Your ‘Why?’

The Longevity Investment Strategy is built on three pillars:

1. Your “Why”
2. Your protocol
3. Your path

In this lesson, we focus on Your “Why”.

Your “Why” is not an abstract goal or a motivational quote. It is a specific vision of the life you want to live at age 80–90 — a life that will only be possible because you consistently invest in your biological capital today.

It is a set of actions you want to perform with ease, joy, and independence, even as decades pass.

It may be:

• walking mountain trails without getting winded,
• dancing with your spouse at an anniversary party,
• playing with grandchildren outside,
• backpacking around the world,
• a daily walk on the beach,
• or simply getting out of bed without pain and preparing breakfast independently.

Each of these desires is a manifestation of functional health — and each requires its own “portfolio of health assets”:

• muscle and strength to move,
• endurance to breathe effortlessly,
• balance and mobility to avoid falls,
• a sharp mind to enjoy conversations,
• and emotional resilience to appreciate these moments fully.

Your “Why” is the bridge between dreaming and doing. It helps you understand that every workout, every meal, every hour of sleep — is not an obligation, but an investment in future possibilities.

Let’s take one key biological asset — VO₂max, the maximum ability of your body to absorb oxygen during exercise. It is one of the strongest predictors of longevity and quality of life in older age.

On average, VO₂max declines by around 10% per decade after age 30, unless we take action to maintain it.

Imagine you're 40 years old and you want to be able to walk mountain trails at age 80.

• If your VO₂max at age 40 is 40 ml/kg/min,
  without proper training it will fall to about 26 ml/kg/min by age 80.
• Meanwhile, a light mountain trail requires about 30 ml/kg/min.

This means that even such a seemingly simple activity may become unachievable.

But if you maintain a VO₂max of 50 ml/kg/min at age 40, then after 40 years it will fall to around 33 ml/kg/min — still enough to enjoy mountain walks.

If your goal is something like hiking in your 80s, and you know this requires at least 30 ml/kg/min in VO₂max, you can choose your training today to reach that capability decades from now.

This shows that your “Why” is not a dream — it is a specific, measurable goal.

It is no longer abstract — it is your plan.

Instead of an abstract “I want to be healthy,” you define specific scenarios:

• Do you want to walk up three flights of stairs without getting winded?
• Do you want to run 5 km?
• Do you want to lift your grandchild?
• Do you want to dance with your partner?
• Do you want to hike in the Dolomites?
• Do you want to stay intellectually sharp?
• Do you want to preserve memory and focus into old age?
• Do you want to have energy for creative work at 75?
• Do you want emotional stability and psychological resilience?

Each of these scenarios has a cost — in the form of required muscle mass, strength, endurance, etc. You will “pay” for them using the health assets you accumulate over your lifetime.

Required assets:

• VO₂max of at least 30–35 ml/kg/min
• Leg strength (deadlift 1.0x BW, squat 1.0x BW)
• Ankle and hip mobility
• Knee power (power output)
• Stable glycemia
• Bone health (T-score > 0)
• Cognitive abilities (focus, balance)
• Emotional stability (resilience, motivation)

• Without health → there is no freedom to live the way you want.
• Without assets → there is no health.
• Without a “Why” → there is no motivation to build assets.

That’s why most people start taking care of themselves only when the body presents the bill — when something hurts, when strength is gone, when fatigue becomes the default state. They don’t see themselves in the future. They have no vision of how they could look, feel, and function 20 or 40 years from now.

And since they don’t see the goal, they don’t feel the need to act today. Meanwhile, a longevity strategy starts precisely from this vision — from realizing that every day, every workout, every hour of sleep and every conscious choice is a brick building your future freedom.

Even though in your “Why” you often imagine your dream version of yourself at 80 or 90 — in reality, it’s not only about old age. That’s just a distant point on the map.

The true value of the Longevity Investment Strategy is that its effects show up much sooner than you might think.

Even if you’re 30, you’ll notice the first benefits not after decades, but after weeks:

• Better sleep.
• More energy throughout the day.
• More stable mood.
• Greater stress resilience.
• A stronger sense of agency.

In the Longevity Investment Strategy, health is not just a distant goal — it is the condition for a good life here and now.

You don’t have to be a sick 80-year-old to feel bad — an average modern lifestyle is enough: no movement, stress, irregular sleep, processed food.

Most people in their 30s and 40s already experience chronic fatigue, lack of focus, and low motivation — that’s the effect of losing health assets before they even realized they had them.

That’s why you’re not only fighting to have strength at 80, but also to feel fully alive now — to have energy, mental clarity, a stable mood, and a capable body every single day.

If you start today and consistently execute your strategy, you won’t just extend your life — you’ll make sure that throughout that life you can function on your own terms.

Your “Why” doesn’t have to sound like a manifesto. It’s not about lofty words, but about truth — something that genuinely moves you when you think about it. It should be an image so strong that in moments of doubt it reminds you why you cannot give up.

A few tips to help you create your own compelling “Why”:

1. Imagine yourself in the future

Close your eyes and transport yourself to age 80–90.
What does your day look like? What do you do after waking up? How does your body feel? Who is by your side?
It’s not about fantasy, but about seeing yourself in a realistic yet dream version of your life.

2. Define what you want to be able to do

Instead of “I want to be healthy,” ask: “what exactly do I want to be able to do at that age?”
Do you want to climb mountains, dance, travel, run a company, play with grandchildren?
Your “Why” should have a concrete, functional dimension — built around actions that bring you joy.

3. Ask yourself who you are doing this for

Some of the strongest “Whys” don’t come from ego, but from care.
Maybe you want to be healthy for your partner, children, grandchildren, friends.
To be present, helpful, inspiring — not to become a burden.

4. Decide what you don’t want

Imagine the alternative version of your life — yourself at 80, limited by pain, disease, dependency.
Sometimes we’re more motivated by the fear of losing freedom than by dreams.
What you want to avoid is also part of your “Why”.

5. Write your “Why” as a simple sentence

Don’t overcomplicate it. One sentence is enough if it’s honest. For example:

• “I want to hike in the mountains with my grandchildren.”
• “I want to dance with my wife on our 60th anniversary.”
• “I want to feel strong and calm every day.”

Write it down and come back to this sentence whenever things get hard.

6. Visualize your “Why”

Instead of keeping it only in your head, see it in your mind’s eye — or literally.
Use AI to generate realistic images of yourself at 80, doing what you dream of: walking a mountain trail, dancing with your partner, playing with grandchildren in the garden.
Print these images and hang them somewhere visible — on the fridge, in your office, by your bed.
Or create a digital album with your “Why” — a small, daily reminder of why you’re doing all this.

7. Let your “Why” evolve with you

Over the years, your goals, needs, and values will change.
Let your “Why” mature with you.
The most important thing is that it always remains yours — true, personal, and authentic.

Creating your “Why” is a deeply personal process, but most people share similar dreams and fears.

Below you’ll find a list that can serve as inspiration.

Your “Why” can have two faces:

• positive – driven by a vision of what you want to do and how you want to live,
• negative – driven by awareness of what you want to avoid and protect yourself from.

Positive “Why” — what you want to gain / maintain

1. I want to be able to climb mountains at 80 and admire the world from above.
2. I want to dance with my wife or husband on our 60th wedding anniversary.
3. I want to still be able to have sex.
4. I want to travel the world without limitations — with a backpack, suitcase, or bike.
5. I want to play ball with my grandchildren and see admiration in their eyes that “grandpa still has it”.
6. I want to wake up every day with energy and curiosity for what the day will bring.
7. I want to maintain the ability to focus and read books without getting tired.
8. I want to keep my hands functional so I can create — write, paint, play music.
9. I want to still run my business or mentor younger people at 80.
10. I want my body to be fit enough to drive a car or motorbike on my own.
11. I want to be an active participant in family holidays, not just an observer.
12. I want to spend time with loved ones in nature — walking, swimming, camping.
13. I want to have the energy to laugh, dance, and sing without getting exhausted.
14. I want to maintain a healthy appetite and enjoy food.
15. I want my body to be my ally, not my enemy.
16. I want to keep good movement patterns so I never have to fear falling.
17. I want to live independently — cook, clean, travel — without help.
18. I want to grow old with dignity, looking healthy and natural.
19. I want to keep the strength to hug my loved ones fully and warmly.
20. I want to feel vitality in every cell of my body.
21. I want to feel young every day — regardless of the number of candles on the cake.
22. I want to still work out in the gym and enjoy it.
23. I want to have a clear mind so I can make wise decisions even in later years.
24. I want to take part in my grandchildren’s lives — at concerts, competitions, weddings.
25. I want to be a support, not a burden, for my family.
26. I want to maintain resilience to stress and stay calm amidst change.
27. I want my life to inspire others — proof that it’s possible to age well.
28. I want to sleep peacefully, without pain and without medication.
29. I want to feel gratitude, not regret, when I look in the mirror.
30. I want to maintain libido, sexual energy, and closeness with my partner.
31. I want to keep growing — learning, discovering, dreaming.
32. I want to be doing push-ups, squats, and laughing at 80, knowing I can still do them.
33. I want to proudly celebrate my birthdays, knowing I haven’t wasted my time.
34. I want to stay connected with nature — swim in lakes, walk barefoot on grass, smell the forest.
35. I want to be present in other people’s lives — not just physically, but emotionally and intellectually.
36. I want to stay curious about the world until my last day.

Negative “Why” — what you want to avoid

1. I don’t want my children to have to take care of me if I could have prevented it.
2. I don’t want to spend my final years on medications and in waiting rooms.
3. I don’t want climbing a simple staircase to leave me breathless.
4. I don’t want every movement to hurt.
5. I don’t want to fear falling because I know it could end in a fracture.
6. I don’t want to look in the mirror and see exhaustion, resignation, and sadness in my eyes.
7. I don’t want to feel like my body is limiting me.
8. I don’t want pain to steal my joy of life.
9. I don’t want disease to dictate my daily schedule.
10. I don’t want to die young from something I could have prevented.
11. I don’t want doctors to be the people I see most often.
12. I don’t want to forget the names of my loved ones because of dementia.
13. I don’t want to lose the ability to hold a conversation, read, and learn.
14. I don’t want my grandchildren to know me only from photos because I didn’t live long enough.
15. I don’t want to spend my life in front of the TV because I no longer have the strength to go out.
16. I don’t want to be confined to a bed or wheelchair.
17. I don’t want my partner to have to feed or bathe me.
18. I don’t want to feel ashamed because I lost my independence.
19. I don’t want my body to stop responding to my will.
20. I don’t want every meal to be a list of restrictions and rules.
21. I don’t want to become a “grumpy old person” who complains about everything and everyone.
22. I don’t want my memories to be overshadowed by pain and illness.
23. I don’t want to regret not taking care of my health when I had the chance.
24. I don’t want to die feeling that I robbed myself of a good life.
25. I don’t want my partner to be left alone because I didn’t withstand the test of time.
26. I don’t want to feel useless and forgotten.
27. I don’t want every day to be a struggle to perform basic tasks.
28. I don’t want to lose touch with friends because I no longer have the energy to visit them.
29. I don’t want my life to revolve around illnesses, pills, and pharmacy visits.
30. I don’t want to regret that all the money and success mean nothing without health.
31. I don’t want my old age to be a series of frustration and dependency.
32. I don’t want to watch the world only from behind a window because I can’t participate in it anymore.
33. I don’t want my children to fear aging because they see me suffering.
34. I don’t want to say goodbye to friends too early because they didn’t take care of themselves.
35. I don’t want my biggest wish to become “I just hope it doesn’t hurt today”.