Figuring out how to live La Vida VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) feels more present than ever. It’s something we each need to meet with a spirit of resilience. The VUCA life feels relentless, steering us away from equanimity and wisdom straight into the winds of the kind of stress that shortens not only the quality of our lives but also the quantity of our years. 

Thriving in a VUCA world requires three things: inner wisdom (Heart, Head, Gut, Intuition), an understanding of evidence-based science, and a means to translate that information in a way that yields a personalized plan for the wellbeing, joy, and connection we crave.

And therein lies the problem—what we crave doesn’t spring from strict protocols, obsessive tracking or any of the innumerable longevity tactics trending, what I call the protocol life. Let’s face it; strict protocols aren’t sustainable for the vast majority of us because they are, as one client recently shared with me: “where joy and spontaneity go to die.” 

I’ve been thinking about this idea of a protocol life and wanted to learn more, so I attended the Don’t Die Summit, created by Bryan Johnson, the self-proclaimed ‘guy who doesn’t want to die”. Every detail of Johnson’s day—from the calories he consumes to the exercise he performs and the supplements he ingests—is meticulously controlled to reduce his rate of aging at the cellular level. His decisions are made for him; data dictates every decision. Johnson has sidelined the wisdom of his Heart, Head, Gut, and Intuition in favor of a machine-like pursuit of optimizing his body to exist for the longest time possible.

Where is the joy? The spontaneity? 

Where protocols demand compliance, a meaningful approach to longevity that models the moniker Lifestyle Is Medicine invites us to adapt, honoring our whole selves with practices, rituals and intentions that resonate with who we are at each stage of life. This is the heart of my Longevity Roadmap™, recognizing that a life well-lived is not a one-size-fits-all protocol but a mosaic of moments and choices.


Join me in Baja to design your bespoke The Longevity Roadmap™ to not only have an outsized impact on your trophy years but also chart a path to showing up as your best self while cultivating the seeds of a long and joyful life—starting now.

Author(s)

  • Barbara Waxman

    Leadership Coach, Gerontologist, Life Stage Expert, Angel Investor

    Barbara Waxman, founder of The Odyssey Group, is a highly sought-after longevity and leadership advocate, advisor, coach, speaker and author. Barbara translates cutting-edge research and collective wisdom in ways that enable others to understand how the dynamics of our aging world impact individuals, communities, companies, and the planet. Barbara's leadership as a gerontologist in the coaching field has culminated in the transformative coaching model Entrepreneurship Turned Inward™️ (ETI), the evidence informed Seven Lifestyle Levers Assessment™️ and the Longevity Roadmap™️.  Barbara is an Advisor to the Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford Lifestyle Medicine and is a faculty member at Chip Conley's Modern Elder Academy.    Website: https://barbarawaxman.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarawaxman/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbarawaxman/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBarbaraWaxman/