Short of committing to a long-term and total life change, fitness goals can often seem like an exercise in futility. We often make fitness goals, whether they’re part of new year’s resolutions or made throughout the year when we’ve had enough of the consequences of our bad habits.

Working remotely is becoming a more and more prevalent practice as we become an increasingly connected world. Rather than coming into physical office spaces, workers are making offices where they are, whether in spare bedrooms or at kitchen tables, in coffee shops or public parks.

Crossroads in life are inevitable. Whether personal or professional, big decisions will be there at one time or another to cause sleepless nights, long discussions, and countless hours spent weighing pros and cons. Navigating these times can cause more than their fair share of stress and anxiety. After all, big decisions can bring massive and irreversible life changes.

None of us enjoy failure. In fact, there’s little we enjoy less. As an endurance runner, I can clearly remember those first few difficult runs when I was just getting into the sport. In the very beginning, every run is a challenge. You’re more concerned with crossing the finish line than you are making the best time.

With an endless supply of health trends coming out of the woodwork every year, it’s hard for your Average Joe to know what’s actually going to benefit their body. We can scrutinize fad diets and miracle foods all day, but separating fact from fiction seems like a job that’s only possible for professional nutritionists.

Sometimes setting goals can be an exercise in discouragement. Halfway through the year and looking back at several abandoned new year’s resolutions, I think many of us can attest to this truth.

Boredom is the great killer of innovation and career. It makes us stagnant and dull, ineffective and apathetic. Boredom kills our will to do much of anything. It can sneak in everywhere, whether in the office or at home. We find it often when our jobs become too routine and monotonous, or when we find ourselves unchallenged or exhausted by work.

Whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish in life, none of us have time to waste. As a father and entrepreneur, I know full well the value of my time and, more importantly, time management. If I hadn’t learned the value in prioritizing, there’s no way I would have made it to where I am today.

As the summer hits, many of us will no doubt be heading south and hitting the beaches. If you’re like me, vacation won’t be all poolside relaxation and taking in the sea air beneath a beach umbrella. Even on vacation, I’m all endurance runner.

What is success?

 No, I’m not about to take you on a philosophical journey filled with mumbo-jumbo. What I want to do is get you to think about where you are in your life and where you really want to be. Success is measured in a lot of different ways and it has always meant different things to different people.

I don’t know about where you are, but here in Memphis, the weather is starting to really heat up. Heat, more than other elements, really makes me consider my own health. I think it has something to do with how uncomfortable it makes everything. Especially in the South, where the heat comes with that hot-and-sticky humidity.

There are two types of people when it comes to a wealth mindset.

There are people who want wealth and there are people who are willing to earn it.

I think for many people, wealth is this insurmountable concept. It’s this lofty goal. A Mount Everest. A Moby Dick. It’s something that we so badly want but we’re either so intimidated by the idea of even beginning or so discouraged by our own perceived inability that we never begin in the first place or we give up somewhere along the line.

Have you ever finished a task so overwhelming that, at the time, you couldn’t believe you’d done it? For so many people, the act of completing a race is a lot like that. Whether it’s your first 5k, a marathon, or an Iron Man Triathlon, there’s something almost surreal about the experience of pushing your body to its limits and actually finishing a race.

Learning is a deeply intentional act. While there are some things we can learn without thinking too much about it, I think, for the most part, we have to deeply commit ourselves to the role of lifelong learner.

When it comes to health and nutrition, we have a hard enough times holding ourselves to a healthy diet. Helping our kids eat healthy foods is another challenge altogether. Family nutrition can feel like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to be a constant struggle. Even if your kids are picky eaters, struggling with allergies, or just plain refuse to eat their vegetables, there are ways that you can start teaching them healthy eating habits.

As busy professionals, it’s hard to find room for one more thing. We have a hard enough time squeezing in time to get our oil changed. When it comes to your financial future, though, nothing is more important. So many of us get stuck with this idea that the money we’re making at our day jobs is all we can really rely on. We have our income, a 401k or other retirement package, maybe some stocks and bonds, a savings account, and for too many Americans...that’s it! If that!

Stress is one of the worst things for our health. Most of us can attest to that without knowing any of the statistics. We’ve all felt the effects of stress in our lives. Some of the most intense stress comes from the professional world. Our careers can bring enormous pressure to succeed, impress, and perform. Regardless of how many times we go through it, the cycle always repeats.

While I have no problem being what some people call a “go-getter,” I understand that not everyone operates the same way. There can arise situations in the workplace where we just don’t feel comfortable speaking up—whether because our personality doesn’t mix well with that of our managers, bosses, and coworkers, because of the working environment, or because we’re just not naturally assertive.

We’re already well into the year and while some of us may have long-forgotten any resolutions we may have made, I hope most of you are still going strong in your resolve. At the same time, whether you found yourself feeling discouraged and defeated by the year, there’s no reason you can’t pick yourself up and start again.

When the doldrums of the daily grind set in, it can become one of two things: highly efficient or dangerously complacent. When it comes to your work routine, it’s easy to approach it with an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset. I have to pose the question, though: is that helping you achieve your professional goals?