I'm not sure most of us think of things this way, but today is really just your life.

In fact, the average American lives about 27,500 todays.

If you're 35, you've got about 14,500 todays left by some estimates.

Now I'm not telling you this to be morbid or anything.

No, I am sharing this because once a day is spent - you don't get it back.

On average you're born with about 27,500 deposited in your account to spend as you choose.

You can invest them in building a body that you'll love...

...or you can spend them working inside a body that you loathe.

You can invest them in experiences with those you care about -- or spend them saying "tomorrow we'll do this" or "next year we'll do that."

👊 Today is the currency you're each gifted with to invest how you choose.

To build the body and the life that you want.

I'm spending today serving my clients, improving my health and enjoying time with my family.

In my world, that's a good today.

If you don’t like how you are spending today, change it.

Don’t spend your todays wishing that you could have more or be more.

Invest each day in what you want to do.

Personally and professionally. Surround yourself with those you want to be with...

...whether it is a rewarding career or people whose company you enjoy.

Get a proven fat-loss plan to shortcut your path to success.

By the way, you take your car to a professional mechanic, right? Why not do the same with your body?

Treat each day as if it's 1440 minutes you have to invest and you only get to benefit from them based on how you spend them... no piling them up for a rainy day.

Now you may be thinking:

"I'm too busy taking care of my business or my kids, OR other grownup responsibilities to exercise or eat right."

By the way, "self-care" is NOT "self-ish."

Self-care includes any intentional actions you take to care for your physical, mental, and emotional health.

Self-care includes exercising, eating whole unprocessed foods, prayer, reading, time with friends and family, and the list goes on and on.

Too often when life gets busy and/or more chaotic, what are the first things to go?

You guessed it: self-care behaviors.

During a time of year when schedules are full and emotions are running high, self-care is CRITICAL.

Self-care, ESPECIALLY during the holidays, will help you stay more present and in the moment...

...focused on what this time of year is really all about, as well as happier and healthier.

How to Take Care of Yourself

For many people, self-care = selfish.

This could not be further from the truth.

Change your mindset about taking time for yourself.

You can’t be a good mom, dad, grandparent, wife, husband, etc. when you are running ragged...

...and not engaging in behaviors or activities that improve your health and well being.

If you don't take care of yourself first, you will have a VERY hard time staying in the moment and appreciating the holiday season for what it is meant to be:

A time of celebration and joy.

My advice?

Invest the time to exercise, cook nutrient-dense whole foods, and get quality sleep.

These habits of health will keep you from losing your sanity and having your stress levels skyrocket this holiday season.

Stress can dramatically expand your waistline...

...and destroy your productivity, sleep, and emotional well being.

Most acts of self-care, especially a smart training session, will help to REDUCE stress levels.

The holiday season can bring about a whole new set of excuses about WHY you don’t have the time or energy to exercise, prepare your meals, or get to bed at a decent time.

Understandably you may have more going on this time of year than you do during other months...

...but that doesn’t mean your health takes a backseat until January.

Really, it just comes down to making choices.

You have a choice as to how you handle the “expectations” of the holiday season and how they affect your time and schedule.

There are a lot of people counting on you to be the best version of yourself.

Be like Ray & Alison Benedetto.

Now for a story you might relate to...

I was speaking with a client athlete about the "stress" of the holiday season.

To respect her identity, I'll call her "Mrs. Smith." Here's how she used to act and feel, BEFORE she began working with me:

Mrs. Smith had the expectation and mindset that the holidays had to be a certain way.

She would create an "impossible" (her words) checklist to complete:

🎄 She had to put up a Christmas tree.

🎄 She had to bake “traditional” Christmas cookies.

🎄 Presents had to be wrapped a certain way.

🎄 Christmas cards had to be sent.

🎄 She had to find the perfect gifts.

🎄 She had to make an effort to get together with all family and close friends.

Mrs. Smith would stress out about unimportant details...

...and by the time Christmas was near, she never enjoyed the actual holiday.

She just wanted it done so life could go back to normal.

This stressed-out mindset led her to overeat and miss workouts.

When January 2nd arrived, the scale was at least 10 pounds heavier than normal.

(Over the past 25+ years of coaching, I've observed many people gaining 5-10 pounds of fat during the holidays.)

Newsflash: You do not “HAVE” to do anything.

Mrs. Smith didn't enjoy the things I listed above...

...yet she did them because, in her mind, that was what was expected of her.

My advice is simple: Let go of expectations.

Make the holidays what YOU want them to be. Set boundaries and learn to say NO.

That is not selfish at all. It's actually more selfish to say "yes" when you really want to say "no, thank you."

Because if you are mentally and physically exhausted, you will not show up in a way that serves you and those around you.

When you are true to yourself during the holidays, something special will happen:

You'll enjoy the holiday season much more.

You'll also be happier, less stressed and, as a result, way more FUN to be around.

Bottom line: Self-care is a fundamental need.

Take care of yourself so you can care for others better.

To your success,

Coach Joe

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women get leaner, stronger, and happier. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to lose weight from home, with the best online age management personal trainer, or you want to visit the best longevity personal trainer in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.