Strategies for Success

How To Make Decisions When You Feel Stuck

September 19, 2022

If you are preparing for a career transition or another big event in your life, you may feel stuck. You may feel like you can’t take the first step. Maybe you don’t feel courageous. Maybe you feel hopeless about your current situation. You could just be feeling too drained to make that first move. However, there is one thing that stops people time and time again from achieving their goals. This one thing makes us play small and stay in our comfort zones.

How to make decisions when you feel stuck

You probably think I’m going to say fear of change, but while that is a factor, it’s only part of it. The one thing that stops us in our tracks is the difficulty with or inability to make decisions.

Do you ever have this problem? You are thinking about something for weeks or months. You want to make a decision, but you just can’t. You haven’t picked an end date, you’re asking everyone you know what you should do, you’re going back and forth and this decision is hanging over you like a dark cloud. Moths or years will go by and you still haven’t taken action. Why not? Well, because you’re afraid of making the wrong decision. You want to please others and be well liked. You are placing too much emphasis on what others think. Then where does that leave you? It leaves you stuck and with unfulfilled dreams. In this post, I’ll give you several strategies to help you make decisions when you feel stuck.

I’m capable of making decisions that are best for me

Follow Your Intuition

The most important thing is to follow your intuition. Some of us don’t trust us and have fears of this because we don’t trust ourselves, but this is the only thing in the end that really matters.
If we can feel that a decision is good for us in our body, that is so important. That means it’s a healthy decision for us. If there is negative tension in our body around this decision, we may need to rethink it.

Set a Deadline

The second most important thing to do is set a dead line. Pick a date to make a decision by and stick to it. Market on your calendar if you have to. Meanwhile you can use the strategies listed below.

Do Research

Do your research. If it’s something you’re deciding such as which product to buy, how much to spend on certain items, which school your kids should attend, which classes you want to take etc. Google is your friend. Other times research may involve calling a company, driving to different locations, interviewing people, visiting a library etc. Write down the results of your research if necessary. If something doesn’t seem right, don’t be afraid to keep investigating. Your intuition will serve you well here. For example, if you are making a career decision, Talk to people who work for the company you are interested in. Visit their website, check out the company culture and values, look for salary information, look at reviews etc.

If you do the proper research, you can make your decision not only on your intuition and feelings, but the hard facts as well. Using both of these methods, you will make a decision you feel comfortable with.

I believe in my ability to make decisions

Meditation

Meditation can work as well. If you were questioning something major in your life, maybe you want to meditate over it for several days or weeks. Let your intuition guide you. After each meditation, you may want to write down your thoughts and or feelings about what came up for you. Then using what you wrote down, you can use this information to guide your decision.

Pros and Cons List

A simple way is to make a pros and cons list. Which ever list is longer is the one that is your deciding factor. This may be a good strategy for simple decisions, but if it’s something more complicated where you have to weigh all the factors, this might not work for you.

Deciding between healthy and unhealthy food

Ask for Advice

Finally, you may want to ask someone for advice. However, if you have a pattern of struggling to make decisions based on what other people think or fear that they will not like you depending on the decision you make, I would use this sparingly. It should be someone you trust, someone that can keep an open mind and someone who can keep things confidential. Especially if it’s a sensitive topic. Again, someone that is trustworthy is key. I would also suggest against asking too many people for advice. The more people you involve, the muddy or the waters. Unless the decision directly affects someone, you don’t have to involve them. unless you feel good about doing so.

Some questions you should ask yourself in the decision making process:

Am I calm and thinking clearly?
Do I need to step away from the situation before making my final decision?
What are the consequences of either side of my decision?
Does my decision align with my values?
What would I tell a friend if she came to me asking for advice?

How to make confident and clear decisions

To summarize if you are having decision fatigue or you are struggling to make decisions because of fear or people pleasing,, there are several strategies that can help. Following your intuition, setting a deadline, meditation, using a pros and cons list, doing your research and or asking others for advice. What strategies do you use to make decisions? Tell me in the comments.

0 comments

Productivity

How to Adjust to a New Routine

September 12, 2022

I’ve been talking to my audience and one thing that keeps coming up is the struggle with adjusting to a new routine. It’s September, so that means back to school. That means getting up earlier, rushing out of the house and having to be on your kids about getting dressed and doing anything to get them out the door. If you struggle with this, you are not alone. Here are several strategies to adjust to or create a new routine that your family will love. If they don’t love the new routine, it will be at least tolerable. Maybe even enjoyable.

The Purpose of Your Routine

First, look at your why. Why does this new routine need to happen? It being September, the most obvious reason would be the kids going back to school, but there may be other reasons to start a new routine such as a new baby, a move, the start of a new job etc. Looking at the reasons behind any new routine will help you stay clear and focused.

Planning Your New Routine

To begin creating your new plan, ask the following questions. Write out the answers and share them with family if necessary.

What needs to happen in the morning?
What needs to happen at night?
Who needs to get up when?
What could you do to speed up your morning routine?
Who will do which tasks?

Routine Tweaks and or Suggestions

Create a schedule for use of the bathroom if you have to.
Maybe kids need baths at night instead.
Create a chore chart for the kids.
Set out clothes the night before.
Pack lunches the night before.
Start the routine a couple weeks before the actual change needs to happen.

Practice Gratitude

In order for change to be welcome and to stick, you have to find some benefit in it. It can take at least 21 days for new habits to stick, so don’t get discouraged if anyone in the family slips back to their old ways of doing things.

What are the benefits of the new routine?
What are you grateful for?
Will it give you more time to yourself.
Will it give your kids more structure?
Will you get more work done?

Relieve Your Anxiety

Is there any anxiety around your new routine? Change can be scary if it is a large change. Humans are creatures of habit so even small changes can be bothersome. If you find yourself resisting, it’s time to look at any anxiety you have around the new routine. Here’s a list of some examples, but you may have some that are different.

I’ll be late for work.
We won’t get enough sleep.
I’ll have to get up earlier and I’m not a morning person.
I won’t have enough time to myself.
I’ll be yelling at my kids.
I’ll feel rushed.
My kids can’t do enough for themselves yet and I’ll have to do everything.
I’ll be busy looking for things. The keys, a pair of shoes, the child’s homework etc.

Get Organized

One way to beat some of this anxiety is to get organized. Find places to keep things and make sure they are kept there. A basket by the door, a place for the backpack, a hanger for keys, Organize drawers so that clothing or personal items can easily be found.

Have a morning routine you love.

Do you feel stressed and hurried in the morning? If so, you will want to create some nonnegotiable rituals. Some examples may be Meditation, exercise, journaling, a cup of tea or coffee, watching the news, watching cat videos etc. Whatever gives you a boost, relieves some stress and can be done in a short amount of time, do it! Even if you have to get up a few minutes earlier. You may have to delegate some tasks or do them the night before. Doing something for yourself in the morning is so worth it. It starts your day on a more positive note and it may only take a few minutes depending on your rituals. If possible, do this before the kids are out of bed. This way you have some quiet time to yourself.

To summarize, get clear on why your routine needs to happen if it isn’t obvious. Then create a plan. Who does what tasks and when? Figure out what makes you anxious about the change and then get organized. Decide what you can let go of and what are your non negotiables. Through this process you will create a new routine that you love. If it’s not something you love, it will be a routine you can tolerate. Did I miss anything? What helps you get adjusted to a new routine? Tell me in the comments!

0 comments

Personal Development

5 Lessons I Learned From Starting a Meditation Practice

August 22, 2022

You may have noticed that I haven’t been very active on the blog this year. I have had a difficult year and perhaps I will explain more in a future post. I’m still pretty guarded with the details, but I will say that I am now using this time to improve myself. Personal growth can be a life saver in the difficult times, but one lesson I’ve learned is that we should never drop the ball on this.

We should always be growing and learning. Not that there’s anything wrong with where you are at, but in my experience the times where I’ve been stuck are the times when I’ve stopped caring for myself. Some of the things that I use to keep me grounded are gratitude journaling and having my crystalsaround me. One thing I’ve never been good at, but have recently added to my routine is meditation.

I was inspired by a course I was taking. The first module involved creating a morning routine that set the tone for the day. I found that the tone for my morning was frantic, irritated and generally grumpy. I’m a bear in the morning. I’ll admit it! It’s not pleasant, so I wanted to change this. First, I decided to get up earlier and do some journaling about what I’m grateful for. This allows me to focus on what’s good in my life as soon as I open my eyes. Then I added meditation to the practice.

5 lessons I’ve learned from starting a meditation practice

What does it mean to be good at meditation?

I decided that even though I’m not good at it, that’d I’d make it a habit, but when I thought about it, what does it mean to be good at meditation anyway? I’m picturing these people at retreats spending hours in stillness and silence. Other times I picture that people who are good at meditating have all these awesome visualizations and or revelations. I’m lucky if I can stop my mind from wandering. I picture people being able to meditate without any guidance. They can just go into this state of total relaxation and feel so refreshed afterward.

Lessons Learned from Meditation

I am good enough!

I can’t say that I’ve ever been in a meditative state, but I can say it’s relaxing. I can’t always still my mind, but I go with the flow. I have the thought and then try focusing back on the meditation. I use guided meditations, so I have something to concentrate on. Even though I sometimes find it hard to visualize, the guided meditations help with this.

Get in touch with your body

I’m learning that it’s okay not to be in a certain position. Sometimes I sit or lay down. I pick which ever position feels best to me at the time. Usually, I’m laying since it’s right after I wake up, but if I try meditating later in the day, I sit. If you need to be moving to stay focused, they even have walking meditations. Meditation is also a great way to check in with all parts of your body, but more on that later.

Trust Your Intuition

I used to feel guilty or bad if my mind wandered. Now I go with it because maybe those thoughts are the start of a break through. You never know unless you follow your intuition. You can use some of your thoughts while you are meditating for journaling as well if you feel you need to explore something further. You can also use your intuition to find which meditation will work best for you.

What you can learn from starting a meditation practice

You can Meditate on Anything

Is there a specific issue you are working through? There are meditations for just about anything as I’ve recently discovered. Some of the themes I’ve chosen are the beach, letting go, forgiveness, crystal healing and being more confident. I’ve even used a couple meditations for kids with Rosebud to help her calm down after a bad day. I had no idea of the possibilities open to me.

The importance of trying something new

One of the promises that I’ve made to myself is that I will take as many new opportunities as I can. Meditation has never been something I put much effort into, but it was relatively easy for me to try. I didn’t think it would benefit me, but I figured why not try? Here is what I found so far. It helps me get and stay more relaxed while starting my morning. I have a space to either think or zone out. It’s my choice. I can explore specific themes or just listen to some nature sounds or restful music. I can get in touch with my body. Where is the tension? Where do I feel pain? How am I feeling today? Finally, I can feel good about taking ten minutes each day to care for my mind and body.

There are numerous benefits of meditation, but each person’s experience is unique. I have learned that you don’t have to be good at meditation to get started. You should always trust your intuition. You can meditate on any topic. Meditation is a fantastic way to be in touch with your body. Last but not least, you won’t find the good stuff if you never try something new.

Why you should start a meditation practice

Do you have a meditation practice? What have you learned along the way? Do you have any favorite meditations? I’d love to hear in the comments!

0 comments

Goals and Dreams, Personal Development

How to Choose Your Word for 2021

December 31, 2020

Since 2020 is finally wrapping up, I want to start focusing on 2021. Honestly, I’m grateful that 2020 is ending. It has been a horrible year for many. However, I will be taking some things from 2020 with me like the importance of slowing down, continuing to build my business as well as the personal progress I’ve made this year. While I know all the terrible things won’t go away the moment the ball drops, it’s important to look ahead. Have you been thinking about New Years resolutions?

The truth is most people make resolutions and then lose their motivation after a month or two. This is why I’ve gotten into the practice of choosing a word for the year. Even if you change or drop your goals, your word can still guide you. You don’t have to feel guilty about not sticking to those New Years resolutions. You can use your word as a guide for your daily actions and even if you skip a day or a week, you have nothing to feel guilty about. Doesn’t that sound much better? Here is how to choose your word for 2021.

Word for 2021 Brainstorming Exercises

You may already have a word in mind or you might not know how to start if this is your first time. The first step is to brainstorm and you can go about this in several ways.

Journaling

Write in your journal. Describe what you want 2021 to look like. Don’t forget all areas of your life. Personal, family, professional, social life, hobbies etc. The sky is the limit.

Do any themes reoccur?

Do any words pop out at you?

What feeling do you get?

Vision Board

If you are a more visual person, you may want to create a vision board for 2021. If you spend time visualizing your goals, you will achieve them. Just the act of visualizing your goals can bring them closer. If you don’t know where to start or don’t have any inspiration, there are tons of vision board images and tutorials online.

You can create a physical version with a sheet of poster board and some cut out pictures or you can create a digital version.

Here are some things you may want to put on your board.

Inspirational quotes or phrases,

Words that resonate with you,

Places you’d like to travel too,

Items you’d like to have,

Pictures of your dream home,

Pictures that represent your goals such as money, fitness, schooling, new hobbies etc.

Family life: Children, weddings, new partner, current partner etc.

The sky is the limit with this exercise too. Let your imagination and creativity go and make something you love!

Word Cloud

Make a word cloud or list of words that resonate with you. Whatever pops into your head. You can either do this exercise first or be inspired to make your list by one of the other exercises. Anything goes here as well.

What word or words pop out at you?

Which words connect to your goals?

Set Goals

If you haven’t already, set some goals for the new year. I know that I’ve said you may not want to set New Years resolutions, but there still may be goals or dreams you have in mind for 2021 and beyond. Maybe you want to get in better shape, find a new relationship, be more present with your kids, take a family vacation etc. List your goals and the steps you need to take to get there. For more specific goal setting tips, come join me on Instagram!

For now, just make a list of your top goals and see if any of them are connected. Perhaps, that’s where you will find your word.

Let’s take my goals for 2021 as an example.

1. Get ten coaching clients.

2. Take a course for marketing on Instagram.

3. Create my new weekly newsletter.

4. Meet the man I have been talking to online.

5. Be more present with Rosebud.

6. Try a new hobby.

Most of these goals relate to beginning, creating, or starting something new, so I have chosen the word beginning for 2021. When I picture 2021, I picture a year of beginnings. A fresh start with opportunities to create something new. Wiping the slate clean and drawing a new picture. Rosebud has this new writing tablet and when she is done with her picture, all she has to do is push a button and it disappears. You are left with a blank screen to start over. That is my metaphor for 2021. Beginning again.

List of Words for Inspiration

If you aren’t inspired yet, here are a list of words to help you get started.

Adventure, Abundance, Change, Confidence, Connection,

Direction, Excitement, Focus, Friendship, Gratitude,

Happiness, Joy, Kindness, Learning, Love,

Movement, Positivity, Present, Productive, Reflection,

Renewing, Results, Self-acceptance, Self-care, Sharing,

Tolerance, Trust, Truth, Wealth, Wonder.

What is your word for 2021? Tell me in the comments. I’d love to know. I wish you a happy new year. May 2021 be filled with peace and prosperity for all of us. I hope 2021 will be a time to reconnect and reunite. As always, stay safe and healthy.

1 Comment

Motherhood, Personal Development, Self Care

How To Accept Your Uniqueness

December 10, 2020

I had a plan for this week. I was going to talk a little about self-care and do a list of stocking stuffers to pamper the moms in your life. While gift guides are great and we all need to take care of ourselves, I wasn’t feeling compelled to put it together. Right now, there is something more important in my heart. It is still a form of self-care, but it’s not the tangible measurable kind. It’s the kind that you feel in your heart and soul. It’s the kind that helps you feel at peace and at ease with yourself.

Accepting Uniqueness

Today I want to share an amazing strategy for working on self acceptance. Some people say these things are flaws, imperfections or quirks. I prefer to see it as your uniqueness. It’s the stuff that makes you who you are. The stuff that makes you like no one else. The stuff that makes you interesting!

Embrace Yourself

Last weekend, Rosebud really wanted to paint, so I decided to let her paint while I worked on Instagram posts. By the time she was done, there was paint everywhere. It was all over her, her tray and dripping off the paper. It was the kind of painting I couldn’t keep. I lifted it to put it on the counter to dry and the paint poured off. It upset Rosebud, but it went straight to the trash. Honestly, I was bothered by the mess. It took me forever to clean it up and while I know messy play is important for kids, I hate dealing with it. I clean up after kids all day at work. I don’t want to do it here too. It’s not fair to Rosebud, but it’s a fact. I do set up messy play opportunities for her, but they are few and far between.

The No Paint Mama

My anxiety about clean up goes through the roof and I hate feeling that every time. At first, I started thinking about what a failure I am as a mom. How my child needs this and maybe I’m depriving her of something, but am I really or am I too focused on the shoulds and coulds. In that moment, I decided to embrace the fact that I’m not a messy play mom. I told one person on Instagram that I’d be the no paint mama.

When I thought about it, Rosebud enjoys many forms of sensory play like water, the rice bin, kinetic sand, play-dough,, water beads, shredded paper etc. She does drawing, water colors, gluing, cutting and decorating with stickers, so she gets plenty of exposure to arts and crafts. Even after all that, why was I hung up on the paint? She doesn’t need to do messy finger painting every day to be a well rounded child. Those voices popped up in my head. Those annoying shoulds.

What They Tell Us

Then today during a coaching call, I had this amazing break through. This is why I love coaching so much. We were talking about marketing strategies for my business and how to make the best use of my time. I told her how I felt I was making the most of my time by using Instagram, but there are the shoulds. The experts saying that you need to be on all forms of social media and be doing all things. You need to post videos, write blog entries, send out a newsletter, create podcasts, schedule multiple posts on every platform etc.

In real life, this is too much for one person. This involves hiring tasks out. While this is possible for a successful business owner, you can’t always do this when you are first starting out. I need to simplify, so for now I am focusing on one social media platform. While so many people recommend Facebook for this purpose, I had to choose the one I’m having the most fun and best interaction with. Even if it goes against the advice of the so called experts who don’t know me or my audience. I need to follow my own path.

Living in the Present

My next battle with the shoulds was about creating a marketing plan. The experts say to create a 60 or 90 day marketing plan. While this works great for sales, tracking income etc, it wasn’t working for me with social media marketing. I have a 90 day plan laid out in a spread sheet and you know what? I used none of it. You might be wondering why. It’s because I need to create content around what I’m feeling in that moment. What am I struggling with? What can my audience relate to? How can I be the most authentic?

If I’m focusing on something from three months ago, I may not be feeling that way today. Everything surrounding children and motherhood change so fast, that I have to scrap my plan. This is a metaphor for motherhood, right? Nothing goes as planned. As soon as you have something figured out, it changes.

The Strategy

Speaking of metaphors, that is the strategy. My coach asked me what I took away from our sessions, but she asked me if there was one image that I could hold in my mind that embodied everything I’ve learned. It didn’t make sense at first, but the first image that came to mind was a fluffy white cloud floating along in the sky. The more I thought about it, a girl floated on top of the cloud. As I explained the cloud metaphor to my coach, it started to take shape.

I am embracing my uniqueness and every cloud has its own shape. Clouds are floating. The wind is carrying them, but they have an energy of their own. They are not listening to the other clouds, they are on their own path, reaching their own destination. Their shapes may change over time. They may rise or fall. They may come together to touch other clouds or break away on their own, but in the end, they have their uniqueness. Isn’t that why we look at them? Isn’t that where we find the beauty?

Chipping Away

This strategy isn’t an easy fix. Accepting yourself is life long work. It changes from day to day. I see it like creating a sculpture. Each day, you chip away and get one step closer to where you want to be. The beautiful sculpture starts to take its shape and then is revealed over time.

What is Your Metaphor?

What do you need to embrace? What is your image or metaphor that can help you accept your beauty? Your uniqueness. The things that make you interesting, authentic and wonderful. If you need help with this process, let’s jump on a

discovery call. I’d love to help you celebrate your uniqueness.

1 Comment

Gratitude, Personal Development

What To Do When You Want to Feel Grateful, but Don’t

November 30, 2020

I was going to end my gratitude series with a post on the 20 things I’m thankful for in 2020, but whenever I sit down to write this post, I’m not feeling grateful. I’m thinking about all the things that are not working for me right now and I’m thinking about everything wrong in the world. That doesn’t leave much head space for gratitude. Rather than try to force myself to write a post that’s not coming, I thought why not share strategies to help you when you are having difficulty feeling grateful. Here are three strategies that can help you when you want to feel gratitude, but don’t.

Accept Your Feelings

Everyone knows that it’s better to have positive thoughts. I don’t think anyone consciously wants to stay in a negative thought pattern, but it’s easy to get stuck there. I think of it as a spiral. Something negative can happen to me in the morning and it can effect me for the rest of the day. On the other hand if something really positive happens, your thoughts start to go upward and you notice the positive things that are happening. This is why well meaning people say things like, “think positive” or “be grateful for what you have.” Well, there are times when life feels pretty shitty and you can’t see the beauty because you are living your nightmare day after day. The nightmare is different for everyone. It could be an abusive relationship, a horrible job, a bad break up, losing a loved one etc. There is usually something to be grateful for in the end no matter the situation, but sometimes it can be microscopic.

If you’re the person who needs the magnifying glass right now to see beauty in your life or to find that shred of gratitude, it’s okay. I’ll say that again, it’s okay not to feel grateful every moment. It makes those moments when you feel real gratitude even more powerful. Just notice how you are feeling and let it pass. You are not a horrible person if you weren’t spilling over with gratitude over the Thanksgiving holiday. I know I wasn’t and I felt guilty about it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it is healthier to accept my feelings.

Make a Happy List

While there are so many benefits of gratitude, that doesn’t matter if you are not feeling it. Your mindset doesn’t change over night. Sometimes, we have to take baby steps. Rather than thinking about things you are grateful for, start by thinking about or making a list of what makes you happy. What makes you smile? What makes you laugh? You may be thinking, but isn’t that a gratitude list? Well, in a way it is since gratitude and happiness are closely linked. I want to take gratitude out of the equation for now because if you are not feeling grateful, you may feel pressured to come up with things you are grateful for. On the other hand, it’s not usually hard to come up with a list of things that make you happy.

This list can be as short or long as you want. It can be things from both past and present. Here’s a sample list I came up with.
Rosebud, mocha coffee, cupcakes, making people laugh, the beach, reading a good book, when someone says something I wrote helped them, wearing a pretty dress, snuggling with Diamond, hot chocolate, cheese cake, days off, chats with friends, when I’ve helped a coaching client, baby laughter, etc. I could go on and on, but you get the point. After you’ve made your list, how do you feel? Do you feel happier? Are you feeling more grateful than when you started?

Reverse Bucket List

When you think of a bucket list, you usually think of all the things you want to do in the future. Well, a reverse bucket list is all the amazing things you’ve already done.

What have you accomplished that you are proud of?
What events have made your life meaningful?
What have you really enjoyed about your life?

The purpose of doing this list is to remind yourself of the great things you’ve done in your past. Some examples may be having your children, meeting your partner, your wedding day, an amazing vacation, getting an advanced degree, a career switch, buying a home, learning an important lesson etc. You may in fact be grateful for these things, but haven’t stopped to appreciate them. This way, if you aren’t feeling grateful in the moment, you can recall things that will bring you back to feeling gratitude.

Did you have trouble feeling gratitude this season? What do you do when you are feeling ungrateful? Tell me in the comments.

0 comments

Gratitude, Personal Development, Self Care

50 Journal Prompts to Express Gratitude

November 12, 2020

This is the second post in my gratitude series for November. If you missed it, check out these Five Benefits of Starting a Gratitude Practice. Now that we know why we should practice gratitude regularly, let’s dive into some gratitude exercises. There are different things you can do depending on your preferences, but this week, I will be focusing on journaling.

Why Journaling?

My favorite way to practice gratitude is through journaling for several reasons.

It can be done in five minutes if you are short on time.
The writing possibilities are endless.
You can journal on a small notebook or your phone making it convenient.
You can use photos to capture your thoughts instead of writing.
Writing can be therapeutic regardless of the topic.

You may be thinking, what do I write about? Well, as I said above, the possibilities are endless, but I’m giving you 50 journal prompts to get you started. They are in no particular order. Just use the ones that resonate with you. Feel the joy and gratitude this can bring and don’t forget to have fun with this.

Gratitude for Today

List five things you are grateful for.
Look around the room and list as many things that you see that you are grateful for.
What made you smile today?
What things do you take for granted?
What’s one thing you learned today or this week?
What is your most recent purchase that has added value to your life?
How can you share your gratitude with others?
How can you pamper yourself today?
How is your life more positive today than it was a year ago?
What’s one win you’ve experienced in the past 24 hours?
Take a photo of something you are grateful for and caption it.

Gratitude for Memories

What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen or heard?
List some acts of kindness that people have shown you.
Describe your favorite childhood memory.
Whats the best book you’ve read and why?
Write about a difficult experience you learned from.
What family tradition are you most grateful for?
What gifts have you enjoyed the most?

Gratitude for Yourself

Make a list of the things you are good at.
Make a list of the things you enjoy.
What are your favorite foods?
What helps you relax?
Make a list of your favorite songs. Better yet, make a playlist on your favorite music service.
Make a list of your successes.
Make a list of your favorite quotes.
What makes you unique?
What skills do you have that others may not?
What do other people like about you?
What can you learn from your negative qualities?
Describe the last time you truly felt at peace.
List 10 things you can’t live without.
What is something you’ve recently fixed?

Gratitude for Others

Who supports you?
Write about someone who’s made a positive difference in your life.
What is your favorite memory of your family members? Do this for each one.
Describe your pets and why you are grateful for them.
What do you love about your current relationship status?
What small things do you enjoy with a special person in your life?

Gratitude for your Surroundings

Where is your favorite place to visit and why?
What do you love about your neighborhood/community?
What is your favorite part of nature?
Who inspires you?
What are your favorite things about the season you are currently in?
What do you love about your home?
Write about a great experience with customer service.
Where are your favorite places to shop, eat etc?

Gratitude for Your Past and Future

What are you looking forward to in the upcoming year?
Describe your perfect day.
List 10 things you have today that you didn’t have five years ago.
What are you looking forward to this week?

Do you do gratitude journaling? If so, what are your favorite prompts? What are you grateful for? Tell me in the comments. Be sure to come back next week to learn how to get your kids involved in practicing gratitude! I am grateful for you!

5 Comments

Gratitude, Personal Development

5 Benefits of a Daily Gratitude Practice

November 5, 2020

For the month of November, I will be doing a series of posts on gratitude. Since Thanksgiving is coming up here in the U.S, it’s a great time to start focusing on things to be thankful for. However, if you live outside of the U.S or don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, you can still practice gratitude. In fact, you should be practicing gratitude all year long because studies have shown that their are numerous benefits of a regular gratitude practice. Here are just five of the benefits of gratitude that I’ve noticed since starting my own gratitude practice.

Before this year, I’d make lists os of the things I’m grateful for from time to time, but I didn’t do this regularly. It wasn’t until I started focusing on the wonderful things in my daily life that I noticed a shift in my mindset. I’ll admit that it’s not perfect and I’m still pessimistic by nature, but it has definitely improved my outlook.

Gratitude is a mood booster

Studies suggest that people who regularly express gratitude are happier. This seems pretty obvious when you think about it. When you pay more attention to the good things in life, it boosts your mood. For example, if I’ve had a rough day and I start making a list of the things I’m grateful for, I’ll start smiling because Rosebud is always at the top of my list. When I think about her, it’s usually about something funny she did or said that day. Right away, there’s a subtle shift in my mood.

To try this out for yourself, grab a piece of paper and make a happy list. It can be anything you are grateful for or anything that makes you feel good. When you are done with your list, read it over. How did you feel before writing your list? How do you feel after?

Gratitude helps you relax

Practicing gratitude regularly has so many benefits to your mental health. Along with improving your mood, gratitude can reduce stress. Let’s go back to the rough day I mentioned above. If I go to bed thinking about all the negative stuff that happened that day, my stress levels are still high as I fall asleep. I’m not fully relaxed, but if I simply take a few minutes to write down some things I’m grateful for, it helps me focus on the good things before sleep. This way, I’m more relaxed and do less ruminating about my day. I’m not thinking about everything I didn’t get done from the todo list or something I could’ve done or said differently. Basically, it refocuses your thoughts.

This works in the morning as well. If you feel stressed in the morning or have a million reasons that you don’t want to get out of bed, try doing some gratitude. It doesn’t matter if you write it, speak it or just take five minutes to think about what you are grateful for, it will start your day off on the right foot.

Gratitude improves physical health

We’ve already discussed a couple of the mental health benefits, but gratitude has many physical health benefits as well. When you are feeling happier or relaxed, you will notice a difference in your body. Some of the health benefits include lower blood pressure, improved sleep, more exercise etc. This article goes into more details about the various health benefits of practicing gratitude.

Notice the small things

We spend too much time focusing on the wrong things. It’s easy to get caught up in negative thoughts and or drama. We may get sucked into negative conversations. We worry about stuff that won’t matter to anyone but ourselves. Too often, we care way too. Much about what other people think. This is where gratitude can help.

Gratitude journaling has helped me focus on all the wonderful things in my life. Big things, small things and everything in between. All the stuff I’d normally take for granted such as running water, electricity, TV, internet, the computer I’m using, my iPhone, nature, my home, the clothes on my back, a comfortable bed, the washer and dryer, friends, family and my freedom. I could go on and on. You could be thankful for your favorite food, your car, drinking water, your body etc. There are so many things we take for granted every day. Practicing gratitude helps you slow down and enjoy each and every one of these things. When we realize how much we have, we learn how truly fortunate we are.

Gratitude helps you manifest what you want

Here’s a benefit of gratitude that is on the spiritual side. No matter what religious beliefs you have, practicing gratitude can fit in with any of them because it’s focusing on the blessings in your life. It can help your spiritual mindset regardless. However, if you believe in the law of attraction which basically states that you attract what you put out into the universe. It focuses on energy, so if you release positive energy, you will get positive energy in return. Gratitude is one of the best ways to “raise your vibration.” If you are interested in the law of attraction, I highly recommend this book. It’s the simplest explanation of the law of attraction hat I’ve ever read and there are so many exercises that you can build into your daily life. Many of them are around gratitude.
<br />
Gratitude is one of the fastest ways to start manifesting what you want. The more you focus on what you have, the more things will come to you. The key is to visualize and focus not he things you want as if you already have them. One exercise you can try is to make a list of 15 things you are grateful for. Five from your past, five from your present and five from your future, but write them all down in the past or present tense. Here’s a sample list.

I’m grateful that I have found the love of my life.
I’m grateful that I made $10,000 last month.
I’m so thankful that I have a best friend who I can tell anything to.
I’m so grateful that I was able to travel last year.
I’m so grateful that I have a sweet, fun and intelligent daughter.

Okay, some of those things have happened and some of them haven’t, but it doesn’t matter. The point to be just as grateful for your past, present and future because the feelings are the same even if it has not happened yet and the physical and mental benefits are the same as well.

What do you think? Do you have a gratitude practice? What benefits have you noticed? Tell me in the comments! If you have not started a gratitude practice yet, be sure to check back next week as I will be sharing gratitude journaling prompts and exercises for you to try!

9 Comments

Personal Development, Self Care

4 Lessons I’ve Learned on my Fitness Journey

October 15, 2020

In January of 2020, one of my new years resolutions was to get in the best shape of my life in the next decade. It’s not very specific, but I decided I was going to exercise every day. I didn’t have a set amount of weight I wanted to lose, but I wanted to get healthier, have more energy and of course, look good. It has been 10 months since I started this journey and here are four unexpected lessons I’ve learned from working out.

Celebrate your success

When I started out, I was out of shape and I could definitely feel the burn. Sometimes for several days after trying a new workout. I’d get discouraged if I couldn’t do as many reps as suggested or I didn’t feel like I could stretch very far, but I kept going and it paid off! I started noticing my progress. I could reach further during my stretch routines, I felt less tired on the elliptical and I’ve increased the weight during my strength workouts. I’ve also noticed that my clothes fit better or no longer fit in some cases because they are too big.

When I’d notice these things I was proud of my self. When your clothes fit better, celebrate! Reward yourself. It’s an excuse for a new wardrobe. Well, a new pair of jeans or a cute sweater at least. Be sure to share your good news with someone who supports your fitness goals.

Success comes from capability, not appearances

This is a big one. We get way too caught up in what our bodies look like. We spend so much time focused on our appearance that we forget to focus on what our bodies are capable of. Success comes from within. It’s all about your mindset and not your outward appearance.

To track this, measure your progress. Where were you when you started? How many reps could you do? How many minutes could you run? What is the distance? How are you feeling afterwards? Are you feeling strong or tired?

Over time, you will notice that some workouts will get easier because you will get stronger and your body will get used to moving in certain ways. Maybe some workouts won’t get easier, but you will notice that you are able to do more and feel less tired. Maybe you can lift more or exercise longer. It’s amazing to measure your progress from where you started. You will be saying, wow, I can’t believe I can do that now.

Full disclosure, this is me with jumping jacks, holding squats, stretching gets easier etc. You will end up celebrating your body. It’s fantastic. Your body is amazing and it should be celebrated regardless of the number on the scale!

It’s not about losing weight

Well, in a way it is, but it’s so much more than that. Exercise is a mood booster that also helps your body physically function better. The discipline you need to stick to your workout schedule helps build character. After a while, you will feel healthier and view exercise as a form of self-care. It started out as a goal to get in the best shape of my life. I know, it’s not specific enough, but I promised myself to exercise each day. At first, it was all about losing weight and looking good, but now it’s about feeling better and I have made my fitness a priority.

Sample Fitness Goals

I will run 1 mile each day.
I will do a 30 minute strength based workout 3 times per week.
I will lose 10lbs in the next 60 days.
I will drink 8 glasses of water each day.
I will do one yoga class per week.

Pay attention to your body

This is the most important lesson I have learned from my fitness journey.

When you are exercising, you’ll notice all the sensations. Mostly when you start to get tired or maybe you feel like you can’t take one more step. It’s important to step out of your comfort zone when exercising because the burn means it’s working, but you have to know the difference between building strength or endurance and pushing yourself too hard. You will feel it if you pay close attention. If your body needs water, rest or needs a harder workout, it’s all okay. It’s your fitness journey and your body knows what it needs.

If you have to stop, it’s okay, but get back into it when you are ready. Too often we push ourselves too far and that’s when we can get injured.

Last week, I was sick and wasn’t feeling up to working out. I felt guilty about this and wanted to get back to exercise as soon as possible, so this week, I hopped back on the elliptical. Suddenly, the bolt popped off and my machine was broken. I will have to buy a replacement part, but in the mean time, I’ve had to switch up my workout routine. I tried a workout that was totally new to me. Cardio mixed with strength based exercises. Towards the end of the workout, I had drank my entire bottle of water and was feeling so exhausted. I kept pushing myself, but finally in the last couple minutes of the workout, I just had to stop. I had to listen to my body at that point. While I was disappointed and felt out of shape, I had to remind myself that it was a new workout and I did the best I could.

Some days your energy level is higher and your body may react differently. That is also okay. Our bodies are unique to each of us and we should be celebrating what they are capable of regardless of our body shape. Even though I started this journey to lose weight because I didn’t like the way my body looked, I have come to appreciate my body a lot more.

Are you on a fitness journey? If so, what have you learned? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

4 Comments

Personal Development

How To Create Positivity from Missed opportunities

September 16, 2020

I had an experience last week that got me thinking about missed opportunities and the things that we participate in that we think are beneficial, but it turns out they aren’t. The question is what do we do with those missed opportunities? What do we do when a door closes? We pick up and start over. Here’s how to turn a missed opportunity into something positive. As the saying goes, turn lemons into lemonade.

When One Door Closes

This story is such a first world problem. It’s so inconsequential when we look at the big picture, but sometimes the smallest things can teach us the greatest lessons. I was apart of a Facebook group for bloggers where we can promote our blog using the daily threads. I have been a regular participant in this group for a while and always did my best to give more than I take. I’d always engage with the other bloggers on the threads. Whether it be liking social media posts on their accounts, commenting, or sharing their blog posts.If you know me, you know that I always try to go above and beyond to do things the right way. Especially when it involves helping other people. It was a shock to me that I was suddenly muted and could no longer respond to the other comments or post. There were days when I couldn’t respond until late in the day because I’m a busy mom. I make my original comments in the morning and then go back throughout the day to help the other bloggers. That is what’s always worked for me.

At first, I got mad because by doing that, they were basically accusing me of dropping my link and running. Then I was disappointed because I couldn’t participate for another month, but I quickly realized that maybe that group wasn’t the place for me anyway. When I thought about it, most of the bloggers in that group aren’t apart of my niche. While their content is great and they were super helpful, there wasn’t much of a connection. They aren’t the people that will become my clients. I could’ve waited a month and then tried to figure out what I had done wrong. Then I could spend time making sure I followed every rule, but for what?

I had to ask myself, how is this benefiting me? Is it helping my blog or coaching practice grow? How does it make me feel to be apart of this group now? It wasn’t giving my blog that much of a boost and I no longer felt welcome in the group. In the past, rejection hit me hard and while I felt a touch of that, I turned it around to something positive.

How To Move On

I started looking for groups that were geared towards busy moms, coaches and female bloggers. I found several that I have joined and so far, they’ve been wonderful groups. The best part is that they’ve given my blog a boost and the women are awesome. There is a supportive environment where we help each other. If you are interested in joining any of these groups, find their links at the end of this post.

Journal Prompts

How about you?
Are there any doors that have closed for you lately? How are you feeling about these experiences now? Here are some prompts to dive into if you use journaling to get your thoughts out. If you aren’t much of a writer, don’t worry about it. Just answer these questions in your head. The answers are all within you.

Describe your last missed opportunity.
Is this a positive or negative thing for you?
Did a better opportunity open up as a result?
If not, how can you turn it into a new opportunity?

List your first three steps for creating your next opportunity.

Finding Clarity

This process also works if you are trying to decide if a. New opportunity is right for you or if you need to get out of a situation. This could be a relationship, friendship or anything work related. Of course, we have to do things we don’t want to do at times. It’s a fact of life, but we can change our mindset. When deciding if something is right for you, answer these questions to get clarity.

How does it make you feel in your body?

If you let this thing go, what will happen?(pros and cons)

What are you giving up by moving on?
What are you giving up if you stick with it?
What are you gaining from moving on?
What are you gaining by staying where you are?

When thinking about doors opening and closing in life, I try to remember this quote. “What is meant for you won’t pass you by.” This applies in business, relationships, purchases, friendships etc. What doors have opened or closed for you lately? Tell me in the comments. If you’d like to talk about creating amazing opportunities in your own life, feel free to book a discovery call to see how we can work together. I’d love to hear from you!

As promised, here are the Facebook groups I mentioned above.

Mom Blog Network Personal Development and Wellness Bloggers

Successful Mom Entrepreneurs Women’s Side Hustle Network

4 Comments