EDITION 1051
6 JANUARY 2025

On this day in 2021, supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, where Congress was meeting to certify Joe Biden's win in the 2020 election; Trump and his backers alleged widespread voter fraud, though there was no evidence for the claims.

So, as another week [and year] passes into the annals of history, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

Just before you dive in, remember our POTENTIAL workbook [see below] is on offer for only £99. This unique workbook will help guide your organisation to its highest potential. Contact us today to start your transformation.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to make resolutions your stick. How to make resolutions your stick. New Year's is the only holiday dedicated to marking the passage of time, which may explain why, as the final moments of the year slip away, we find ourselves reflecting. This reflection often leads to thoughts of self-improvement and the familiar tradition of making resolutions—our first step in reshaping who we are. To ensure your resolution leads to meaningful change, here are three tips to help you make it stick: READ MORE

2. Good news story of 2024. One of the standout good news stories of 2024 came from the ongoing progress towards gender pay equality. We were excited to report that the UK’s gender pay gap has fallen to its lowest level ever, now standing at just 11.6%. This means that, on average, women earn 88p for every pound a man makes. While there’s still a 12p difference, the reduction is significant: just seven years ago, when it became mandatory for employers to disclose pay disparities, the gap was 12.8%. In particular, companies like PwC (96p to £1) and Greggs (97p to £1) are leading the way, closing the gap at an impressive pace. Editor

3. The sad demise of high street. The UK lost about 37 shops a day during 2024 in yet another brutal year for the high street, data suggests. Almost 13,500 retail stores closed for good in the last 12 months, a rise of 28% on 2023 - although the losses were below the levels seen each year between 2019 and 2022, according to provisional figures. Independent retailers, typically those small businesses operating between one and five stores, accounted for 84.1% of all store closures during 2024 as those shutdowns soared by more than 45%. In the previous calendar year, independents were responsible for 74.5% of all store closures, or 7,793. Centre for Retail Research

4. Devolution plans released. The Government has unveiled plans for a major overhaul of local government in England. Under the proposals, district councils will be merged to form unitary authorities, and elected mayors will be given greater powers to raise money, make planning decisions and manage transport networks. Single councils will also lose the ability to veto regional housing plans, and local groups will be given the right to buy under-threat community assets, such as pubs and youth clubs. A government spokesperson said that devolution will be “default in our constitution” rather than “at the whim” of Whitehall. BBC

5. Are you an optimist or pessimist? Great Britain is divided when it comes to the question of whether it feels optimistic or pessimistic about the next 10 years. A third (33%) of adults polled by YouGov said they were fairly optimistic, while 33% said they were fairly pessimistic. Perhaps inevitably, there were more (17%) who said they were very pessimistic, than those looking on the brighter side of life (7%) who said they were very optimistic. Would you say you are more of an optimist or more of a pessimist? Please share your thoughts in our latest poll. VOTE HERE

6. Loneliness impacts blood proteins. Loneliness may contribute to poor health because of its impact on proteins in the blood, according to research. Scientists found 175 proteins associated with social isolation and 26 proteins linked to loneliness in a study of data relating to 42,000 people. The proteins were connected to inflammation, the immune system and antiviral responses, and about half of them were linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke and type two diabetes. By tracking the participants over 14 years, the researchers also found a connection between the proteins and a risk of mortality. The presence of the proteins in a person's blood was not found to be a cause of loneliness or isolation. University of Cambridge

7. The power of movement. While the World Health Organization recommends 75-300 minutes of aerobic activity a week, depending on intensity, some advocates and researchers say the requirement is too strict for those experiencing mental health difficulties. Instead, they suggest, exercise should be presented as something which is positive, enjoyable and accessible, with smaller bouts as an option. Studies have found that people feel the psychological benefits from movement after just 15 minutes and can benefit from it mentally regardless of the type of exercise. Researchers advise seeking out a form of movement and a way of doing exercise which is enjoyable, such as while listening to music or meeting a friend. The Guardian

8. Europeans least happy with work-life balance. Germans, French and Polish workers are less likely to be happy with their work-life balance than their counterparts in the UK, India and the UK, China or Brazil, a survey has found. Less than half of respondent in the three EU countries said they had a good work-life balance, compared with 60% in the UK and 73% in India. Daily Mail

9. Temu most downloaded app of 2024. Chinese shopping apps Temu and Shein ranked among the most popular free iPhone apps of the year, with Temu leading downloads in the UK, US, Germany and Australia. Other top shopping apps in the UK included second-hand fashion marketplace Vinted, which placed fourth, while Meta’s Threads claimed third, and the AI chatbot ChatGPT ranked fifth. Temu is reportedly increasing its network of UK suppliers to accelerate delivery times and heighten competition with high-street retailers. Apple

10. The bottom line. Being a world leader isn’t great for your health. A 2015 study which looked at elections in 17 rich countries, going back as far as 1722, found that the winners died an average of 4.4 years earlier than the losers. The Economist