Any goal setting exercise that includes long term ambitions perhaps needs a domain about prolonging one's life—as much as it is controllable—in order to have a reasonable opportunity to stay awhile and enjoy what is important to us whether at home, in school, at play, or in the workplace.

Designing, implementing, and evaluating effective workplace health promotion programs is fast becoming common practice within employee benefit plans.

We are now entrenched in the proverbial time of year when advertising is inundated with weight loss and exercise programs, echoing the enormous market for health and wellness.

Granted, the desire for improved health is a beneficial obsession. But fads aside, the health domain represents a great opportunity to set reasonable targets for the year—and farther out—regarding your body, mind, and overall well-being.

​One of my favorite anecdotes is from the satirical novel, Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk, adapted in the 1999 Brad Pitt movie of the same title; and celebrated as a refrain by the contrarian financial website, Zero Hedge:

"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."

Since we are living in a humble reality that is impossible to overcome, we may as well do whatever is necessary to extend our inevitable and finite timeline here on planet Earth. Managing our health with vigor provides the opportunity to stretch the inescapable.

One may argue that health is worthy of being the number three domain in the priorities of life—after spirituality and family—as typical achievements from other domains, such as education, career, and money, cannot be taken with us to any promised land.

Thus, be wise by maintaining your health from head to toe in 2016 and beyond. Your loved ones and workplace partners are counting on you.

​Copyright 2016 by David J. Waldron. All rights reserved.