Baby Steps to Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise
One guy’s opinions:
Baby steps to wisdom
From where I sit, the wise person values productivity over pleasure, especially if they’re unusually good at what they do. Good work makes life more meaningful, and many people find good work more pleasurable even if not remunerative, than recreation or maybe even the vaunted family life.
Wisdom also requires questioning the zeitgeist’s urging yet more redistribution. As every battlefield medic knows, it’s wise to give limited resources not necessarily to the sickest but to those more likely to benefit.
Relatedly, it’s tempting to be forgiving, but that can reward bad behavior and impose a tax on you. If you wish, err toward mercy and generosity, but don’t be a patsy.
In light of all that, is there a baby step you want to take?
Baby steps to wealth
Avoid luxury purchases — They usually yield poor bang for the buck. So, consider living in a safe but not fancy neighborhood, choosing community college at least to start, and buying well-regarded mainstream brands like Toyota rather than brands requiring more service and that break down more, like BMW or Mercedes. There’s nothing prestigious about standing on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck. Status is the enemy of contentment.
Recognize the actual costs of a materialistic lifestyle. For example, you may feel pressure to take a job mainly for the money, even if you’d otherwise choose a career you’d enjoy more. Also, if you overspend, you don’t get the benefit of compound investing— what Einstein is said to have called the eighth wonder of the world. Investing $100 a month in a broad index like the Vanguard S&P 500 etf would yield more than $20,000 in ten years, more than $200,000 in 30, although as they say, past results may not predict future ones.
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Consider having a tolerable amount from your paycheck automatically invested in a low-cost investment that’s diversified across blue-chip companies, for example, in that Vanguard S&P 500 etf or in the Vanguard’s all-in-one fund that matches your risk tolerance. Automatic investing avoids needing discipline nor trying to time the market — That’s usually less successful than automatic buying. That way, you get more shares when the price is low, fewer when high. The technical term for that is “dollar-cost averaging.”
In light of all that, is there a baby step you want to take?
Baby steps to health
Weight. Diets are rarely sustainable. Perhaps better to, ahem, nibble at the issue: Keep your danger foods out of your home or at least hide them out of sight. Before preparing a meal, ask yourself, “What should I eat and how much?” Try to stay aware as you’re eating and stop before you’re stuffed. If you’re obese (BMI 30+), diet and exercise usually aren’t enough. We’re in a revolution in weight loss: See your doctor about a GLP such as Zepbound.
Diet. Perhaps we pay so much attention to diet because we can control it. But diet may affect our health less than we hope. Sure, don’t consume lots of sugar and salt, and reduce meat and processed foods, but moderation may be enough, including the occasional cheat — at least in my opinion. FYI, I am not an MD. This is just the opinion of a guy who’s fairly health-conscious but who tends toward maximizing risk/reward rather than extremes
Exercise. That may have little effect on weight: Appetite can increase in proportion to the exercise plus can make you feel entitled to eat more. That said, exercise is good for circulation, muscle tone, and stress management. Moderate rather than extreme exercise is sustainable and less likely to yield injury. And in walking, you can do it from anywhere and at your desired pace. It’s possible that our mothers are right: Walking is the best exercise.
Sleep. It truly is restorative. Is your sleep hygiene okay — that is, cool room, regular pre-sleep ritual including a relaxing end like reading something light in bed until your eyes get heavy?
Mind-altering substances. Many people use them because they’re bored. Are you ready to substitute a less dangerous option? Indeed, marijuana has turned out to be far less benign than its activists assert. See this World Health Organization summary in 2024, and updated in 2026.
Managing disease. If you have a disease requiring maintenance such as diabetes or hypertension, tie your medication to something you want to do. For example, have dinner only after you’ve taken your pills.
In light of all that, is there a baby step you want to take?
I read this aloud on YouTube.
Marty Nemko is a career and personal coach, and author of 36 books including How to Do Life. You can reach him at mnemko@gmail.com
