The principle is simple enough: Eat a variety of healthy foods, eat less junk, and exercise more. The question isn’t the principle. The question is How? I use Weber’s Law, which states that you can’t detect a difference in stimuli that is less than 10%. Have somebody lift a 50 and a 51 pound weight and they will have a hard time telling them apart. I use something more like a 1% difference, but I do so with wicked persistence. I begin by eating one, just one, more leaf of lettuce and one, and only one, less spoonful of ice cream. I take just one flight of stairs. When I have grown completely accustomed to this level of change, then I take the next baby step. When if I go nuts and eat a pint of chocolate chip? These things happen, but I know the difference between a blip and a trend. The pint of chocolate chip is a blip. The general trend is toward greater health. This approach has an added benefit in that I haven’t told everybody I’m on a health kick so when they see me down the pint of chocolate chip, I don’t feel embarrassed. I say to myself, tomorrow is another day and I’ll get back on track.
Tad Waddington says he achieved literacy while getting his MA from the University of Chicago’s Divinity School where he focused on the history of Chinese religions. He achieved numeracy while getting his PhD from the University of Chicago in measurement, evaluation and statistical analysis. He achieved efficacy as Director of Performance Measurement for Accenture. He is currently seeking to achieve a legacy with such books as Return on Learning and Lasting Contribution. To find out more, go to www.lastingcontribution.com.