In previous posts, I’ve talked about the problem of “relationships of convenience”. This is the type of relationship where your partner is all fine and good as long as there isn’t too much work involved. No conflict, no drama, sex life is plentiful. If conflict and drama start to creep into this type of relationship, and it stops being convenient then one or both partners seek something better.MORE

If there is one skill I can promise you will need for long and fruitful relationships, it’s flexibility. Your love life will not stay static for any significant length of time. Relationships over a long enough timeline will grow, and change, and go in directions that you can’t possibly foresee when you first get together with your partner. It’s not only inevitable; it’s DESIRABLE! MORE

As a partner, there are numerous ways that we can bring the best out of our respective significant others. A relationship that is not nurturing will always leave one or both partners dissatisfied. Help your partner grow to be the best version of their selves. MORE

The people that we invite into our weird little world help make our lives better. Otherwise, why would we invite them in the first place? It’s key to ensure that there is balance between our life and relationships, so that we can be a good quality partner, not simply a pet for somebody else’s amusement.MORE

There’s nothing quite like a new relationship to put a little spring in your step. New experiences, the pleasure of each other’s company, passion, opportunity, and the hope of a future together drive up those wonderful brain chemicals that let us float while the rest of the world gets to walk. It’s exhilarating! MORE

2022 was a challenging year for many organizations due to rapid change in workplace cultures, conflict with hybrid work agreements, and rapid advances in technology that made such hybrid work viable in the first place. Leaders are going to have to be more flexible than ever, and an understanding of these 5 key trends over the next year or two will mean the difference between success and failure for their teams.MORE

It doesn’t matter what organization we work in, it is inevitable that there will be times of struggle. Periods when things don’t go to plan, that every pre-worked out contingency seems to end in failure, and not one of our goals comes to fruition. What do we do then? MORE

Resilience is our ability to respond adaptively to challenges. It’s what helps us get back up again, stronger, after meeting life’s hurdles, disappointments, and failures. It’s more than simply bouncing back from adversity or not breaking in the face of hardship. Resilient leadership also includes growth. MORE

No spreadsheet will ever convince an employee to work harder or be more efficient. In fact, being treated as a cell on a spreadsheet will usually achieve the exact opposite effect. In short, we have to PERSUADE our subordinates to ignore self-interest. We don’t manage people – they have to be led. MORE

For many people, pessimism and cynicism is a default setting, they see problems as the norm, and feel powerless to either foresee these challenges, or do anything productive with them. The positive leader must transform these challenges into opportunities – either to further the group’s goal, or to build character that will fit that aim. MORE

it’s important to save — or avoid spending what savings you have — especially with the potential for a recession. Until sustained relief from inflation takes effect, there’s a number of strategies we can use to stretch our dollar further, protect what savings we do have, and ensure our financial health in the long term.MORE

A combination of high inflation and high interest rates is challenging even the most frugal of shoppers. Whether we like it or not, we can’t reduce our shopping to zero. What we can do is make a plan and shop a little bit smarter so that we can stretch every inflation challenged dollar we have. MORE

There’s nothing like the excitement of applying to colleges and helping the next generation map out promising futures. It’s fun stuff! Tapping raw potential and molding future success is what makes parenthood so rewarding. These days, a university degree doesn’t guarantee anything, and there is definitely a wide variety in terms of bang for the buck. Make good choices and the future is golden. Make poor choices and we mire our young people in debt they’ll be lucky to ever recover from. MORE

Something I hear often from new readers when we’re talking about finances is the idea of money just “disappearing” by the end of the month. They knew what bills had to be paid, and how much was coming in, they just lost track of where the money went. A great way to combat this is by hosting regular family business meetings. Find out how!MORE

It is no great secret that everybody is looking for a way to make more money these days. No matter where I look, there is somebody pitching the next million dollar solution to our money woes. Despite all the potentially great ideas that are out there, many people are leaving the easiest money on the table, right in front of them.MORE

If you listen to the many fitness gurus online, you’ve probably heard “calories in versus calories out” as the only way to lose weight. While this saying is generally true, it doesn’t tell the whole story. You CAN eat 800 calories a day, and you’ll have a massive caloric deficit, but you won’t lose weight in any sustainable way. This means there’s something else in the equation.MORE

Maybe you stay up past midnight on weekends watching movies or spend an hour swiping through dating apps while in bed. Or you actually get to bed at a decent hour, but then toss and turn, unable to fall asleep. People who consistently get less than six hours of sleep nightly face a higher risk of heart disease as well as other conditions such as diabetes and obesity. MORE

Nearly every process in your body requires water. Playing a role in keeping your temperature normal, lubricating joints, protecting your spinal cord, water also aids in eliminating waste from your body. While some of your water comes from the food you eat, or other liquids, good ol’ regular water is preferred because it offers all of the benefits with none of the calories and sugar of other liquids. MORE

One of the principles that I teach in my blog is the idea to let go of the past, not dwell on the future, and to stay in the here and now. One way to do this is through meditation - the practice of training your mind to focus on one thing at a time, and to be fully present in the moment.MORE

There is a common saying: “failing to plan is planning to fail”. The basic meaning is clear. If you don’t have a clear plan for what you’re doing, you won’t meet the objectives that you have in mind. Simply stated, periodization is the organization of an activity into blocks of time for the express purpose of gaining a different benefit through changing the emphasis within the time blocks. MORE

Am I just having a bad day, or am I suffering from depression? The answer depends largely on duration and intensity. Figuring out where you are can help you decide on next steps. These common symptoms are a warning that you need to take your mental health seriously.MORE

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances. An individual may experience this as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening and may affect mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual well-being. Mental Healthcare practitioners estimate that 1 in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime, and women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD. MORE

Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders, affecting up to 10% of the population. The most debilitating aspect of anxiety is its ability to prevent us from engaging in activities that may improve our life because of the sufferer’s over- emphasis on potential negative outcomes. It become an additional hurdle to navigate. Understanding that this hurdle needs to be navigated is part of your journey to a better life. Getting a handle on anxiety will open the door to the possibilities you may have been missing out on. MORE

There is no one-size-fits-all solution with ADHD treatments due to factors such as the range of symptoms, high rates of co-occurring conditions, and individual characteristics like temperament and environment. It’s also completely normal for ADHD treatment protocols to change over time. Choosing the most effective path will depend on your unique needs, resources, and any recommendations given by your healthcare provider. MORE

If you have a phobia, you’ll go to great lengths to avoid an object or situation that most people consider harmless. Coming into contact, or even the thought of coming into contact, with the object of the phobia makes you panic. Phobias may occur on their own, or occur concurrently with anxiety. Both may well be getting in their way of becoming your best YOU. MORE