About a year ago, I made the decision that my finances were going to become priority number 1. I have lots of goals for the year 2010 and obviously I’d like to complete them all (or partially complete them all) or I wouldn’t have put them up. When I moved my finances to number 1, I deliberately moved working out down a notch. Lately I’ve been wondering if moving working out down the list (to finances, because I couldn’t justify the extra cost of a gym membership) was the right idea. I figured that I could just watch my food intake (which I have) and I would be ok.
I’ve been wondering if this was the right idea or not because I had a chance to begin working at an event I volunteer for that happens every year. This is my first year doing it, but the event is almost 115 years old, and up until recently, it was an all volunteer run event (it now has 1 staff member, a CEO). There have been people who have volunteered here for longer than I’ve been alive (!) and just enjoy helping out. Last year for the event, there was over 2500 volunteers!
Back to the topic, however, some of the people are rather old, and one I noticed was getting around quite well. I’ll call him George. I have no idea how old he is, but based on some of the things George says, he’s at least in his 60s. He still moves around like someone half his age, and I’m assuming its because he’s stayed healthy (by chance or on purpose) his whole life. Given a few other things about him, I doubt he ever had a gym membership or went on a diet. I think he just maintained his heath by staying active every day and not over eating constantly. This got me thinking about my health and habits, and how I’ve traded (for the present time) financial health for health of my body.
I’m not so sure this was the right decision although it seemed like a fairly reasonable trade off at the time. I told myself that I could just do typical outside type workout stuff like running (which I hate), biking, hiking or something else. I should have known myself better though, because I’ve never done one of those things specifically to exercise. I never run, I bike to get places, and I hike because I want to get to where the hike goes and be outside and away from people, not just for exercise.
On the one hand, the amount of time I have been forsaking the gym for my finances (10 months) is not that long compared to how long actuarial tables say I’ll be alive. But the more I thought about it, I realized it mattered much more than that. Yes, it is just a small part of my life, but its coming at a critical time. When I decided to get my finances in order, I began working full time after fishing school. This “part” of my life could potentially go on for the next 4o years (or more). The reason it’s a big deal is because I’m setting up a routine or habit for myself for this next section of my life. Soon it could be possible that I won’t even remember frequently going to the gym. It’s like someone hit the reset button on my life, and I elected to drop one of my favorite things that shows solid long-term benefits.
Give then potential it has for me over the long term, did I make the right decision? Or should I dilute my financial goals slightly to get to go back to the gym? I think I’ll end up getting a membership soon, as I noted earlier, doing it outside just doesn’t work for me.
To the readers:
What is the bigger issue here? The fact that I’ve dropped the habit as I enter a different stage of my life, potentially leaving the habit to become completely forgotten, or the fact that I put my financial health over the health of my body? Leave me an answer in the comments!
yakezie links:
The Secret Way to Improve Critical Thinking at Eventual Millionaire
How to Save on Travel at The Saved Quarter
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