family life, fit body, self-esteem) and borrowed status (expensive car, Rolex). Earned status provides more fulfillment than status that can be bought.
A Healthy Body Must Be Earned
A healthy body is the best status item because it cannot be bought; it must be earned.
You Need to Have Goals
You need to have goals to direct your mind. Focus on goals that positively affect your life. We are goal-driven machines, and if you don't choose your goals, they will be given to you.
Don't Give a Sh*t
In your 40s, care less about what others think of you. While feedback is valuable, other people's opinions should have less weight than your own.
You Must Have a Vision
Have a vision by setting five-year, three-year, and one-year goals. Break down the one-year goal into quarterly projects and tasks, and schedule these tasks weekly. Create a vision for yourself, or one will be created for you.
Life Begins at 40
Believe that life begins after 40 and that each year is better than the last. Your perception shapes your reality.
Inspect the Quality of Your Thoughts
If you're not successful, examine your line of thinking. Thoughts create beliefs, beliefs create behaviors, behaviors create actions, and actions create reality. The quality of your life reflects the quality of your thoughts.
Don't Take What I Say at Face Value
Test the advice given and see for yourself what works. Absorb what is useful and reject what is useless.
