In the arena of self improvement, we constantly see a demand by self achievers to find techniques to improve their prospects of success. That is all part and parcel of our industry. There is, however, another side of the coin. In business and career, self improvement is about relative improvement against competitors, whether they be competing employees within a company or competitor businesses. This means that what those competitors are doing is critical to an individual’s success.
The general perception of people in America and Europe is that the world, and their lives, are constantly becoming more competitive. In many ways, that may be so, but for an individual in America, for example, it need not be. There are many things that affect a person’s ability to compete, and to improve themselves. Amongst them, there is one area where life has become far less competitive over recent decades, and that is health and fitness.
Many self improvement web sites include information on keeping healthy and fit, and there is a good reason for that: the healthier you are, the more able you are to work effectively. Any decline in health, for whatever reason, causes a decline in performance and potential, even though an individual may not realize it. That is bad news for you if you have a health problem, but the other side of the coin is that if you are healthy and your competitors are not, then you have a competitive advantage.
A recent study by Express Scripts (Source: www.drugs.com/news/more-americans-using-more-drugs-7758.html) revealed that the number of Americans using at least 1 prescription drug rose from 67% to 74%, between 2000 and 2006. We may well find in a future survey that the % has increased, with a growth in direct marketing of drugs to consumers and other factors encouraging the trend. Many drugs have documented side effects which can add to the users health problems. Some drugs may even affect concentration, and other assets of a a sharply in tune individual
Those figures indicate that about three quarters of the population have a perceived health problem for which they are convinced they need prescription drugs. Who is likely to be the most competitive, consistently: someone from the 74% or the remaining 26%? Obviously, the 26%. Competitive self improvement is about improving yourself across a range of aspects of your life, and health is one of those where you can be confident you can do better than the rest of the population.
Another health indicator, which is just as dramatic, is obesity in the US. According to government statistics (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/) there has been a big rise in adult obesity between 1985 and 2006. In the slimmer west of the country, 20-24% of the population are obese. Many central and eastern states have obesity levels at 25-29%, while 2 (Mississippi and West Virginia), have levels of adult obesity at 30%+. Those figures do not include people who are overweight but not classed as obese.
Clearly, there is a substantial part of the population that is overweight or obese. Too much of a poor diet, and lack of exercise, is mostly to blame. Who are likely to be the most competitive, especially in the long term? Those who are close to normal weight, or those who are overweight or obese. Which category are you in? I am sure I know which category you would prefer to be in.
There are many ways in which life has become more competitive in recent years. However, health could be a weakness in your competition, and increasingly so. By making sure it is your strength, health is one part of your life that is less competitive than it once was.
Roy Thomsitt is the owner and resident author of routes-to-self-improvement.com, where you can find many articles on Self Improvement topics such as motivation , self esteem, careers, positive thinking, success and more.