The Athena Principles — Blog

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part IX - The Plan

This is the final installment of a multi-part series on Reimagining Midlife Wellness, focusing on the importance of strengthening our vitality as we get older, especially in times of transition. These articles will provide a framework to help you define what matters most to you at this stage of your life and ways to continue to take positive action to be well.

In Part IX of the series, we’ll put it all together and I’ll share how I utilized The Athena Principles and related practices we reviewed in these articles to create a wellness plan for 2024.

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part VIII - The Strategy

This is the eighth installment of a multi-part series on Reimagining Midlife Wellness, focusing on the importance of strengthening our vitality as we get older, especially in times of transition. These articles will provide a framework to help you define what matters most to you at this stage of your life and ways to continue to take positive action to be well.

In Part VIII of the series, we’ll put it all together and I’ll share how I worked through these articles alongside you, utilizing The Athena Principles to reimagine my own midlife wellness. But first, a story to frame this exchange.

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part VII - Accountability

This is the seventh installment of a multi-part series on Reimagining Midlife Wellness, focusing on the importance of strengthening our vitality as we get older, especially in times of transition. These articles will provide a framework to help you define what matters most to you at this stage of your life and ways to continue to take positive action to be well.

In Part VII of the series, we’ll be exploring the fifth Athena Principle, which is accountability, defined as a systematic way to check in with what you commit to accomplish, celebrate the wins, and compassionately adjust where needed.

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part VI - Growth Mindset

This is the sixth installment of a multi-part series on Reimagining Midlife Wellness, focusing on the importance of strengthening our vitality as we get older, especially in times of transition. These articles will provide a framework to help you define what matters most to you at this stage of your life and ways to continue to take positive action to be well.

In Part VI of the series, we’ll be exploring the fourth Athena Principle, which is growth mindset. I love this Principle, because how you view your wellness journey not only determines your level of progress, but your level of enjoyment. I’ve found that the older I get, the more satisfaction and pleasure I want to experience as part of my wellness routines.

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part V – Consistency

This is the fifth installment of a multi-part series on Reimagining Midlife Wellness, focusing on the importance of strengthening our vitality as we get older, especially in times of transition. These articles will provide a framework to help you define what matters most to you at this stage of your life and ways to continue to take positive action to be well.

In Part V of the series, we’ll be exploring the third Athena Principle, which is consistency, defined as the art of staying committed and engaged, especially during challenging times.

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part IV – Intention

This is the fourth installment of a multi-part series on Reimagining Midlife Wellness, focusing on the importance of strengthening our vitality as we get older, especially in times of transition. These articles will provide a framework to help you define what matters most to you at this stage of your life and ways to continue to take positive action to be well.

In Part IV of the series, we’ll be exploring the second Athena Principle, which is intention, defined as a way to help us aim, set direction and connect emotionally to what we want – it’s the heart-based “Why” behind the urge to transform.

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part III – Self-Compassion

This is the third installment of a multi-part series on Reimagining Midlife Wellness, focusing on the importance of strengthening our vitality as we get older, especially in times of transition. These articles will provide a framework to help you define what matters most to you at this stage of your life and ways to continue to take positive action to be well.

In Part III of the series, we’ll be exploring the first Athena Principle, which is self-compassion, defined as the care for one’s own well-being in the form of self-acceptance and nurturing support. It’s the ability to accept our imperfections and be kind and understanding toward ourselves, which is a useful approach as we age.

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part II – The Athena Principles

This is the second installment of a multi-part series focusing on Reimagining Midlife Wellness, an essential topic for several reasons: It’s important to stay well in times of transition; it’s vital to stay well as get we older; and vitality is essential if we’re going to make the most of our next chapter.

Since wellness is unique for each individual, in this series of articles, I’ll share some thoughts and provide a framework to define what matters most to you at this stage of your life and ways to continue to take positive action to be well. In Part II of the series, we’ll be exploring the five Athena Principles along with tools and practices you can use to enhance your wellness and well-being.

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part I – What is Wellness?

This is the first installment of a multi-part series focusing on Reimagining Midlife Wellness. Why the need for this series of articles? It’s important to stay well in times of transition and it's vital to stay well as we get older. Vitality is essential if we're going to make the most of our next chapter.

Wellness is personal and looks different for each of us. This is an opportunity to re-examine some of the things that you've been doing and make changes or implement some new wellness practices that align with your current desires. In this series, I'll share some thoughts and give you a framework to define what matters most to you at this stage of your life, along with ways to continue to take positive action to be well.

“The Athena Principles” Key Takeaways (Tenth/Final in a Series)

Wellness transformation is like a slow-motion chain reaction. When you find ways to reconnect with yourself, you make better wellness choices to support the aim to live more wholeheartedly. That, in turn, leads to optimized well-being. Again and again, in the thousands of decisions you make each day, you will become more aligned with your deepest desires.

“The Athena Principles” Ongoing Learning Curriculums (Ninth in a Series)

Researchers have shown that learning can change our brain chemistry for the better by improving cognitive connections and adaptability to change. In addition, learning deepens our understanding of different subject matters, helping us to stay relevant and engaged.

Learning new things about interesting topics also fuels enthusiasm, especially if you build this learning into your everyday life. Daily learning keeps you curious and can lead you outside of your comfort zone (where the magic happens) to an overall richer, more creative life experience.

“The Athena Principles” Morning & Evening Routines (Eighth in a Series)

Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” A great way to keep yourself aligned, on-track and engaged is to establish and follow a workable morning and evening routine. I haven’t met or read about someone I respect who doesn’t have some sort of daily routine, especially in wellness, sports or business. Once I understood that their lives were built deliberately, I began emulating their practices until I found a combination that worked well for me.

“The Athena Principles” Accountability – Principle 5 (Seventh in a Series)

The last of five Principles outlined in The Athena Principles, Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals is Accountability. Okay, I admit it, this isn’t the sexiest of the Principles. But I define accountability as a systematic way to check in with what you commit to accomplish, celebrate the wins, and compassionately adjust where needed. It’s also a powerful determinant of whether or not your wellness intentions will be realized.

“The Athena Principles” Consistency – Principle 3 (Fifth in a Series)

The third of five Principles outlined in The Athena Principles, Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals is Consistency, defined as the art of staying committed and engaged, especially during challenging times. When working toward improving well-being, consistent action is the critical factor in determining success because it leads to reliable outcomes and results. The reverse is true as well – inconsistent action usually equates to less-than-optimal results.

“The Athena Principles” Methodology Overview (Second in a Series)

The Athena Principles combines wellness philosophy with a methodology that includes:

· Tools to assess your current state of wellness, provide clarity, track progress, and set new objectives;

· Principles, which provide a solid foundation and serve as a guide for current actions and future decisions; and

· Practices that, when performed regularly, aim to create good habits and increased well-being.

The methodology recognizes that wellness is a fluid process that thrives with a flexible approach. It regards wellness as a practice, honors and cultivates inner knowing, and provides accountability. It can provide you with a foundation for making change, a vantage point to help you see where you’re working against yourself, and a scalable process that can grow with you.

The Athena Principles: Book Overview (First in a Series)

The core message of the book The Athena Principles: Simple Wellness Practices for Overworked Professionals is: Reconnecting to our mind, body and spirit through the exploration of five Principles (self-compassion, intention, consistency, positive mindset and accountability) and related practices (writing, meditation and positive action) leads to wholehearted living and optimized well-being. Readers will learn what living wholeheartedly means for them along with ideas to create a customized self-care plan that nourishes their deepest desires.

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