The Olympics, which ended on Sunday, were a good reminder that elite athletes routinely perform extreme feats that most of us consider impossible. Sure, their training schedules are intense. But researchers have found that mental state is just as important as physical ability and discipline to extreme athletes. Think about it: today’s runners can beat a […]
Why You Need to Push Yourself
The human body is constantly evolving. For most of us, modern life has removed the acute stress of threats like predators. Our bodies are no longer optimized for outrunning wooly mammoths. They’re more conditioned for activities like watching TV. When there isn’t an urgent need for survival, our bodies store energy for later use. And […]
Trauma Leaves a Mark
Justin was just six years old when his grandmother died. Abandoned by his parents, the child was left to a cruel man who locked him in a cage with five dogs. Eventually, Justin was rescued, but his insensitive and ill-informed doctors weren’t able to treat his behavioral issues. Developmental psychologist Bruce D. Perry was the […]
Grit. Thrift. Merit. Pride.
These are four of the nine attributes you need to succeed in the United States. Let’s consider these characteristics carefully. Grit is the ability to rebuild yourself after you fail. If you work hard and never give up, you’ll be rewarded—eventually. Patience and persistence are key. Thrift is the wise management of resources. Everyone, including […]
Are You Setting the Wrong Goals?
Most of us spend our lives comparing ourselves to other people. As kids, we’re taught to evaluate ourselves in terms of benchmarks like grades and scores. These ideals are set by the educational system, not kids or parents. Over time, this mindset leads us to embrace society’s definitions of success—money, popularity, or even social media […]
Make a Plan For After Retirement
After a lifetime of being busy, retirement can feel a little boring. Suddenly, you have a lot of extra free time. Sure, doing nothing is fun for a few days. But after a week or so of watching too much TV, you’ll be ready to move on to phase two. So what’s next? Retirement can […]
Move the Goalpost
We take it for granted that our wants and needs change as we age. Yet many people assume it’s best to pick one financial strategy and stick with it for life. That’s a mistake. The best planners rethink what financial wholeness means to them at different stages of life. A good evolving financial plan is […]
High-Performance Investing, Starting Now
A given business falls into one of three areas: it’s at the center of your circle of competence, near its edge, or outside it. You should always ask where a company falls with regard to your circle before you invest in it. Companies that are outside your circle of competence can be tempting, though. Too […]
Food = Medicine
Most of the time, we don’t give much thought to how food and mental health are intertwined. But many of us have experienced how easy it is to eat junk food (or lose our appetites) when we’re busy or stressed. The connection is there, even if we rarely reflect on it. Just as mental health issues can influence […]
Just Say “No Way”
Annoying coworkers. Needy children. Nosy neighbors. Overbearing parents. We all have someone in our lives who would benefit from a firm boundary. Boundaries aren’t rules. Rather, they’re limits, preferences, or expectations. Boundaries allow us to feel safe and calm in relationships, whether they’re personal or professional. And they help us avoid bad feelings like anger and […]
