As we age, we become more set in our ways and thinking. We don't take action because we have "tried it before," and it didn't work.  We operate from learned helplessness without even knowing it.  Learned helplessness:   The Misconception: If you are in a bad situation, you will do whatever you can to escape it. The Truth: If you feel like you aren't in control of your destiny, you will give up and accept whatever situation you are in. The antidote to this type of thinking and predictable results is Curiosity.  Curiosity is the ability to say  What if I wonder  Who has accomplished this that I could talk to Curiosity is the door that opens up new action. After all, doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. Einstein  By Eric Papp 

  Feel overwhelmed? You're not alone. Write it down Have an idea? Great Write it down Did something pop into your head about the weekend? Fantastic Write it down Keep replaying a past event in your head. That's normal Write it down. Your head is meant for generating ideas, not for storing them. You are more effective when you're in the present moment, not when you're replaying past events or running scenarios. We walk around with so much on our minds, contributing to our feeling overwhelmed or in a hurry. By Eric Papp

We set out to accomplish our goal and start a new habit For Example: Exercising (lose 20lbs) Writing (write a book) Spending more time with family And then, when we miss a day, that little voice pops up. See, I told you, You couldn't do it. I knew you were going to screw it up. When we miss a day,  do we entertain these thoughts and let them throw us off, or do we forgive ourselves, move on and pick up where we left off? Having a perfectionistic standard prevents us from moving forward when facing obstacles and setbacks. Let go of all-or-nothing thinking and focus on progress. Exercised 2/3 days we committed to Wrote 4/7 days we committed to We had one family dinner together this week and hoped to have more. Being thankful and focusing on progress will start to quell habitual perfectionistic thinking. It's not over until You Win!   By Eric Papp

Do you remember waking up early as a kid on Saturday to watch cartoons? No one was up yet in the house, you had the television all to yourself, and maybe you even fixed yourself some cereal. That was a good feeling. What are you doing now to capture that Saturday morning feeling? the excitement of your child's soccer game Peloton cycle session A couple of minutes of college gameday Trip to Farmers Market By Eric Papp

There are 480 minutes in 8hrs. What if we viewed our workday through the lens of minutes and not hours? Would we slow down? Would we allow ourselves to exercise for 30 minutes and not feel guilty? Could we give up the feeling of always being in a hurry? By Eric Papp

Most of our frustrations and problems would be more manageable if we started looking at them through the lens of a scientist.  You can think like a Scientist.  You don't have to have any advanced degrees or own a lab coat.  Ask Questions We often answer our questions in our heads and come to a conclusion that doesn't support our progress. We come up with reasons/excuses as to why something is the way it is. This may make us feel better but doesn't empower us. Some good questions  Who can help me?  What is now different if I attempt this activity again?  Where can I go to get support?  Test See, I told you it wouldn't work out. I'm a failure.  We say this to ourselves after only one attempt. Somehow we are under the false impression that we should only have to do something once and then get our desired result.  Make adjustments along the way. Don't confuse actions that didn't warrant a result with your identity. When our self-worth decreases, this is a recipe for getting stuck.   Testing requires patience and the ability to take a step back and answ ...