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Posts tagged ‘intentional living’

7 tips for keeping your motivation mojo

New Year. New In-the-Equation You! How are you doing at keeping your motivation mojo?

For so many years, I’d start the new year by setting lofty goals or New Year’s resolutions — usually aimed at losing weight, exercising more and getting “healthy” — only to fall off the wagon by mid-to-late January. Join the club, right?!

I would inevitably feel bad about losing my motivation and start beating myself up. I used my failure at achieving my goals as evidence that I couldn’t succeed. That I wasn’t good enough. My negative self-talk countered any positive progress, and I often ended up feeling worse. Ironically, this became a self-fulfilling prophecy. I stayed overweight, unhealthy, and totally out of the equation of my life. I continued to feel unworthy. And I continued to set resolutions and start anew at the beginning of a new year.

Luckily, that’s NOT how my story ends!

Like many of you reading this, for me, New Year’s resolutions are a thing of the past. So is the negative self-talk that accompanied them and kept me stuck. The NEW healthy and in-the-equation ME doesn’t wait for Jan. 1st to set personal goals or challenge myself to do the things I want to do. I say YES! to life now and embrace a personal growth mindset — all year long.

That said, I absolutely take advantage of the calendar year close as an opportunity to reflect on the lessons and experiences of my year (The Five Lessons of 2016). And, I get focused and intentional about what I desire most in the New Year by setting clear intentions. In fact, I get totally jazzed about this work. I just no longer force it or rush it to meet an arbitrary January 1st deadline. Read more

How about a year of YOU in the equation?

What it means to put yourself in the equation & why it’s so important

ITE_Survival_quote_instagramChances are if you’re reading this blog, follow our Facebook page or belong to our online community, you’ve heard me express the phrase: Put yourself in the equation.

Not only has it become my life-mantra and framework for healthy living, but it is quickly becoming my life’s work. I aim to inspire, motivate and coach people to live from the center of the equation of their own lives, taking care of their health and wellness first. I’m that passionate about it, and that certain that it’s the key to unlocking your personal potential.

This blog is about the WHAT and the WHY behind putting yourself in the equation. It includes tips about where to start if indeed you want to make YOU the priority.

I wholeheartedly agree with this quote from Audre Lorde: “I have come to believe that caring for myself is NOT self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival.” I now view taking care of my needs — my health and happiness — as an act of survival. What’s more, I’m living proof that when you do so, you not only make your life better, you also positively impact your family, your business or workplace, and your community.

In fact, my vision is that this is how we change the world. One happy, healthy and in-their-equation person, family, business, and community at a time. Just think what’s possible if each of us is truly living as our best, healthiest, “well” self?!

It all starts with YOU…taking care of YOU. Read more

Yep. A happy, healthy holiday is possible!

Whatever that means to you…

gratitudeIt’s Thanksgiving week, kicking off the season of gratitude and good cheer! With that comes a host of blog posts from health gurus with healthy holiday tips. So I figured, why not join the crowd?! Though my tips are probably quit different than most.

What does it mean to have a “healthy” holiday? I look at “health” holistically, considering mind, body and spirit. And I believe now (not always) that having a healthy and happy holiday — however you define it — starts with YOU. Read more

My In the Equation morning ritual

Cardio with a twist!

Como Lake Light on DucksThis summer I’ve adopted a new morning ritual and this morning I realized it and deemed it as such. It’s my “in the equation” start to every day and it totally works for me.

For almost three months, I’ve evolved my morning routine to include this 45 min ritual. It combines my preferred form of cardio — power walking in a beautiful place, preferably around or near water — with a couple of simple mental practices that help me throughout my day.

Also, because I’m on the move and living part-time in Minnesota and part-time in Maine, it allows me to have a daily practice that is consistent and helps me focus mind, body and spirit before the day ensues — no matter where I am. It helps ground me. Read more

Declaration of intention – join me?

Declaration of intentionAs I was thinking about and writing my last blog on intention vs. resolution and how both have manifested in my life, I came across this awesome tool.

I love it for its simplicity and yet how it makes me really think about what I want/ intend…what I am willing to embrace and let go of to get it. Even what stands in the way.

I love that it is a declaration of my intention in a simple and powerful format. That I can pin it on my wall or save it as the background on my computer so it is always visible. And I love that it reminds me/us at the very bottom (in case I/we temporarily forget) — we are awesome, we are enough. Read more

No more New Year’s resolutions!

Non-Negotiable

It’s true. I’m throwing in the towel and asserting that, for me, New Year’s resolutions are officially a thing of the past. I don’t believe they are the right approach to real, lasting, and transformative change. And this is coming from someone who for most of her adult life was a New Year’s resolution gal.

Like so many, I used to look to the New Year with hope and inspiration and the idea of a fresh start (I still do) and then I would make my laundry list of yearly goals, habits I wanted to change or break, i.e. set my resolutions. It’s probably no secret that losing weight and getting healthy made the list year, after year, after year.

After resolving to change and jumping in head first with lots of gusto, I would quit or fail — depending on how you look at it. Just like the stats show here. By mid to late February, I was throwing in the towel and feeling bad about myself wondering why I couldn’t stick to it.  And then I would get over it and do it again…the next year!

Well, no more. There is a better way. Read more

The answer is still, and again, love

The answer is loveI love this day. This moment. This quote by Jodi Hill.

With LOVE! as my intention for 2013, I couldn’t let Valentine’s Day go by without spreading a little love. I am on my way with a girlfriend to gorgeous Santa Barbara, CA, to celebrate my birthday.

Yes, I am a Valentine baby and you guessed it, I LOVE having my birthday on this day! Today, I can’t wait to be on the beach soaking up the sun and appreciating all I’ve been given. Read more

If you’re still moving toward your goals – you’re winning!

Feb. 2012 - Balance For Life 172This is the week that gyms start to thin out and more than 70 percent of those who set New Year’s resolutions stop pursuing them. (See NY Resolution stats here.)

Feb. 2012 - Balance For Life 178I have always been one to pride myself on defying the odds, so I used that as extra motivation this morning when the very last thing I wanted to do was get up and go work out. Read more

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