Over the past 26 weeks, I’ve been studying behavior change more diligently—what is it that motivates someone to begin and then sustain making better choices? The answer is to focus on the intrinsic. By definition, intrinsic means ‘belonging to the essential nature of a thing’. This is unique to every single person. It is also dynamic. Valuing the intrinsic allows a person to elicit his or her best thinking, which in turn enables healthier choices based on what’s important to that person.

Instead of doling out workout plans and diet plans, those of us who want to make healthier choices for the New Year would be better served by asking ourselves a simple, but not so easy question to answer: What is it that I’m wanting for myself that is important to me in relation to ___________ (you fill in the blank)? It’s only when we identify what we want for ourselves based on the intrinsic, and therefore it’s importance, can we truly begin to make lifestyle changes that last.

You hear it often in business: work/life balance is important and when it’s out of sync it can significantly impact employee engagement and your organization’s overall health. Much of it seems to be device and data driven. In this age of instant technology, we have more information than ever before to process and its available 24/7 on our smart phones. Being “smarter” might actually be costing all of us at the end of the day.

We are paying a price personally with fatigue and stress and may not even realize it. A study conducted in 2010 shows that information overload costs American businesses just under $1 trillion in employee time lost to needless email and distractions. As Shelly Smith, our Director of Human Resources told me recently, “There is an expectation to tune in and turn on more, but I wonder if we’re getting additional value from it?”

Mega retailer Target revealed last month the unauthorized access of its customers' credit card data to hackers. Approximately 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been adversely impacted by this breach. This is not the first time hackers have illegally accessed credit card information, and it won't be the last.

No, it’s not the latest Hollywood movie about guys and their need for speed. For those of you who know me well, sarcasm is one of my most endearing traits! So as a follow up to Tim Leman’s New Year Safety blog, I thought it would be fun to share my top driving annoyances. While no one reading this is guilty of any of these driving violations, I’m sure we all can think of someone who is. Not surprising, many of these habits cause the majority of claims each year.

Are you feeling over-whelmed by all the lists of how-tos and resolutions? Perhaps you're deeply engrossed in an elaborate strategic planning process? Maybe you've already broken a promise to yourself for 2014? Don't feel too bad - the odds of success just aren't in our favor.

According to recent research from Protivit Inc. and North Carolina State University, loss of business income relating to specific issues (such as economic slowdown, increasing competition, legislative changes and volatile financial markets) has grown 14 percent in only 2 years, while risk management and crisis readiness have fallen 7 percent. These figures indicate that many organizations have been unable to anticipate and respond effectively to evolving business threats. By simply identifying and assessing these risks, you can protect your organization and take advantage of favorable circumstances which will help boost your bottom line. Here are the top seven risks businesses should fear most in 2014.

Workers compensation fraud can be a major expense and therefore a significant risk to any employer. However, it is easier to prevent that you think. With a few easy steps, you can help prevent fraud from happening within your company.

Given we’re just rolling (perhaps literally) out of the holidays, I’m sure you won’t be surprised that my blog this week is the third and final installment of my discussion about personal health management. After all, there’s something about the start of a New Year that causes most of us to reflect on what’s working, what isn’t, and seek improvement through the proverbial New Year’s Resolution! I’m sure more than a few of you received diet or nutrition books, perhaps a new piece of exercise equipment, or video series from that loving and ever encouraging spouse of yours.

Earlier this year the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority was forced to postpone the planned demolition of the Regency Hotel, located on airport grounds. In September, the authority announced that it would rebid the demolition project due to an increasingly common issue faced by contractors and local authorities – bad surety bonds.

The lowest bidder, Nelson Inc, was awarded the $485,000 contract to demolish the hotel, but the bid went out the window after it was found that the surety bond, bearing the name of Chubb Insurance, was bad.

As we ring in 2014, safety becomes a hot topic. Being an insurance and risk management firm with a mission to Protect What Matters Most, we take safety very seriously.