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action steps that you laid out don’t bring you as close to achieving your goal as you’d hoped. Instead of giving up, however, that’s when you should take some time to evaluate your progress. What action steps are working well? Which ones need to be tweaked? These are the perfect sorts of questions to ask yourself this month if you’re thinking of giving up. However, evaluation isn’t the only means to success. You might find that adjusting your plan for achieving your goals might not change anything. In fact, the new plan might even be less effective than what you did previously. That’s why you have to continually reevaluate your plans and your goals. What works this month might not work next month, so you have to be ready for that. At the end of it all, I’ve also found it’s helpful to acknowledge that we don’t always set the best goals for ourselves at the start of the year. We may find out that the goal we thought would be good for us actually doesn’t have the impact we were striving for. Say your goal is to wake up every morning before work and go for a run. While that might have a great impact on your physical fitness, it might also mean you’re tired all day at work and you’re less productive. At a certain point, you might have to find a different goal, and that’s okay. Just because you decide to abandon one goal doesn’t mean you’re giving up on success.
This month, I want to encourage all of you to resist the urge to quit striving for success. Evaluate and reevaluate your plans, and don’t be afraid to find a new path to success if your goals aren’t serving you as you intended.
THE BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME IN THE MOUNTAINS
In the famous Swiss novel “Heidi,” a little girl recovers from her fragile health — both physically and mentally — by spending time in the mountains. There are plenty of anecdotal stories about the medicinal effects of mountain air, but how much is supported by research? Here’s what there is evidence for so far: Cleaner, Pollution-Free Air One basic but important benefit of getting to a higher altitude is the escape from city pollution. It may surprise some city dwellers that air pollution is linked to asthma attacks for those with sensitive lungs and also to more serious conditions. Research suggests that prolonged exposure to air pollution may lead to chronic illnesses such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and other lung diseases.
Up in the mountains, you’ll likely be able to breathe a little easier.
Reduced Risk of Obesity and Heart Disease People who spend more time at high altitudes may also experience a decreased appetite and lower risk of obesity. One study from 2017 even found that living at a higher elevation is associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol. Even more interesting, mountain air may passively improve your weight loss journey as well.
Natural Weight Loss One German study followed 20 obese men who lived in an
environmental research station below the highest peak in the country. The subjects reached the peak effortlessly by railway or cable car, and they were allowed to eat as much as they liked. By the end of the week, however, each had lost an average of 1.5 kilograms or 3.3 pounds. Two factors are thought to have contributed to the weight loss: A naturally decreased appetite from the altitude (the men ate nearly 700 fewer calories than usual) and an increased metabolic rate. While there is still more to learn about the potential benefits of spending time in the mountains, these three studies give the greenlight for more high-altitude adventures.
2 • swbwlawfirm.com
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