Read more about the article The DAO of Empowering Your Morning: Own Your Day From The Moment it Begins
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The DAO of Empowering Your Morning: Own Your Day From The Moment it Begins

“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” —Ralph Marston

We all have 24 hours in a day. So do all the Fortune 500 CEOs. So does Beyoncé. Our responsibilities have responsibilities.

Do you want to make the most out of your day? Start by empowering your morning! The way you start your day can set the tone for the rest of your day. Therefore, it’s essential to create a morning routine that works for you and fuels your success. You can look at the morning in two ways – something that just happens to you, or an opportunity for you to seize the day. This is the DAOFitLife guide to empowering your morning.

Here are some tips to help you empower your morning and set yourself up for a “high vibration” day.

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Read more about the article Toxic Hustle Culture: How to Overcome the Busyness Trap and Lead a Fulfilling, Productive Life
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Toxic Hustle Culture: How to Overcome the Busyness Trap and Lead a Fulfilling, Productive Life

‘Hustle Culture’ is a loaded term that means showing the world what a boss you are. And as busy people, we live on this. Striving and staying positive – that’s the thing, right? I even have ‘hustle’ in the title of my book.

But it can go too far – and become a ‘toxic hustle’ culture where we are obsessed with being busy and squeezing everything out of every second. What’s worse, it has become somewhat of a competition. Humble brags on social media along with prideful declaration of one being “swamped” are the new status symbol.

In today’s toxic hustle culture, brandishing one’s busyness is like swinging a Birkin bag. The support for this principle is not just anecdotal – a recent article in Harvard Business Review highlights how busyness has become the new status symbol. The result is a reported rise in “time poverty”. So much for luxury bags! This got me thinking – what is “busyness” really achieving for us in the fulfillment of our long-term values? 

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Read more about the article The Rise of Gua Sha: How a Traditional Practice is Revolutionizing Western Skincare
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The Rise of Gua Sha: How a Traditional Practice is Revolutionizing Western Skincare

You probably have seen it on some form of social media – women rolling odd shaped jade tools over their faces. This practice of gua sha is centuries old, but it has resurfaces as a way to decrease puffiness and act as a “natural botox”.

But is it really that magical? Here is what you need to know and my experience. As an initial reaction, I found that a regular gua sha practice was so much more than skincare. It helped relieve tension in my jaw, forehead, and sinus pressure. So read on if you have any of these issues especially at your job! This is now part of my daily routine – rise, wash face, coffee, lemon water, meditate, and gua sha. By the end of this five minute routine, I feel like a million bucks and ready to face the world!

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Read more about the article How to Get Toned Arms for Summer – Starting Now
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How to Get Toned Arms for Summer – Starting Now

Spring is here,  and it’s time to start thinking about getting those arms ready for tank tops, sundresses, and other warm-weather attire. Whether you’re looking to tone up, build muscle, or just feel more confident in your own skin, there are plenty of ways to get nice arms for spring.

Here are some tips to help you achieve your goals. It might be only spring but it generally takes about 8 weeks to notice a difference when you start a new training program. Be patient, and follow along!

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Read more about the article On flaking: How to Deal
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On flaking: How to Deal

“Oh no! Darn it, I just remembered that I… I promised my friend’s brother’s godmother that I would help her, um, change her fax cartridge tonight… because she’s going out of town tomorrow… on an African safari!”

Penny, from the Wedding Planner (2000)

This is a line from the Wedding Planner, where Judy Greer bailed on Jennifer Lopez at the movies. She came up with this ridiculous excuse to flake on the fly, obvs. And it was definitely pre-modern communication – double obvs. But we forgive Judy, or Penny, because this way J-Lo could have a magical night with Matthew McConaughey’s character.

Now – real life. You know the deal. You make plans. You exchange texts saying how excited you are about the plans. You confirm the plans the day before….AND THEN the morning of, or hours before even, you get the text you don’t even have to finish reading: “Hey, so sorry, but…family/friend/child/pet/work emergency/weird accident/calendar mishap….raincheck bla bla bla”.

Now, this is not an indictment on flaking. I have done it. I have had it done to me. I probably will flake again, maybe on you. But I think a good “flaking guide” is in order to save friendships and relationships everywhere – so here is my DAOFitLife Flake Guide – from both the flaker and flakee side (PS, this has a guide to some really good excuses for you flakes!)

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Read more about the article What Would Jesus Eat? Where Food and Faith Collide
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What Would Jesus Eat? Where Food and Faith Collide

In 1 Corinthians 10:31, it says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 

So how do food and faith collide? Whether you follow a certain religion or just are one with the universe, food and how you treat your body with it can have a powerful role on your spiritual life. In this season of Lent, I was curious about how something so innate to our body survival – food – can connect with faith – which for those of us who follow one, is a way of feeding our souls.

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Read more about the article Foods that are no better for you than their “evil” cousin
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Foods that are no better for you than their “evil” cousin


In a morality-laced wellness culture, the world is divided into two food groups: Virtue-signaling “clean” foods, and evil, bad foods.

You know what? In many cases, the virtue signaling-food is actually not materially healthier. I have identified several common categories that compare the demonized food and the halo effect, then shine a light on reality. As for a solution, you can now eat the food you really want knowing that there is no real moral superiority to the alternative. OR you do what I do in many cases which is identify the core craving behind wanting a particular food and satisfy it with a healthier alternative, not a “faux healthy” version of that food.

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Read more about the article When Exercise is Unsafe: How to Protect Yourself from Being Stalked or Attacked
Running in a well-populated park is a great way to enjoy the outdoors safely. Photo by Jozsef Hocza

When Exercise is Unsafe: How to Protect Yourself from Being Stalked or Attacked

A staggering 84% of women have been harassed while running. According to recent findings, 30% of women reported being followed at one point by someone in a car, on a bike, or on foot. And it’s not just outdoors. According to a recent survey of approximately 1330 women, approximately 530 of those women felt sometimes when they go to the gym, they feel unsafe when working out, and another 192 women reported OFTEN feeling unsafe when they worked out. While this is a prevalent issue among those who identify as women, the discussion in this post is applicable to everyone.

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Read more about the article Your Brain on Lab-Grown Food
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Your Brain on Lab-Grown Food

Do you ever wander through a grocery store, and you start snaking through the center aisles through the bright beautiful colors of foods in boxes and bags? If you stop and pay attention to how you feel, it may be giddy, excited or just want to eat everything in sight?

Believe it or not, you are being seduced.

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Read more about the article A Million Little Tabs – How to Stop the Tab Madness and be Productive Again
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A Million Little Tabs – How to Stop the Tab Madness and be Productive Again

Is your daily life consumed by jumping from one tab to another? Do you constantly lose track of what you are working on and find yourself staring blankly at a row of open tabs? Have you ever opened a tab for an article you are interested in reading, knowing deep down you realistically will never read it but it just makes you feel better to have the tab open? Do you multitask during calls, clicking through different tabs and then totally have to make someone repeat a question?

We have ALL been there. Modern corporate culture has a twisted, tab-hoarding problem that is draining our productivity. So how can we take it back?

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Read more about the article Your A-Z Guide to Popular Diets
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Your A-Z Guide to Popular Diets

You want to try a diet. I get it. I am not here to stop you. It’s that time in the middle of winter when you have that panic moment – you’ve been super busy at work the holidays threw you off and you started a fitness kick but stopped it at the end of dry January.

So here is a list of popular diets – and some criteria to consider before going on one. I am also including DAO resources with deep dives on the super popular ones – Keto, Paleo, and Intermittent Fasting.

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Read more about the article How to cut sugar without going crazy
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How to cut sugar without going crazy

If you have been listening to mainstream media, you probably are convinced that sugar is the devil incarnate when it comes to healthy eating and weight loss. Yes, sugar is delicious and tempting and even comforting. But eating too much can lead to all kinds of problems – including weight gain and obesity, . And most Americans eat way, way too much. (up to 5 times the recommended amount by the American Heart Association).

Sugar is also really sneaky. It is EVERYWHERE…in places you don’t even suspect. So when you are at a conference and innocently picking up that cup of yogurt at breakfast, thinking you are being “good”, you are likely just inhaling a bunch of sugar. You might as well have had that danish! Even when it comes to less obvious “evils”, there are so many conflicting opinions. Fruit is good. No, fruit’s just like sugar, it’s bad. White sugar is bad, but honey and date syrup are legit “clean eating.” Or the “sugar is sugar is sugar” trope.

It all comes back to being smart, not being dogmatic. In this article, I boil down what you need to know to be smart about sugar. Most of the reason we overconsume is lack of information and marketing hacks. This article will give you the knowledge you need, so you don’t have to deprive yourself.

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Read more about the article The unspoken rules of the gym: your complete guide
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The unspoken rules of the gym: your complete guide

So you want to go to the gym again – seriously. But it can be awkward if you don’t know the rules of this “civil society,” as Aristotle coined it. Maybe Aristotle wasn’t curling 20s, but he had a point. Part of the awkwardness people feel about going to the gym is not understanding all the social norms. Especially the unwritten ones. So here is your complete guide to feeling like a boss at the gym.

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Read more about the article Are you still deciding whether to join a gym? Pros and Cons of Home v. Gym workouts 
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Are you still deciding whether to join a gym? Pros and Cons of Home v. Gym workouts 

There has been a double-digit increase in the number of gym membership sign-ups in January versus the same period in pre-Covid times, said gym owners.

If you are thinking about joining a gym, or on the fence, here are some questions you need to ask yourself: 

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Read more about the article Your Sweaty, Handcuffed Wrist Demands You Read This
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Your Sweaty, Handcuffed Wrist Demands You Read This

I have not worn a wearable fitness device in years. I have no idea exactly how many hours I have slept, what my resting heart rate is, how many calories I burned at SoulCycle, or how many steps I made each day. In this case, ignorance is truly bliss. And more evidence is starting to show that it is worth considering whether these devices actually are really improving our overall health – including mental health.

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Read more about the article How to capture your life stories beyond your life 
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How to capture your life stories beyond your life 

There was a Wall Street Journal article published just before the end of 2022 that caught my eye, titled: The Way You Tell Your Life Story Matters, Start Now. The opening paragraph had a quote: Death steals everything except our stories, by the poet Jim Harrison. But the article cautions if we are not careful, death can steal those, too. 

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Read more about the article Live well in 2023: The DAOFitLife Glow Up Guide
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Live well in 2023: The DAOFitLife Glow Up Guide

It’s a new year and a new start, which means it’s the perfect time to focus on yourself and make some positive changes. One way to do this is to “glow up,” or make improvements to your physical and mental well-being. You can “glow up” in many ways, and a lot of it is bigger than what you see on the outside. A true “glow up” is an inside AND outside job. 

Here are some tips on how to glow up this January.

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Read more about the article Exactly how to do stealth workouts in the middle of the day
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Exactly how to do stealth workouts in the middle of the day

The Wall Street Journal had a recent article, “Why Working Out During the Workday Is the Ultimate Power Move”. The article has an interview of CEOs who humblebrag about being able to disappear for two hours unaccounted for to do sets at the gym. This is the exact kind of messaging that makes the rest of us think that we have to be some big wig to “get away” with midday workouts. 

I beg to differ. I have been doing mid-day workouts for years – when I was an on the clock government worker, as a junior associate at a law firm, and now as a director at a Big 4. The secret is knowing exactly what you will do and exactly how you will do it. And being PREPARED. You may not be the CEO of a company, but you should be the CEO of your own body. 

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Read more about the article Why Being a Narcissist is Actually a Good Goal for 2023
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Why Being a Narcissist is Actually a Good Goal for 2023

At the end of 2022, the Internet almost broke in a maelstrom of heated debate about narcissm. In case you were busy Christmas shopping and missed it, an article in Politico Politico profiled the year of 2022 for “narcissists” including Meghan Markle and some other famous and infamous personalities. Markle’s inclusion in the piece, titled “The Year We All Finally Got Tired of the Narcissists,” was met with pushback on social media which necessarily was based on the underlying assumption that being a narcissism is a bad thing not to be associated with. But did you know, according to psychologists that some types of narcissism are good, even aspirational?

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