Failed To Achieve A Goal? Get Back Up And Learn From It

We tend to think of failure as something shameful, undesirable. Understandably, failing to achieve it often cause negative feelings, no matter how big or small the goal was.

 

And the only way to overcome those feelings is by changing the way we understand failure - it is part of the process of success and leaves valuable lessons if we know how to learn from it.

 

Three ways to redefine failure and learn from it effectively.

 

Don't be afraid to make mistakes - Learning from your mistakes is about more than just thinking about what went wrong. The first step towards using failure as a tool for success is to stop seeing mistakes as shameful.

 

Think about it - a mistake is not just a natural part of embarking on a new project; it is also part of the human experience. As such, they should be accepted as a necessary step towards achieving your goals.

 

In her article "Strategies for Learning from Failure", Amy C. Edmondson classifies mistakes in three categories:

 

Preventable

 

These are the mistakes we often think of as bad. They result from lack of focus or attention to the procedures needed to achieve the goal.

 

Complexity-related

 

These mistakes happen when the goal is the product of many factors - your own motivation, previous skills, your environment, support network, and the resources you have to accomplish it. If any of these fail, you might be unable to achieve the goal.

 

Intelligent mistakes

 

According to Adam Mendler in his article What Sales Executives Can Learn From Failure, having the freedom to make mistakes increases creativity and work performance. Without unnecessary pressures to avoid mistakes and the shame that comes with it, employees contribute more frequently and are able to express more original ideas.

 

For example, many great inventions were discovered by accident - from Post-It notes to penicillin.

 

Whatever the source of the mistake, removing any negative feelings about it and re-framing it as a source of new knowledge is the first step towards learning from failure effectively.

 

But what's next?

 

Rethink your approach to your goal

 

Now that you're looking at the mistake without judgment, think of how you got into the situation.

 

In his article The 4 Keys to Learning From Failure, Guy Winch suggests you analyze your motivation levels, focus, and mindset. Did you feel less motivated to achieve your goal at some point? Did something else distract you from it?

 

If your dedication and focus decreased at any time, make note of it and try to find the cause. Identifying the internal and external causes that affected your resolve helps you prepare for them in the future.

 

In some cases, discussing the failure with someone you trust can help you see the issues from a different perspective. Rely on your support network to pinpoint what went wrong and how you could prevent it.

 

Plan ahead

 

Identifying what caused the mistake is not enough to prevent it in the future. You need to take steps to prevent that mistake from happening again.

 

If your goal was to write a novel in six months, you've probably identified a few reasons why you couldn't achieve it - lack of time, insufficient planning, or lack of motivation.

 

But what can you do to prevent those issues to get in the way of your goal in the future? In our example, you could scale down the scope of the novel, spend more time planning the story, or set a specific time to write undisturbed.

 

In summary, failure is not permanent. By accepting failure, analyzing its causes and defining how you can eliminate those causes, you're on your way to achieving your goals.

The Role Of Inflammation In The Aging Process

Inflammation is a biological process that has received quite a bit of press in recent years and has been the subject of numerous different health trends, most popularly in the fields of diet and weight loss. Inflammation is defined by the National Institute of Health as “a very complex response to an injury, infection, or other stimulus, in which many different cells types and secreted factors orchestrate protective immunity, tissue repair, and resolution of tissue damage.”

 

There is also a new trend of research and information that inflammation may have a key role in the aging process, with some thought-leaders surmising that inflammation is the primary cause of aging in human beings. That may or may not be true, but we can certainly review the current information available to figure out if inflammation is something we should be aware of to help us age gracefully. 

 

Most research has been done to understand the role of inflammation in the elderly, especially concerning degenerative diseases. While we are still working to understand the overall role of inflammation in the lifespan of the aging process from youth onwards, there seems to be a fair amount of consensus that it plays a primary role in the accelerated aging process seen in the elderly. 

 

A recent panel organized by National Institute of Health and National Geroscience Interest Group on aging stated that “It is now recognized that a mild pro-inflammatory state is correlated with the major degenerative diseases of the elderly.” 

 

This begs the question of how does inflammation start or how does it originate? 

 

It is a hard question to articulate and requires a great deal of medical and scientific jargon to properly express, however a summary from a recent study in  Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery expresses a good general outline, “Inflammatory process induces oxidative stress and reduces cellular antioxidant capacity. 

 

Overproduced free radicals react with cell membrane fatty acids and proteins impairing their function permanently.” What exactly does that mean? Inflammation most simply put is the body’s response to an abnormal event in the body that it is attempting to repair. The most common or simple version might be a stubbed toe that swells, turns black or blue and eventually over time as healing occurs returns to normal. That process is the body inflaming the hurt area to protect it or heal it. 

 

Chronic inflammation is the case of internal inflammation over time that can lead to aging processes. As the research study stated, it induces stress and reduces certain capacities in the body, many of which are key to the aging process, in order to deal with other stresses within the body.

 

Being that we have a basic idea of the aging process and inflammations role in it, how do prevent inflammation from occurring? The jury is still out officially, although two different recent studies examined the role of caloric-restriction on the inflammation process. 

 

Both studies, from the Ageing Research Reviews and Antioxidants and Redux Signaling respectively, examined the anti-inflammatory actions of aging-retarding caloric restriction and exercise. It would seem that, while perhaps not a complete surprise, a poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle would increase inflammation and therefore the aging process. 

 

In fact, the study from Antioxidants and Redux signaling found that “major chronic aging-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, dementia, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases, are inflammation-related.” It is certainly not a coincidence that most of these conditions are also symptoms of a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet choices. 

 

As a summary, it is fair to conclude that inflammation has a high correlation and may be a direct cause of many aging and degenerative conditions we face later on in life. 

 

We also are safe to surmise that inflammation is a reactive process of our body to attempt to heal events that are not ideal for homeostasis, or events that place stress on the body. 

 

In the case of inflammation, these events are molecular and result from the bad kind of stress, that stress that comes from poor diet choices and lack of exercise, which leads to inflamed cellular responses. 

 

To summarize in the simplest terms, inflammation increases the process of aging, and poor diet and lack of exercise increases inflammation; therefore, eat a healthy diet and exercise to help inhibit the aging process!

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3616233/

 

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/iad/2009/00000003/00000001/art00009

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163708000299

 

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ars.2006.8.572

Signs That You Eat Too Much

Eating is a fundamental pillar of life for all humans. Moreover, most of us enjoy it, especially when it’s some great tasting food! Unfortunately, we also don’t always have the best sense of when to stop, especially, in our current time when we have access to not only good-tasting foods but in immense quantities. 

 

While we may poke fun at humorous situations such as Homer Simpson eating until he can’t physically move, in reality the consequences of eating too much can range from a simple mild stomach ache in the short term to the many health risks associated with chronic obesity such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes. 

 

Moreover, often overeating is not as dramatic as eating until our pants are about to burst, but rather simply eating more than we need at the current time, or eating until we’re full rather than eating until we’ve gotten the nutrients we need. 

 

We do not have the natural constraints our ancestors did to prevent us from over eating. In evolutionary terms, most humans couldn’t over eat as large-scale agriculture and food processing generally weren’t available until fairly recently in human history. Currently, most humans and certainly Americans have access to more food with convenience than ever before.

 

So, what drives us to eat more than we need? 

 

Despite the plethora of available resources, we are still fully capable of eating what we need. One key insight is the emotional connection to food many people have. Research has shown that many people tend to eat more or overeat when they are feeling sad, depressed, or struggling with an issue. 

 

A study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, researched the eating habits of adolescents who eventually developed eating disorders like binge eating. The primary result they found was “These results indicate that it is important to consider depressive symptoms in overeating.” One of the primary signs that we may be eating too much is to monitor the reason for eating. Are we eating because we are hungry, or because of an emotional issue, we are dealing with?

 

Another consideration is symptoms of Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. An article from the Medical University of Warsaw stated that Hypoglycemic symptoms can lead people to eat more in order to satisfy urges to increase insulin, thus it is always important to remember to practice moderation when eating sweets as they lead us to eat far more than we actually need. 

 

Finally, there is no better warning system than your own body. Excessive constipation, blockage, bloating, vomiting or stomach aches is your body giving you feedback that it has had enough. More often than not, if you feel a constant need for laxatives or antacids it is most likely your body telling you that you’ve taken in far more food than you need. Additionally, your body’s energy level and mental alertness are signs of eating too much. While we all enjoy a finely cooked meal or delicious snacks, biologically speaking food is simply fuel for our body to consume and turn into energy. However, when we bog our system down with excess fuel or fuel of poor quality A.K.A junk food, our energy will decrease, we feel sluggish and less alert and rather than increasing our energy, it will feel like we decreased it as we overloaded our digestion system.  

 

In conclusion, I think I speak for most people when I say that we love food! Our bodies love food as well as it is the energy that allows it to move and function, however when we have too much our best warning system is our body and our brain telling us. 

 

Our brains tell us through our emotions, we very often have far more food than we need for emotional reasons such as depression or stress. 

 

We have to be aware of our current state to avoid these pitfalls. In addition, our bodies tell us through our own energy levels and digestion system when we’ve had too much. The signs are there and our brains and bodies are telling us, we just have to listen!

Key Principles Of Holistic Medicine

The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine defines holistic medicine as "the art and science of healing that addresses the whole person – body, mind, and spirit." In other words, it doesn't just focus on your physical health.

 

According to the practice, our health and well-being is the result of the interaction between physical, environmental, emotional, and psychological aspects of the person's life. Therefore, what makes holistic medicine different is its integrative approach to health. It uses alternative as well as conventional medicine and studies all aspects of a person's life. 

 

The goal is to achieve holistic health, an "unlimited and unimpeded free flow of life force energy through body, mind, and spirit." 

 

WebMD describes the four key principles of holistic. 

 

1.     The patient's innate healing powers

 

Holistic medicine teaches that the body has an innate capacity to heal itself. For this reason, it wants to promote and encourage this naturally occurring healing by using different treatments and methods.

 

In addition, it believes that the best way to maintaining good health is by preventing illnesses in the first place. This is not just better for the body, but it is also cost-effective. Adopting good habits to improve wellness and prevent diseases is less taxing on the body than overcoming an illness.

 

To nurture the body's capacity to heal itself, holistic medicine seeks to promote overall health instead of just treating a set of symptoms. In this case, good health goes beyond the absence of illness. It aims at achieving the best possible quality of life in the physical, emotional, mental, and social aspects.

 

2.     There is more to the patient that a disease

 

For holistic medicine, illness is the result of an imbalance or dysfunction of the individual. In addition, one way to treat this imbalance is to change the effects of negative emotions, experiences, habits, and memories. In other words, a holistic physician encourages patients to explore the effects of emotions and experiences on their health and to unburden themselves of harmful emotions and thoughts.

 

Consequently, positive emotions and feelings like love, enthusiasm, and hope may help to restore the balance and bring the patient closer to well-being.

 

Therefore, in this case, a disease is an opportunity for patients to learn more and improve themselves. Moreover, for physicians, each patient is a new opportunity to practice unconditional love and guide a person in their unique path towards wellness.

 

3.     Healing takes a team approach

 

An important part of the physician's job is to educate and empower each patient so that they can make informed decisions about their health and treatments.

 

Education is an important task for the physician. To promote wellness, the patient needs to incorporate healthful habits under the guidance and encouragement from the doctor. For example, the physician may guide the patient towards adopting a healthier diet, incorporating exercise, or seeking counseling.

 

Patient and physician work as a team to restore well-being. So evidently, the relationship between patient and doctor is supportive and collaborative. In this ideal relationship, the physician listens and respects the patients' needs, opinions, and insights. And the patient is not a passive agent in her own health. Instead, she is encouraged to make her own decisions.

 

Another important aspect of a positive doctor-patient relationship in holistic medicine is the use of different treatments.

 

For some people, holistic medicine is not different from homeopathy or naturopathy. However, there is a difference.

 

Holistic medicine may use natural treatments if the patient may benefit from them, but it also uses conventional medicine and treatments. The inclusion of a broader range of evidence-based therapies that offer different benefits helps the patient get more comprehensive care.

 

4.     Fixing the causes of disease and not just the symptoms

 

The integral approach of holistic medicine to well-being allows it to go deeper into the health problems of the patient, well beyond the physical symptoms of one illness.

 

Getting to the root of the issue also ensures the patient may find long-term health and prevents more episodes of the illness in the future.

Finding Meaning In Life Can Improve Your Happiness

"Do what makes you happy."

 

If you've ever felt unsatisfied with a job or any other personal or professional situation, you've probably heard that advice to death. However, this advice is not helpful, and it's also misguided. 

 

In today's world, the pursuit of happiness is a deeply ingrained concept. We're taught to expect our lives to be fairly happy, and we're encouraged to do whatever it takes to achieve that.

 

But, as everything else in life, happiness isn't so simple.

 

What is happiness?

 

First of all, happiness refers to what you can get from others and your environment. In other words, you're happy when your material and emotional needs are fulfilled.

 

Take Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Outdated or not, it gives us an idea of what people need to be happy and the importance of each of those areas in our lives - from basic biological needs like food and shelter to more elevated needs like self-development and creativity.

 

However, fulfilling our needs doesn't always make us happy. And in many cases, that comes in direct conflict with the happiness we seek.

 

For example, a job that covers our basic needs for food, shelter, and security could be getting in the way of your need for creativity, flexibility, and freedom.

 

On top of that, we tend to think of happiness as static, as something you either have or don't. However, this isn't the case, at all. Instead, happiness is fluid and fleeting.

 

So, is the pursuit of happiness an illusion? 

 

Not necessarily. Instead, to find that happiness, you need to redefine it, first.

 

We can redefine that happiness by making it broader -- it's not just about the nice feeling you get when your needs are met, or when you receive something pleasant from someone else. It's also about what you can give to others, and how giving gives you a purpose and a connection to your community.

 

To psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, giving helps you reaffirm your very humanity. It makes you forget yourself, and give yourself to the person in front of you.

 

Luckily, you don't have to change your entire routine to switch the focus from your own thoughts and needs to someone else's. 

 

There are a few simple things you can do to start giving more:

 

Listen. See every conversation as a chance to connect with a person. So, instead of just waiting for your turn to speak, pay attention to every word the other person is saying. Notice the tone of his voice, his body language. And don't forget to ask questions. 

 

Build things for others. Can you knit, make origami figures, or draw? Make something and give it away. Never expect anything in return. 

 

Volunteer. Take five minutes to think of what's important for you. What are your values? Is there a cause you'd like to champion? Do you have time or skills to give away to that cause? 

 

Be kind. Make it a purpose to be kind to others every single day. Believe it or not, little acts of kindness have a contagious effect. Compliment someone. Notice if she did something with her hair. Help him with his groceries. Offer to do some extra work to help out a colleague.

 

Become a mentor. We all started somewhere. We've all been lost, confused, and tired. However, you have answers and insights that can help out someone starting out his journey. 

 

By giving, you're creating connections with those around you. Life stops being just about seeking satisfaction and it takes on a deeper layer of commitment. Life is no longer all about you. It's about creating a positive effect on other people's lives. 

 

When you engage in actions that transcend your own search for satisfaction, you make your life meaningful. You become part of a community. You assert your humanity. Moreover, you can be happier and more fulfilled.

5 Simple Tricks to Stick to your New Year's Resolutions

Come this January, about 40% of all Americans will vow to change one thing or another about their lifestyle. 

 

New Year’s resolutions usually fall under the following categories:

 

• Weight loss
• Finance
• Career
• Personal development
• Health and diet
• Fitness
• Stress management
• Focusing on personal relationships

 

Fast forward 6 months later, 60% will have completely forgotten all about their resolutions.

 

But carrying out your resolutions can be done. Read on to find out how.

 

1. Define your Motivation

There are 2 types of motivation:

·       Intrinsic - this means your motivation comes from inside. For example, you prefer jogging, going to the gym, or shopping by yourself because you like how you feel afterwards.

 

·       Extrinsic - you’re pushed forward by actions outside your personal scope. In other words, you prefer working out with your friends, and work harder when there’s a reward system in place.

 

Once you figure out your motivation type is, then all you have to do is put yourself in situations that make you more excited to accomplish even more.

 

2. Actions speak louder than results

Deciding on a goal for the New Year is always easier said than done. However, it’s the steps you take to reach that goal that’s the tricky part. If you want to stick to your resolutions, it’s wise to break each step down into smaller goals, if possible, to make them more manageable. 

Moreover, each time you achieve one, reward yourself and feel proud of what you’ve accomplished. Positive reinforcement is crucial to help guide you as you push toward your goal and commit to your responsibilities.

One way to keep everything in check is to make sure your actions are SMART:

 

·       Specific. Having a specific end result prevents you from making excuses.

·       Measurable. Evaluating your progress will give your motivation a boost.

·       Achievable. You can set daily goals as a building block to bigger goals.

·       Relevant. Otherwise, if it’s not relevant, why bother?

·       Time-bound. Goals need to have a defined end date.

 

3. Be Honest with yourself

The more realistic your resolutions, the more likely you’ll see them through. If your goal for the New Year is to exercise more, then start small. Instead of planning a 5-day workout week, go for 20 minutes a day then increase gradually. 

You’ll find that, as with all goals, as soon as you start seeing what you’ve accomplished, you’ll be pumped to do even more. However, it’s crucial that you stay away from the “all-or-nothing” approach. Doing something, even if it’s a small piece of what you’d originally planned, is much better and more productive than doing nothing at all.

Moreover, it’s equally important to not have too many resolutions up in the air at once. Make a list, prioritize them, and go from there. Once you feel the first one’s in the bag, go for the second, and so on. Focusing on one goal at a time will channel your energy and efforts there, helping you reach your target faster.

 

4. Think things through

Having a positive mindset is key when progressing towards your goals, but let’s be honest; every plan is bound for failure if you’re careful. Be smart and anticipate these obstacles so that when they do appear, you’ll be prepared. 

For example, if you get bored when you exercise, choose upbeat workout music that’ll get you revved up. Or you can workout at home, as you catch up on your favorite TV shows. If your motivation method is extrinsic, go to the gym with a friend. The idea is to nip it in the bud before it becomes stronger than your willpower so that you can surmount any obstacle that comes between you and your goal.

 

5. Be accountable for your actions

Accountability means you’re taking responsibility for the choices you’re making. This may seem easy to do at work when you have a deadline and a boss reinforcing it. It may not seem as easy when you’re home alone and skip out on cooking a healthy meal, and order take-out instead. 

 

You can enlist the help of a friend or join a support group where you’d know that you made a certain commitment to someone, if it’s simply sending a photo of your home-cooked meal on social media.or, you can hang a calendar on your wall with progress notes so you can keep tabs on how far you’ve gotten and what still lies ahead.

 

Keeping your New Year’s resolution can seem scary at first. However, with these 5 steps, you can do anything you put your mind to. Moreover, once you accomplish your first resolution, you’ll find that it’s not only beneficial, it’s fun as well!

The HMR Diet 101

 

There’s a big difference between the HMR diet and most other diets. While you are almost always required to eat less when following other diets in order to lose weight, the HMR program actually encourages you to eat as much as you like to stay full. However, your diet isn’t comprised of any foods, but rather special HMR weight-loss foods (as well as vegetables and fruits). 

 

This crucial difference is actually what helps people stay motivated, making it easier for them to lose weight. The reason why you can eat so many HMR foods is because they’re really low in calories.

 

By following most other diets, you would be decreasing the amount of food you eat. This can leave you feeling hungry throughout most of the day. This will make it harder for you to keep going with your diet plan.

 

There are two main diet plans included in the HMR program – Healthy Solutions and Healthy Shakes.

 

Healthy Solutions represents a simple and structured diet planed where you aren’t left with many decisions. You’ll get to follow a very basic diet plan and you’ll be required to exercise a bit every week, and you’ll be able to start losing weight in no time. 

 

This diet plan requires you to consume 3 HMR shakes, 2 HMR entrees, and 5 servings of vegetables/fruits every day. Additionally, you’re required to burn up to 2,000 calories every week. This plan includes medical supervision in the HMR clinics. Depending on your decision, you can also hire a coach. By following the Healthy Solutions plan, you will be consuming 1,200-1,400 calories a day.

 

The Healthy Shakes plan is much more flexible. The goal of this diet plan is to help you reduce the amount of solid meals you eat and focus on drinking HMR shakes instead. This plan requires you to consume 3 HMR shakes, 5 servings of vegetables/fruits, and 1 healthy meal of your choice every day. 

 

The HMR shakes come in two flavors – chocolate and vanilla. This diet plan is self-guided and doesn’t require any medical supervision. However, you will get helpful support materials. By following the Healthy Shakes plan, you will be consuming around 1,400 calories a day.

 

These two plans were created to help you lose weight efficiently in the comfort of your own home. 

 

However, there is also a third option, which is the Decision-Free program.

 

This special program includes coaching and medical supervision. In fact, you won’t be able to do it at home. Instead, you’ll be required to spend your time in a HMR clinic during the duration of this diet plan.

 

The Decision-Free program is the perfect choice for you if you have a significant amount of weight to lose. Additionally, it may be the right choice for you if you’re dealing with high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, or other similar medical problems that would require monitoring during the weight loss process. 

 

During your stay at the clinic, you will be surrounded by a team of professionals who will make sure that you accomplish all your weight loss goals. By following the Decision-Free plan, you will be consuming 500-800 calories a day.

 

This weight loss program was created by Lawrence Stifler, a behavioral psychologist, in 1983. All of the HMR Programs are divided into two big phases. The first phase revolves around weight loss in a short time period. During this phase, you will start replacing your usual meals and snacks with HMR foods (as well vegetables and fruits). You will also start exercising during this phase.

 

The second phase revolves around weight management. During this phase, you will get the chance to learn more about how to manage your weight in the long run and how to deal with different eating challenges like dining out.