If you are looking for your first new habit for 2019, try eliminating soda (diet and regular) from your diet. Every time I give a speech, I use “giving up soda” as an example of a health habit to adopt. I talk about the incredibly huge amount of sugar in…
I’ve been reading articles by James Clear for a bunch of years. He shares all kinds of useful life hacks. Over the last few years, he has written quite a bit about making and keeping good habits, a subject that is near and dear to my heart—and core to my…
Happy New Year! Dr. Gabe Mirkin, whose health newsletter I have been reading for years, and highly recommend, reported on a study published last summer with wonderfully positive news: lifestyle factors can have a positive impact on the way your body responds to your genes. Researchers looked at identical twins…
As I have done for each of the past few years, here are the many ways I enjoyed the experiences of my year: places I visited, what I listened to, what I read, what I watched, and more. Reading I love reading and I love learning. I read quite a…
As any regular reader here knows, I’ve written a lot about how to make changes stick – break down your goals into small pieces and work on one at a time for the 21 days it takes to create a habit. As I have explained, we have a limited amount…
There is a very nice family I've known them for nearly 25 years. Several of them are real estate brokers and they have a monthly newsletter. I’ve been on their mailing list for many years and often find helpful tips. A recent newsletter contained a list of ways to practice…
I am an advocate of adopting new habits all year long, and not waiting for New Year’s Day. That said, calendar events (birthdays, the start of a month, and the start of a year) can inspire people to focus on personal development. And with a new year on the horizon,…
The way I approach the sixth of my Six Simple Rules, “Be Healthy,” is closely connected to the fifth, “Be a Lifelong Learner”. I regularly read health-related articles to keep up on the latest science around eating well and exercise, and work on new habits according to what I learn.…
Gratitude is something I’ve written about many times. It's always extra pertinent around Thanksgiving. As part of our company’s wellness program, we had a series of webinars on emotional resilience. Jen Arnold (of Redesigning Wellness, Inc.) who led the sessions, sent a series of follow-up e-mails. As she explained, gratitude…
This year, my wife and I celebrated our 30th anniversary. Around the same time, I read a blog post called “8 Traits of a Happy Marriage, According to a Couples Therapist.” I agree with all eight of the defining characteristics of long-lasting, happy marriages. I am particularly drawn to these…
With dementia (and specifically Alzheimer’s disease) a part of my family history, an article in The Atlantic, “The Startling Link Between Sugar and Alzheimer's,” caught my attention. Its sub-title, “A high-carb diet, and the attendant high blood sugar, are associated with cognitive decline,” reinforced my commitment to the way I…
I’ve written before about things I learned from Daniel Kahneman’s wonderfully interesting book, "Thinking, Fast and Slow". In a section on availability bias, Kahneman shared useful information for couples. Availability bias is the way we judge situations by relying on immediate examples that come mind. For example, as Kahneman points…