7 Healthy Sounding Articles that Normalize the Opposite When did being sedentary become the standard? Facts alone rarely influence behavior. Would you be surprised that many journalists who sound like they are promoting health are actually promoting the opposite? Do you notice anything in common in these headlines? From the New York Times: How Exercise Can Keep Aging Muscles and Immune Systems ‘Young’ From the New York Times: How Exercise May Help the Memory Grow Stronger From the[…] Keep reading →

This Man’s Daily Habit May Be the Most Productive Ever Imagine building Central Park yourself. Jadav Payeng did more. With his bare hands. We’ve long known the benefits of habits–even before Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Regular readers of my column know the value of sidchas—Self-Imposed Daily Challenging Healthy Activities–which are more than just habits. They help define you. Successful people have sidchas. Not all,[…] Keep reading →

Roger Bannister, the 4-Minute Mile, and Leadership We who strive for more can learn from the great athlete, no matter our field. The greatest lesson we can learn from the achievement of Roger Bannister, who broke the 4-minute mile in 1954 and who died at 88 yesterday, arises from someone else breaking his record only seven weeks later. And then many times since. Why? Because as great as his physical feat, it shows that his mental feat was[…] Keep reading →

The Future of Environmental Leadership Want to lead? The opportunities to lead in the environment may be the best around. Hosting the Leadership and the Environment podcast has led to a lot of conversations on leadership and the environment. As an entrepreneur and adjunct professor of leadership, I talk to many who want to become leaders. Many shun working on the environment because they think it will distract from their career and leadership ambitions. They excuse[…] Keep reading →

Joy and the Environment What we as leaders can do for the environment and why it creates joy Leaders can help the environment more than anyone, I’ve come to conclude from countless conversations hosting the Leadership and the Environment podcast. By environment, I don’t only mean global warming. No matter how skeptical anyone is about climate, nobody wants litter on pristine beaches, mercury in their fish, or asthma in their children. The environmental issues you’re[…] Keep reading →

Why I Always Take the Stairs Exercise is everywhere if you want it. And it simplifies your life. I’ve written before about how lazy I am, but how much fitness helps my career, relationships, and mood, so I find ways to integrate exercise into my life without taking time or resources from the rest of it. On the contrary, exercise consistently gives to the rest of my life. Today, let’s talk stairs. I live on the fifth[…] Keep reading →

This “Wrong” Quote Will Ignite Your Passion Goethe didn’t say it, but it’s one of the most inspirational quotes you’ll find Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a celebrity of his time, often called Germany’s Shakespeare. That’s him on the left in the picture above–a writer, statesman, scientist, and more. You can read his history at Wikipedia. At Inc., we’re interested in what we can learn from accomplished people so we can accomplish more ourselves (at least[…] Keep reading →