July 9, 2010, Newsletter Issue #38: 4. Changing The Health-Wealth Portfolio

Tip of the Week

Any effort you make towards improving your lifestyle behaviors, managing your risk, and changing the overall health measure is important. However, some of you may have more serious risks than others. They may be life-threatening (not following the treatment plan for your diabetes) or cause pain (not allowing injuries to heal). They may be a lifelong issue (overweight) but that, too, can be changed, with diligence and focus. By quantifying the impact to your health-wealth portfolio, you can begin to see where short-term wins can roll over into long-term successes.
That’s the basis for value-based health changes. The more you put into your health-wealth portfolio, the richer you become:
1. You spend less on health “incidents.”
2. You have more money to invest in activities that increase your health and/or your wealth. As an example, if you cut down on emergency room visits because you are taking your asthma medication regularly, you will have more dollars in your pocket (because you have less copays for the visits).
3. You have fewer illnesses, so you will have more time to focus on other activities, the ones that bring you joy, including being with family, contributing to the community, relaxing and reading, or studying investments for your 401K.
4. You are managing any long-term conditions more effectively, and you therefore cut down on doctor visits, allowing more time and money for the enjoyable activities.
5. You are paying more attention to your other investments, including those that enrich your spirit, and consequently you find life to richer in many ways.
It all adds up: you pay attention to your health; you change a few behaviors that are causing your health to be less than optimal; and you improve so much more than just your health. You improve outlook, relationships, commitments, time management, and the road to your achievable mission. You gain self-confidence to be better, to think better, and to do better, every day. Suddenly, achieving that mission is doable.
That’s the real reason to focus on the management of your health-wealth portfolio. Creating value in your health-wealth portfolio increases the total value you get from life!

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