My 4 Daily Non-Negotiables

Oct 9

5 min read

If you did these four things every day, what could your health look like a year from now?

People massively overcomplicate health.

New diets. New supplements. New fitness trends. 30-day transformations. Cold plunges. Detoxes. Wearable technology telling you 400 different things about your body.

But after more than a decade of coaching people, I've become increasingly convinced that the basics aren't just important.

The basics ARE the important stuff.

You don't need to live perfectly.

You don't need to train every day.

And you certainly don't need your entire life to revolve around fitness.

But I do think there are certain things we should try to make part of virtually every day.

These are my four daily non-negotiables.

1. WALK

This is number one for a reason.

Move your body every single day.

Walking might be one of the most underrated things you can do for your health.

It burns energy.

It gets you away from your desk.

It can help clear your head.

It gets you outdoors.

It can improve your cardiovascular fitness.

And unlike a brutal workout, you can generally recover from it incredibly quickly.

I'm a huge believer in steps because they make movement measurable.

If you're currently averaging 3,000 steps, don't suddenly decide you need 15,000.

Start with 4,000.

Then 5,000.

Build from there.

Some days you'll walk for an hour.

Other days you might squeeze in three 10-minute walks between everything else you've got going on.

It doesn't matter.

Just move.

Take the stairs.

Park further away.

Walk while you're on the phone.

Go around the block after your evening meal.

Take the dog out.

Walk to the shop.

Your body doesn't know whether your steps came from a treadmill, a mountain or walking around Tesco.

Movement is movement.

My rule:

Every day contains walking.

Not because walking is the ultimate fat-loss hack.

Because human beings are designed to move.

2. EAT SOMETHING THAT GREW

Here's a ridiculously simple nutrition rule:

Every day, eat something that grew.

Preferably lots of things.

Fruit.

Vegetables.

Beans.

Lentils.

Whole grains.

Nuts.

Seeds.

We spend so much time arguing about carbohydrates, fats, fasting windows and the "perfect" diet that we sometimes ignore one of the simplest improvements most people could make:

Eat more plants and get more fibre.

Instead of obsessing over everything you need to REMOVE from your diet, start asking:

"What can I add?"

Add berries to breakfast.

Add vegetables to your evening meal.

Add beans to your chilli.

Have fruit instead of another ultra-processed snack.

Choose wholegrain bread.

Add a side salad.

Small changes.

But repeat them every day and they start becoming your normal diet rather than something you're temporarily doing to "be healthy."

And that's the goal.

My rule:

Get plants and fibre into every day.

Don't aim for the perfect diet.

Aim for a better one.

3. DO SOMETHING DIFFICULT

This one isn't purely physical.

Do something every day that requires a little effort.

We live in an incredibly comfortable world.

Food delivered to our door.

Cars to take us everywhere.

Escalators instead of stairs.

Entertainment available instantly.

Heating when we're cold.

Air conditioning when we're hot.

And comfort isn't a bad thing.

But I don't think we're supposed to spend our entire lives avoiding difficulty.

Some days your difficult thing might be a hard strength session.

Another day it might be a run.

It might be walking up a big hill.

It might be doing the mobility exercises you've been avoiding.

But it can also be completely unrelated to fitness.

Making the phone call you've been putting off.

Learning something new.

Having a difficult conversation.

Working on your business.

Doing the job you've been procrastinating over.

Challenges build confidence because every time you overcome something difficult, you create evidence:

"I can do hard things."

That's why I'm such a fan of physical challenges.

A 5K.

A half marathon.

A long-distance walk.

A strength target.

Climbing a mountain.

Completing something you once thought you couldn't do gives you something buying another possession never can.

Proof of what you're capable of.

My rule:

Don't make every day comfortable.

Give yourself something to overcome.

4. CONNECT WITH SOMEONE

This might be the most overlooked health habit on the list.

Talk to somebody.

Properly.

Not liking their Instagram post.

Not sending a fire emoji.

Actually connect.

Talk to your partner.

Phone your parents.

Message the friend you haven't spoken to for months.

Have dinner with your family.

Train with somebody.

Walk with a friend.

Laugh with people.

Ask somebody how they are — and actually listen to their answer.

We can spend enormous amounts of time working on our bodies while forgetting that our relationships are a huge part of what makes life enjoyable in the first place.

And there's another reason I think this belongs on the list.

Most of the best experiences in life are better when they're shared.

Running your first half marathon is incredible.

Having your family waiting at the finish line makes it better.

Climbing a mountain is an achievement.

Doing it with your mates gives you a story you'll tell for years.

Training is good for your body.

Training alongside people who support you can become part of your community.

My rule:

Every day, make a genuine human connection.

Because being healthy but completely disconnected from everyone around you isn't much of a life either.

NOTICE WHAT ISN'T ON MY LIST

I haven't told you to:

Train seven days a week.

Never eat chocolate.

Give up carbohydrates.

Wake up at 5am.

Take 15 supplements.

Drink celery juice.

Have an ice bath every morning.

Never drink alcohol again.

Track every calorie for the rest of your life.

Because that's not realistic for most people.

Instead:

Walk.

Eat something that grew.

Do something difficult.

Connect with someone.

Four incredibly simple things.

None of them particularly exciting.

None of them revolutionary.

And that's exactly the point.

THE 1% METHOD

People underestimate what boring habits can achieve when you repeat them for years.

One walk won't transform your health.

One healthy meal won't transform your diet.

One difficult workout won't make you strong.

One conversation won't build a great relationship.

But do them repeatedly?

Now something starts happening.

365 days of movement.

365 opportunities to nourish your body.

365 small challenges.

365 moments of human connection.

Then do it for five years.

Ten years.

Twenty years.

That's when tiny decisions become a lifestyle.

You don't need to completely overhaul your life.

You need a handful of good behaviours that you repeat often enough that you stop thinking about them.

That's what the 1% Method is about.

Small improvements.

Repeated consistently.

Compounded over time.

So tomorrow morning, don't worry about becoming the healthiest person on the planet.

Just ask yourself four questions:

Have I moved?

Have I eaten something that grew?

Have I done something difficult?

Have I connected with someone?

If the answer is yes...

That's a pretty good day.

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See you next week for the next installment of THE 1% METHOD Steven

THANK YOU FOR READING MY EMAILS, I HOPE THEY CAN HELP AS MANY OF YOU LEGENDS AS POSSIBLE TO TURN YOUR HEALTH AROUND FOR THE SAKE OF YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES.

Talk soon, Steven