The Five Laws of the Highlands
Rules for living smarter and stronger for longer
There are a lot of fitness and health laws out there. Most of them aren’t worth remembering. These are.
Highlanders live by a set of laws that guarantee progress toward the goal of living smarter and stronger for longer:
Major in The Majors. The Highlander’s work must be focused on the efforts that produce the most effect. A simple rule often ignored in many domains. We call these efforts The Majors: Exercise, Sleep, Nutrition, Mental Power, Life Enhancing Drugs. The Majors are hard. That’s why the majors create so much benefit. It’s also why so many people focus on the easy minors like pills and potions. There are no shortcuts. A Highlander should only play in the minors after majoring in the majors.
Invest Effort in Life. A longevity practice requires a patient investment of effort just like becoming financially independent. There’s no single pill, there’s no miracle drink, there’s no hack. There’s no shortcut. There is only persistent effort. The Highlander Program requires an investment of 30-60 minutes per day every day forever. Those hours fill the bank of effort you draw on as you age to sustain physical and mental performance. Your longevity bank entitles you do future escape velocity. The better you situate your mind and body now, however old you are, the better it will be situated in 10, 20, 30 years from now. Only you can do the work. Be accountable.
Exercise is the Ultimate Drug. Exercise is the major of all majors, the cornerstone of all physical and mental wealth. You can overcome a lot of wrong when you’re strong.As a physical enhancement tool, exercise comes with the obvious benefits of increasing strength, muscle mass, and cardiovascular capacity. Physical wealth comes with greater heart health and insulin sensitivity. Exercise also contributes to cognitive benefits both tangible and intangible. Physical wealth confers mental energy and confidence. It’s impossible to be mentally wealthy without being physically wealthy. Highlanders treat exercise as the most important thing because it is.
Create an Identity, Not a Habit. Habits come and go. Identities are permanent applications of the self against the world. This makes identity the most powerful way to shape behavior. When we say we’re an athlete, we must train and compete because athletes train to compete. Training isn’t a habit for an athlete, it’s a requirement to validate the identity. When we say we’re Highlanders, we must invest effort strength, cardio, nutrition, and mental power that help us defy age. Conversely, if your identity is built on being sick, and weak, and old, and compromised, you will be sick, weak, old, and compromised. Highlanders reject all identities built on victimhood.
Remember and Act. People beginning a longevity practice are too often frozen by choice and search for the optimal. If you’re new to training for longevity, you don’t need a special program tailored for you. You don’t need a menu of scientifically validated choices. You just need to get started with The Majors. Imperfect action is better than inaction for health. Samuel Johnson said: “Man needs more often to be reminded than to be instructed.” Common sense tells you The Majors work. The Highlander Program is your daily reminder. Start now.