Live Your Best Life!

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions.

“A settled tendency or usual manner of behavior” is a definition of habit according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.  When we think of the word “habit” we often think of only “bad habits”. These could include smoking, biting your fingernails, always being late, hitting the snooze button, drinking, checking social media without even thinking about it, eating unhealthy foods…the list could go on forever.

What we don’t talk about or highlight as much are the “good habits” we have.  These could include brushing our teeth every day, making sure all the dishes are done before going to bed, putting gas in the car before the empty light comes on, going to the grocery store and buying healthy food each week, calling a parent or good friend each week to check in…this list could also go on forever. 

What is important to keep in mind, is that habits can be both...

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions. 

Some people suggest that we make 35,000 decisions per day.  While that does seem like a lot to me, I do know that we make many, many decisions each day. Some of our decisions require a lot of thought and intention however, many are made while we are running on autopilot. 

What is important to remember is that each decision has a consequence.  Some large and some seemingly inconsequential…but are they really inconsequential?  The reality is, the decisions and actions we take each day either move us towards our goals, or away from them and often we are not even aware of this. 

We are also often not aware of the ripple effect of our small actions because when they are small, we don’t have any noticeable consequences or results…until one day…we do.  All the sudden we realize we gained ten, twenty, thirty pounds but we don’t know how we got there.  All the sudden...

How have you spent your time during the last four weeks? Does it make you proud or does it make you cringe a little? If it makes you proud…yay and keep it up!  If it makes you cringe, let that go and let’s regroup. None of us knew what was coming our way a couple of months ago and none of us could predict how things would play out or how we would respond to being quarantined, so let’s cut ourselves some slack.

At this point in time, what is important is to look forward, make a plan and choose to come out of this thing better than you were going into it. We have at least two more weeks (likely more) so there is enough time for you to do something that will make yourself proud.  Two weeks is plenty of time to start to form a new, healthy habit.  Two weeks is plenty of time to clean or organize something in your home.  Two weeks is plenty of time to read a book, listen to an educational podcast and start to learn something new. Two weeks is...

Although the options are endless, I decided to make a list of the many things that interest me that I could do during quarantine.  I thought of all the things I wish I could learn, do or explore if only I had more time and made a list. I thought I would share it with others in case it inspires you to come up with your own list.

Assuming we have internet access, some books and a little creativity, there is no reason we should be bored during quarantine.  I’m not saying that I don’t wish I could go out to eat, go out shopping just for fun or go spend time with friends, but what I am saying is that not having those options does not mean I have to be bored. For me, spending hours each day watching television or scrolling social media will lead to boredom.

Instead, I am choosing to learn, grow, have some fun and do some things I never seem to have time for. I will likely not have time to get through my entire list, however, I will keep it and try to continue to...

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions. 

Too often there are situations where people think they will be happy if something happens to bring them happiness.  When I get the promotion, I will be happy.  When I find my soulmate, I will be happy.  When I start a family, I will be happy.  When I finish school, I will be happy.  When I have better living accommodations, I will be happy.  When I land my dream job, I will be happy.  When I can finally take a vacation, I will be happy.  The list could go on, but hopefully you get my point.  Can you relate to any of these scenarios?  Many of us have thought this at times in our lives.

While each of the scenarios above could make us happy (at least in the moment), bring more comfort to our lives or positively impact our lives in some way, thinking like this diminishes the idea that we are in control of our happiness and that we have the ability to be happy, despite our...

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions. 

Where did the time go?  How many times have you said this to yourself or others?  How many times have you gotten to the end of your day or week and wondered what you actually got done?  We have all been there…a lot! 

If you are reading this, you are likely busy and a doer.  I already like you…you are my kind of person!  There have been many weekends where I get to Sunday and think…where did two full days go?  I used to get really frustrated so I was motivated to come up with a system where I make sure that I am accomplishing the things I need to accomplish each day, week, month, quarter and year.

Before I go on…let’s talk about “to do” lists. I am a list person, so I am not here to tell you not to have one.  However, I used to make these super long “to do lists” that were overwhelming for me to look at, let alone act on. 

I...

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions.

Anguilla is a magical island paradise with white sandy beaches and beautiful turquoise water.  It is romantic, quiet and absolutely stunning.  While our goal in going to Anguilla was celebrate our ten-year anniversary, relax and unwind at the luxurious Belmond Cap Juluca, we decided to take a couple day trips to see other, small islands in the area. You can check out my blog post about the amazing Belmond Cap Juluca here.

The first trip we took was to Sandy Island which is two miles off the coast of Anguilla and ended up being such a special part of our vacation.  This is a very small sand spit (273 yards x 82 yards) that has been submerged for periods of time following hurricanes.  It was ruined in 2017 by hurricane Irma. 

Lucky for us, the restaurant was rebuilt, and visitors are still able to enjoy all the magic this island has to offer.  By “magic” I mean, beautiful turquoise...

What makes food “organic”?

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions.

There is a lot of talk about eating organically but what does this really mean?  When you think organic, think natural.  Organic foods are grown without the use of man-made fertilizers or pesticides and organic meat and poultry comes from animals who have not been fed growth regulators or feed additives.

Unfortunately, we live in an age where growing foods with pesticides is commonplace...and dangerous.  Scientists believe that even small doses of these dangerous chemicals can cause damage to our health and overall well being.  The ingestion of pesticides can cause headaches, nausea, inflammation, digestive issues, fatigue, skin irritation as well as more serious conditions like cancer, reproductive harm and endocrine disruption to name a few.  What is scary is that all the potential damage is likely still not fully known. 

Our bodies were not built to...

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions.

The short version about Anguilla and The Belmond Cap Juluca is…YOU…MUST…GO!  Now, I will go into the longer version.  When looking for a “beach vacation”, I like to try to find new places to visit.  I have been to many amazing beach locations that I would visit again without a doubt, however, I also like exploring new places which is how we ended up going to Anguilla. 

When looking for a great place to go for our ten-year anniversary, where we could unwind and spend quality time together, I kept noticing this small island in beautiful pictures on the internet and in travel magazines.  The long, white sand beaches and perfectly clear blue / green water kept catching my attention over and over, so I started to really consider it for our vacation, and I am so glad I did. 

Anguilla is in the eastern Caribbean Sea and is a British overseas territory.  It is a flat...

Do the People Around You Support You or Sabotage You?

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions.  

Asking yourself whether the people around you support you or sabotage you in achieving your goals is an important question for us all to ask ourselves.  To start off, let me say that I don’t think all sabotage is intentional and I also don’t think that other people are responsible for our successes or failures, however, I am saying that they can sure make it easier or harder for us to stay on track while working towards our goals. 

The reality is that not everyone will support all your goals.  Whether you are trying to lose weight, build a business, devote more time to your family or devote more time to your community, not everyone will understand your goals and not everyone will think your goals are attainable.  This is where your WHY matters most. 

What is critical is that you believe in your goals, that you are committed to...