Many people associate monosodium glutamate (MSG) with Chinese food, but it’s actually in a lot of what we eat, whether it is added to processed foods or naturally occurring in more umami foods, like cheese, fish, and mushrooms. While it gets a bad rap, recent studies indicate that it’s probably not the villain it has been painted to be over the years.
One thing we tend to skip over when organizing our lives is evaluating our actions to see what’s working and what isn’t – which is arguably as important as the planning stage! I had to learn that evaluation wasn’t about beating myself up for not getting everything finished, but rather about recognizing what small steps I took that day to work toward my goals.
Heading into the new fiscal year at work, and heading out of a particularly hectic spring, I wanted to be more intentional about building some good habits around optimizing my time and defending my boundaries. Fortunately I happened upon several great podcast episodes on a recent drive, starting with the best possible way to become more efficient: thinking about what you’re trying to accomplish.
Over 100 million Americans made New Year’s resolutions for 2022, and fewer than 10 million actually succeeded in keeping them. I rarely succeed, in spite of (or because of) the fact that I tend to make so many. This year, I hope that examining the “why” behind my resolutions, rather than following my annual pattern from years before, will meet with more success.
Breaking down barriers (particularly political ones) is essential to collaboration and, therefore, progress. I am not a fan of labels, but I still subconsciously assign them to myself and others. Depending on the label, the result can be helpful or (more likely) detrimental. Finding common ground with each other is the first step to building trust and unlocking meaningful solutions to the collective challenges we face.
Impending apocalypse got you down? Me too. Fortunately I got a boost of hope from a book I recently read that is designed to help its readers create meaningful connections despite differing opinions on climate change. This book helped me prepare for a conference that was ultimately canceled, but the learning remains and will hopefully continue to guide me through a more thoughtful 2022.
I usually head into January with a commitment to eat fewer animal products. While I am full vegetarian, I love dairy products, particularly cheese. In my carbon footprint research a year ago, I discovered that cheese is the third-worst food you can eat, after beef and lamb. With a heavy heart I recommitted to cutting back on dairy, starting with a full-vegan January.
Physical activity, particularly running, helps the body process and release stress, and it helps the mind work through lingering problems with meditative silence. I have benefited from both in the past, which makes it all the more odd that I did not avail myself of running during the most collectively stressful year we have experienced in a generation. I intend to change that in 2021.
Traditions bind families together but also contribute to stress that can tear them apart. 2020 was anything but ordinary, requiring flexibility and patience from all of us. Working and learning from home pulled back the curtain to reveal how much really happens behind-the-scenes, making many moms feel more seen, especially during the holidays. In this two-parter, we will look at finding balance in an unbalanced year.