 Credit: Style My Soul, www.stylemysoul.com | New Year's Resolutions Revisited Regularly Assess Your Resolutions
It’s never too late to revisit a resolution. In fact, the best thing you can do is revisit your resolutions repeatedly, and certainly before the year is over, when you still have time to make changes. Ask yourself a few questions and be real with your answers. - Is your resolution still important to you? If not, let it go. If it is, now is a great time to re-commit to it. - What is one small action you can take that will have the biggest impact on moving your resolution forward? - How can you build accountability into your resolution so that you don’t forget, let it slide, or avoid making changes between now and the end of the year? - Ali Schiller, Founder and Chief Process Designer, Accountability Works® Embrace Self-Awareness and Commitment Revisit your New Year’s resolution later to show self-awareness and commitment. Evaluate progress and roadblocks honestly, and modify goals as necessary. Break it down into smaller, achievable tasks, and commit to a routine. Seek accountability from friends or groups. Remember, any day can be a fresh start for renewal and growth. Sustained effort is key. - Jacob Maslow, Owner, Rest Equation Persist and Adapt Your Goals Don’t give up on this year just because December is getting nearer and nearer. It’s never too late to make changes or reach your goals. Commit to your goal for 21 days, and it can become a habit. Keep at that goal for 90 days, and it can become a part of your lifestyle. Aim for progress, not perfection. If your original goal was too challenging, see if you can modify it to make it more attainable within a realistic timeframe and the ability to actually implement it into your life. One step at a time, even if stumbling along the way, we can make the effort to try new things that align our actions with our values. - Alannah Hardcastle, Social Impact Manager, Random Acts of Green Stay Flexible with Your Resolutions One of the best ways to revisit a New Year’s resolution later in the year is to embrace flexibility. It’s not too late to make changes if your resolution no longer aligns with your current situation or goals. By being open to adjustments, you can ensure that your resolutions remain relevant and achievable. For example, let’s say your resolution was to run a marathon, but due to an injury, you’re unable to continue training. Instead of giving up entirely, you can adjust your resolution to focus on recovery and setting new fitness goals that suit your circumstances. Embracing flexibility allows you to adapt and make changes that keep you motivated and progressing towards personal growth. - Yoana Wong, Co-Founder, Secret Florists Leverage Social Support for Accountability At this point in the year, seeking support and accountability can revitalize your New Year’s resolution efforts. Share your goals and progress with a friend, family member, or someone in your community who is supportive. Communicate your desire to modify your resolution if necessary. Engaging with people gives you a new perspective, encouragement, and drive to keep going. If you’re having trouble with the initial goals, don’t be afraid to change them to reflect your current circumstances and priorities. Having an accountability buddy can assist you in staying on track and making required changes without getting discouraged. Remember that progress, not perfection, is more essential, and incorporating others in your path can make it more pleasurable and successful. - Gerrid Smith, Communications Manager, Texas Property Tax Loan Pros Schedule Mid-Year Resolution Check-InsOn July 1st, it’s great to schedule a mid-year check-in. The topic should be the goals of your New Year’s resolution. For successes, give yourself some celebration. For medium performance, make a plan to improve the goal. For failures, decide if it’s really important, and if so, find another motivation strategy to make it happen. - Trevor Ewen, COO, QBench
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Growing up, running wasn’t one of my greatest passions. It was and still is being on stage and performing. But it was my sister and my love for chocolate that inspired me to start my running journey as an adult back in 2014. I got hooked on running through the Hot Chocolate Run, which is a five-kilometer race they do in the United States. There’s chocolate at the end, and you get a medal — now, what chocoholic wouldn’t go for that? Since then, I started training and adding more and more kilometers to my runs. I completed my first marathon at the 2018 Rock n Roll running series in my hometown of San Diego. While this was a proud accomplishment for me, it was also the time my life completely flipped upside down. The moment I started my diabetes journey. It was just before my 39th birthday and shortly after finishing my first marathon. I experienced some of the classic symptoms of exhaustion, excessive thirst, frequent urination, and weight loss. I knew something was off when I started training for the 2018 Melbourne Marathon and had the worst run in my life. It felt like the biggest drag trying to train for a five-kilometer training run. Everything else felt like a colossal effort, even trying to walk and get some sleep. I told my Mum about my symptoms, and she mentioned that we have history of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in our family. I didn’t think of it much because at that time as I was living a healthy and active lifestyle. I also had this perceived conception that Type 1 diabetes diagnoses happen earlier in life. How wrong was I? My diagnosis story took an interesting turn when I tested negative to all known Type 1 diabetes antibodies. While it is an autoimmune disease, a small percentage of people test negative for known antibodies and are categorized as having idiopathic Type 1 diabetes. But after several months of testing and feeling in and out of limbo, I was officially diagnosed. I think just like anything else unexpected that life throws at you, you will be in complete shock, and I was. Everything was still and felt like I was underwater. Things were in slow motion until I finally cried. As cliché as it may sound, my Type 1 diabetes diagnosis completely transformed my life. The biggest challenge for me was incorporating my condition in everything that I do in life, work, and play. It probably took some more months until I was able to confidently say I have adjusted to living with it. But every day is a new adventure and an ongoing experiment. My work as an actor and a performing artist taught me different ways on how to manage my condition on and off-stage. I learned that the adrenaline and jitters I get before getting on stage causes a sharp spike in my glucose levels. I also learned how to navigate my food choices and timing what I eat appropriately with my insulin dosages. In addition to being self-aware with how I’m feeling physically and mentally, I ultimately got myself a Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). This small, wearable device which tracks and shares my glucose levels to my smartphone, has transformed my relationship running with diabetes, giving me the confidence boost I needed. Having a CGM made running more accessible and helped me run my second marathon, and the first after my diagnosis, during the height of the pandemic. For my third marathon, I went back to San Diego for the 2021 Rock n Roll marathon. After four years, a series of life events, the pandemic and wayward timing, I ran in the heralded Melbourne Cricket Ground at the 2022 Melbourne Marathon, completing my fourth marathon and earning my long-anticipated bling. I went on to compete in my fifth marathon, the 2022 New York City Marathon, and crossed the finish line with the Beyond Type Run Team — an incredible group of nearly 50 people living with Type 1 diabetes. Diabetes is interesting, complex, and multifaceted. My initial diagnosis of idiopathic Type 1 diabetes predominately impacts people of color and is under-researched. Living with diabetes, I’m hoping to bring more awareness to this under-represented group of people and empower people like me that life can go on. As for my running, I’m looking forward to more marathons in the very near future. Running does not come easy to me. In my head I’m running like a gazelle, even though I only take little steps. But I’m still a runner!  Credit: Ashleyrose Gilham, Photographer Jasmine Gilham Meet Our Contributor — Ashleyrose Gilham Learn more about Ashleyrose and her latest adventures at Ashleyrose Gilham.  Credit: Style My Soul, www.stylemysoul.com | Daily Physical Activities Style My Soul looks into how we can incorporate more physical activity into our daily routines.
Incorporate Morning Walks About a year and a half ago, I started getting up a little earlier and walking over five miles each morning. It has been easy to do and doesn’t cost more than a couple of pairs of walking shoes. I started listening to audiobooks and financial podcasts during my walks, which have improved my business and financial outlook. All from walking, my health is better, and my financial future is as well. - Katrina Klier, Senior Managing Partner, Sage Strategy Group Use Breaks for Quick Activities People nowadays like planning their day to the minute, and even schedule breaks — especially if they’re following the Pomodoro method of larger chunks of working time broken by 5- or 10-minute breathers. So, I would suggest using these breaks to your advantage and setting time for physical activity in them. For example, if you’re on a five-minute break, go on one, two, or three 1-minute sprints and then resettle to work. This way, you keep yourself active and alert, and also avoid letting the brief breaks turn into longer procrastination periods. - Manasvini Krishna, Founder, Boss as a Service Shift Gym Sessions to the Morning Recently, I switched my evening gym session to a lunchtime or morning gym session. My concentration, focus, and clarity improve overnight. Plus, I don’t skip my sessions because I’m too tired. After a day in marketing, thinking creatively and analyzing data, I found myself saying, “I’m just not feeling the gym tonight.” The morning and lunchtime sessions mean that I don’t have the excuse of being tired. Plus, my work has improved for it, and my workouts are better for feeling stronger earlier in the day. - Megan Vardhan, Digital Manager, Skinician Exercise with Friends for Fun and Accountability One tip to incorporate more physical activity into your daily routine is to exercise with friends. Having friends by your side when you exercise can be a good way to find the fun in working out, and it can ease your nerves about embarking on your fitness journey. For example, setting up a weekly hike with your friends can provide you with a great way to catch up on their lives and get a good workout at the same time. Additionally, working out with friends can keep you accountable on those days when your motivation is low. Once you are comfortable getting out and exercising with friends, you will become acclimated to the grind of working out and might start to enjoy it enough to do it on your own. Exercising with friends is a great way to incorporate more physical activity into your routine, as it can keep your mind off the activity and make you more accountable. - Tyler York, CEO, Achievable Schedule Workouts as Non-Negotiable Appointments One tip that has been instrumental for me in incorporating more physical activity into my daily routine is scheduling my workouts as non-negotiable appointments in my calendar — ideally, first thing in the morning — and also asking a friend to join you. I treat my exercise time with the same level of importance as a business meeting or critical decision-making session. I’ve found that early morning workouts set a positive tone for the day, infuse me with energy, and sharpen my focus. By dedicating time for physical activity before the workday begins, I ensure that the pressures and unexpected developments of the day don’t push exercise off my agenda. - Fabian Pelzl, CEO, KNOWRON Track Physical Activity with Health Apps Health Apps are a useful tool to track your daily physical activity. Understanding if you are on the right track for daily exercise is crucial, regardless of how busy your routine is. Physical fitness should always be a priority. A phone, an essential tool that you carry everywhere, can be utilized to download health applications that track your daily step count. Major health issues can arise from failing to do proper exercise during work routines. Using health apps on a phone to track progress is a beneficial practice. Increasing the daily step count to 7,000 steps, which is roughly 5.1 kilometers, can be a good start. This practice allows for easy tracking of weight and daily step count, contributing to maintaining health, even during tough work routines. - Perry Zheng, Founder and CEO, Pallas Utilize Short Online Workout Videos Many videos on YouTube show you how to do yoga, qi gong, rhythmic aerobics, and even dance workouts from the comfort of your home. The best part? These videos are only 5 to 15 minutes long, so it’s easy to incorporate them into a busy day. Most importantly, they make you feel good. - Anett Racz, Freelance Copywriter Increase Daily Active Goals and Track Steps A straightforward, yet highly effective, tip for introducing more physical activity into your day-to-day life is to incorporate more walking into your routine. For example, instead of taking the elevator, opt for the stairs. You might also want to consider walking if you only travel a short distance. To make this even more engaging, I use my watch to count my daily steps. It becomes a fun and motivating game where I try to beat my previous day’s step count. This not only keeps me physically active, but also adds an element of enjoyment to my daily routine. It’s surprising how a simple challenge to yourself makes a big difference in your life! - David Rubie-Todd, Co-Founder and Marketing Head, Sticker It Go for Brisk Walks During Work Breaks Taking advantage of the benefits of walking, especially when working from home, can be a strategy to improve both your physical and mental well-being. If you’re someone who enjoys going for walks like I do, you might want to give the “Segmented Walk Strategy” a try. Whenever you take breaks from work, take the opportunity to go on brisk, ten-minute walks around your neighborhood or simply pace around in your garden or balcony. This not only helps keep your body active but also provides a mental reset by breaking the monotony of work. Being outdoors and engaging in activities like walking can actually stimulate creativity and problem-solving skills, so it’s like multitasking. You’re taking care of both your body and mind while remaining productive. Over time, these shorter and longer intervals of walking will seamlessly become part of your routine, making wellness a natural component of your work-from-home lifestyle. - Jake Maslow, Owner, Streetwise Journal Incentivize Activity with a Company-Wide Club Incorporating more physical activity into your daily routine can be achieved by having a company program that incentivizes getting your steps in! A company-wide walking club, for example, where steps are recorded with apps on phones and weekly steps are submitted to team leaders. At the end of each month, two winners are announced: one who had the most steps and one randomly drawn from those who met a minimum step count. This approach definitely encourages more walking! - Amanda McCrea, Senior Content Coordinator, Online Optimism |