health | The Caleb Barney Collection

Stacking wins to feel better

Do you agree that if you eat healthier, you feel healthier? Or if you are already a healthy eater, would you agree that when you eat poorly, you feel worse?

The same thing can be said about any good decision – it puts you in a better mood and a better position to continue succeeding…take exercise habits, for example. You may not enjoy exercising, but once you finish working out, don’t you usually feel better? Don’t you feel like you’ve accomplished something? That doesn’t even Include the actual health benefits. You’re also likely to feel less stressed, sleep better, and have an improved mood.

I like to stack as many wins as I can to start my day. It gets me off on the right foot and makes me want to continue building momentum. To do this, the first thing I do is wake up early. When you wake up earlier, nobody is vying for your attention. You have time to yourself. You can choose to get ready for your day, you can read and try to improve your mind, you can practice deep breathing or meditate, you can pray…You can do so many things when you wake up early and, usually, it will decrease the stress in your life. By checking off all of those items that you wanted to get done, you would also decrease the anxiety that you may suffer from.

On loving exercise

Once you get into it, there’s not many things better than exhausting yourself in some healthy competition with good company.

Think about it…you get to challenge yourself mentally and physically, you get to feel like you accomplished something difficult (because you did), and you get to feel companionship.

The endorphins that are released help you feel better throughout the day AND if you start your morning with exercise, it can help you build the momentum you need to make the lifestyle choices you desire.

Chasing money

What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? – Mark 8:36

As a competitive, ambitious, frugal, investor-minded individual who comes from humble beginnings, this graphic speaks to me.

The competitive side of me wants to be in the top 1% of everything I do (including financial-related goals).

The ambitious side of me wants to prove to myself, my family and friends, my acquaintances, etc. that I can do anything I set my mind to.

The frugal side of me wants to have the financial security money can bring.

The investor side of me hates waste and focuses on being as efficient as possible (like investing in assets and having my money work for me).

But when I think about what’s really important in life and what brings me the most joy, it’s not money…

I’m happiest when I’m hanging out with family – whether that’s at home, going on mini adventures to the zoo, watching our kids hang out with their cousins/aunts/uncles/grandparents, or going on our yearly trips to Mohican, Hocking Hills, or the beach.

I’m happiest when I’m working out and competing with friends at the gym (whether or not they know I’m competing with them is up for debate).

I’m happiest seeing friends and playing board games with them for game night or going out and grabbing something to eat.

I’m happiest finding people homes to live in or to invest in and negotiating the best terms for them.

And when I think about all that makes me happy, I realize that I don’t need to always be chasing 💸…life is easier with money, to be sure. But as long as I’m keeping things in perspective and still able to enjoy life while pursuing money, that will be enough for me.

Don’t lose your family, friends, or health chasing money. Because in the end, what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

Ways to improve your physical health

As we approach the new year, and with it , New Years Resolutions, it’s time to think about how you can improve your physical health. I’m a firm believer that you have to think of the body holistically, and to be the healthiest version of you mentally, emotionally, etc, that you need to be the healthiest version physically as well. But where do you start? Here are a few thoughts…

Start with natural movement. What do you do in everyday life? Squat (like when you’re going to sit in a chair or on the toilet), deadlift (like when you’re picking up groceries), do farmers carries (like when you’re carrying those groceries inside), overhead press (like when you’re picking your kids up over your head), do sit-ups and Turkish getups (like when you’re getting up off the floor), etc.

Change the variety, volume, and frequency of your movements. Sometimes do light weight (or body weight) for high reps. Sometimes do heavy weight for low reps. Change how often you’re working – whether that’s changing rest periods in between sets or occasionally throwing in a second workout for the day. Keep your body guessing – but don’t do things on a whim. It should still be structured/be according to a plan.

Change your movement types. Jump, crawl, run, hang, push, pull, twist, walk, run, climb, carry, improve your combat/self-defense skills, and practice swimming or being in the pool.

Be barefoot outside. Get dirty. Workout in cold weather and warm weather. Work out for functionality, not just for aesthetics. Work out for utility and longevity.

Strengthen your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and neck.

Do yoga (isometric holds, stretching, balance).

Do an obstacle course or make your own version…practice on the balance beam, monkey bars, and agility ladder. Use 5-gallon buckets for carries, go over short walls to hurdle or flip over, tall walls to climb, have a sprint zone, a bear crawl/crab walk zone, 5-cone agility, pull-ups, squats, pushups, handstand holds/pushups. Go ruck in the woods.

Lastly, to make sure your body has enough energy to do all of this, get enough quality sleep, drink enough water, and focus on eating a good/clean diet.

Discipline, forward-thinking, and your success

Do what you need to do now, even if you don’t want to, so you can set yourself up for success and reap the rewards later. — “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” – Muhammad Ali

Do what you need to do now, even if you don’t feel like it, so you can set yourself up for success and reap the rewards later.

Does a farmer plant seeds only when he feels like it? No, because then when he needs to harvest his crop, it won’t be there!

Success takes time, it takes hard work, and it takes consistent action. If you work out once, you’re not going to have six pack abs. If you save money to invest one month, you’re not going to be able to retire off of it. But if you do those things consistently over time, you’ll eventually achieve things that most people aren’t disciplined enough to do.

“Suffer” now. “Sacrifice” now. Live below your means, take care of your mind, body, and spirit now. Do these things consistently and continued take massive actions daily, weekly, and monthly towards your goals, and you will achieve success. Think about your future self, not just about what you feel like doing right now.