Personal Improvement

“S.M.A.R.T.” is the acronym used for goal-setting, which can easily be applied to our health and wellness goals. Each letter shows us how a goal should be written for optimal success. “S.M.A.R.T.” goals can help us achieve our desired brain fitness resolutions or get a former brain-healthy habit back on track. ...

Older adults who have a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives are less likely to develop cognitive and physical impairments, suffer less from depression, and are more likely to live longer than people without this kind of underlying motivation. We can help our loved ones rediscover purpose in life from learning something new, accomplishing a new goal, working together with other people, or making new social connections. Older adults with a solid sense of purpose tend to retain strong hand grips and walking speeds — key indicators of how rapidly people are aging. ...

If you're years (or decades) away from your school days, The University of Akron is making it easy to get back to class. And the best part? It's free. Registration starts next week for folks who want to brush up on art history, economics or dozens of other subjects. ...

This blog segment chronicles the three-step process — Examine, Explore, Envision —a college senior has taken to turn what she loves into what she does. She is an excellent example of the Road Less Traveled (RLT) Mindset, which basically means to take control of your future. ...

Need a mood boost as the winter drags on? Head to your kitchen. As you might have guessed, high-carb, sweet snacks aren't a great choice. Read on to learn which foods can bust through those winter blues. ...

Dad would often warn me against the corrosive effects of procrastination. "He who hesitates is lost," he'd say. He knew this from personal experience. Dad often compared himself to Sisyphus, the mythological tragic figure destined to roll an enormous boulder up a mountain every morning, just to watch it roll down again every night. Then he'd have to take up his arduous burden again the following morning, again and forever... the perfect metaphor for a living hell. I got the message, although I wasn't sure what steps to take in order to escape the torturous fate of procrastination. ...

Your job isn’t just a source of income — it can be a vehicle to independence or the beginning step to fulfilling your dreams. Social Security's Ticket to Work program or PASS program can help you get a good start.  ...

Here's some guidance to turn what you love into what you do. Follow this three-step process to take control of your future: examine, explore and envision. There are three main points along the career continuum where the steps apply: initial, transitional and encore. Ready, set, go! ...