Tag: positivity

This Year…

The 1st weekend of the New Year. For some of you, it may feel as if your new goals are being tested and temptation is everywhere. For some, you may feel you need to say “yes” to every invite and social request. Today, stop and think about what Fierce means to you. It may mean tackling that new HiiT workout, hiking a new trail, trying a new class. It could mean spending time connecting with family or a friend that you don’t see often enough. Maybe all you need is to spend some quiet time meditating, writing in your gratitude journal or just enjoying a quiet cup of coffee. So often when asked how we are, the word “busy” is the answer. If the word “busy” means you are not enjoying your day to day commitments or you are missing out on real connections with the people you treasure, being “fierce” will continue to elude us. As I look at how I am going to elevate my life to fierce this year, I am letting go of the word busy. I will be strong, brave, kind, unstoppable and fierce. In my work, in my relationships and in my quiet life. I am embracing Fierce to reach my goal of getting to the Next Level in all I do. What does Fierce mean to you?

Dry January Challenge

What is Dry January? It is a movement that started in the UK to take the month of January off from drinking. There are several health benefits, including better sleep and blood sugar stabilization. Headaches and anxiety can subside while focus and energy increase. If you go to Happy Hour frequently, then your wallet should get fatter with money saved plus weight loss from not drinking or enjoying those temping appetizers after a few drinks. You may even pick up a new hobby or have time for one that you have been to busy to enjoy. Overall, making one healthy new change can inspire another one. So, it is a great time to use that gym membership. Meet up with friends for a walk or a hike. Maybe just some quiet time to read or meditate.

Not a drinker, here are some other great 30 day challenges to consider:

No Sugar-avoiding all refined or added sugars except for those naturally occurring in fruits and veggies.

Plank Challenge-planking each day and increasing time until can hold a 5 min plank at the end of the challenge.

Daily Meditation or keeping a Gratitude Journal.

If you want to do a full reset, eating plans like The Whole 30, Paleo, or Vegan that focus on whole food nutrition can help you kick-start your goals and transform your health.

No matter what challenge you decide to tackle or lifestyle change you make, it should be fun. Allow you to get to know yourself better. Help you recognize patterns centered around drinking or certain foods. Use the time to try new foods, create new rituals, use the nice glasses, find new joys.

Happy January and Happy New Year.

Find Your “Why”

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Last week I got off track. I let worry and anxiety get the better of me. I made food choices I have not made in a couple years (hello Halloween candy) and did not work on my pull-up goal. I share this because I saw several of my friends were struggling as well. this morning my SHINE text introduced me to the term “Autotelic”. From the Greek Autos (self) and Telos (goal). The definition is: having a purpose in and not apart from itself. Meaning we need to be internally driven, not external. We set goals, we post them online, then see how many likes or amount of praise we get. We set a weight loss goal and let the scale decided our success. What if we lived our lives so that we did not wait for a future benefit, but made our choices based on doing them was the reward . What if feeling better was enough, being independent and providing for our families was enough, being there for people that depend on us or making their lives easier, was enough. What if we stopped chasing happy and embraced our “why” in the work we have today. All though I talk about this all the time, I lost sight last week that I had a choice. A choice in what I read, how I let it affect me, and how I let my emotions affect others. Friday is a good example, my husband and I went out and had a great time at a festival, walking distance from our house and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. It was an unplanned, super fun night. I came home and went online into a group page to see several parents got phone calls from their kids. All our boys are in Boot Camp together and I knew this meant my son’s Platoon did not win a challenge that they were hoping and my son had been working hard to get that phone call home. My whole mood changed and my poor husband reminded me “we had a great night”. A lot of you will say I am a mom and I deserve to be upset, but I let something I have no control over take over my “why”. I had my phone on me waiting for his call, I already knew that he was not going to call that night. I let it take my “why” of my food choices this weekend and I let it take my “why” I need to be a strong support for my son and my whole family.  When faced with a challenge, we can step back and remember we choose what affects us and how we choose how to respond. There is meaning in everything we do, everyday. What we choose is up to us. So my “whys”:  I choose to eat in a way that makes me feel strong and healthy, I choose to continue on my goals to make my body stronger to feel energized and tackle any goal I set for myself. I choose to be a positive light for my family, friends and clients in my classes because I love that I have that opportunity everyday. I do not need a scale, social media likes or pats on the back. I need to remember that every “why” I have, I choose. I am going to honor it by being the best version of myself. What is your “why”?