An accountability buddy isn't just for exercise

Stopping something can be difficult because it may feel like you've failed, but as David C. Baker writes, putting a time frame around a new activity or stopping an old one to make room for the new endeavor can make such transitions easier. Bring that mindset into your leadership, Baker advises, and review whether growth is essential this year and if you have the right people on your team or if it's time to let some of them go.

Put it into practice: Do more than "make it" through this year, Baker writes, by focusing on four areas, including how much you're working versus taking time away, how much predictable income you have and how disaster-proof your company really is. "Don't be trapped by the things you started. Make your life simpler."

Business leaders can make strides in their jobs with the help of a peer accountability partner, and executive coaches Rebecca Jackson and Elisabeth Hayes explain how. A peer buddy can help leaders get unstuck, move forward and track progress.

Put it into practice: To get the most out of a peer accountability partner, choose someone you respect, Jackson and Hayes advise. Start with a goal, and stick to regular check-in times.

When team diversity transforms into conflict, don't be so quick to alleviate it, leadership expert David Burkus writes, because it can "help identify blind spots, explore different solutions, and find innovative ways to deliver on objectives." Dig deep to determine the root cause, then choose the markers of a successful solution, says Burkus, who offers more steps to good conflict management.

Put it into practice: Refrain from blithely accepting assumptions, and be sure to investigate the impact of decisions, Burkus says. Try different perspectives to help you find common ground.

James Brainard, who served 28 years as the mayor of Carmel, Ind., overseeing the growth of the Indianapolis suburb, says he dedicated himself to doing bold things, even if the changes met with opposition. "If you do change carefully, thoughtfully, it can make someone's life better. And so that's always the way I try to guide the discussion. How do we make it through this change that I want to make? How do we make everyone's lives better? And if you get the discussion to that point, I usually have success with people who were hesitant," Brainard says.

The Earth's inner core wobbles around its rotational axis roughly every 8.5 years, according to a new study in Nature Communications. Researchers measured tiny shifts in day length around the globe, which is dictated by the movement of the Earth's rotational axis, and found that the wobble is likely the result of a 0.17-degree tilt between the inner core and mantle, which may indicate a difference in density between the Earth's inner and outer core.

One of my goals last year was to read a massive spiritual book I had wanted to tackle for a while. I'm happy to report that I completed my goal with the help of a schedule and a reading guide. Committing to doing it meant that I had to stop some other things to make time for reading and studying.

This year, I'm two days into a 30-day yoga and 108-day movement program to improve strength. While last year's goal was to do something for the entire year, I feel better about the imposed time limits on the yoga and movement programs. I imagine that after the time-constrained programs end, I will have developed a habit of doing yoga and exercise (that's what I'm hoping, at least).

This fits well with David C. Baker's advice to stop something to make room for something new and put some time parameters around the activity so that if or when you do stop, you don't see it as a failure.

What are you stopping or starting this year? Tell me about it.

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