When we consider all of the ways that our health can decline, we don't usually think about cognitive function. Our minds still turn first to weight gain, arthritis, high cholesterol, or heart problems. As dementia and Alzheimer's become an increasing part of our dialog, however, the more it becomes a part of the same conversation.

I think many of us underestimate the value in a good night's sleep. Oftentimes, we'll trade a few extra hours of perceived productivity “getting ahead” rather than hitting the hay. We think back to our college days of all-nighters and getting by on only minimal hours of sleep and it leads us to believe that we can make that sacrifice.

Have you ever been presented with a set of seemingly impossible choices? Being at a crossroads is never easy. In a position of leadership, it can be even more challenging, knowing that every eye is on you—some waiting for guidance and reassurance, and some, maybe, waiting for you to fail.

Doing the same workout day in and day out can get monotonous. There are times when we just need to change things up and do something different. However, simply switching up your running route or the order in which you do things just doesn't seem like enough. Why not look for ways to truly freshen things up?

We live in a perpetually anxious world. It's particularly true where money is concerned. When it comes to obtaining financial peace of mind, most of us seem to believe it is out of reach. Even as we try to get a grip on our financial health, we find that even knowing good habits doesn't help us feel any better.

In leadership, there is a temptation to be successful in every single pursuit that we take on. We are, in a way, not allowed to fail. Because we know we are being watched, either by an audience or by our team, we feel as though giving up on a pursuit or a passion is a failure. We've let down not only ourselves but those we feel we're supposed to be leading in our footsteps to successful lives and careers. If we not only fail in our efforts but give up on them completely, what kind of message does that send?

Our dream is to be able to do one specific, targeted workout and lose weight in our problem areas. Unfortunately, that's just not how our bodies work. We can't control how and where we will lose weight when we exercise. Doing an arm exercise to try to get rid of some fat and flab may only result in belly fat burn at first.

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you can tell that I have quite a wide range of interests. I’m passionate about leadership, investing and finance, endurance running, nutrition...lots of different things. I don’t see this as a hodge-podge, but rather as a holistic set of interests that leverage and influence on another.

I do a lot of public speaking. When you're doing a big conference talk, a workshop, or even a digital presentation, there's an energy present that lets you gauge how you're doing. If you pay attention, you can feel it. Sometimes it's just this ever-present acute awareness of eyes on you. The electric energy of attentiveness.

In a position of leadership, we all understand the burden and responsibility of leading others. Whether you're an entrepreneur on-the-rise with a small team, a long-time leader with a huge network of employees, or something in between, we all have people working for us and with us who make it all work.

Hearing the word “audit” can strike terror into the hearts of the most confident among us. But there are applications in which an audit—a careful assessment of your finances and accounts—can be indispensable. For all of us, a self-audit allows us to expose where in our financial health we can stand to improve, what strategies are working and which are not, and what we need to do to more fully and comprehensively meet our financial goals, both personal and professional.

Who among us doesn’t want to be more productive in the day-to-day? If you want to succeed in your career and average, daily goals, you have to be able to focus on what is before you. If you’re distracted and find your attention torn not only by external distractions but your own internal thoughts, you can’t expect to excel.

For most of us, the revelation that we might be out of shape comes a little too late. It happens at doctor’s appointments or when we muster up the courage to step on the scale. We realize it only when serious health problems show up and we start paying the consequences.

Another year, another slew of dieting crazes. With 2019 here, you can bet that everyone and their cousin will be out and trying to next big health and wellness fad. But are any of them worth our time? Should you consider any of the next big things in the health community?

Entrepreneurs can take many forms. When you have a vision for yourself, a company, or an idea you believe in, striking out to make that vision a reality is always both a labor of love and an exercise in frustration. It comes with long nights, joy, sacrifice, tears, and immense pride. And even though I have found great success in my career in real estate, I also wish I'd known a few things before I really struck out in my own entrepreneurship ventures.

Networking always seems like one of those necessary evils of the modern business world, doesn't it? We all know we need to make and maintain great connections, but we're all dread networking events, tedious small talk, and the awkwardness of trying to make a connection that sticks.

With the holiday season behind us, the stress and hurry of parties and gift giving may be gone, but with its absence can come a sense of malaise. While some of us jump on resolutions and a sense of new years’ optimism, this can also be a time of struggle. Call it winter blues, blame it on the cold and dreary weather or a distinct lack of holiday cheer, but there's something about these winter months that can make productivity a slog.

I don't know about you, but I am feeling the holiday season. Something about big family meals and too many sweet treats really makes you want to settle down for a long winter's nap. I know better than to give in, though—the new year is upon us, and that means it's time to get up and start strong.

They say there are two things you don't talk about in polite company: politics and religion. I think money makes a lot of people uncomfortable, too. It is one of those unspoken taboos of conversation. While we see money as something we wish to obtain, talking openly about net worth or the cost of our various assets—homes, rents, or purchases—whether asking others or bringing it into the conversation, is seen as rude.

I find myself getting frustrated with New Year's resolutions. Time and time again, it feels like the same thing. The fault seems not to be in the desire to change and do better, or even in a lack of follow through and lasting motivation. Though these things can trip us up, I think, ultimately, the problem of new year's resolutions comes down to a failure to set out with good goals.