Last year, I shared nine habits that helped many of you transform your energy, focus and confidence. This year, the aim isn’t constant self-optimisation—it’s sustainability. It’s building routines that protect your resilience, longevity and overall wellbeing.
Over the past twelve months, I’ve deepened these practices, and the results have been remarkable. At 49, I’m the healthiest and fittest I’ve ever been—even compared to my years racing triathlons and Ironman. These are the ten habits that have made the difference.
1. Strength-Train Four Times a Week
Muscle is longevity currency. It boosts metabolism, supports hormone health and helps prevent injury—especially as we age. Prioritise resistance training the same way you prioritise important meetings: it’s non-negotiable.
Apps like Peloton or Ladder are great starting points, or consider a trainer who aligns with your goals.
2. Hit Zone 5 Once a Week
Dr Stacy Sims calls high-intensity training “brain fertiliser”—and she’s right. Pushing into Zone 5 once a week improves cognition, bone density and mitochondrial health.
Sprint, bike, ski-erg, swing a kettlebell—just choose something that gets you breathless. You’ll feel incredible afterwards.
3. Walk 30 Minutes Daily
Most adults spend nearly ten hours a day sitting. Walking counteracts the stagnation and boosts creativity, circulation and mood.
Some of my best ideas occur while I'm walking, not during meetings. Try a walking meeting or pace during calls. As Kelly and Juliet Starrett write in Built to Move, “Walking gets everything flowing.”
4. Protect Your Sleep Like Revenue
Sleep is the original performance enhancer. Seven to eight hours improves emotional regulation, decision-making and productivity.
Build an evening wind-down routine and treat bedtime as a standing appointment with your future self.
5. Read 10 Pages a Day
AI is making life easier—but also making our minds softer. Reading strengthens focus and expands perspective. Ten pages a day averages out to roughly 12 books a year.
Choose books that interest you, and even better, challenge you.
6. Eat Real Food
Clear inputs create clear outputs. Prioritise protein, fibre and whole foods, and limit processed options. When you fuel well, energy stabilises and cravings fade.
Quick protein-and-veggie meals plus flavorful condiments—like Chef Marcela Valladolid’s “Everything Con Chipotle” or Primal Kitchen’s clean sauces—make staying on track easy.
More restaurants and brands are removing seed oils, and stores like Costco, Target and Thrive Market continue expanding “better-for-you” options.
Bottom line: nothing tastes better than feeling good.
7. Practice Daily Gratitude
Gratitude shifts your mindset from hustle to harmony. Start or end your day with three wins—big or small.
This simple practice grounds your nervous system and helps you show up calmer, clearer and more present.
8. Learn One New Online Skill
Costs are rising, but knowledge compounds. Choose a new skill—copywriting, coding, SEO, or video editing—and invest 30 minutes a week.
Before a recent trip to Europe, I kept a two-month Duolingo German streak. Some nights I didn’t want to do it, but showing up anyway built discipline and connection to my Austrian roots. Curiosity is a competitive advantage.
9. Sit in Silence for 10 Minutes
Stillness is both the hardest and most transformative habit. Silence reduces cortisol, reconnects you with your breath and creates space for clarity.
Neuroscientist Dr Andrew Huberman calls this “non-sleep deep rest,” a quick way to recharge your brain’s focus circuits. If silence feels challenging, try guided breathwork to ease in.
10. Audit Your Inputs
Your environment shapes you. The accounts you follow, the conversations you engage in, the food in your fridge—they all compound.
Edit anything that drains more than it gives. A few examples:
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Set time limits on scrolling
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Unsubscribe from email noise
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Curate your news feed
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Remove apps you rarely need
These small adjustments reduce mental clutter and create space for creativity, calm and deeper focus.
Build Yourself With Intention
You don’t need a life overhaul—just consistent, sustainable patterns that support who you want to become. These ten habits, repeated over time, can transform how you think, lead and live.
Entrepreneurs build companies one decision at a time. Imagine what could happen if you built yourself the same way—starting now.