Chapter 1: The Ruler of Life

Picture a typical 30-centimeter ruler, which symbolizes our average life span of about 80 years. Let’s not get distracted by outliers; for instance, Clint Eastwood, who is still active at 93.

As you approach your 50th birthday, imagine the ruler showing your current position. If you haven’t experienced a midlife crisis by then, it might be an ideal time to reflect, as time feels limited at this stage.

Why focus on age 50? It marks the moment when you’ve consumed two-thirds of your life ruler. You may notice that time seems to speed up, recovery from nights out takes longer, and you may feel less visible to the opposite sex. Speaking from experience here.

I’m not here to bring you down. On the contrary, I aim to offer a fresh perspective.

At 67, I find myself at the 25 cm mark. However, my ruler extends beyond 30 cm because I have the liberty to define my own limits.

Life expectancy isn’t fixed. While the average life expectancy might hover around 80 years, it varies based on many factors, including where you live. For example, in the US, men can expect to live around 79 years, while in Russia, that number drops to about 60.

Your lifestyle choices play a critical role. If you treat your body poorly, you may not reach that midlife point at all. Conversely, if you adopt healthier habits, you could extend your life expectancy beyond 80 years.

A 2020 study published in the British Medical Journal provided some enlightening insights:

"…adherence to a low-risk lifestyle was linked to an increase in life expectancy at age 50, free from major chronic diseases, by approximately 7.6 years for men and 10 years for women."

The study analyzed 111,000 individuals from the US Nurses Health Study and the US Health Professionals Study, evaluating their smoking, drinking, BMI, diet, and physical activity to create a 5-point score. Higher scores correlated with healthier habits.

Here’s how those who scored well compared to those with lower scores.

Notice how that ruler extends with better choices? An extra decade of living without chronic illness is certainly noteworthy. And remember, this is just an average. If you remain healthy until 80, you could enjoy an additional 10 years of vitality.

Take a moment to reflect on that: the possibility of thriving until 90.

For someone like Clint Eastwood, that means looking forward to five more healthy years. This could even bring you close to celebrating a 100th birthday in good health, as comedian George Burns did, continuing his career at 99 despite his smoking habit.

This illustrates that you don’t need to achieve perfection in health behaviors. It’s crucial to identify the habits that work for your body to extend your life ruler.

I’ve shared these reflections for your benefit, though admittedly, I also did this for myself. When I first examined my life ruler, I became acutely aware of how close I was to the end of this journey. Since then, I’ve never viewed rulers the same way again.

This realization has taught me several valuable lessons: the importance of taking proactive steps around the ages of 40 or 50, the necessity of pursuing your desires without delay, and the importance of disregarding others' expectations of you.

If this ruler metaphor inspires you to make positive changes, then I’ve succeeded in my goal.

So, where do you see yourself on your ruler? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Chapter 2: The Impact of Lifestyle Choices