Welcome to Our December Newsletter!

Thank you for supporting Starr Leadership Group and subscribing to our newsletter! Each month, we will feature a few leadership articles. We believe in holistic leadership, so you might get some wellness knowledge along the way!

Can Exercise Make You Smarter?

It appears it can! This meta-study concluded that while all exercise has brain benefits, resistance training, and aerobic exercise have the most overall benefits. This is especially true for the over-60 crowd. I have been working to establish a strength training habit this year, and it has been challenging. I'm 6 months into

my habit, and it finally feels part of my day. As a middle-aged woman, I use strength training to combat bone and muscle loss. Anecdotally, I notice a brain boost, especially when I lift earlier in the day. I'm more focused, alert, and productive. When I combine my strength training with a bike session (cardio), I am the most effective. It's nice to see there is data to validate what I'm feeling.

Working in Corporate America, I often needed help to make time for movement and strength training. I would schedule it like a good girl, but then a meeting would come up, or I would be too tired. As I progressed in my career, I became more diligent in protecting that time, as it was crucial to my productivity and mental well-being.

Do you schedule your workouts and movement? Is this a focus area for you? What is holding you back? I'd love to hear what works for you to ensure you get your exercise and strength training in your day and week.

The UN-DO List

Recently, through her Fierce Entrepreneurs page, Lynnette Embree posted an article about unsubscribing from email lists and how freeing it was. That got me thinking that my To-do list is extra long this time of year. I still have all the work To-dos, plus coordinating the holidays: gifts, shipping, meals, cooking, parties, calendar, etc.

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What if I created an Un-do list instead of a long To-do list? This would remind me of what I am intentionally NOT doing this holiday season.

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I sat down, turned on Christmas music, and got to work. It wasn't a long list and included things such as:

1. I will not attend standard events this month to focus on holiday gatherings. The idea is that instead of adding holiday gatherings to the calendar, I will replace a standard event with a holiday event. For example, I attend a monthly networking party. This month, I declined and was able to 'replace' that event with a Christmas concert with my neighbors.

2. To focus on our commitment to supporting the environment, I will send all gifts to the recipient, even if that means they're not wrapped in traditional holiday paper.

3. To focus on my commitment to rest and renewal, I will only prepare holiday dishes that require minimal time in the kitchen this holiday season.

You get the idea.

I found this exercise to be effective for several reasons:

1. Prioritization - This exercise crystallized my priorities for the holiday season.

2. Preventing Burnout/Reducing Overwhelm - I can't do everything. And that is OK. Consciously managing my capacity prevents an overloaded calendar!

3. Learning to Say No - I found it easier to decline and say no when the reason was right before me.

4. Mindfulness - the clarity of decision-making for this list has carried into my day-to-day, allowing me to stick to my goals and priorities.

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What do you think about an Un-Do list? Want to give it a try? Do you need help managing capacity, priorities, and caring for what matters to you? Reach out to Starr Leadership Group today!