Live Your Best Life!

Have you heard this saying before? I have heard it many times but up until recently, I have not really examined how it plays out in my own life. I am going to share with you what I discovered and the process I used to discover it. I also encourage you to go through this process so that you can identify if you should change what you are prioritizing in your life. After I went through this process, I was able to make some good changes in how I was prioritizing things so that I did not feel like I was saying yes to too many things, and so that I felt like I was saying yes to the right things. I was also able to realize how some small, seemingly meaningless decisions could add up to big results (both positive and negative).

Anytime we say yes to something, we are saying no to something else. The problem is, much of the time we don’t even realize what it is that we are saying no to. This applies to all areas of our lives. Let me give you some examples to makes sure we are on...

Do you have goals for yourself? I sure hope you do! I am definitely of the mindset that I always want to be growing and evolving into the best version of myself, however, this can be easier said than done. I am going to explain to you why and I am also going to give you some strategies to get unstuck if you are someone who sets goals and then either downgrades them or gives up on them completely.

It all comes back to your brain. You would think that your brain would be your biggest motivator and your biggest supporter…and it is…just not in the way you want it to be. Your brain is designed to protect you. That’s it’s number one job always. It wants to keep you comfortable and safe. This sounds nice on the surface, however, any time you are trying to do something new that will require you to push yourself, even just a little, your brain will try to hold you back. It’s alarm will go off that you are doing something that may cause you discomfort...

Doesn’t this sound like a great day? I think so! The reality is that this completely possible, however it will not just “happen” without some intention and effort. If we are not thoughtful about both how we want to spend our time each day and how we feel each day, we will lose control over both.

Think about if you were going on an amazing vacation and had to be at the airport at five in the morning to catch your flight. You would likely wake up determined to make sure that you got to the airport on time so that you did not miss out on your amazing vacation. You would have thought about what time you needed to get up, what needed to get done before you left the house, what last minute items you needed to pack, how you would get to the airport, and what time you needed to leave the house. You would have even done some prep work the night before to make sure your morning went as smoothly as possible. Perhaps you even went to bed a little earlier so that you...

How often do you hear people say things like, “The pandemic is ruining everything”, or “My boss makes me crazy”, or “My job is burning me out”, or “My finances cause me so much stress”, or “My mother-in-law drives me crazy”? My guess is you have heard many people say something similar to one of these things, and likely you have said things like this as well. Most of us have! If you can relate, you are not alone, however, it is something you may want to consider changing.

The reason I would like you to consider changing this is because it results in your being powerless. If you believe that your life is ruined because of the pandemic, you give up complete control over your life. If you believe that your boss or mother-in-law are driving you crazy, you give up complete control of your sanity. If you believe that your job or your finances are causing you stress and burning you out, you give up complete control over...

More than 50% of Americans get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep per night. I am sure this is similar in other parts of the world as well. All the research points to how important sleep is, however, so many still struggle to get in the minimum of seven hours of sleep each night.

Why are we not prioritizing sleep? It may be that you feel that later in the evenings is the only time you have for yourself to relax watching television, catch up on social media, catch up on work, or take care of other household chores. For some, it may be that you wear it like a badge of honor that you don’t need many hours of sleep each night to function. For some, it may be that you can’t fall asleep when you get into bed, so you stropped trying to go to bed early and prefer to fall asleep on the couch. For some it may be that you feel like there are not enough hours in the day for you to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night and still accomplish everything else.

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Are you someone who keeps telling yourself that you want to do something, yet you never actually get to it? I think we have all been there at some point…some of us more than others! If this is you, you are not alone. I am going to examine why I believe this happens and then give you some strategies to help you break this cycle.

For many of us, we say it is because we don’t have time, that we are waiting for the “right time”, or that we will get to it “someday”.  The reality is that we do have time if we make our goal a priority. The reality is that there will never be a “right time”. The reality is that “someday” often means never. The reason we keep putting things off is a mindset issue, more than anything else.

What I mean by this is that we are unconsciously not making certain things a priority, even though we say and believe that we really want to achieve them. Why? Usually, it is because...

Why does it feel like food is EVERYWHERE during the holiday season? Usually because it is! The stores are pushing all kinds of unhealthy food, everyone wants to contribute to family / friend meals, there are appetizers before the meal, desserts after the meal, drinks flowing, and then…leftovers. This can make it really challenging to avoid gaining weight during this time of year.

You may be temped to want to give up and eat whatever you want and “start over” on January 1^st. This may be the pattern you have had in past years, but let’s make this year different. The key is to have a clear plan for what you will eat, how much you will eat, and how often you will eat. This is 100% doable with just a little planning. I will walk you through this process below so that you are set up for success this holiday season.

1. Don’t “overshop”. Make a list when you go to the grocery store and stick with it. Avoid the temptation to buy all the...

Emotional health is critical to our overall functioning. It impacts every aspect of our lives including our relationships, our careers, and our physical health. Often, this aspect of our wellbeing is not discussed or approached with the same care and urgency as we approach physical health issues.

The strategies I will discuss here are actionable items that do not require a lot of time each day. They can be implemented right away and, with consistency, will improve your overall emotional health. I am not including sleep, diet, and exercise in this list; however, getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night, maintaining a healthy diet, and having a regular exercise routine are three important components for improving emotional health. Science has proven it repeatedly, so in addition to the action items below, be sure that you are getting enough sleep, eating clean, whole foods, drinking lots of water and exercising regularly. 

Strategy #1: Mindfulness

This is one of the...

As humans, we spend so much of our time looking back or planning for the future and as a result, often lose sight of the moment we are actually in. Our human brain is wired to function like this. It likes to look back and analyze things that have happened in the past. It also likes to look to the future to plan and to look for potential danger, however, this often results in our feeling stress, anxiety, or worry. With all this activity, how do you get your brain to remain focused on the present moment?

With some effort, you can train your brain to spend more time in the present moment. There are many benefits to this including those listed below.

• Being present allows you to enjoy the here and now when things are going well.
• Being present allows you to experience and process difficult emotions when they arise.
• Being present allows you to have increased focus and attention on what you are doing today that will benefit your future.
• Being present allows you to form deeper connections...

What are the things that you do consistently on a daily or weekly basis? These are things that are likely habits you have formed in your life. There is both good news and bad news when it comes to habits. The good news is that the right habits can help propel you towards the things you want to achieve in your life. The bad news is that the wrong habits can really hold you back from the things you want to achieve in your life.

For example, you may have good habits around getting up in the morning, getting organized for your day, planning what you want to accomplish, and sticking to the plan. These are all examples of positive habits that will help you achieve what you want to achieve. Instead, you could also have a habit of numbing out watching television at night, staying up too late, waking up late, being rushed in the morning, and not having time to take the action you need to be taking in order to achieve your goals. In each of these situations, the daily habits mentioned...