Tired of making Excuses? Take this challenge!

Did you know that setting a goal you can’t get out of is the best type of goal you can make for yourself?

Sounds crazy I know, but let me tell you why in one word? 

Accountability!

Here is what I mean. Have you ever set a Big goal or intention where there was nothing else or no one else involved? It was just you and your great vision! You felt invincible, like you could do anything.

Then you had a terrible day!

What happened to your goal or intention? Did you follow through? Did you have the support you needed to keep the vision going? Or did you talk yourself out of it and possibly make excuses as to why you couldn’t or wouldn’t do it?

I am the first to admit that when there is no or support accountability linked to my goals, I tend to try to find excuses for not doing it. 

It’s just the way our brain works; it will choose the easiest possible route, every time.

So you need to make a conscious effort!

I also make sure to set small goals that align with the more challenging ones and celebrate my successes with something meaningful. 

So for example my goal this year is to finish strong in an Olympic triathlon, so I registered for a sprint triathlon in June first then the Olympic in September. I also have regular appointments with a coach that holds me accountable.

For support I let everyone that I care about know about my goals and encourage them to support me. 

The part I enjoy and look forward to most is the celebration!  I make sure to schedule in a massage, an art class or something I love to do to celebrate every month

We as humans need support and with support comes accountability.

So why am I telling you all of this?

My wish for you is for 2016 to be different and it’s not too late to start. 
I encourage you to stop putting it off, stop making excuses and start this week!
 
Ready for a challenge? 

It's simple:

Set a s.m.a.r.t goal and complete it!
(specific.mesurable.attainable.timely)

Then do it again next week and the weeks after that consistently.

It has to be something specific that is realistic with your busy schedule and that you are committed to doing. No matter how big or small.
Remember, it’s the small steps that you do every day that get you to your goals & vision!

Try this:
For example you want to lose 5 lbs, and you know that by adding movement and eating better it will get you there. So don’t focus on the 5 lbs, focus on the steps that will get you there.

So your goal would look something like this:

What: My main goal this month is to lose 5 lbs. in order to do that I will: do yoga one time this week, drink a veggie smoothie for breakfast and eat a delicious salad for dinner one day this week

When: I will attended the Tuesday 9am morning yoga class, drink my veggie smoothie on Wednesday morning before work and eat salad for dinner on Thursday evening.

How: 3 Steps I need to achieve these goals are:

1. Sign up for the yoga class
2. Schedule care for the kids
3. Grocery shop on Sunday for ingredients for my smoothie and salad.

Problems? Be sure to prepare for problems and the unknown. Have options waiting that will help you stay consistent when the unexpected happens.
 
Now it’s your turn. Try it and see how pleasantly surprised you will be when you reach your intentions and goals because are held accountable. 


You got this!

Much Love, Nancy

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*(Your name here)* 2016 GOAL CRUSHING PLAN

My Main goal this month is_______________ because I want to _________________.

In order to reach my main goal, my goals this week are _____________and __________and__________!

I will do these on______________ and _______________ and ____________and ___________________

The 3 Steps I need to take to achieve these goals are:
1.___________________________________
2.___________________________________
3.___________________________________
 
 
The people I will ask for support are:

_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
 
 
When I reach my goals I will celebrate my successes by:

________________________________

________________________________


I will prepare for the unexpected by doing_______________________________________.

I will be heard, I will be consistent and I will follow through even on the days when I am not feeling my best! I will ask for support because I am strong and I am awesome!

(sign your name here) X________________________________________________

---

Need extra support and accountability?? Remember the key to success is having someone there to support  you and  hold you accountable!

I would love to speak with you privately about your great vision and how I can help you get to where you want to be!

Join me in a complimentary 50 minute phone coaching session where we can talk about what you want most out of your life, but find you couldn't achieve it alone.

Here is what I have to offer you!

I look forward to hearing from you!
To your good health,
Nancy

The hardest thing you will ever do. And it’s not setting goals!

How are your follow through and commitment?

Do you have a hard time following through or being consistent in what you do? 

I’m not just talking about goals but day to day things like being excited about showing up to something that you thought was a good idea at the time. 

Basically any commitment you made to someone (that includes yourself) when you said “YES, I will _________!

I have to be honest in my personal and in my business life these two have been one of the hardest actions for me to take. Why? Because plain and simple: I don’t feel like it or something better came up.

So how do you deal with being consistent and following through on something you committed to?

Here are 4 things to think about that have really helped me:

  Before you commit, make sure it’s something you want to commit to. How many times have you said “yes” when you were really thinking “No”. If no is difficult then say “Let me think about it” and get back to them when you have had time to think.

Get excited again! Why did you say yes in the first place? Was it something that you knew would be exciting or bring something different to your lifestyle? Remind yourself why you were excited to do it in the first place and keep the momentum going.

  Feel the Fear and do it anyway. Some commitments are scary and when we stop to really think about it, it’s not something we really want to do. So ask yourself: Will this help me grow? Will it stretch me and take me to a place where I want to be in my life? If the answer is “yes” Feel the fear and do it anyway! Sometimes commitments to others and especially yourself can be uncomfortable but being uncomfortable brings a huge amount of growth.
 
 Think of how you will feel afterward. You thought about it and committed, now think about the benefits of it when you’ done. Maybe it’s to reconnect with a friend or get a good workout in, whatever it may be think of the benefits or the incentives!
 
Get clear on what needs to be done & schedule it. I use to be the type of person that said “Yes” to everything even before looking at my schedule. I felt that saying no meant I was letting that person down. What I didn’t realize was that I becoming someone they couldn’t depend on when I had to call to cancel. I also realized that I was causing a lot more stress than I needed in my life.  Whether it’s a commitment to yourself or to someone else make sure you have time, are clear on your priorities and set a reminder in your schedule.

Do you have a trick or tip to being consistent and follow through? 

I would love to hear about it? Just leave me a comment. I read every one of them!

Do you need a positive influence in your life that holds you accountable and helps you get what you want most? 

Bring your cup of tea or coffee and let’s chat live! 

There’s no cost! Look at your calendar, click the link below and find a day that works best for you. 

Could one conversation change your life in 2016? Click below to find out!

I am worth it and so are you!

It has been a long two years of putting myself last and taking care of my needs before others.

In my last post "how to never leave yourself behind" I talked about how I finally started taking care of myself and not leaving myself behind, but it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I finally and truly did have enough.

Enough pain in my body, enough of not being able to exercise, enough of eating just because and enough of being a wife and mother who wasn’t truly present in her relationship with her husband and her daughter.

To be honest it wasn’t a huge breakthrough moment, it was just a moment of knowing what it felt like to feel good in my skin and wanting to feel that way again.

So I started slowly just as I had done before. I knew how to get there; it was just motivation and self-care that I was lacking.

I felt that it was time that my body needed strength building exercises that pushed me to where I needed and a little beyond. I needed more stretching and more cardio to work every part of me.

So it started with signing up with some friends to a crossfit gym. I had done crossfit before and what I love about it is that it’s a group activity with a trainer to motivate you and help you. Another plus is that everyone greets each other and if you’re new, people actually introduced themselves and make you feel welcome.  It’s not your typical gym where you check-in, plug in and leave and I so need that.

Then I started drinking a lot more water (alot) more than my 3 glasses a day and I continued having a veggie smoothie with veggies and fruits that made me strong and reduced inflammation.  

I also made sure that with what I ate, I had some sort of green vegetable or salad with lunch and dinner.

I also began scheduling once a month massages and continued getting together with my girlfriends.

I finally really started taking care of me and putting myself first when it came to certain things.

These small but powerful changes have made such a difference in how I feel, how I sleep and I how I treat and act around my family.

Although I may not be to where I want to be quite yet……I know that I will continue making small changes that make me a better woman and overall human because I AM WORTH IT!

So now it’s your turn to know you are truly worth it!

Begin by asking yourself these powerful questions and start scheduling time for you in your calendar:

Q1: What is one small step I can take this week that I know I could do successfully towards taking care of me?

Q2: What am I REALLY commited to doing? (not something you "think" you want to do)

Q3: When do I plan to do this by? (Schedule it)

Q4: What would success look like? (Going out to dinner and feeling confident)

Q5:What would it feel like if my needs were met? (Would you be happier, in a better mood, a more patient mommy?)

Sending you all the love & strength you need to realize YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Gratitude, Nancy

How to never leave yourself behind!

Dodinsky's words were just words until something BIG happened to me.

As a mother,health & lifestyle coach, I was often the last one to take care of myself. 

I needed to help my family and others,find their way to joy and health. 

That's what I do. There is no time for me. 

Besides I would tend to my needs eventually.

Looking back now I saw that even though I "knew better" I often left myself behind to serve others and usually kept the left-overs for myself.

It started about a year ago....intense head, neck and shoulder pain that lasted for 3-4 horrific days. Not to mention the very bad  attitude to go with it! 

Those days were just about surviving the pain and asking myself "how can I just through it.

There was no joy, no happiness and no patience. 

My body felt drained of all it's goodness.

I was miserable and I bled bad energy & unhappiness.

I know because during those days, my 5 year old mirrored my emotions. It was ugly!

So I would nurse myself back to health, taking care of my needs for just those 3-4 days.

Once I felt good again, it was back to trying to be superwoman.

This quotes comes to mind:

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

In my own mind I thought I had tried everything I could to try and figure out what my body was trying to say. Funny enough I kept trying those same things over and over and the results were the same. I felt insane!

I tried taking certain out foods, adding more veggies, not doing weights at the gym, going to a yoga class here and there  but nothing worked ( or so I told myself).

So I put it off (AGAIN) and told myself I would take care of it later.

Later never came!

Until a year later when my body started screaming at me! 

The pain now started happening every two weeks!

Enough was Enough!

Something had to change!

I had to change!

So I did some research and....I found out that my body was on fire (on the inside anyway).

All signs pointed to chronic inflammation.

So I changed my diet, I began my day with drinking a big glass of warm water to hydrate, followed by a veggie smoothie (then my coffee) and I started taking some minerals I felt my body needed.

I started gently moving my body 3-5 times a week.

I started calling up my friends and setting up time to meet for tea or just take a walk. 

I started making time for more relaxing showers.

And hardest of all: I realized that not everyday had to be packed with a zillion things to do. That my agenda didn't need every minute filled with places to rush off to and a dozen people to meet.

I realized that my husband had given me the gift of being able to stay home to be with our daughter, and that it was okay to give myself permission to spend time on things that I enjoyed and wanted to do.

It's been a month and so far the pain has not returned. Yay!

Changing things has made me a more patient mom, a not so stressed wife, a more listening friend and a Happier more joyful, gratitude filled woman!

Mama, Now it's your turn to feel a little JOY in your life!

It's starts with a small change and a little DIY challenge.

__________ A CHALLENGE FOR THE SUPER MAMA______

Below are some questions that will help you begin to find that so needed joy in your life:

A. List 1 activity you would like to start doing in your life, but are not currently practicing:  (Make it something you really enjoy doing for YOU)

I want to start practicing ________________________________

B. Identify 2-3 challenges keeping you from practicing this activity.

 I am not practicing ____________________ because_______________and ______________________ and blank.

C. List 3 solutions to the challenges you listed?

I could:

1.

2.

3. 

D. Now complete the sentences below.

Today, I commit to__________________________________

I want to do this because____________________________

I will accomplish this by______________________________

You can do it!

Until next time!

Joy & Gratitude to you, my beautiful superwoman!

X, Nancy

ps- I want to hear all about your change. E-mail me here.

Need happy Pleasure? + Mango Recipe!

What makes you smile?

Laugh?

Go giddy with glee?

For some, it’s a walk barefoot through the grass.

For another, it’s a spin on a roller coaster, a solo movie date, or a perfectly ripe mango.

So… when was the last time you did something that makde you actually feel happy?

If it’s been awhile, consider this: happiness lowers stress levels, increases immune system function, and lowers your risk of disease. It also makes life easier.

So want Happy Pleasure daily?

Doing one pleasurable thing per day (or more!) is the most powerful cure for gray, boring, or stressful days. Try this:

• Make an “I love” list. List everything that you enjoy – nothing is too small or too large. If you enjoy it, get it on the list. and make sure you schedule it in!

• Take a look at how you spend your days. When could you fit in a little pleasure? Perhaps you could leave the office at lunch to walk in the park? Maybe you could play your favorite music while doing the dishes? Book yourself a massage or spa day this weekend?

• Repeat daily, or more often, as needed.

So right now, grab a pen and schedule in some daily pleasures this week!

To get you started down the road of pleasure, give this luscious recipe a try and sit down and savor every bite:

Mango Cream

Prep time: 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon raw honey or agave nectar (optional)
• 1 cup organic whipping cream or carton of soft tofu or large ripe banana

Directions:

• Process the first four ingredients in a blender.
• Blend for one minute, or until pureed.
• Pour puree into a medium bowl.
• Beat whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. If using tofu or banana, whir in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.
• Fold whipped cream, tofu, or banana into mango puree, using a knife to swirl in a marbled effect. Enjoy!

Until Next time,

Sending you love, joy and gratitude, Nancy