Today begins my tenth year of daily burpees, not one day missed. My spreadsheet says I’ve done over 163,000 of them. I have yet to spend one penny doing them. Since I consider them something I do instead of TV, I’ve saved time doing them too. The activity continues to evolve in its meaning and value to me, always increasing, but mostly I think of them, along with the rest[…] Keep reading →

We’ve all read how Facebook, Twitter, and other social media are messing up elections. Lies spread faster than accurate information. Nations like Russia and people looking to troll can create mayhem. Algorithms promote conspiracies. People feel informed when they aren’t. Communities polarize. You know the results. The companies behind each platform give lip service to reducing the trends but the trends are profitable for them so they act half-heartedly. They[…] Keep reading →

Two weeks ago I presented online how to make my famous no-packaging vegan stew with a group called Plant Powered Metro New York. I apologize that Murphy’s Law struck hard. Everything that could go wrong did, but I couldn’t tell what in the moment so only on viewing it now did I hear how much the microphone distorted my voice. The lighting was off. After starting we found out they[…] Keep reading →

See me and other coaches from the Columbia Alumni Association on a panel: Columbia at Home: Navigating a Job Search in a Difficult Market. The event was July 22. Here is the video: I mentioned my book, Initiative, so here’s the link to it. Event notes How do you keep up your job search virtually and navigate a difficult job market? Career experts Caroline Ceniza-Levine ’93BC Julia Harris-Wexler ’83TC, ’14BUS[…] Keep reading →

Erin and Michelle host the Style Your Life podcast. They wanted to learn and share with their audience about habits, which are the foundation of a lifestyle. They can be if you choose. They led a conversation around habits and how to keep from quitting them. I talk and write a lot about habits and sidchas here. This conversation is a friendly, non-intense entry point. Few things improve a life[…] Keep reading →

Why am I writing so much about white males? Partly because I am one but live in a society that denigrates and silences the group. When I read about people in other groups exploring their accidents of birth—their skin color, sex, sexual preference, geographic origin—society seems to celebrate them. My city hosts parades for many groups. Does anyone wonder how much it would accept a white male parade? I expect[…] Keep reading →

Pairing hot with cold Cold showers are hard to start, even in the middle of the summer, though rewarding, so I you want the benefit of taking them. Getting sweaty from running, rowing, or other vigorous exercise feels good in some sense, but who wants to stay sweaty? When you’re hot you want to cool off, even in the middle of winter. Pairing getting hot and sweaty with a cold[…] Keep reading →

Yesterday’s post answered the best time to exercise in the morning. What if you exercise in the evening too or instead? The beginning of that post—why exercise, listing the benefits, and so on—apply here. No need to repeat everything up to “First things first.” Alternative 1: Just before bed The latest option is to exercise last before going to bed. Many ask if getting your heart rate up might keep[…] Keep reading →

Say you exercise in the morning. When is the best time for it? First, what’s the point of morning exercises? Fitness? Yes, you can’t leave fitness out, and if you don’t impose on yourself a healthy daily challenging activity, you might expect the point of the specific activity to be the main goal. It’s not—not in the long term. The goals of daily morning exercise include in the long term[…] Keep reading →