​Working on your mindset is just like working on your physical health. You wouldn't go to the gym for a week and say "well, okay, I'm done with that forever". 😉  Because it's a process and as you reach for (and achieve) each new goal, you find new and more exciting things to work towards. And having a coach during that process can make all the difference!

   One thing I know for sure: going outside makes you feel better! If you already feel great it makes you feel even better. I know I talk about this a lot. But I cannot stress it enough. While trying to find a great gym or yoga class or meditation practice or this or that is great, what I know is that the simplest thing to do will often get done. Just grab a coat, shoes, jacket, umbrella, hat and go out. There is a listening and a quiet that is around you when you go outside. Even in the freezing cold or the extreme hot, the wind, the rain, the elements.
  It will stop your repetitive, redundant, and monkey minded thinking. It will create space and allow for ideas to pop in. I often call this "yoga off the mat" because walking brings it all together just like Yoga; the union, of body, mind and soul. My favorite way to walk is in nature but even if I can’t get to a beach or a park or a hike among trees, just the walking and breathing and moving will do it.
   Mastering our mind is the goal. People you look up to, people who inspire you -- they still have worry, fear, stress, anxiety, tension but they have figured it out for themselves. It is personal to everyone. They have figured out what they need to do so they can do what they want to do anyway, even if they are scared to death. That is the goal. To be able to conquer your thoughts that hold you back so you can be what it is you want to be. To quiet the noise in your mind so you can hear your gifts and your contributions and share them.
   So take a walk. Try it out this week. When your thinking is getting the best of you. Stop and go outside. See what happens. Share it with me! I would love to hear your experience. Have fun with this.
   On another note. Big news in our coaching community:
I will be starting a coaching group in April. If you are ready to bust through your blocks, your mental challenges and allow yourself to get to it then please join our group.
We will meet weekly (on the computer from wherever you are). I will be doing a group coaching call, a yoga and meditation class, coaching exercises and expert interviews and more. Keep an eye out for the info. I can’t wait to get started! 
Happy happy Tuesday. 
Let’s Gooooooooooo!!!!!!!

   This isn’t just a quotable quote. This is a way to live. To be fully in your skin, your life, doing what you are choosing to do; living, learning and growing. 
If grief strikes you hard, these are a few things that have helped me:

1. Take a walk. Seems like my solution to so many things but that is because it works!
2. Be present with those in our lives that we see everyday. No taking anything for granted. Do something to connect, make a new dinner, sit by the fire and chat (even for 5 minutes), play a game, read.
3. Gratitude. Sounds trite but it works. Even in sadness when you list three gratitudes you step in deeper to healing.
4. Breath. Conscious breathing. Even the simple act of closing our eyes and breathing, long and deep can help us to move through. If your mind is a jumble and this is hard then count. It gives your busy mind a task and then you will feel stillness. (Inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4)
5. Be with furry babies. Pets give so much calm to turbulence. Snuggle and pause with them. 
6. Cut yourself some slack!!! Seriously. Learning to do this for me is the number one game changer. This is life;  progress not perfection. You are doing your best. Period. NO beating yourself up (and if this is a challenge get support!!!!). Be as sweet to yourself as you would to your best friend, child, spouse etc.

I hope this helps. We are in the game of life together. We are social animals. Let someone help you. Reach out and connect if you need it or spend alone time but really go inside and find what it is YOU need. 
Happy Tuesday, even in grief.

​   Let me start by saying that if you are frustrated then you are probably ready to do things differently!! So that is great. It sometimes takes frustration, anger and pain to get us to move off the step we have been sitting on. This can be scary but when the agony of where you are is hitting a crescendo then moving forward into the unknown can feel like a relief.
   Whether your frustration is mild or tipping on excruciating let’s dig in for a minute. First, notice if is this frustration about something you can or cannot control? We are talking about the frustration that is in your control. When you are in your own way. 
   In coaching, we often talk about coherence and incoherence. When our actions and what we want are aligned it feels good. When our actions are incoherent then we experience frustration. Bringing your actions into alignment with what you want in your life gives you energy. However, the path isn’t always a straight line. We are often moving up, down, zigging and zagging and yet seeing even a small step forward will give us the feeling that we are on the right path.
   For example, if it is important to me to be healthy and physically fit, I make a plan to walk every day for ½ an hour. When I take my morning walk (coherence), I am satisfied and I feel a sense of accomplishment.  When I don’t do it (incoherent), I can start telling myself, “ugh, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do this every day, why did I even think I could commit to something like this, and so on” and I feel frustrated.
   What is crucial is that we just realign to our plan. Just get back on the horse. If we beat ourselves up when we don’t do what we said we were going to do, it makes it worse. That makes it harder to just start walking again. 
So, using this example:

• I want to walk at least a ½ an hour a day to feel good, healthy and fit. 
• When I do it, it is aligned with my vision (coherent) of what I want and I am satisfied and I feel good.
• When I don’t do it (incoherent), I feel bad. If I beat myself up about it, it makes it harder to get back on track. 
• If I acknowledge that I didn’t do it and remind myself how much better I feel when I do it, how important it is for my body and mind to take this small amount of time to invest into my well-being, reset and take a walk, I will have conquered the frustration. 

  When you are faced with not doing what you said you were going to do; stop: breathe deeply, close your eyes, remind yourself why you wanted to do this in the first place, what it means to you, open your eyes and do something right then and there that will put you back on track. 
  Remember, it is okay to get support when you need guidance to move through a place where you may have a lot of frustration. It can be helpful. Please reach out if you need support or have a question!
Love you all and happy Tuesday!