Getting started with your dementia targets
Last Updated: April 10 2025
Table of Contents
By now you know that there are 18 different things you can do to otpimize your mind and prevent dementia - known as The Aldora 18.
But where should you start first?
You can take the self-assessment to find out which areas you’ll need to eventually optimize, while this article walks you through a practical way to prioritize your next steps.
Set yourself up for success with a plan that’s personalized to you.
Step 1: Make it easy
Start with the easy things first.
Everyone likes to win, and everyone feels motivated when they check something off a to do list.
Why not make the first thing you check off an easy one, so that it’s more likely to happen?
In other words, don’t climb the mountain before you’ve trained on a few hills.
To get started, download the table shown below and sort the Aldora 18 into things that you find easy & fun (box 1), hard & fun (box 2), easy but work (box 3), and hard and work (box 4).
Start by doing something in Box 1.
For example, your table might look like this:
While it might seem like everyone would have the same set of goals, you’ll quickly discover if you do this with friends or family that our 2x2 charts can be extremely different.
What is easy to you might be hard to someone else, and vice versa.
By knowing our strengths and playing to them, we can succeed.
Step 2: Upgrade Slowly
Work your way through your personalized chart, going from:
Box 1: things that are fun and easy
Box 2: things that are fun, but hard
Box 3: things that sound like work, but are easy
Box 4: things that sound like work and are hard for you
The early success of checking the easy things off your list will give you the motivation to keep going, and the confidence to tackle some of the harder changes.
You’ll build skills, get good at committing to change, and have a much more enjoyable time while you’re at it.
You can do anything - but it sure helps to get some early confirmation of that fact.
Step 3: Rinse and Repeat
Have you optimized all 18? That’s incredible work!
You can sit back and relax now.
Eventually, however, you might find yourself hankering for a challenge, or to continue improving on what you’ve already accomplished.
If you find yourself in a rut and struggling to change, go back to the 2x2 chart and write out your goals again.
They don’t have to be limited to The Aldora 18 - this method works for any list of things you want to accomplish in life.
Just make sure you eventually get to Box 4 - often that’s where the biggest growth for us as individuals can be gained.
There’s nothing outside your reach - when you work your way up to the task.
In Closing…
A big list of things to optimize doesn’t have to be daunting, because it doesn’t need to get done all at once.
Try to take a meaningful step in your life every 3-4 months, slowly working your way through The Aldora 18.
It can take years - a lifetime - it doesn’t matter how quickly you change; just that you start taking easy steps for the mind and life you’ve always wanted, today.
Related Posts
Disclaimer: The content on Aldora Health is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. For more read our Terms of Use.