What I Learned This Week: Healthspan Versus Lifespan Inside Of Organization's

Impact matters more than tenure, but we're all obsessed with tenure

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Lately I’ve been a bit obsessed with the concept of longevity which looks at healthspan and lifespan. Lifespan is how long you live and healthspan is the quality of your life in the years you have. While you can’t necessarily control how long you live, you can certainly do everything in your power to make sure your quality of life is high.

I just finished reading Peter Attia’s book called “Longevity” and am also reading David Sinclair’s book called “Lifespan.” Both are fascinating reads and if you are into the science, mechanics, and chemistry of your body, food, and exercise then I recommend both of them.

Most of us focus on our lifespan which makes sense, after all, who wouldn’t want to live a long life? But what if the quality of your life severely diminishes as you get to your 70’s, 80’s, and hopefully your 90’s? Is a long life really the best goal you should be aiming for?

This is just as applicable inside of our organizations as it is our lives.

A few years ago, my grandfather Alex passed away in his 80’s in Melbourne, Australia. I wasn’t able to be there with him and had to watch him go on FaceTime, it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do and when it happened I turned to my wife and cried.