HealthyLife Articles

Tag: goals

Cultivate Your Career

Social Health

Do the work you love and work at loving what you do.

A recent survey found that only 19 percent of workers in the U.S. and Canada were satisfied with their jobs; 16 percent were “somewhat satisfied,” and about two-thirds were not happy. Workers say they are not happy due to little or no pay raises, having to do more work due to job cuts, and getting fewer benefits or having to pay more for them. Many feel stuck in their jobs, but say it is not easy to leave due to the state of the economy. This does not paint a good picture of well-being for employees.

Tom Rath and Jim Harter, authors of the book, “Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements,” do not limit the word “career” to your line of work. They define it as what you do each day and how you occupy your time. This includes home and family care, school, and other activities you do in the community. In their book, they state that career well-being is the most essential. The other four of these elements are community, financial, physical, and social.

Ways to increase career well-being:

* Deal with stress. Get and stay organized at work and at home.

* Take breaks. Eat lunch away from your work area.

* Be friendly. Greet coworkers and visitors.

* Spend time with coworkers you like and who share and/or understand your challenges. Encourage each other to pursue career goals.

* Use your skills and talents during non-work hours if they are not part of your job.

* Find your passion in life. Do something you enjoy doing every day.

* Focus on the positives. Avoid people who have negative attitudes.

* Be assertive with your needs. Ask for information and help if you need it to complete tasks.

* Be a team player. Work toward common goals.

* Take charge to advance your career. Let your boss and coworkers know what you can do and ideas you have that can benefit them and the company.

“You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers … If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

– Steve Jobs

Action Step

Be prepared to make a job change for one that better suits your career goals, interests, and skills. Keep an up-to-date resume, references, and strong work portfolio, as needed.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Evaluating Your Treatment

Mental Health Care

It is not always easy to evaluate treatment. You may not be able to look at it objectively or know what to expect. For treatment to be effective:

* You should be comfortable with your counselor.

* You should feel the treatment he or she is providing is helpful.

* You should feel that your counselor understands you and accepts your opinions.

* Your needs should be addressed.

* You and your counselor should define and agree on the goals of your treatment and determine together when treatment should end.

* You should be able to alter your treatment goals at any time.

* You should feel you are making progress toward your goals.

* You need to trust your counselor and feel respected by him or her.

* Your counselor should behave in a professional manner. (Sexual contact with a client is exploitive and should never be a part of therapy.)

If you are not satisfied with your treatment, do one or more of the following:

* Express your concerns directly to your counselor to see if the problem can be resolved.

* Ask to speak to your counselor’s supervisor if you are uncomfortable expressing a concern to your counselor.

* Find another counselor.

* Inform the state licensing board if you think your counselor’s conduct has been unethical or illegal.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Save For More Than Just A Rainy Day

Financial Health

Invest in your future.

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but it can grow when you save and invest it wisely. First, identify what you want to save for:

* Emergency funds? (Plan for three to six months of expenses.) Holiday expenses? Vacations? A house? College for your kids? Retirement?

* Rank order your goals.

Invest, but do not put all your eggs in one basket.

Diversify with stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRAs, real estate, and commodities, such as gold and silver. Find out more about investing fromwww.mymoney.gov. Things you can do on your own:

* If your employer has a retirement plan, such as a 401(k), have as much deducted from your pay as possible, especially if your employer matches some or all of the amount you contribute.

* Get resources on planning for retirement and long-term care fromwww.csrees.usda.gov/fsll.

* Check out “529” prepaid tuition and savings plans for college fromwww.collegesavings.org. These offer tax-saving advantages.

* Get professional investment advice from employer sponsored programs or from your financial planner. Find a certified professional from the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education atwww.afcpe.org.

Revisit your budget:

* Pay off credit card or high interest debts first. Then use some or all of the payment money for your savings plan.

* Put aside whatever you can in savings accounts, checking accounts, and certificates of deposit.

* Look for additional ways to save fromhttp://investor.gov/sites/default/files/Saving-and-Investing.pdf

* Decide the best ways you are likely to save money.

– Have your paycheck automatically deposited in your bank and have some go directly into one or more savings accounts.

– Save money you get from tax refunds, work bonuses, and extra income.

Action Step

Beware of investments that promise high returns with little or no risk. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Keep Track

Healthylife® QuitWell™

Part 3

Use a notebook, or a note in your phone. You can also find a sample scorecard at the end of this program.

Each time that you use tobacco or nicotine, mark down the time. If you have space to write more, jot down the trigger or what you were doing right beforehand. At the end of each day, add up your total for the day.

Do this for a few days to get an average. You many not use the same amount every day. Get your average for working days and days you have off. You will likely have different tobacco habits.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Set Goals 2

SleepWell® Program

Week 2

View sleep improvement as a long-term project, especially if you have had poor sleep for a long time. First, define small steps you want to take. Continue to reflect on your efforts.

Small Steps

Think of the actions you take on a daily basis as small steps towards your bigger goal. This guide has already given you many ideas for small steps. Examples are limiting caffeine and dimming the lights one hour before bedtime. Identify your next change and use the following guidelines to improve your goal. All goals should be:

Stay motivated with the small successes you achieve along the way. Use your SleepWell® Tracker every day for feedback on the effect your actions have on your sleep.

Reminder:If your sleep issues are chronic (last longer than three weeks), your primary goal should be to schedule an appointment with your doctor or a sleep specialist.

Practice Goal-Setting

Strengthen your goal using the S.M.A.R.T. tool. Start with a simple statement about what you want to accomplish. Next, write how your goal will be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.

Barriers to Change

As you think more about your goal, roadblocks may appear. You may need tools or skills to achieve your goal. Identify what is making it difficult for you to change. Barriers do not mean you can’t make the change. Identify challenges that must be overcome to succeed.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Diet Changes: Simple And Doable

HEALTHY EATING

If you try a complete diet overhaul at once, you may get overwhelmed. You can make it easier by not doing too much at once. Focus on one or two things you want to change and stick with those.

Keep comfort foods, but tweak them

Many people think they must give up all their favorite foods to be healthy. But if you have comfort foods you enjoy, this can cause even more stress. Here’s how to keep them while eating healthy:

*Eat them less often.Aim to eat your comfort food once a week, rather than every day. Come up with healthier options to replace the comfort food.

*Take a smaller portion.Put a smaller portion on your plate and eat it slowly. Enjoy the smell and taste of each bite, truly savoring it.

*Modify the recipe.Switch out high fat and high calorie ingredients in your recipes. Use low-fat or fat-free dairy products instead of whole milk and cream. Use vegetable noodles instead of white pasta. All those little changes add up.

Keep it simple

If you’re already under stress, following an extreme diet plan could backfire. It could cause more stress, which could lead to frustration and more stress.

Instead, celebrate one or two small victories each day. Write down when you snacked on fresh carrots instead of potato chips. Or you had a glass of water instead of soda. Whatever you did to make your diet a little bit better is a step in the right direction.

Looking at the positive things you have accomplished may be the boost you need during times of stress. When you have slip-ups or bad days, don’t view it as a “failure.” It doesn’t mean all your healthy eating plans are over. Instead, forgive the mistake and look forward to a better and healthier day tomorrow.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Host Productive Meetings

WORK LIFE

Work meetings are an opportunity to collaborate, share information, and strengthen connections. But, a poorly run meeting drains time and energy. Here’s how to make your meetings productive and worthwhile.

Have an agenda

Know exactly what needs to be addressed and put it in writing ahead of time. Try to stay on-topic and work your way through the planned agenda. If someone brings up something off-topic, plan another avenue to address it.

Be on time

Starting and ending as scheduled shows your employees and co-workers you value their time. Don’t wait for late arrivals, and don’t spend time bringing people up to speed if they arrive late. If you embrace a culture of punctuality, people will honor it.

Keep meetings small

Only invite the necessary people. A good general cap is 7-9 people, though your number will depend on your team. Smaller meetings allow everyone to participate and keep only the essential people involved.

Facilitate the discussion

As the meeting leader, it’s up to you to keep the conversation productive and on-task. Refer to the pre-planned agenda as needed to re-focus the discussion. If one person is dominating the talk, it’s OK to politely redirect.

Set clear action-items

A productive meeting should produce clear next steps to address the agenda items. End the session by restating the action items and clarifying who is responsible for each. Everyone should leave knowing what comes next.

Send follow-up details

Put the action items in writing and send them to the team to ensure everyone is on the same page. Be sure to follow up on anything that arose during the meeting. It will be easier for everyone to stay focused if they know you will follow through.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Reevaluate Your Budget

FINANCIAL HEALTH

Following a monthly budget is one of the best ways to manage your finances. A budget provides a clear picture of where your money comes from and where it is going.

Budgets change over time. Changes in your income, expenses, or spending can create an imbalance or even a surplus. If it’s been a while since you reviewed your budget, it may be time for a checkup.

Record all income

Add up all your sources of income in a month. These can include paychecks, child support, and government benefits. The total of all money coming in counts as income, whether it came from a traditional paycheck or not.

Record all expenses

Add up all the bills you must pay. These include housing costs, car payments, utility and phone bills, child support, debt payments, etc. Most bills are recurring each month.

Evaluate spending

In addition to bills, you also need to allocate money for food, gas, and sundries. This is where spending can quickly get out of control. Review three to six months of spending in each category and determine what a reasonable monthly amount should be.

Consider saving goals

Assess the state of your savings. Ideally, you should have several months of expenses in a savings account as a safety net. Determine if you need to allocate more money in this area.

Make a long-term plan

Financial stability requires long-term thinking. Reflect on your long-term financial goals such as college savings, retirement, or big expenses. Is your current budget working?

Adjust budget

Using the information you’ve gathered, update your budget to accurately reflect your current income and expenses. If you have extra at the end of the month, consider increasing your saving goals or long-term financial plans.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
See Your Fitness Progress

BE FIT

When you’re trying to get fit, it can be hard to stay motivated. Look for ways that you’re making progress. This can help you keep going!

Progress isn’t just about weight. You are making progress if:

* You have more energy. Do you feel less tired than you used to? Are you getting more done?

* Your daily tasks are easier. Maybe carrying the groceries isn’t as tough as it used to be. Or going upstairs doesn’t leave you out of breath.

* You’re getting better sleep. Exercise can help you sleep better, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized in the morning.

Keep it up! The longer you exercise, the better you’ll feel!

Source: National Institute on Aging

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Weekly Family Meetings

FAMILY LIFE

A weekly family meeting is a time to be together, check in, and address any issues that arise.

* Make the meeting fun: Plan a special dessert to enjoy. Create a relaxed mood with special lighting or comfy pillows.

* Have an agenda: While you don’t want the meeting to be too formal, you should have a schedule to keep you on task.

* Get everyone involved: Let people take turns leading discussions. Encourage input and prioritize creative problem-solving.

* Set a respectful tone: This is a good time to practice resolving conflict with respect and consideration.

* End on a good note: If a tough topic needed to be addressed, be sure to end with something positive. Talk about fun upcoming events or brainstorm vacation ideas.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026