When I was growing up, one of my dad’s favourite sayings was: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man [and, presumably, a woman] healthy, wealthy and wise.”

When I was a teenager — who liked nothing better than to stay up late and sleep until noon on the weekends — Dad taunted me with this phrase, as if it would induce me to get up and make the most of my mornings.

It didn’t, of course. It took many years to appreciate the value of being “healthy, wealthy and wise.”

And the past 16 months have taught me a further lesson. Without health, wealth and wisdom can quickly lose their value, too. After all is said and done, health is the baseline: if you have health, you can pursue wealth and wisdom; if you don’t, you’re screwed.

So, I encourage you to make at least one resolution for 2008. Regardless of your age, make 2008 the year you get serious about your health.

That means making the time to have a thorough annual physical checkup. Too often, we get busy — with children, with our careers, with all the demands of adult life. We brush personal concerns aside. One year slides into another — and a disease you might have caught in its early stages goes unnoticed until it is too late.

The older you get, the faster the years go by — and the higher the risk of one disease or another rises: cancer, heart disease, diabetes. Those golden years can soon lose their lustre.

And don’t think because you’re under 50, you can ignore your health. You can be at risk, too. I know of two families who are suffering through the holiday season following the sudden deaths of family members — young men in their 20s.

So, if you haven’t had a thorough checkup in the past year, put it at the top of your to-do list for 2008.

Then there is the admonition to eat right and get lots of exercise. Every decade, another 10 pounds attach themselves to our bodies if we’re not careful. All too often, success shows itself visibly around our middles. We drink a better class of wine, a finer blend of Scotch; we treat ourselves to gourmet meals more frequently. Not to belabour the point, but that, too, adds to the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

So, check out the Canada Food Guide, eat your greens, reduce your consumption of red meats and eat a balanced diet. And monitor your liquor intake.

To resurrect another one of my dad’s favourite sayings, take “all things in moderation.”

As for exercise, don’t let yourself off the hook just because you don’t have the time to make it to the gym. Go for a brisk 30-minute walk. Do that three times a week and you are well on your way to filling your exercise quota.

Finally, get serious about work/life balance in 2008. What’s that bumper sticker? “No one died wishing he [or she] spent more time in the office.”

That means making it your business goal to run a more efficient practice. If you aren’t already, figure out how you can delegate to your team members so you do the tasks that not only increase your profitability but also your enjoyment of your work. No one has ever increased profitability by doing tasks that could be done better by an assistant.

So, go skiing with your kids, play golf with your spouse, go on a family vacation — just spend time with your loved ones. Make the most of the time you have.

Repeat after me: “I will take care of my health in 2008.”

TESSA WILMOTT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF