What Does ‘Health Span’ Mean?

I looked it up and you might be surprised. 

Last week I decided to look up a couple of terms: longevity and health span. After all, I want to live a long time and my job is helping people live longer while improving their quality of life. i.e. health span. What I learned about those two words, however, shocked me. Longevity, I understood. It means long-lived; or if you’ve served on a board for a long time, you have longevity; if you’ve been at a job for a long time, etc. Health span, on the other hand, means: the time of your life that you are in ‘generally good’ health. Yes, ‘generally good.’ I was so surprised! 

I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in ‘generally good’ health. I’m interested in having and creating an amazing life. I’m interested in creating a life beyond my wildest imagination! I want to thrive, love, and belly laugh with my wife and kiddos. I want to climb mountains, cross finish lines, mountain bike up and downhills, ski the back country, help those less fortunate, learn a lot, spread more love and compassion, and inspire more people to do the same! If you ask me, this whole ‘generally good’ thing is for the birds. 

I’m sorry if I’ve offended you or anyone in your family. I know that many people, especially during this crazy time, are just trying to survive. If that’s the case for you, then get out there and go for it! I’m happy to help in any way I can. 

If you’re actually excited about this, apparent, new way of thinking, then hop on in and let’s go!!! 

Here are 5 steps that you can do right now to start creating that amazing life you want! 

1. Take a quick inventory of your fitness level, energy levels, sleep, diet, and adventure risk tolerance. (do NOT, under any circumstances, judge your answers). 
2. Write down a few quick, amazing, adventurous goals for yourself! I take a trip to Italy and hike Cinque Terre, for example. I climb Mt Kilimanjaro. You get the idea. The goals need to be big. Seemingly out of reach. 
3. Quickly jot down the 3 biggest obstacles you need to overcome in order to achieve this goal. i.e. cost, planning, time off work, finding a travel buddy, my own thinking, etc. 
4. Now do some actual research. What will the flights cost? How much training will you need to do? How much money do you have to save? Make this trip/goal real. 
5. Now KEEP GOING!!! Haha, tricked ya! You’re already in! Now you just have to keep going. You can manifest your goal and you can live a life beyond your imagination. It just takes that first step. 

I don’t plan on stopping my adventures anytime soon. I may have to slow down a bit, but if you’re like me, you want to squeeze every last drop out of the moments we are lucky enough to live. It’s up to you to make it happen. No one is coming to save you. No one is coming to pull you off the couch. A HUGE part of your destiny is in your hands. Now go make it happen!!