Live Your Best Life!

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 also used to do the classic move of putting something on my list that I had already done, just so I could cross...

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 water, soft sand, live music, amazing food, friendly sta...

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 consume chemicals and toxins.  They were made to eat nat...

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 island and is sixteen miles long and a little over three miles wide at the wi...

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 your goals and that you have confidence that you can ...

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions.

How would you answer if someone asked you, who are you?  Would you answer by stating your name?  Would you answer by stating your profession?  Would you say I am ________’s partner or I am ____________’s mother?  Would you say I am someone who believes in equality for all and that the world is a good place?  Would you say, I am a spiritual person? Would you say, I am a strong woman who helps people __________ or would you say I don’t know. 

This is a question that we probably do not take enough time to reflect on as we go though life.  Even if who we are at our core stays relatively consistent, who we are at different stages of our life changes and it can be beneficial to take time to examine this periodically.  After examining who we are, it is important that we ask ourselves if who we are today is the person we want to be.  If the answer is no, we don’t have to accept that this is just the way it is.  We have the power to change our c...

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions.

Trying to stay focused on your weight loss, health or your eating goals, can be a challenge when going out to eat.  You will likely see food choices that are high in carbs, salt and sugar. You will likely be offered very large portions.  You will likely be offered alcohol, appetizers, bread and dessert in addition to your meal.  Maybe a soup or salad too! 

Add in the company you are with who may want to overindulge by ordering lots of appetizers and drinks to kick off your big night out.  In addition, let’s top that with the delicious smell you experience when you walk into most restaurants and BAM…it’s on! 

These circumstances can make it very challenging to stay on track with your wellness goals and before you know it, you easily could have eaten WAY more than you expected.  What happens next, is that you often end up beating yourself up because it feels like you have taken a step backwards in your weight loss or health progress.  Bu...

Hi!  It's Karen from Karen Vincent Solutions. 

The culture of an organization and/or a team is very important to its overall success.  As leaders, our goal is to have employees who want to come to work, who want to work hard for the success of the organization and who feel proud about what they do each day. 

We want employees who are emotionally committed to their place of employment.  Unfortunately, this is not the reality for many organizations and, although they vary, statics show that less than half of the workforce is actually engaged in what they do day to day.

Does this mean that they are unhappy or disgruntled?  Not necessarily.  Someone could show up and like the people they work with, have fun at work and appreciate the paycheck the receive; however, this does not mean they feel connected or committed to the work they do each day. 

When employees are not engaged, their effort is not as strong.  When employees are not engaged, they are not very loyal and may always been look...