The custom of setting new year's resolutions has been around for quite some time (as far as the 1700s, by some counts). People worldwide make promises to themselves to start or stop a behavior that is supposed to better their lives. Some folks aim to kill their bad habits, like smoking, drinking or spending too much time on social media. Or they want to create a new good habit, like eating out less, setting aside more money from their pay, or exercising more. Here’s the problem: [...]

Imagine it’s the height of the holiday gift buying season and you’re walking with many other shoppers toward the entrance of a major retailer. Above the sound of nearby traffic and tinny holiday music being piped out of the store, you hear the familiar ringing of a Salvation Army bell. The bell ringer is wearing a flopped over Santa hat. His arm moves rhythmically up and down as he holds the door, wishes everyone “Merry Christmas!” and nods a thank you to the few who drop [...]