3 simple habits to achieve practical longevity

Start 2026 by avoiding the Longevity Industrial Complex. Instead, build strength through simplicity and innate discipline.

The Longevity Industrial Complex’s headquarters in Hammond, Indiana.

There’s a saying in pro hockey: One shift at a time. It means focusing not on the ultimate goal—winning the game—but on winning only your next 45-second shift on the ice. Stacking small wins consistently is a proven strategy for achieving big goals.

The problem is that the Longevity Industrial Complex tries to convince you otherwise.

On Substack and a growing number of online media sites that have traded their credibility for say-nothing clickbait, wellness “experts” shill longevity through this one thing you should buy: a popular supplement, an expensive membership or a silly workout regimen featuring an AI image of a fake ripped 60-year-old.

As is often the case, though, the simplest solutions tend to be the most effective.

After more than a year of reporting on healthy longevity, I’ve collected a lot of thoughtful, actionable longevity advice from scientists, researchers, doctors, athletes, coaches, nutritionists and actual, ass-kicking older folks. Instead of spending your money on supplements and apps, they talk about a way of creating what I call practical longevity—one shift at a time.

In its simplest form¹, practical longevity boils down to three simple commitments.

Ignore most of what the Longevity Industrial Complex says

Commitment 1 — Stop trying to live to 100

A lot of “healthy aging” marketing tries to convince you longevity is measured in years—the more, the better—and can be acquired by credit card. Health & wellness chiselers² tend to portray longevity as a competition you can win, if you just invest in their bullshit product, at their bullshit price, despite zero clinical evidence that it works in humans.

(Not all longevity supplements are scams, of course. Many show promise or straight-up work, and I’ve written and interviewed reputable scientists about several of them.)

Instead of focusing on reaching a certain age, cultivate the mindset of winning your current age one shift at a time. That’s the better way to “stack wins” (ie, healthy years) and end up a strong and sharp 88, 94, 103 or whatever number your Wheel in the Sky has in store for you.

You already have the facility, the means and, probably, the time to live healthy for as long as your body can — if you apply the discipline to build just two basic habits.

Warning: The two ideas I’m about to share are exceedingly simple in concept, and executing them as daily or weekly habits is exceedingly difficult if you don’t know why you want to. Before you start your practical longevity journey, take time to understand what’s motivating you. (Hint: “Looking better in the mirror” probably isn’t enough…unless it is.)

Dig past the surface rewards to ask yourself why healthy aging matters to you, really. Caveats aside, let’s get into these critical two commitments: