The Daily Core Four: My Minimum Effective Dose of Health
When I weighed 122kg, my biggest obstacle wasn’t a lack of effort – it was an obsession with “too much”.
I thought that to change my life, I needed to spend two hours at the gym, eat a perfect diet and transform overnight. As a Financial Analyst and Business Partner, I was trying to force a “High-Growth” strategy on a system that was already crashing. It was unsustainable and it led to a cycle of burnout and failure.
Everything changed when I stopped trying to do “everything” and started looking for the Minimum Effective Dose. In finance, we look for the 20% of actions that drive 80% of the results. I applied that logic to my body and that is how I found my Daily Baseline.
I don’t believe in “New Year’s Resolutions” or “90-Day Shreds” as those have failed quickly before with waning motivation. Those are temporary spikes. Instead, I built a system around The Core Four. These are the four non-negotiable habits that keep my “Physical Alignment” in check. They aren’t designed to be difficult – they are designed to be impossible to fail.
1. Intentional Movement: Not a marathon – just a commitment to the trail or a walk
2. Digital Decompression: A scheduled “Mute Button” for my devices
3. Hydration & Input: Treating my body’s “fuel” with the same respect I give a balance sheet
4. The 60-Second Audit: A moment of silence to check my internal horizon
How I Lost 20kg Without a “Plan”
By focusing only on these four things, the 20kg didn’t “burn” off – it subtracted off.
When you hit your baseline every single day, you create momentum. You stop feeling guilty for what you didn’t do and start feeling powerful for what you did do. I still work my corporate job, and I still have high-stress weeks, but because my baseline is so solid, I never slide back into the “red”.
Your Honest Map Starts Here
If you are tired of the “all-or-nothing” cycle, I invite you to lower the bar.
I’ve condensed my personal system into The Daily Baseline Checklist. It’s the same one-page tool I’ve used to maintain my progress and keep my mind clear. It isn’t a “workout plan” – it’s a promise to yourself that you will at least hit the minimum.
Because on the trail of life, the person who moves slowly and consistently always goes further than the person who sprints and stops.
— GuyAfterWork
Build Your Foundation. You can gain access to The Daily Baseline Checklist by becoming a member on Buy Me A Coffee. Join a community focused on subtraction, alignment and finding the view.
If you’re ready to move from theory to action, you can find the complete framework for this system in The Clear Sight Guide.
