Perspective by Bahram Akradi

No matter what you’re trying to accomplish, you need an action plan. Here’s the process I prefer — and that Ocean’s Eleven made famous.

Instead of just listing the same old resolutions, consider asking yourself some pointed questions about the goals that matter to you.

Can you turn an OK situation into a surprising source of satisfaction? You never really know until you try.

Given the wealth of knowledge concentrated in our gut wisdom, most of us would do well to draw on it more often.

First it was strength. Then it was cardio. Next came balance and coordination. Now, at last, it’s all coming together.

A recent diving expedition left me staring pollution in the face – and sobered about the stresses our watery worlds are having to endure.

A simple question from a passerby caused me to reconsider my assumptions about ownership – and redefine my relationship with Mother Earth.

If you are determined to give your best, don’t give until it hurts. Give until it feels good.

Life is full of tricky balancing acts, but there are some priorities that always deserve top billing.

Determined to move your life in a healthier direction? Give yourself a head start with the success factors that make a difference.

If, at the beginning of each day, we each sat down and wrote the three most important things we wished to accomplish or experience that day without the benefit of technology, I think we’d find our lives both greatly simplified and vastly improved.

Home is not just where the heart is, but where our whole selves are both nurtured and called upon to be their very best.

The reality of exercise is that its biggest fun potential often stays just out of reach until we’ve gotten invested enough to begin overcoming the stereotypes, fears and limitations that have previously kept us at bay.

There’s something so satisfying about building up strength and endurance during those indoor classes all winter long and then taking our hard-earned fitness outside for a test spin in the real world.

In nature, some animals migrate with the seasons; others happily hibernate or embrace other adaptive measures. But by exploring our full range of alternatives, we stand to benefit rather than suffer from the constant flow of changes and challenges in our lives.

While we’re asking questions about how we can make our economy more stable, it’s important that we also ask equally challenging questions about how we can make better, more responsible use of the natural resources and systems on which our entire economy relies.

It’s often tempting to assume that if a little of something is good, then a lot will be better. And nowhere does this assumption tend to work against us more reliably than in the areas of work and money.

Even during the best of times, the turn of a year is a natural time to reflect on what we’d like to see changed, and what we’d like to do differently. I think this particular New Year presents especially rich opportunities in that department.

If we’re willing to lift our heads enough to see beyond the daily global-recession headlines, then I would argue that the future is bright indeed.