6 Ways To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
Another year, another calorie-filled holiday season, and another shot at slaying those New Year’s Resolutions! I just figured the generations before us created New Year’s Resolutions as a result of feeling guilty after an over-indulgent holiday. In reality, the origins of New Year’s Resolutions are rooted 4,000 years ago in Babylon. The ancient Babylonians pledged their allegiance to their gods in an 11-day festival celebrating the Nile flooding and crops renewing. They believed pledging their allegiance and repaying their debts would bring them good luck in the following year.
Julius Caesar is responsible for first changing the calendar year to begin January 1st, with widespread adoption later from Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 with the Gregorian calendar. The Romans named January after Janus, the two-faced god who symbolized looking back on the past and forward into the future.
That’s deep, and that’s how we essentially arrived at today’s resolutions: we look physically and retrospectively into the mirror asking ourselves what we did and more importantly what we could have done better. I think we can all agree the paradigm shift from pledging to do better for others to pledging to do better for ourselves is a positive one. Change starts and ends with you.
Julius Caesar is responsible for first changing the calendar year to begin January 1st, with widespread adoption later from Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 with the Gregorian calendar. The Romans named January after Janus, the two-faced god who symbolized looking back on the past and forward into the future.
That’s deep, and that’s how we essentially arrived at today’s resolutions: we look physically and retrospectively into the mirror asking ourselves what we did and more importantly what we could have done better. I think we can all agree the paradigm shift from pledging to do better for others to pledging to do better for ourselves is a positive one. Change starts and ends with you.
Creating The Perfect Morning Routine
An optimized morning leads to a productive day. Whatever lies ahead in your schedule, the tone is set in those first morning hours. The beauty of that is that you are in control.
There are only 24 hours in a day. You don’t need to spend 6 of them getting ready for the other 18. A few concrete pillars in your morning routine define what follows. No need to get fancy, just keep in mind your 4 nonnegotiables - wake, move, fuel, and care.
The Older I Get, The Faster I Was
There are so many classic stories passed on from older generations to the newer generations. The tortoise and the hare, or the story of two bulls, for example. It usually takes a few years, or even decades to realize the wisdom that was passed down to you was in fact the truth. When you’re faced with a truth, you can ignore it or accept it. I recently realized a pretty hard truth while on my morning run, more on that later.
How Stress Can Impact Your Body and Make You Sick
Though so many of us know that stress can be harmful, avoiding anxiety seems to be almost impossible. In fact, stress can lead to anxiety, essentially perpetuating itself in a brutal cycle that can leave you feeling drained. If you've experienced high levels of stress, I'm sure you've wondered, "Can stress make you sick?" The answer is, unfortunately, "Yes."
Manage Your Stress By Adding These Techniques To Your Daily Routine
Maintaining our daily lives often means dealing with stress, whether we like it or not. However, understanding how to handle stress is crucial for physical and mental health. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce your stress that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine without disrupting your ability to perform at your best.
Stress Quotes to Start Your Day Off Right
How you start your day sets a precedent and can determine how the rest of your day will continue. One of the most motivating ways to improve your day and get started on the right foot is to seek the correct quote for the day. Consider stress quotes that give you a feel-good direction, relax, or encourage rest.
Workouts You Can Do With Your Kids
As a parent, the way you spend your time influences your children. They watch you try to master your work-life balance (which sometimes feels impossible). Not to mention how difficult it is to stay in shape while taking care of children. Fortunately, you can pair fitness with fatherhood easily by exercising with the kids.
Why go to the gym when you can do toddler lifts or race your child around the block? Exercising as a family can be fun and keep you in good shape. Here are some great workouts to do with your kids.
The Age-Old Battle: Stubborn Vs. Good?
This question goes back to the day humans first decided to compete in anything. Is it better to be Stubborn (a.k.a. hard-working) or Good (a.k.a. talented, gifted, a ‘natural’)?
Reframing Aging: The Benefits Of Getting Older
Finding the negatives about getting older is easy. You could talk about wrinkles, having a sore back, or feeling less energetic. But you don't hear as many people talking about the advantages of aging.
Times have changed, and aging isn't what it used to be. Nowadays, 30 is when people are just getting started on life milestones like buying a home or having kids.
But change isn’t inherently bad. Plenty of guys in their 40s are still thriving as if they were 10 years younger. 50-year-olds are climbing mountains, going to concerts, and enjoying a higher level of financial security than their younger counterparts.
Stress: Don’t Let It Beat You or Beat You Up
I must confess, it’s been a super difficult last few months. And I’ve literally manifested physical ailments due to STRESS. I’ve never had a bad neck (weak shoulders, ha, sure) but for a few weeks now, I can barely turn my head side to side. It’s been semi-frozen and incredibly tight thanks, or no thanks, to a wealth of stress I’m holding right there in the ol’ brain stem and neck muscles.
