40

I was born on Friday, April 29th, 1983. It was unseasonably warm that year. Spring came and went quickly; the trees were no longer blooming when my mother left the hospital.

Now, 2080 weeks later, it doesn’t feel like I’ve passed a life milestone today. But, within the next decade, I expect to reach the inflection point where I have less time remaining than I have already spent on the earth.

I want to be healthy and happy enough to make the best of the second half of my life. To do that, I need to invest in my overall fitness now. A frank self-assessment of my physical health reveals:

• I am not metabolically healthy.
• I don’t have good enough stability.
• My musculature is both underdeveloped and too weak.
• I have poor cardiovascular endurance.
• I have abysmal peak aerobic output.

Thankfully, I can change all of these things. It will take directed effort and setting aside far more time every week to care for my body than I have over the last twenty years.

I have also underinvested in my mental health in my adult life. To rectify the situation, I’m working with my care team to relieve anxiety, rebuff depression, and improve emotional regulation. Taking care of your mind is hard work too.

Overall, I’m optimistic about the future. One thing concerns me: my 30s feel like they were gone in a flash. The same thing will happen to my 40s if I’m not careful. I can’t slow the passage of time, but I can try to be more mindful of the present.