I don’t know about you, but it seems like 2017 absolutely flew by. And if you’re almost like me, you’re a little bit tired of the cycle of new year, new resolutions, and keeping it up for about a month and a half before falling back into old patterns.

It wasn’t all that long ago that our ideas of success in business were built on principles that grew to popularity in the 1980s. Running the rat race. Climbing ladders and stepping on people all the way up. There were these notions of doing anything and everything it took to win in a Machiavellian, ends-justify-the-means way.

I think most of us in the 21st century would say that that’s not how we want to do business. That’s not how we want to consume and support businesses, at the very least. But is the question of ethics in business that clear-cut?

Gratitude, at times, seems to be at odds with our consumerist culture. While society tells us we should always be striving for more, more, and yes—more—never to be satisfied, gratitude tells us that we should give thanks for the things we already have. We should, in fact, be content with it.

There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as running a big city marathon. Huge crowds of runners and spectators, all lining the route and running along a spectacular venue. These races are distinctly unlike running anywhere else. Big cities really do mean big crowds. Big crowds, big lines, big waits, big atmosphere, and a whole different way to prepare. 

We all know the feeling of stagnation. It’s something like boredom: when everything becomes routine and predictable. A slog. We’re just getting by on the minimum with no joy or enthusiasm. It’s not a place anyone wants to be. We’re drained, tired, and just want to be done. So how do you re-energize? How do you bounce back when you’re tired, beaten down, and when you just want to go home?

At some point or another, we’ve all heard this rather impressive statistic: as humans, we spend approximately one-third of our lives asleep. Perhaps more interesting are some statistics from the Sleep Association. Did you know that as many as 70 million adult Americans suffer from some kind of sleep disorder? To cut to the quick, we have a problem sleeping. As I get older, health is increasingly valuable to me. Sleep is definitely part of that. We could all do well to sleep better.

At first glance, real estate investment is all about numbers and calculations, risk and reward. But at the heart of it all, we know that it’s a people business. It comes down to the relationships we share: management and tenants, owners and providers, and everyone in between. It’s in those relationships that the truly valuable things happen.

It wasn’t too long ago that chain e-mails were a big thing. You would get one from your grandmother, and she got it from her friends, and they got it from theirs, so on and so forth. It would always be some story about this or that and at the end of it all, it was pretty obvious that it was all too outlandish to be real. It was just real enough to trick anyone who wasn’t thinking about it too hard and just happened to be reading (and forwarding) with their emotions.

One thing that too often slips our attention is the physical health of our teenagers. We ignore things like the over-consumption of junk food, hours binging on television and video games, and terrible sleeping habits. We have to realize that’s not how it’s supposed to be! No matter what stage of life we’re in, teen or otherwise, health and fitness should always be a priority.

Being in a role of leadership can take its toll. No matter who you are or what role you’re in—boss, CEO, manager, entrepreneur, or even a father—the weight of responsibility can grow heavy. In order to do our jobs well and do right by the people that are counting on us, it’s important not only to do our best by them but by ourselves, too.

For those of us trying to maintain our fitness goals, the holidays can be a minefield of sugary confections and fattening homemade goodies. We’re more tempted to kick back, relax, and neglect our exercise routines. Staying fit through the holidays is a lot harder than we think. It takes intentional effort even for the most dedicated athletes and endurance runners.

Personal magnetism is a quality some of us question the reality of. It sounds like one of those gimmicks used to bring people in for self-help conferences. Right? Well, there’s a little more to it than that. Personal magnetism is really about charisma. So for us—those in business, those investing or striking out to make something of themselves—how do we make ourselves more magnetic?

In America, we’re often told explicitly or implicitly that work is a top priority. But according to studies, those who work 55 hours or more are putting themselves at a huge health risk. Not only do long hours lead to greater potential for heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems, but they lead to inactivity, anxiety, depression, and poor health habits. So what does overwork have to do with leadership?

For a lot of runners, the idea of weight lifting or strength training doesn’t come immediately to mind as part of their training regimen. To most, it’s the run that is essential. Everything else? Take it or leave it. I can just stretch and run and that’s enough. Not so. For serious endurance runners, strength training is absolutely essential.

In circles where leadership is often discussed, it tends to be focused squarely on leading in a specific capacity: business. We talk about being good bosses and managers. We talk about leading teams to success. When we think about professional success and leadership, we can’t think about it as just leading other people. Our definition of leadership has to expand to include ourselves. I’m talking about personal leadership.

Phone etiquette used to be a crucial part of a gentleman’s education. There was an art to it! Somehow, phone etiquette hasn’t seemed to have caught up with the advances in our technology. While our lives are more convenient and connected than ever, there are professional and personal dangers that come along with our devices. If you want to guard your reputation, you and I would both do well to brush up on 21st-century phone etiquette.

I have a confession to make. I haven’t been eating meat. Gasp! It just happened by accident. I wouldn’t call myself a vegetarian or a vegan, but I do find that being majority meatless has made me happier and healthy. But you might say: aren’t you an endurance runner, Chris? How do you get enough protein?  Here’s what I’m discovering in my meatless journey: it’s completely possible to not eat meat and be a dedicated endurance runner. Here are some facts behind running as a vegetarian or vegan, why it can work, and why some athletes even choose it for themselves.

As we get older, it definitely gets harder to stay in shape. After retirement, it may be difficult but it is also much more important. As we advance in age, our mobility is on the line, and one of our best lines of defense is staying active. Here are my top tips for older individuals who want to stay active and healthy well into their golden years.

It's tough being a kid. We know as parents, though, how important it is for our children to stay active. As parents, we have the opportunity to have a lot of positive influence on the healthy lifestyles of children, including what they eat and how they exercise. What we teach them now can lay the foundation for lifelong habits!

Getting hired is a big step, but stepping into a new leadership position is no walk in the park—in fact, transition periods at any business or organization can cause a lot of upheaval. If you’re going to step in as a new leader, you’ve got to ensure that you’re prepared to deal with it the right way from square one.