When you get older you realize how important it is to be careful about all your inputs.

If you care about maximizing your output, you need the best input of food and information and people.

“Garbage in, garbage out” is a familiar refrain from Computer Science and database management.

It’s true.

Inputs need to be thought of as everything:

People and the relationships in our lives we let in.

Media and the books and music and film and advertising we choose to let in.

Chemicals or the food we let in.

The more I think of my body as a machine the more I am able to program it to get more of what I want out of it.

But this starts with understanding crumby inputs and blocking them know they will just bring you down and stop you from seeing the good stuff coming.

Blocking requires persistent discipline. It’s like being a soccer goalie and a lot people are punting these rockets at you and you have to protect the goal. At first, you fail and let some in the net. Over time, making amazing saves becomes easier for you and requires less effort.

Your motivation to keep blocking increases as you see the reward that comes from the increase you feel from only allowing the best things in.