While we still are a long way off to upgrading parts of your body like Deus Ex or Sarif’s Bionic Enhancements (or at least, it’s still only available to the filthy rich), we can still do little things towards total human enhancement. We can completely optimize the way our body works through monitoring real time feedback on measurable variables (such as optimum rest times, what food types are best for our bodies, daily steps walked, etc.). There are devices available out there that allow you to track exactly how one aspect of your life affects another. This allows you to be able to get the most out of life by quantifying exactly what you get out of every ‘investment’ you make.
If this hasn’t been clear enough, let me explain further with an example from one of my buddy’s clients. You see, my buddy Joe (not his real name) works as a personal trainer, and one day he had this very interesting client called Bill (also not his real name), who was an efficiency officer in a major oil company. Bill monitored everything, from his heart rate, to his sleep patterns, to his work efficiency, and even the food he eats – and then he quantifies and measures how each individual variable affects another. One day, Bill walks into Joe’s office and shouts “6 days! I’m not ever drinking whiskey again!” When asked to explain, Bill said, “I drank a whole bottle of whiskey last Saturday, and it’s been exactly 6 days where my work efficiency has been below normal, before I fully recovered. It’s completely unacceptable.”
An extremely smart man monitors everything, and knows exactly how much benefit, or how much he will be set back, if he tries something or performs a certain action. If he doesn’t know, he will find out. There are products out there like Smartbands, the Razer Naboo, and Nike Fit Band (among others) that monitor everything that happens every day in your life. This is what you should be doing. To become a completely optimized person, you need to be able to look at the numbers, the statistics, and measure and iterate accordingly. If something isn’t working for you, and is only detrimental to other aspects of your life, cut it. If something works exceptionally well for you, and also holds added benefits to other aspects in your life, spend some more time for it.
It may sound like an extremely weird thing to do – not a lot of people do it. But then, how many people are actually successful in life, or can say that everything they undertake is completely towards their benefit? The answer to that: not many, as well. Do not be afraid to do something that isn’t mainstream, and once you are out of your comfort zone, and you’re doing it right, you might just be able to apply this quote from Steve Jobs:
“The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
Steve Jobs, Founder and CEO of Apple (1991-2011)
