Today’s PrimalMed Prescription…Make that deposit!
Your morning routine is THE deposit that PAYS DIVIDENDS!
Whoa! Who is this handsome, debonaire, suave gent rocking that Circa 1970 “I’m PrimalMed Approved!” vibe?
It is Uncle Howie!
Who is or actually, WHAT is an Uncle Howie?
And why is he, or rather, the concept of, AN Uncle Howie so damn important?
The story continues, and we go back to our recent Thanksgiving holiday.
But first, let’s set the table with some history…Now as you may know, I am a big fan of the Stoics and this pearl from the philosopher Epictetus rings true, now more than ever.
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
This past Thanksgiving was an opportunity to reunite with family. LadyPrime flew in from Cali! PrimalMed Jr. drove down from Boston! And PrimalMD and PrimalRD braved the traffic on the Merritt Parkway on Thursday morning to enjoy family and tradition!
Every family has The Village Elder. The wise patriarch. Mentor. Dispenser of tales of days of yore and pearls of wisdom. Now remember the last post when we discussed the importance of ‘Teach your Children?’
Well, today’s message is to ‘Listen to your Elders!’ LISTEN. Two ears. One mouth.
So I sat with Uncle Howie this past Thanksgiving and we had some fine conversations about his past, present, and future. He shared some memories about my parents (patriarch and matriarch who are sorely missed 😘), and growing up in the Bronx.
Every morning, Unc would put on his sweats and exercise. He had one of the first Soloflex type machines in his basement. I think it was called the Kong. It was a bench with resistance bands and the workout was his morning routine.
Here’s the classic commercial!
He went for a 3 mile run almost every morning on the Atlantic Beach boardwalk if the weather permitted.
EVERY MORNING he did something.
He told me that no matter how lousy the day went, if he did his exercise FIRST, it was a WIN. He made his deposit for the day, and it paid dividends going forward that day and every day.
He told me the story of how he would take the EARLY train to the city and go to the gym, workout, shower and change and be at the office by 8, ready to rumble and kick arse. The younger whippersnappers were outclassed by this dynamo. He had made his deposit and he owned the day!
We all need to own the morning and make that deposit. Whether it is making your bed, or brewing that perfect cup of coffee for your mate, or taking your pooch outside for that morning walk, it is the ACTION that is the ACCOMPLISHMENT. THAT is the win. Just don’t think. DO.
Even my mother-in-law Ida makes her morning deposit. Some meditation, some yoga and a hearty breakfast on her sun drenched patio. Every morning. And it pays dividends. She’s 88 and a fountain of energy and wisdom.
Now what if you channel your own inner Uncle Howie, and do something consistently every morning? It becomes a habit. Small habits lead to BIG gains. Compound interest!
James Clear, in his 2018 book ‘Atomic Habits’ talks about ‘Continuous improvement.’ To quote:
“Let’s define continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is a dedication to making small changes and improvements every day, with the expectation that those small improvements will add up to something significant.”
The prescription for Uncle Howie was to do the work every morning. Baby steps yield BIG gains over time. Seems SO obvious.
Inputs MATTER! Two ears, two eyes, two nostrils!
What we hear, see and even what we smell are inputs that are so much more important than talking all the time. Listen 90% and talk 10%. You might just learn something.
TL;DR: We ALL have an Uncle Howie. He, she, present or past, we all have a mentor from which to learn The Secret O’ Life.
How do we go from knowing to doing?
SIT down with YOUR family patriarch or matriarch and listen to their words of wisdom.
Make your daily deposit EVERY MORNING. Every day.
1% better every day. Channel your own inner Uncle Howie to make yourself PrimalMed approved!
(Thank you to Uncle Howie for the priceless conversations this past Thanksgiving and shout out to loyal readers PrimalMaggie for hosting the festivities and Primal-J for discussing and referring me back to the book ‘Atomic Habits.’)
And please don’t forget to leave some comments in the comment sections! Who is YOUR Uncle Howie? I’m curious. Share YOUR wisdom. Your input may just make its way in to the next post!
Ted Metzger, MD is a practicing board certified Radiologist as well as founder and owner of PrimalMed, LLC. PrimalMed educates and advocates on Metabolic Health and Wellness, as seen through the lens of a curious radiologist.
Ellen Metzger MS, RD - the other half of the PrimalMed team, is an Integrative Registered Dietitian, addressing ancestral and primal nutrition principles as drivers of metabolic health and wellness.
Another inspiring article… I look forward to these. Thank you!
You are so right, a healthy and consistent morning routine sets the day for continued good health and enjoyment. Another ingredient to deposit is to do whatever it takes, to keep your mind alert. Keep learning by immersing yourself in books and all kinds of word games. I am fortunate to be retired so that I can spend my mornings doing all of that.