Get Healthy or Wealthy

If you have any desire to better yourself, please read on…

When I was writing my New Years resolutions for 2013, I knew there had to be a better way to achieve my goals than jotting them down and stuffing them in a drawer. I came up with a system I call Healthy or Wealthy. 

At it’s core, healthy or wealthy is a set of self-mandated laws that will help you live a healthier, more productive life. If you break these laws, you must pay, with real money, to a real fund. As long as you stick to the system, you should accomplish your goals making you a better person, or stack up on savings if you continuously fail; hence, healthy or wealthy. 

It’s pretty simple. Map out what you want to achieve in multiple aspects of your life such as health, mind, career, etc. Then, add tasks that will help you accomplish these goals and set a monetary value for each task. Each time you miss the task, you must pay the fine. 

For example, let’s say you want to get in better shape. Break down your workout into tasks to achieve the body you desire. Maybe run 2 miles on Monday ($20), go to the gym on Wednesday ($20), play basketball on Saturday morning ($15). If you miss any of these activities, you must pay that designated fee to a savings account, an IRA, a jar, or whatever else your little heart desires. It’s that simple. 

There is a lot of room for creativity with this. I personally like to put these penalties toward my IRA or relatively high-risk investments. If you really want to be a saint, donate your losses to a charity! These are technically excess funds, so feel free to put them toward a car or vacation. Yeah, you may be a fat, lazy slob, but at least you have a shiny new BMW!

Here is glimpse at the format:

Body

I would like to be in the best shape of my life within 6 months. In order to accomplish this I am going to:

Exercise:

1. Lift 3 days a week ($25 for each day missed each week)
2. Yoga once a week ($25 for each time missed each week)
3. Trail Run once a week ($25 for each time missed pending weather)
4. Surf Once a week ($25 for each time missed pending weather)

Consume:

1. No carbs after 6 PM ($10)
2. No mixed drinks unless it is a special occasion ($50, be honest with the special occasions!)
3. 1 drunk day per week ($25 for each additional day per week)
4. Dessert once a week ($20)

Mind

Developing the skills of living in the moment, being compassionate to people and myself, and gaining knowledge is the quest as usual. I will achieve this by: 

1. Read one chapter from Buddhist Mindfulness Book before getting out of bed 5 days a week ($10 each missed per week)
2. Read one book per month ($100 if missed)
3. One charitable act per month: volunteer, do a good deed ($50 if missed)

Work

I have an insane opportunity to really develop as a young professional that I need to maximize. Hard work will pay off in so many ways. 

1. 10 hours of work every day. If I run out of stuff to do at my job, work on a side business project or better myself for my career ($10 for each our short per week)
2. Don’t visit Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest ($5 each visit)
3. Read one profession related article once a week outside of work to improve myself as an employee ($25)

The possible categories are limitless. You can make it a point to be a better friend, better companion, start a new hobby, etc. and then create laws to achieve those goals as well.

Don’t get mad or annoyed with the system and be sure to keep with it and you WILL be a better person. Don’t get discouraged and give up if you keep getting penalized. Ideally you want hit most of your goals on a weekly/monthly basis and achieve a decent amount of savings in the process.

I suggest setting your goals extremely high so that penalties will be inevitable. You’ll also learn quickly that the more you obtain your goals, the less money you will be spending on other activities or materials that would only temporarily fool you into thinking you are happy. 

The best part about healthy or wealthy is it’s a win win situation. Bottom lime, you will be the happier, healthier, more successful person you are constantly striving to be anyway. Might as well make it interesting.

Good luck!