Peter Atwater popularized the term “K-shaped economy” to describe the current state of financial conditions in the U.S., where the top quintile of the population is doing well financially and the rest of us – about 80% – are doing steadily worse.

On X (Twitter), there is a lot of anger being directed toward those that are doing well in this economy – like they rigged the system to be successful. Truth is, the vast majority of the Top Twenty worked and saved their way to their wealth. Now, this group does about 59% of all Consumer Spending. They are carrying our economy.

Most of us want to be successful – or at least look successful. This is wired into our Primitive Brains. We want acceptance from our tribe, so we struggle to be admired. It’s why so many buy houses and cars we can’t afford.

Envy is also wired into our brains and as Charlie Munger said:

To be in the Top 20% of Wealth, your net worth has to exceed $1.49M. That is indeed quite an accomplishment and if you have that kind of wealth here in Upstate NY, you’re likely pretty comfortable.

Good for you. Sincerely.

Unless of course you’re killing yourself to get there. Then I’m just sorry.

Being comfortable is nice. So is being held in high regard by your peers. It’s all Primitive Brain stuff and it feels good to have earned the right to “retire” and be respected, but this doesn’t compare to being healthy and capable.

Health is way more valuable than Wealth and both are important in retirement.

The data above is from a recent Pew Research study which compares how much Americans value certain aspects of their health vs. how good of a job they feel they are doing at managing them.

So:

Why do so many of us know the right thing to do but don’t do it?

and

Why do we do things that are known to be bad for us?

The Age-Old Battle of Right vs. Wrong

March 15, 2026

So it’s March and the the long winter has taken its toll.

You feel like crap. You’re heavier than you want to be and you feel lethargic.

You know it’s related to your diet and your exercise. Time to consider a gym membership.

You make an appointment at the gym to start working out. We talk with you about your goals and recommend what it will take to meet them.

And so it starts.

And it’s all wrong.

Not really. That’s just for dramatic effect. But it’s definitely not optimum.

I’m reading Atomic Habits by James Clear (All quotes below are from that book) and it’s changing the way I look at self-improvement.

It’s Not Focus on the Goal that Gets the Job Done: It’s Focus on the Systems.

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

“If you you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”

Nearly everyone wants to be fit and feeling good. We all have similar goals.

But what we don’t have is similar systems – or habits – in place to meet these goals.

Getting fit is like moving a block up hill. Your motivation is pushing you toward your goal and your habits are the grade that you’re pushing against.

I made some notes on the Workshop and inserted some of my own thoughts. If you don’t remember hearing something, it’s probably from me.

Why exercise is important – the big picture.

Why is exercise important to you?

Answer that question for yourself. Write it down.

Everyone’s answer will be different. Personally, I want to stay capable. A friend said he doesn’t want to end up like his Dad. Another mentioned that people around his age motivate him as they are quite incapable.

Here are some other reasons to exercise:

The CDC exercise guidelines are

• 150–300 minutes of moderate cardio per week (or 75–150 vigorous)
• Strength training at least 2 days per week for all major muscle groups. 

Only about 24% of U.S. adults meet both the cardio AND strength exercise guidelines. (20% of adult women)

The result (Chronic/metabolic disease stats)

• Approximately 6 in 10 U.S. adults have at least one chronic disease.
• About 4 in 10 adults have two or more chronic diseases.

(Source: CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention)

Our plan for the gym is not just to get bigger, but to get better at delivering results to our members.

In this effort, I bought a pile of books and hired a consultant. Both agree: Habit-Based Challenges are a great way to support member success.

What is a Habit-Based Challenge?

From AI:

“A habit-based challenge is a structured, time-bound commitment to consistently perform a new, small daily action—such as drinking more water or daily journaling—designed to rewire behavior, increase self-discipline, and create lasting lifestyle changes.”

We’re not new to “Challenges”.