mindset | - Part 2

July 7, 2020July 7, 2020

Feeling Stuck

I know that some of you, and probably all of you, have had this “stuck” feeling more than once your life.

Have you ever felt that you couldn’t move forward on a project or a goal because something inside of you was “blocked” or you were feeling some sort of resistance?

How about knowing you wanted a new job but couldn’t figure out the steps to take action?

What about that great big dream you have and you just KNOW it’s supposed to come to fruition but you just keep dreaming and nothing happens?

This is a big one too. You are in a relationship that is going nowhere and you know you need to get out, but something keeps you stuck in your current state.

I want to tell you that “stuck” is NOT the same thing as being present.

Sure, stuck is a place you feel right here, and right now, but it typically has to do with something in your future which makes it totally NOT the same as being present.

I need you to understand that because a lot of you will use the “I am stuck because I am present” excuse so therefore you can’t take action.

Being present means you are not thinking about the past OR the future.

Your focus is in the here and now, for whatever reason.

It could be focusing on a project, your children, your job.

It could be focusing on being present is keeping you from anxiety.

You are stuck because you have convinced yourself that you are unable to move forward due to various reasons…usually excuses.

So, you are stuck.

Here are some other important things you need to know and some questions you should ask yourself:

Feeling stuck is a choice
1. That’s right, YOU are choosing this. It’s simple, not taking action is a choice.
You are stuck because of your habits and behaviors
1. What are you doing right now to cause this feeling of being stuck?
2. What habits do you turn to that are holding you hostage to this feeling?
3. What needs to change?
You are stuck because you have certain beliefs that are no longer serving you
1. This is a big one. What lies or limiting beliefs are you telling yourself over and over again that are holding you back?
When you think about your beliefs, are you identifying with them or just “going through the motions” out of habit?
1. Yes, this one is two-fold because every ACTION is because of a FEELING and every FEELING is because of a THOUGHT you are thinking and all of those thoughts stem from your beliefs

In order to move forward, you need to assess where you are.

You need to get real honest with yourself here and now because change will not happen until you take action.

So think about what it is you want.

What do you need to change to start the ball rolling?

Reevaluation of your habits and limiting beliefs is imperative

What are you willing to sacrifice to “unstick” yourself?

Sitting for hours in front of the television to binge-watch Tiger King or whatever show you are into is NOT going to get you there.
- I know this because I was doing just that!
- It was my way of avoiding the “hard stuff”
- I would get up having the full intention of working on starting my own business and even time blocked for it.
- The TV won. I would go to work, come home, pour a glass of wine, and sit in front of the TV.
- I would reason away that there is always tomorrow and I was allowed to have this time.
- Pretty soon, that became the norm and the thoughts of starting a business would flutter away and I would succumb to being stuck.
- I would then sit and try and think about other ways that I could start my business, but not leave the couch. Or my wine.
- And then the anxiety would set in.
- I would beat myself up for lack of motivation and actually tell myself that I am stuck here because this was where I was meant to be.
- I didn’t deserve to have a successful business because I was lazy.
- It was also affecting my relationship with my husband because I wasn’t present for him.
- He is not one to sit around much and veg on the TV.
- And this started causing me anxiety.
- But I still desperately wanted to start my own business…but now I was completely overwhelmed on how it was going to happen.
- And then I hired my life coach.
- She helped me identify what was causing my “stuck” feeling and I had to do some serious work around my limiting beliefs and my habits.
Sure, I still watch TV and drink my wine. I LOVE to binge watch my shows. Mostly because I absolutely despise network TV and their ridiculous commercials.
BUT, I make sure that I spend a minimum of 2 hours every day (usually it is 4-6 hours until I start back to work) working on my dreams and goals BEFORE I watch TV. TV is NOT my main focus.
I also make sure I make time to sit and talk with my husband every day BEFORE I watch TV. Most nights during the week, we watch together AFTER we talk.
When I am working my job full-time and coaching in the evenings, I usually am lucky to get an hour of TV time, and that’s ok because TV will not get me to where I want to be.

Now, I know some of you are going to tell me about how overwhelmed and stressed you are.

You can’t add anything more to your plate, so there is NO WAY you are going to be able to move forward at this time.

I have to call BULLSHIT.

Yes, you may be feeling overwhelmed and stressed. But again, look at why that is.

Are you overwhelmed and stressed at a job you KNOW you need to leave but you are CHOOSING to stay by making the excuse that you just don’t have time to update that resume and get it posted online?

Come on now…do hear how ridiculous that sounds?

This is just an excuse.

You need to just make the choice to find the time.

I don’t care if it is 5 minutes per day or 5 hours per day.

Even just committing to ONE HOUR per day to work toward your goals makes a HUGE difference!

If you are truly wanting to eliminate this stuck feeling from your life, you need to take control of those thoughts and habits and get moving.

Ok, I can totally help you here! If you want to talk more, book a call with me! I would love to hear about your situation and see where I can help.

Click here to book your FREE 30 minute Breakthrough Session!

May 20, 2020June 15, 2020

Why Now Is The Time To Start

I hope you are all not only surviving, but I hope you are THRIVING during this time.

I personally, at the time of this post, have successfully completed 7 solid weeks of not stepping off of my property during this COVID-19 pandemic.

I started working from home for my job and then transitioned to a furloughed status where I have been working on a new program for my coaching practice and working with clients.

Now, our stay-at-home order has turned into a safer-at-home order that is designed to be a slow transition to a “new normal”.

What does that mean and what does that have to do with our topic today?

Well, as we all know, things have not been normal for the past couple of months. I have talked at length about creating a new normal.

Why?

Because that new normal will become your normal. Guys, we are not going back to the way we were. Not for a long time, if ever!

If you are holding onto that idea, you need to get past it quickly because it will not be the same.

Companies are going to HAVE to offer more work from home options.

More and more people are going to be looking for ways to work from home now more than ever.

So why not you?

Have you thought about starting your own business?

Do you have your own business already but want to increase sales, exposure, and offerings?

NOW is the time.

I know that there is a mixed opinion about this.

Some say that now is NOT the time to start a business because the economy is so unstable and people are not in a growth mindset so failure is imminent.

I don’t agree with this. Especially if you are in or want to be in the service industry, like coaching.

First of all, people need our help and are going to need our help even more as we start to discover what the new normal is.

For those of you that already have a business, how can you pivot so that you can continue to serve and move forward?

So think about what it is that you want to do.

If this is resonating with you, raise your hand!

And above all else, NOW is the time to change your mindset and help others change theirs.

I can personally attest to having to pivot and adjust my mindset to our current, new normal.

When I started my practice, I was geared up to work with women strictly 1 on 1 working on mindset and goals, along with removing blocks, emotional pain, and fears that have been holding them back.

Now, I am using the group format for my coaching so that I can reach the masses.

Recently, I have launched a Mindset Group and now, I am launching a Mastermind Group for women who are ready to take their new-found courage to launch or grow their businesses.

I am also looking at other ways to serve via online courses, workshops, podcast interviews, etc.

Although not all of these things pay me in hard cash, I feel that I receive payment by giving back and helping others.

It also ensures that I stay visible so that when women like you need help, I am the one you call.

Remember, it takes time to get things going and that is why NOW is a perfect time.

Why?

Because we have time NOW.

Because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

If I have learned anything through this uncertain time is that waiting is NOT an option!

I may fail, but I will grow and get up and try again.

I also learned that if I suck, I will only get better!

So, I am spending TONS of time while I am home participating in free online training and writing content for my programs.

What are YOU doing with your time?

Are YOU ready to make a difference?

Are you needing help to PIVOT so that your business continues to grow?

Don’t wait until we are past this.

Get that training.

Set up that website.

Do that online course.

Get the research done on what you need to be successful.

Write out those ideas about how you can enhance your offerings.

And TAKE ACTION!

What are you waiting for????

I am here to help!

My 90 Day Action for Change: Courage to Launch Mastermind went live Wednesday, April 29th.

If you are considering starting a business or need help taking your business to the next level, book a call with me, and let’s talk about where you are so that you can get to where you want to be!

Free 30-Minute Breakthrough Call

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020

What is Your Plan During Uncertainty?

Today I want to talk about money and career/jobs and ask if you are prepared for your next move.

When we are in such an uncertain time with a forced stay at home order, some may be able to survive by just working their jobs at home and some will have to take a layoff order and file unemployment.

If you have your own business, the physical brick and mortar locations are forced to close while other service types or sales businesses that can be worked from home tend to slow down and even come to a halt because people are scared to spend money.

Which of these are you?

Me, I fall into a couple of these categories. I have a full-time accounting job (that I was laid off from, called back in 24 hours later, and now am just waiting to see what happens next), and since I started writing this, I was laid off again.

While the stay at home orders were being issued all over the state I live in, I was still having to drive to the office every day. My company didn’t believe in working from home. It’s all about butts in seats for them. A very old-school way of thinking. That is, until our Governor made it mandatory state-wide. I was able to work from home for 2 weeks and I am so grateful that I had that time to keep earning.

I also have my coaching practice. This, I do from home, but I recognize the state of the economy now and am shifting a bit with my focus and offerings. I aim to be visible and available while offering as much support as I can.

And, I have my husband. He is considered “essential”. He is in the construction industry, which thank goodness, has not ceased yet. He also holds his Master Plumber license so he can provide service to those in need of a plumber.

What would happen if we became unable to work?

My husband and I talk about this at length. Although we are so grateful he still has his job during this unsettling time, the reality is imminent. We could both become unemployed…at any given time.

Are we set up for this? I have to honestly tell you, no. We are not.

You see, we were doing great, but he had to step away from a better paying job at the end of last year so that he could improve in his career. He took a month off to study and test for his Master Plumber’s license and then had to take a position with a company making about 60% less than what he was making.

He had to do it though. And the timing wasn’t great because here we are.

My practice slowed down quite a bit so my secondary income has also slowed down quite a bit.

I have become unemployed, although temporary, I just don’t know for how long.

And out of this, we have used most of the savings up because of living between his unemployed month and reduction in income.

So we are sitting in the same place as most of you all are. And knowing that unemployment really only covers about 1/4 of our living expenses is no help.

But our mindset is that of survival. We are grateful now for what we have and we have faith that we will come out of this just fine.

So what do you do?

First things first. Check-in with your mindset. Are you freaking out? Are you ONLY focused on what you DON’T have? If so, that isn’t going to help your situation AT ALL.

You need to make a plan. You need to make a plan NOW, not when it’s over.

Look at your spending habits over the past couple of months. Where is that money going? Is there anything you can live without for a couple of months?
How about TV/Cable? Is there any miscellaneous spending you are doing for things that are not necessities?
Create a budget
- Base your income on the guaranteed minimum. If it is unemployment, base it on that amount first.
- List out the necessities and dollar amounts of things that you NEED to survive:
  - Rent/Mortgage
  - Electricity
  - Gas
  - Water/Sewer
  - Phone
  - Auto-lease/note
  - Food
  - Auto-Gas (if you are still working and need to drive to get there)
- Is your income enough to cover these items? If the answer is no:
  - Figure out how much you can pay for each one if you can pay any of it.
  - Don’t look at the payment as what you are SUPPOSED to pay, rather look at it as how much you CAN pay at this time over the next month or so.
  - Contact the companies and tell them your situation and how much you CAN pay, if any. Believe me, these companies are going to work with you.
Get your resume updated!
- People are still hiring. You can take a temporary job until you figure this all out. Let go of your ego! Go work at the grocery store stocking shelves. Go work in the Amazon warehouse. Find something to supplement your income for now.
- You need to be applying to jobs all over the place. What if your current company doesn’t come back from this? You need to be prepared to hit the ground running. Plus, interviewing is a great practice!
Take that class/training you have wanted to take but haven’t had the time for.
Have you thought about starting your own business? Do it now!
- It doesn’t happen overnight, so get it all ready today so that you can be ready to hit the ground running.

Don’t wait for this to be all over before you get started, guys. This is too important!

Remember to focus on only the things you CAN control and you CAN control how you respond to all of this. Take a proactive stance. Stop being reactive!

And don’t forget, I am here to help! If you need someone to bounce ideas off of. If you need some added support. If you are already a boss babe or are looking to become one, I can help with those wanting to grow their businesses or ladies who are just starting and need some help. If you are considering becoming a coach, I can help with that too! NOW IS THE TIME LADIES!

I have space in my 1×1 Action for Change coaching program for those who are ready to take some action TODAY so that they can be ready for tomorrow.

If any of this is appealing to you, let’s talk about it! Book some time on my calendar for a free 30-minute breakthrough session so that we can where you are headed!

April 1, 2020April 1, 2020

Surviving a World of Uncertainty

The world is CRAZY right now! Many of you are thinking “How in the heck am I supposed to keep a positive mindset when I don’t even know if I am going to have food to put on the table right now?”

The key IS your mindset.

I am always saying thoughts become things.

Your THOUGHTS create feelings and your FEELINGS create your ACTION.

So think about the toilet paper situation-yes, the toilet paper. It’s what is happening right now and it’s a good metaphor to see how this all transpires.

When someone starts to think “what happens if the world shuts down and I run out of toilet paper?” That thought then creates a feeling of fear and lack. So, in response to that feeling, said person decides to take action and runs to the store to buy as much toilet paper as he or she can to ensure that he or she will not run out, thinking this will dissipate the fear.

Did the fear go away? No!

Because it isn’t about the toilet paper at all. It’s about how the person is thinking about what is going on.

How could this have been different?

By reframing the original thought.

Now, I want you to know that I am not looking at this situation through rose-colored glasses and not believing this is a real pandemic. Quite the contrary.

I am fully aware of the severity of the situation. I am being affected by what is going on around me directly.

I have elderly, not well parents that could be literally taken out if they caught this virus.

My Tai Chi center closed until further notice so that we can participate in the social distancing.

We have a friend that stayed with us a couple or weekends ago and was not aware that his mother, who lives with him, has not been feeling well the past few weeks. Her doc asked her to come in and there was a good chance she may have needed to be tested.

Which meant our friend would have had to be tested and in turn, if that test came back positive, we would have had to be tested.

Good news, Mom only had one of the symptoms and actually had a sinus infection causing her to feel yucky.

A couple of weeks ago, I was laid off from my job. Fortunately, I called back and a week later, was told that we were all going to start working from home because of the state mandated Stay at Home order.

Everything is still uncertain for me as to if I will have a job tomorrow.

Does any of these scenarios cause fear within me? A little, sure.

However, the difference with how I am CHOOSING to respond is how I look at the situation. My thoughts around what is going on may be quite different than yours. I am NOT living in a state of fear and allowing it to consume me.

Am I concerned about our medical system? Am I concerned about my future and how I am going to come out of all of this, especially since I just launched two program offerings RIGHT BEFORE this all went down?

Sure I am! But it is NOT dictating my life.

I am carrying on, business as usual, with even more passion, vigor, and drive. I know this is all temporary. We will come out of this.

And, I look at this as an opportunity. An opportunity to educate, create awareness, and hope that I can make a difference in someone else’s outlook, which is life-changing.

I am the beacon of light in a dark situation. I know this. This is my gift and what better time to burn the light even brighter?

I went live last Sunday in my private Facebook group, from my bed (because it was self-care day) and again Monday morning and talked about the state of fear we, as a society, are operating in and how we can survive the state of uncertainty. I also posted about gratitude and how gratitude is the antidote to fear.

I practice gratitude every. Single. Day. All. Day.

It is the number one way to stay resonating at my highest power and combat fear or any other feelings of uncertainty.

In addition to gratitude, here are 4 things that you can do to make this time a bit more bearable:

Move your body-exercise is the number one top thing you can do to mitigate depression and anxiety. It releases all of the feel-goods that we need in our bodies to maintain a healthy outlook, not to mention it makes us physically feel good.

Talk about your feelings-holding in is never good no matter the situation. My husband and I talk every night about the things that transpired during the day and discuss how we feel about it and what our next steps will be.

Be hyper-aware of what you are consuming from the media and eliminate that which does not serve you. The media is not necessarily your friend. Don’t take their updates as truth. Question everything. The news is here to instill the fear so that you stay glued to the TV which increases ratings. That’s all. Do your research. Stay educated but not through the news or what people post on social media.

Only focus on what you can control. You can’t control what is going on “out there”. You CAN control how you respond. You CAN control if you wash your hands or keep the social distance. You CAN control if you are bombarding your thoughts with fear-based information.

So, check-in and see how you are responding to what is going on around you. If you are stuck in a state of fear, choose to get out!

Start implementing gratitude and the 4 recommendations and start to thrive in this horrible situation.

As always, you can contact me anytime. I am here for you. If you would like to get a bit deeper with this topic and are considering hiring a coach, contact me! Here is the direct link to my calendar. I offer FREE 30-minute breakthrough calls to see where you and how to get you to where you want to be. Just click Here-http://bit.ly/TiffenysBreakthroughCall

February 19, 2020February 19, 2020

Shift Your Mindset and Let Go of Beliefs

Are you struggling with something in your life that is holding you back from moving forward? Do you want to change something about your life but just don’t know how?

Check your thoughts.

Are you stuck in a loop of negative self-talk and beliefs that no longer serve you? Do you have big dreams but “something,” tells you that you can’t ever achieve them because you aren’t worthy, you don’t have the experience, you don’t have the money…etc.?

How’s your mindset?

Mindset plays into everything we do or want to do in life. Here is why…Every ACTION is because of a FEELING and every FEELING is because of a THOUGHT you are thinking.

Let me repeat that. Every ACTION is because of a FEELING and every FEELING is because of a THOUGHT you are thinking.

It’s important to watch our thoughts because they:

Can send us down a rabbit hole
Can send us into the darkest realm of our mind
Can cause us anxiety
Can cause us to respond to things in a not so nice manner

What we put out to the universe, we get back because THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS! That’s right, manifestation right here. Negative attracts negative, positive attracts positive. Don’t believe me? Reflect on a “bad day”. It all starts when you miss your alarm and it all spirals from there. Chances are you, you are thinking “OMG! Can this day be over already? I just can’t win?” And more bad things keep happening. Now, reflect on a day when your mind was vibrating in a positive light and something goes wrong. You probably shrugged it off and said “It’s ok, I will get through it. It’s just something that happens” and you move on. This time, there is no bad stuff happening because you stopped it in its tracks. I originally discussed this specific example in a prior post Having A Bad Day?

So, what can you do to shift your mindset? First, it starts with awareness. Without awareness of what is, it is next to impossible to identify where the change needs to happen.

Finding awareness includes looking at your beliefs. A belief is an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists. It can also be referred to as an agreement. Something that was presented to you and you agreed to it or accepted it.

Your subconscious is fueled by your beliefs. Your subconscious mind actually creates your reality. Remember, thoughts become things. This has been proven with Quantum Physics. If you have a negative belief about something, then that negative belief will manifest through your subconscious and become your reality.

So how do we go about impregnating our subconscious with the thoughts and images that you WANT because THAT is what will show up in the physical reality of what is called YOUR LIFE?

Your subconscious mind is READY to receive when your conscious mind is not active. So right before you wake up or right before you fall asleep, that’s when you want to upload or install into your subconscious mind. Our subconscious just records what we put in and then plays back out into our life. So anything you DON’T want that may have been recorded, say when you were a child, is just in there playing back on a loop and hasn’t been taken out and replaced with a new belief.

The next step in shifting your mindset is recognizing your achievements. List out ALL of your achievements, yes, even those little wins because no matter how little, they still brought you that feeling of WINNING!

Next comes gratitude. Having a daily gratitude practice is probably the most important contributor to changing your mindset. Gratitude does not have to just be about the big things in your life. Actually, you should recognize all of the little things throughout your day because it keeps you in heightened awareness and resonating at a higher level within the Universe, which helps fuel the Law of Attraction. (Are you seeing a theme here?)

Now it’s time to talk about affirmations and mantras. I am going to tell you a secret…these only work if you BELIEVE them. Just saying them with zero emotion or feeling attached to them and “going through the motions” is an absolute waste of time. You may as well not even bother. BUT…if you are seeking a FEELING and can tie an affirmation or mantra to it…THAT is gold and when the magic starts to happen and the beliefs that no longer serve you will be replaced.

Finally, changing your mindset will not happen overnight. It takes consistency and practice every single moment of the day. It takes work but the result is so worth it!

I challenge you to sit down and examine your thoughts and beliefs. Make a list of those that no longer serve you and start the process of letting them go. It takes courage to look within ourselves and make a decision to change. Just remember, if you want something, you have to work for it and this is no different. I believe in you.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. If you would like to dig deeper, click here to schedule a free 30-minute breakthrough call with me and let’s get started.

Not ready to take the plunge but want to be inspired, click here to join my free Facebook group Women Taking Action for Change.

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019

Intentional Living

I have always thought that I was living an intentional life. That was until recently. My “intentional life” was taken to a whole new level. I have spent the better part of my adult life on a “self-improvement” journey always striving to be the best version of myself. Of course, life happened all over the place and I would fall back into the not so best version of myself, but I always found my way out of it and back to what I thought WAS the best version of me. Boy, was I wrong. Sure, the best version of me then was always way better than the not so best version of me but I was never quite all the way there. What changed for me?

First of all, I had to reevaluate what it meant to actually live an intentional life. Obviously, what I thought was intentional, was only part of what I needed to do. I found that I was half-assing it at 100%. But hey, some is better than none right? Sure it is, but I soon discovered that is why I always slipped when life happened and that was the time I needed intention most. So, here is what Wikipedia says that intentional living is:
Intentional living: any lifestyle based on an individual or group’s conscious attempts to live according to their values and beliefs. These can include lifestyles based on Religious, Political or Ethical values, as well as Coaching, Personal Transformation, and Leadership Training.

I was only half living according to my values and beliefs. I was only half present in my life journey. Half of my life when “life happened”, was being dictated by how I was reacting to experiences and events while the other half when things were great, was intentional. So how in the world could I make that shift from a reactionary life to an intentional life? I got to work.

In December of 2018, I connected with a life coach and spiritual healer. I firmly believe that the Universe intervened and brought her to me because I was in dire need of some serious guidance. I was at a crossroads. This woman is an amazing person that helped me to figure you what I needed to get rid of so that I could FINALLY live the life that I was meant for. I always knew I was meant for something greater and it revolved around helping people, like me, create their desired life. She helped me to get out of my own way so that I could push through and take ACTION. This woman has become someone very special in my life. She is my guide, my spirit sister, my mentor, my friend and I am eternally grateful for her. What did she do to help me change?

Well, among several things, she re-introduced me to gratitude. I have been saying a gratitude mantra every morning for the past 10 years along with some affirmations but they were all for the big things in life. I was tasked with texting her every single day during my coaching journey one gratitude for that day. A little thing that I could be grateful for. This one thing turned into SEVERAL things throughout the day and I started to notice a shift. My mood changed. I started to become aware of what I was feeling in my body when I would practice saying what I was grateful for. My interactions with those around me changed. What in the world was happening? I had no idea, but I knew I wanted more. I didn’t want it to ever stop. It was strange at first. Almost like a stirring of warm butterflies fluttering in my abdominal area. Then it would move up my body, out to my limbs, and into my heart. I was experiencing, what I now know, as true joy.

I started to feel courage and driven again. I decided to leave my job and look for one that would allow me the time, my time, to work toward what I really wanted to do in this life. In January 2019, I started blogging. In April 2019, I found a new job. In May 2019, I started my Lifestyle and Success Coaching practice. In October 2019, I shifted again to an even deeper intentional life and started certification training so that I could expand my practice and have more tools for my clients.

I also intensified my gratitude practice. On October 1, I joined a challenge led by the best selling author, coach, and motivational speaker Rachel Hollis. It is the Last 90 Days challenge. I was encouraged by someone very close to my heart to participate in this challenge because she knew I loved Rachel Hollis and she had done the challenge before and had gotten so much out of it. So, I committed. I even bought the journal to go along with it. The premise behind the challenge is to gear up for the beginning of the year by being intentional with your goals for the 90 days PRIOR to the end of the year so that when January 1 hits, you are full boar running strong. This is great for me because I normally wait until January 1 before THINKING about what I want my life to look like in the coming year and then I have to spend forever planning on how it will work and then I lose steam and fall right back to where I was…and then have to start over. Again, half-assing it at 100%. This challenge covers everything. Mindset with gratitude, moving your body, drinking water, making healthier food choices, and making time for YOU! Again, ALL of the things I am so into!

A couple of weeks later, I picked up the book The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. You may know her from a little ol’ book she wrote some years ago called The Secret, which also became a full feature film (if you haven’t read or seen it, I highly recommend you do so ASAP). Well, The Magic is ALL about…GRATITUDE. 28 days of one gratitude exercise every day to strengthen your practice. Holy hands, I hit the jackpot and it was a great compliment to what I was already doing with the Last 90 Days Challenge. Every morning, I got up and I read that day’s exercise. And then I actually DID what it said to do. Talk about things changing. I was on hyperspeed. The shifts I mentioned before, well, let’s just say I am in a constant state of joy now. If I feel myself starting to slip into any type of low energy, negative thinking, or anxiety, I immediately revert back to what I learned in The Magic and I do one or two exercises until my energy level and my thoughts go back to being positive. Guys, this is the real stuff right here. If you REALLY want to change your life, this is it.

Where am I now? I am thrilled with my life! I am actually LIVING my life on MY terms instead of reacting to everything. I have even turned off ALL push notifications for my social media accounts and scheduled two 30 minute sessions on my calendar for checking my social media. Once in the mid-morning and once in the evening. I answer emails and check text messages once per hour so that I don’t get caught up in filling my day with busy work. The best part for me is my morning routine. It sets me up for success every single day. Here is what it looks like:

5:00-5:15 am-Wake Up and take a few moments before getting out of bed to say a few gratitudes.

5:15-6:15 am Grab my journal and start writing (I am currently using the Start Today Journal-The Last 90 Days and also writing my 10 gratitudes inspired by The Magic)

6:15-7:15 am Get things ready for work, fit in a 30 min workout, and shower and head out the door for work between 8 and 8:15 am

Notice I did not put anything in my morning routine about a phone, tablet, checking email, or any other distraction from ME. I don’t look at my phone (except for using my timer when I work out or to look at a text message from my hubby to tell me the road conditions when the weather is bad) until I get to work. I may or may not use my 30 minutes of allotted social media time. It’s not a big deal anymore. It is not dictating MY life. When you look at your email, social media, or news first thing in the morning, you are starting your day in reaction mode. You are allowing other outside influences to dictate your day. Stop doing that! YOU have control of your day and your life, so take it back!

You have been given one life. Now is the time to figure out if you are living your best life. Are you living your life on your terms or are you letting everything that goes dictate what kind of life you have or desire? Don’t wait on this. Don’t say “I’ll start tomorrow” because there may not be a tomorrow. Start living intentionally NOW and if you need guidance, I am here. I believe in you! I believe you can create your desired life and I believe you should start now.

February 22, 2019February 22, 2019

Having a bad day?

So, you are having a bad day. It started first thing in the morning when you overslept and were late getting out the door and you HAD to be in the office by 8am. You spilled your coffee and had to change. You got in the car and started driving…straight into a traffic jam. You were TRYING to be calm and patient, but it seemed that the Universe was throwing everything it had at you. And then…you spilled your coffee AGAIN! You thought you may as well turn around, go back home, and write this day off as a loss. But you were stuck in that traffic jam with nowhere to go but straight to the office. You couldn’t help but wonder if you were being punished for something.

You FINALLY made it to the office, 20 minutes late for your meeting and frazzled by the morning’s events. You are just settling in, and the meeting ends, earlier than anticipated, so you missed the entire thing! You make it to your desk, open your email and find that your boss had emailed you several times with items that you made errors on and they need to be fixed ASAP. (Why is he constantly picking on me?) Your phone rings, more problems. (Why is this happening today?) Your office manager comes to chat, more problems. (Can’t someone else handle this?) And then you realize, you forgot your lunch. UGH!!!!

I am sure everyone can identify with some version of a bad day. But what makes a day “bad”? Well, for one, your mindset. It’s easy when things don’t go as planned and to play the victim. It’s difficult to look at the situation and say, “what have I done to cause this?” or “what is the universe (insert your version of divine energy) trying to tell me?”

With this example, the very first instance of oversleeping was just the beginning. Our first reaction is to fly out of bed and run around trying to get ready quickly. The reality is, you are just causing yourself more anxiety about being late and causing other things to unfold. Here is a thought: acknowledge the time, and then tell yourself I am good! I have plenty of time to get where I need to be. And if I am a few minutes late, no big deal! You make the appropriate calls/texts to alert others that you are running behind and then carry on with getting ready…in a calm manner. I bet the remaining events happen very differently or don’t happen at all. Maybe, they push the meeting by half an hour. Maybe, you are walking out of the door calmly and the traffic jam is only a 2 minute slow down to get around a stalled vehicle. Maybe you are in the car listening to your favorites songs and you just don’t care. You are grateful be where you are.

Your mindset has everything to do with what happens to you. You can’t control anything, but you can control how you react. You may still have the bad day, but you can dictate how bad it really is by changing your energy and thoughts around it. It may seem far-fetched for those who are not as versed in this mindful thought process, but I recommend you try it. Then, throw a little gratitude in there and see what happens!

February 10, 2019February 10, 2019

Let’s Talk Money

I have been doing a TON of personal work around money, so I will be spending a few posts around this topic. I (like many of you) desire more money, but part of my work is defining “why”. The process has not been easy because it taps into the personal relationship I have with money, which starts way back to when I was very young. It starts with how I was educated and the stories I was told about money, which later became deep rooted beliefs. My parents divorced when I was five, so I had two COMPLETELY different exposures to money, although, I was with my mom full time until the middle of 8th grade, so her relationship with money impacted me the most.