Life On Purpose: How Living For What Matters Most Changes Everything by Victor J Strecher

Being aligned with our purpose is a dynamic activity, not a one-time shot. Energy management is probably more important than time management. Working on an assignment you choose yourself will result in greater engagement and better performance. Self-determination, autonomy, and intrinsic motivation refer to decisions one makes for oneself based on one’s own values and purpose.
The stories of Jimmy Carter’s success after he was president and Aimee Mullins, a successful model who had both legs amputated below the knee are examples of people with eudaimonic fire. Victor uses the acronym SPACE to help him remember how he gets the wind for his sails. It stands for sleep, presence, activity, creativity, and eating well.

Willpower and success go together. People without it are much more likely to be obese, smoke, dropout of school, and become teen parents. Victor had Tourette’s syndrome, which is similar to ADHD and OCD. He took up transcendental meditation and found that it gave him the willpower he needed to perform well in school. He also makes the case that the SPACE practices from the last chapter all serve to improve willpower and life quality in general.

Poor sleep is a risk factor on the order to cigarette smoking, poor diet, or sedentary behavior. It also amps up energy and willpower. It restores our immune system and enhances brain plasticity. Students who get too little sleep have poorer grades.
Tips for getting better sleep include: stoping screen use at least an hour before bedtime, limit how much of anything you drink before bedtime to avoid bathroom trips, engage in daily physical activity, don’t go to bed hungry, get plenty of natural light during the day, turn off the sound and vibration on your cellphone, don’t sleep with a pet, try earplugs, lower the temperature of your bedroom to between 60 and 67, use a high quality pillow, try a white noise maker, and try melatonin, which you can get over-the-counter.

When you are completely engaged in a moment you are present. The word mindfulness is often used to describe this feeling, but presence really occurs when your mind is empty and you are completely attentive to what is going on. Victor started meditation when he was in college and he believes it helped him succeed academically. Research supports the idea that meditation can increase energy and willpower. It can also reduce insomnia, improve diet, and enhance creativity. This chapter contains three sets of tips regarding how to meditate if you want to give it a try.
There are also a number of movement practices that give the same research-based advantage. People from the East are known to use qigong and tai chi as forms of mindful movement. In the west, yoga is more common. These disciplines also bring individuals together, and by so doing, they also increase energy and willpower. Singing in a choir or playing in an instrumental group can do the same thing. (Doug: I find that playing a musical instrument has the same benefits that include stress reduction.)

You need to make physical activity an essential part of your life for a myriad of health reasons. There are four kinds you need to do. They are: aerobic or cardio. This is where you move to make your heart and lungs work harder. Running, fast walking, swimming, and fast cycling are just some ways to do this. Resistance exercise increases strength. This involves weights and resistance bands. Do more repetitions with lighter weights. Flexibility exercise involves stretching and yoga classes are great for this. Finally there is balance exercise. Yoga, qugong, and tai chi all improve these skills.
Start with something you like, perhaps a walk in a park. Then gradually walk faster or jog. Don’t go overboard as you may end up hurting yourself. Your exercise setting should be one you find joyful. Watch less TV. Recording most of what you watch and skipping the commercials can help. Rather than having extended telephone calls, get together so you can walk and talk. Schedule walking meetings. Put exercise on your calendar and stick to it. Coffee breaks can by on the move. Use your cellphone to count your steps and monitor them for motivation. Take the stairs. Enter fund raising walks/runs. Pick up litter as your walk. (Doug:I do.) Park farther away from your destination.