“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy‘. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life” – John Lennon. “Life is 10 percent what happens to…
Theories of Motivation: Part Two
“What would it take to get you to do this?” It’s a very common question, asked by different people at different times. It’s a question a teacher might ask a student who hasn’t completed an assignment. Or one a parent might yell in frustration upon seeing their teenager’s still untidy room. It’s the question you might ask yourself as you look in the mirror. The…
Theories of Motivation: Part One
The word “motivation” is very popular online these days. You can find “motivational” videos on YouTube, “motivational” posters on Instagram and even “motivational” articles on blogs. But what exactly does that word mean? Over the past century, with the rise of factories and organizations, there’s been a deeper focus on the concept of motivation. What drives an individual to work in a particular manner? Scientists,…
Healthy Breakfast Ideas? How About Chocolate?
Do you sometimes groan as you think about making breakfast? Are your current healthy breakfast ideas a little… uninspiring? Do you frown as your hand drowsily moves to pick up the tin of oats? Do you find yourself wishing you had something more interesting to eat for breakfast? Well, how about some chocolate? Now you’re definitely wide awake, and curious. Perhaps also a little suspicious….
Why You’re Always Waking Up Late
There’s a famous slogan credited to the U.S. Army: “We do more before 9 A.M. than most people do all day.” If just reading that sentence made you groan and pull the blanket over your face, don’t worry. You too can become a productive morning person and stop waking up late, without having to enlist for boot camp. If you’ve always suffered from not being…
What to Eat When
There’s a lot of talk out there about what we should be eating. We’ve covered the building blocks of a healthy diet multiple times on this blog, but we’re just one voice in a massive chorus of doctors, magazines, and organizations telling you what you should be–or should not be–eating. It’s true that what you eat matters. But did you know that when you eat…
The Paradox of Choice: Why Less Really Is More
Picture this: You’ve had a long day at work and all you want to do is decompress in front of the television. You sit down with your snacks and fire up the streaming service of your choice… then spend nearly an hour just choosing what to watch, only to give up and play Candy Crush on your phone instead. Why does this happen? The problem…
Does Your Social Circle Affect Your Habit Building?
What exactly did Jim Rohn, the legendary entrepreneur and motivational speaker, mean when he said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”? How can the people in our social circle influence us? And if they do make an impact, what’s the best way to ensure it’s a positive one? It’s interesting to note that this is not a…
Why is Behavior Change So Hard, But Why You Should Keep Trying
What makes you change your behavior? If you’re reading this, odds are you want to develop a habit or change a behavior. Maybe you want to improve your concentration because your performance at school has been suffering. Or you’re not happy with the diet you’ve been following. Whatever the change may be, the question is this: What made you want to change? People always look…
Why We Sleep (And How to Get More of It)
Sleep. It’s something we all have to do, but as life becomes more fast-paced and interconnected than ever before, sleep has been shoved to the backburner. When you have variable work schedules, meetings with colleagues on the other side of the globe, or have to stay up late during exams or project crunch times, a good night’s rest can feel downright impossible. What are we…