Men: Here’s a 7 Point Inspection for a Regular Life Tuneup

I’ll just go ahead and admit that I don’t understand much of what moves and breathes and hums underneath the hood of my car. And I definitely don’t do my own oil changes and tuneups. But, fellas, I do know a lot about the kinds of things that keep our life engines running smoothly and the things that frequently lead to breakdown and just plain getting stuck. Here are seven specific things to check for under the hood of your life on a regular basis – especially if and when you’re feeling stuck or not driving so well on your journey:

1. Am I getting enough sleep? Are you getting a good seven hours of sleep most nights, or do you tell yourself “I only need X hours to face life just fine?” Trying to face life day after day with insufficient duration or quality of sleep will keep you from performing at your best. Count on it! So, whether you need to set a reminder for bedtime, try out a sleep enhancing/tracking app, ease up on the late night caffeine, unplug from your gaming console at a more reasonable hour, or whatever else it takes…get good sleep! You’ll have more energy, sharper thinking, a better attitude, and more endurance.
2. Am I giving the best effort I can at work? Regardless of how you feel about your current job or how long you think you’ll be doing it, it’s where you have the opportunity to make a difference, to prove to yourself what you’re made of, and to earn a living – at least to some degree. Do you give it all you’ve got on your job? If not, there’s a good chance you know it on some level, whether you think about it regularly or not. And you feel it. If you want a better job, work hard at the one you’ve got now. If you want better pay or more respect, show how deserving you are by your diligence and enthusiasm. If you are currently out of work, give it everything you’ve got every day to diligently turn over every stone, make every connection you can, be bold and brave, and make it your job to find a job. Work your hardest – and feel your best!
3. How’s my attitude? Your daily attitude is one of the few things in life that is well and truly within your total control. You can focus on the disappointments, frustrations, setbacks, mistreatments, and ugliness in and around your life. But I guarantee that will wreck your attitude and outlook on life, robbing you of energy, joy, and hope. You can dwell on the pains of yesterday that have already happened or on the imagined problems of tomorrow that may not happen at all. And in so doing, you’ll make yourself vulnerable to depression, bitterness, shame, anxiety, and other mental maladies that will gum up your engine, drain your battery, and make a message of your journey. Or you can dwell on the blessings in and around your life. You can look for opportunities, savor moments of beauty, and seize the opportunities to be a light of joy and hope to those around you. And you’ll have more pep in your step and a better tune humming from your heart.
4. Am I steering clear of unhealthy escapes? Having hobbies can be a great way to find refreshment and develop more life skills. Enjoying pastimes can be an important method for recharging batteries and clearing the gunk from your head. Taking it easy sometimes is a necessary balance to grinding hard at life. Just be careful these things don’t consume your best by becoming your top priorities. And make sure you aren’t rationalizing an unhealthy habit as something you deserve. Trust me, the way of avoidance, escape, and addiction is the way of devastation and misery. Opt for retreats over escapes. Investments over wasting resources. Sharpening your mind and skills over checking out and goofing off. Don’t let the lure or ease and comfort drain away your best from you.
5. Am I considerate and eager to serve at home? Fellas, one of the best ways to ensure a happy home life is to look for opportunities to serve and bless your wife, your partner, your kids, your family. If you show consideration, and a spirit of service and even self-sacrifice to those with whom you live, you will greatly increase the level of joy, security, affection, and love in your home. Just test this out and see if I’m right about it.
6. Am I regularly engaged in beneficial activities and exercise? Want to keep your life on track, your mind sharp, your energy up, your body working well, and your relationships thriving? Get some good exercise on the regular! It can be at the gym, on the court, in your yard, in your living room, in the pool, at the laser tag joint, on your bike, tromping through the woods, or a host of other options. It can be by yourself, with a partner, with a team, or with a crowd. It can be strenuous, moderate, light, muscle-building, cardio-improving, or skill enhancing in its focus. Just be sure you get up and get your body moving a few times every week.
7. Do I have meaningful conversations with friends and family? Guys, we live our best lives when we connect with others and share the journey along the way. Isolation sucks. Staying strong and silent and disconnected may seem like the manly way, but it works against us. It messes with our heads and keeps us from growing. Sharing our thoughts, feelings, and experiences with a few folks we trust most helps us be our best. Inviting new ideas, perspectives, stories, and challenging concepts into our lives by listening to others forms us into better men.
   
   HOPE YOUR TUNEUP IMPROVES YOUR RIDE, BROTHERS!