Episode 238: Healthy, Wealthy & Living Longer - The Secrets to Longevity, Finance & Life Optimisation with Jon Sabes

Why your health, wealth and lifespan are more connected than you think

TL;DR

• Lifespan is how long you live. Healthspan is how long you live without chronic disease.
• Ask what your 90-year-old self would want you to do today.
• Compound your health, relationships and purpose, not just your investments.
• Change your environment to make healthy habits easier.
• Every failure holds a seed of benefit. Look for it fast.

Introduction

Jon Sabes is a serial entrepreneur in financial services and longevity and the author of Healthy Wealthy Longevity. When we spoke, he'd just moved to Baja, Mexico, partly so he could live by the ocean and learn to surf before his body says enough is enough.

What I appreciated about his book is that it doesn't only come from a place of success. Jon started writing it about the financial services industry, but then his mum got sick and he cared for her for six months. She told him her life had been a dream. That changed how he thought about longevity. His goal now is to help people build a life where, at the end, they can say the same.

Please note: this blog is for general information only and isn't financial, medical or other professional advice. Please speak with a qualified professional about your own situation.

Lesson 1: Money and health are connected

Insight: Jon admits it feels controversial to talk about money in the context of health. But he got frustrated reading books about happiness and health that ignored money. How can you think about being healthy when your rent is unpaid, your car is stuck in the shop and you're constantly stressed?

He points to research suggesting the highest income earners in the United States outlive the lowest earners by a decade or more. He also describes how money stress triggers negative hormones and chemicals in your body, which he believes can show up as poor health over time.

I've worked with people with very little money and people who never have to worry about it. In my experience, money isn't what makes them healthy. It's their habits. Jon agrees. You need enough to cover your basic needs, but after that it's about having the intention to be healthy.

Action: Notice whether money stress is affecting your sleep, eating or training, and take one small step to ease it.

Outcome: You remove a hidden barrier to your health.

Lesson 2: Plan for your healthspan, not just your lifespan

Insight: Jon thinks most people get the tension between lifespan and healthspan wrong. Generally, people will live a long time, and he says those last two decades can be extraordinary if you look after yourself and aren't stressed about money.

His book flips the classic podcast question. Instead of asking what you'd tell your younger self, ask what your 90-year-old self would tell you to do today. Picture them giving you a big hug and thanking you for what you did at 40, 50 or 60, because it's bringing them peace of mind. I loved this so much I made a short episode about it.

Action: Write a note from your 90-year-old self about what they want you to start doing now.

Outcome: Your daily choices start working for your future.

Lesson 3: Compound every area of your life

Insight: We all learn about compounding with investing. Jon says you should be compounding in every part of your life, including your health, your relationships and your purpose. He breaks it into four areas:

• Movement: keeping your body physically active.
• Eating wisely: paying attention to what you put in your body.
• Purpose: knowing why you get up each day.
• Connection: who you connect and stay connected with.

His aim is to take a positive step in each one every day, as much as he can.

He also uses what he calls leverage anchors, points where a small amount of effort creates a disproportionate gain. Like a guidepost on a hike, if you can see you're heading in the right direction, you don't need to worry about every step.

Action: Pick one small positive action for each of the four areas this week.

Outcome: Small wins start compounding into big results.

Lesson 4: Make the big rocks easier to move

Insight: Jon compares building a new habit to pushing a big, heavy rock up a hill. The more entrenched your old habit, the heavier the rock and the steeper the slope. Any change takes energy, resilience and persistence.

The trick is to set up your environment to reduce the slope. If you want to eat better, clean the salty, sugary foods out of your pantry so they're not there when the TV comes on at night.

He also shared one of his own rocks. As men age, their social circle often shrinks, and his default is to retreat to his dogs, his phone, the weights and coffee. So he has to be intentional about maintaining his friendships and strengthening his relationships with his kids, his wife and his father.

Action: Change one thing in your environment this week to make a healthy habit easier.

Outcome: You rely less on willpower to stay on track.

Lesson 5: Look for the seed of benefit in every failure

Insight: Jon has had his share of failures as an entrepreneur. He shared the idea that failure isn't failure until you accept it as such. Within every failure is what he calls a seed of equivalent benefit. The faster you start looking for it, the faster you find it and put it to work.

His son, a painter, reminded him that some of the greatest artists died considered failures. When things are tough, Jon gets outside and moves. He walks or rides, listens to something positive and gets control of his head so he can point it where he wants to go. For me, it's going for a surf. The waves keep rolling no matter what's happening in my life, and that gives me perspective.

On risk, his view is that it's a personal calculation. When you're younger, you may be able to take more risk. As others start depending on you, your tolerance changes, and it's worth being honest about that.

Action: Next time something goes wrong, write down one thing you can learn from it.

Outcome: Setbacks become fuel instead of full stops.

Lesson 6: Keep moving, whatever that looks like

Insight: Movement has always been part of Jon's life. After his first child, he started running, did a marathon, moved into triathlons, completed five Ironmans and went into ultra-distance. Now he's moving into strength training. He's never used Strava or a power meter. He simply runs faster when he feels good and slower when he doesn't.

His first triathlon was a half Ironman, and he couldn't swim properly. He did side stroke the whole way and was second-last out of the water. What Ironman taught him is that seemingly impossible challenges can become possible. It built a resilience muscle for life, because life will throw roadblocks at you. He encourages people to start with a 5km or 10km event.

Action: Sign up for a 5km or 10km event, or set a goal that feels a little out of reach.

Outcome: You build resilience that carries into the rest of your life.

Lesson 7: Garden and blue-zone your life

Insight: When I asked what one physical thing he'd get everyone in the world to do, Jon said gardening. It's good physical activity, and it connects you with nature. You start noticing sunlight, rain and the seasons. Working in financial services, where everything can feel like paper and money, his garden grounds him.

He's a big fan of the blue zones. He notes that even some of these places are struggling to stay that way as fast food and modern conveniences move in. But he believes we can all blue-zone our lives by shaping our environment so the healthier choice becomes the default. That might be as simple as the light in your home or the street you live on.

On technology, he says whatever works for you is the right tech. For him, that's FaceTiming his strength trainer from anywhere in the world and using prompt journals he's developed over many years.

Action: Spend some time outside this week, in a garden, a park or even a few pot plants on your balcony.

Outcome: You feel more grounded and connected to your surroundings.

Quick wins

• Write a note from your 90-year-old self.
• Take one positive step in movement, eating, purpose and connection.
• Clear one tempting food out of your pantry.
• Look for the lesson in your last setback.
• Get your hands in some dirt.

Closing insight

Jon's goal is to reach the end of life and say, "My life's been a dream." It's an admirable goal for all of us. You get there by compounding small, positive choices in your health, relationships and purpose, starting today.

Connect with Jon

Visit Jon's website, learn about Longevity Financial Partners or follow him on Instagram. His book, Healthy Wealthy Longevity, is available on Amazon.

Listen to the full episode

The full conversation is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, or press play at the top of this page.

Related episodes: The Long Game: Strength, Purpose and Longevity With Jon Sabes and Stop Asking What You'd Tell Your Younger Self