It’s been a dense few weeks, friends! Or a dense year, maybe, as these blog posts appear late more often now than in a while. Life! I’m okay with it; eleven years is a long time to maintain a project that was only meant to last one. I’m just happy to be here! Family came in last weekend, and I’m about to fly myself tonight, so this post will serve for two weeks. Hope everybody is well and happy!

Daughter and I signed up for a pottery class back in June, 12 weeks ago, I realize today. It took a food twelve hours to call forth the muscle memory from 26 years ago when I made over 400 pots, and now I’m making progress again. The first batch yielded 27 pieces, teaching me how the glazes behave when layered. By the end, barring catastrophe, I will have over 50 creations to use and share this time. See below for photos!

I recently saw a patient who will retire in the coming year. Their annual exams brought us both warm connection over the years, and we agreed that they are as healthy as they could be on the threshold of this life transition. At the end of the day they asked me to include some parting advice for the next five years, a new request for me. How fun! Now I wonder what I’d write for any patient when I see them (potentially) for the last time. What would I write for myself? For the kids? My parents?

What advice would you write to yourself and your loved ones for the next some years? For your leaders? For our legislators and judiciary? How do you already think and communicate in these terms?

I listened to Simon Sinek’s The Infinite Game again yesterday and today. He writes in terms of business and professional leadership, but his premise of an infinite mindset applies to how any of us may choose to live. Inspiring. One of the reasons I get behind on the blog is that I’m writing Love Letters to Patients (LLTP) every week. Every time I think I will address their medical concerns, I end up writing about their life, their relationships, and their impact on me… and my aspirations for them–for us all. I intend to edit and organize after one full year; that will be Book. Can’t wait to share it with you all. Meanwhile, I think this extemporaneous ‘five year plan’ may give you a taste of what that bigger project may feel like. What think you? 🙂

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OK so in case I don’t see you next year (or ever again! 😦 ), you asked for my advice for the next five years.  AWESOME, this will be my first time writing something like this, let’s see what emerges ! 😀

1. Continue to prioritize the most important things to you–the people and activities that give your life meaning.  I think you are already very good at this, and after retirement you will have time, energy, and resources to engage and invest even more, no?  How fulfilling!
2. Physical fitness will be important. I love John’s advice of using gym time to fill in the small gaps in lower body strength that you may not get from your usual activities.  We discussed the ways you can tell if you’re still fit–getting up and down from the floor or low chairs/stools, feeling confident that you can embark on any new physical activity without limitation (hiking, skating, playing a new sport), etc.  Functional movements in the gym are key for this: forward lunges approximate going down the stairs.  Squats are getting up from a low chair.  Deadlifts are bending over and picking up something from the floor.  It’s the eccentric movement–the controlled deceleration–that is key for fall prevention: Think walking downhill quickly without hyperextending, torquing, or losing balance in your ankles and knees.  
3. Stay open to learning anything.  Hang out with curious people who know different things from you and are generous with sharing.  Say yes to trying new things.  Spend time with folks from all generations.  I really think this keeps us young–openness, curiosity, exposure to and engagement with novelty, and just growing our neural networks in any possible way–visual, auditory, tactile, intellectual, emotional, and in movement!
4. Assemble your medical pit crew, if needed.  You have a primary care doctor, and you have us at Exec Health for exercise and nutrition advice once a year.  Events may lead you to need medical specialists in the future, eg physical therapy, personal training, talk therapy–who knows?  But finding *your people* in each of these domains, and connecting them whenever possible so they may compare notes and coordinate care, will give you all more connection and improve outcomes, in my opinion.
5. Vet medical and health information in the public domain with a very critical mind.  Sadly right now, that includes information coming from the federal government.  Avoid influencers and even medical professionals who are selling products or services for very high prices.  Look at financial relationships between public figures and the products they recommend.  The number of non-evidence based, fear-mongering, capitalist health and wellness businesses increases every year, and I have yet to vet one that I recommend.  Review things with your doctor before you pay for anything she did not recommend herself.

• I think that’s pretty good general advice–not just for you but for us all…  Thank you for stimulating the thoughts!  Please tell me what you think and if you want me to add/address anything else.