My Philosophy: Life & the Pursuit of Happiness

This philosophy will read differently depending on where you are in life – your age, finances, circumstances, career, and capabilities all shape your perspective. After months of research and reflection, this is where I stand today. This article is a living document that will evolve as I continue learning and growing.

Let me set the scene: I’m living in an average 3-bedroom semi with a mortgage, alongside my partner of 17 years and our child. My income sits below the UK average, and I work a compressed Monday-to-Thursday schedule totalling 40 hours, with the option of overtime when needed.

But first, let me tell you how I got here. At 40, I was a mess. Addicted to carbs and sugar, I’d drink six coffees a day – three before leaving the house, three more before dinner – each one heaped with two sugars. I lived on bread and crisps, constantly crashing and needing to sleep as early as 10am. Weekends meant drinking too much and playing FIFA all day. Then came the gout and swollen feet – definitely not normal for someone my age. I found myself on gout medication, thinking I’d be taking pills for the rest of my life.

Something had to change. I started watching diet videos, swapped sugar for sweeteners, experimented with keto, and eventually moved to a mainly carnivore diet.

Here’s what I’ve discovered: discipline trumps everything else. Build your routine. Whether it’s pen and paper, phone notes, or scheduled alarms – I use them all. Write down what a better version of your life looks like. What do you actually want?

My happiness rests on four pillars: diet, sleep, exercise, and family.

The fundamental truth I’ve learned: happiness isn’t about chasing pleasure. Pleasure emerges naturally as a by-product of satisfaction, and satisfaction comes from one source – the compounding effect of achieving the goals you set for yourself.

The Four Pillars

• Discipline and Routine

Discipline and routine hold everything together – this is an absolute. Without these foundations, the other pillars crumble. My entire system is anchored by my Garmin watch and the ecosystem that surrounds it. The watch becomes my accountability partner, tracking my heart rate throughout the day, monitoring my VO2 max to gauge fitness improvements, and analysing my sleeping patterns to ensure I’m getting quality recovery.

This isn’t about obsessing over numbers, but rather having objective data that keeps me honest. The watch doesn’t lie – it shows whether I’ve actually moved enough, slept well, or pushed myself during exercise. It creates a feedback loop that reinforces good habits and exposes the gaps where discipline has slipped.

The routine becomes automatic when you have systems in place. The Garmin reminds me to move, tracks my workouts, and even nudges me towards better sleep habits. It’s the digital backbone that supports the physical discipline required to maintain the other three pillars of happiness.

• Sleep

Sleep is a massive factor in your wellbeing – perhaps the most underestimated pillar of the four. Everything else falls apart without proper recovery. Your mood, decision-making, physical performance, immune system, and ability to handle stress all depend on quality sleep. It’s not just about feeling rested; it’s about giving your body and mind the time they need to repair, consolidate memories, and reset for the next day.

A good sleeping pattern is essential to your happiness and wellbeing. I have my watch set with an alarm at 20:30 as a reminder that the day is over and it’s time to head up to bed. The watch also has a stress meter so I can see how relaxed I am – if I’m overly stressed, I will take a cold bath. This serves two purposes: it reduces my heart rate and stress levels, giving me a head start before bed.

I wake every morning at 5am, giving me a full 8 hours of sleep. I’ve experimented extensively with my sleep – bedtime, length of sleep – and I find this schedule works best for me. It’s not just about the hours, but the consistency and quality.

Over recent months, I’ve reduced my alcohol consumption to zero after watching the stress levels and sleep impact on the Garmin app. The data was clear: the optimal amount of alcohol is zero. I even tried just one glass of red wine before bed, but even this small amount reduced my sleep quality. The watch doesn’t lie – alcohol disrupts recovery, and recovery is everything when you’re building a sustainable life around discipline and routine.

• Exercise

This is another pillar of wellbeing – training with heavy free weights and running 10k two to three times a week. Exercise isn’t just about looking good; it’s about maintaining functionality and vitality as we age.

My goal started with losing weight, but has evolved to building muscle. This shift in mindset is crucial – moving from trying to make yourself smaller to making yourself stronger and more capable. Weight loss was the gateway, but muscle building is the destination that truly transforms your quality of life.

Lifting heavy weights is crucial, especially as we get older. Resistance training to failure stimulates muscle growth and bone density, counteracting the natural decline that comes with aging. After 30, we lose muscle mass at an alarming rate without intervention. Heavy lifting isn’t just about strength – it’s about independence, mobility, and quality of life in later years. I supplement with creatine and glutamine to aid muscle building and recovery, giving my body the tools it needs to adapt and grow stronger.

Creatine is also a fantastic supplement for brain function. Your brain uses enormous amounts of energy, and creatine helps regenerate ATP – the cellular energy currency. Studies show creatine supplementation can improve cognitive performance, working memory, and mental fatigue resistance. It’s not just for muscles; it’s fuel for your mind, especially during demanding mental tasks or periods of stress.

My training split is simple but effective: three times a week rotating between back and biceps, chest and triceps, then shoulders and abs. This allows for proper recovery whilst hitting every major muscle group with sufficient intensity.

Running is equally important. I run 10k at least twice a week, sometimes three. Having a spaniel means I need very little encouragement to get out – she’s the perfect training partner. I set the watch and push myself, keeping an eye on my heart rate throughout. The main goal is to boost my VO2 max, which is essentially how efficiently your body can use oxygen during exercise.

VO2 max is directly linked to life expectancy. Studies consistently show that people with higher VO2 max levels live longer, healthier lives. It’s one of the strongest predictors of longevity we have. Every improvement in cardiovascular fitness translates to better heart health, improved brain function, and reduced risk of chronic disease. The watch tracks this metric religiously, showing me whether my efforts are translating into real improvements in my body’s ability to sustain life.

• Diet

Diet consistency has transformed everything. My daily meal routine is identical every single day, removing decision fatigue and ensuring proper nutrition.

I’m up at 5am and in the kitchen by half past on work days. I air fry two Aldi steaks for 16 minutes (£4 each) whilst soft-boiling 6-8 eggs for 5 minutes (£2). I run the eggs under cold water until the steaks are finished, peel them, then place everything in a plastic lunch box. This breakfast-dinner combination costs only £10 and provides exceptional nutrition density.

The transformation has been remarkable. No brain fog, no energy crashes throughout the day. The high protein and fat content keeps me satisfied for hours – something that never happened with my previous carb-heavy diet. If I start losing too much weight, I simply add butter to the meal. On running days, I’ll include some carbs an hour before heading out.

In the first four months of changing my diet, I dropped from 13 stone to 11 stone 6 pounds. The transition from a Western diet to carnivore isn’t easy – the carb cravings are intense and the first four days require staying close to a toilet as your body adapts. The keto flu is real, but temporary.

Once you’re through that initial adaptation phase, the benefits are extraordinary. I can fast for 18 hours without difficulty, my energy levels remain consistently high throughout the day, and the mental clarity is unlike anything I experienced before. The diet removes the constant blood sugar rollercoaster that dominated my previous eating patterns.

• Family

[Section to explore: Nurturing long-term relationships, parenting philosophy, and building a strong family unit]

• Goal Setting and Achievement

[Section to explore: How to set meaningful goals, tracking progress, and the satisfaction cycle of accomplishment]

• Reading and Continuous Learning

[Section to explore: Building a reading habit, choosing quality content, and how knowledge compounds over time]

• Digital Minimalism

[Section to explore: Removing time-wasting apps, creating phone boundaries, and reclaiming your attention]

• Alcohol and Moderation

[Section to explore: Understanding your relationship with alcohol, making conscious choices, and finding balance]

Each section will be developed into detailed articles exploring these themes in depth.

Note: Each bullet point represents a future standalone article that will dive deeper into these themes, drawing from personal experience and ongoing research.