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Join the FREE 28-Day January Jumpstart Challenge
Ready to get a jumpstart on your health goals in the New Year?
We know how hard it can be to stay consistent once the novelty of the New Year wears off.
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Featured Thoughts:
Advice That Changed My Relationships
Takeaway: Always assume miscommunication before malicious intent.
It’s easy to respond defensively when you feel hurt. Doing so only activates the defensiveness in others, leading to an escalation out of something that was likely a harmless mistake.
Instead, approach the situation by trying to uncover where the miscommunication began. You’ll likely find you get better outcomes this way.
Published This Week:
Understanding Calorie Density: Why You Might Be Overeating Without Knowing It
Takeaway: How much food you’re eating, and how many calories you’re consuming, are not always equal.
Calorie density is the measure of how many calories are packed into a specific volume or weight of food.
It could be the reason you are “barely eating” but not seeing any changes.
Six Red Flags of Fad Diets [podcast]
Takeaway: Every successful fitness transformation begins with setting aside fad diets.
But how do you know what is a fad and what is good health advice? this podcast episode gives you six red flags to watch out for so you know when you’re being bamboozled.
Takeaway: 2 pillars of strong relationships—high expectations and high support.
See the potential in your partner. Make it known to them that you see that potential. Encourage them to live up to that potential. Then ferociously support them to achieve that potential.
Read the full article for eight more insightful ideas to carry into the New Year.
Just For Fun:
From A Reddit Thread on Hacks To Make Life Easier:
Takeaway: You can find tons of life hack posts like this. But here are some good snippets of advice from the thread to save you time. (I will 100% be adopting the shower cleaning advice.)
“5 minute rule: If it takes less than 5min, do it right when you think about it.”
“I keep one of those dish cleaning wands you fill with soap in my shower. It’s filled with Dawn soap and vinegar. I scrub my shower walls and tub basically every other shower, just while I’m in there. It takes less than 2 minutes and I never have to clean my tub/shower otherwise.”
“Do favors for tomorrow you. Car getting low on gas? Do tomorrow you a favor and get it on the way home. It's almost bedtime but there are dishes in the sink? Do them as a favor to your future self. And, when today you is enjoying all the things that yesterday you did to make your life easier, remember to thank yourself for doing it.”
“Do I need or do I want. If I need it, I get it. If I want it, I wait for a few weeks, do some research, see if I can fit it in and if I still want it a month or two later then I might go get it. Turns out my wants are not always there after a while waiting.”
“I started walking 20,000 steps a day about three months ago now and I feel f*cking amazing.”
“Rinsing your dishes and tableware immediately after use when the food gunk is still wet and washes away easily, rather than waiting for it to become cement.”
“I hate cleaning but whenever I leave a room I try to take something with me. It might be a piece of garbage, a dish or an item that needs to be put away. It goes a long way to keeping things tidy without any real effort.”
“I cancel my streaming subscriptions immediately after starting them so they run out after a month. If I'm still using them in a month, I renew. If not, I don't pay for something I'm not using.”
“If I want to get someone a gift, I ask them for a recommendation for a massage spa, or restaurant, shopping etc they love in their area. I make note of it and that’s their gift come bday or holidays.”
P.S. Thanks for another year of Meaningfully Mundane! I greatly appreciate your continued attention and support. Consider helping us grow the community of readers by sharing the newsletter with friends.