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 High Performance Habit #1: Clarity

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I’ve been talking about how important habits and routines are to accomplishing your goals and creating an extraordinary life. But if you aren’t clear on where you are going or what you want to be doing, then you probably aren’t sure what those routines and habits need to be. That’s why it’s so important to clarify your life vision. I think this is the most important of the 6 high performance habits, even if (like me,) you aren’t aiming to be one of the most successful people in the world.   

How do you know that you’re lacking clarity? A big clue is feeling overwhelmed in life. There are so many things to do, and there never seems to be enough time or energy to do them all. When you are clear on where you are going, however, it becomes much easier to prioritize your time, tasks, and even your thoughts. Here are the basics of finding clarity...

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As a coach who literally teaches high success habits, it may surprise you that I’m bringing up the negative side of routines. I’m here to support and help you create the extraordinary life you deserve, and habits are an essential part of that - if they’re used correctly. Unfortunately, our unconscious routines have a downside that can hamper the changes we desire. That’s why I’m sharing tips on how to avoid the negative side of habits, and what to do instead. 

The Negative Side of Habits

Routines can bring ease, joy, and comfort into your life, which is why they are so important in helping you create a life you love. That’s why I don’t want you to start thinking that all habits have a lurking bad side; however, all habits have the potential to create complacency. This complacency can cause some big problems, and even get in the way of the changes you are trying to create in your...

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When it comes to creating routines and habits in our lives, the reason why is simple: we want to feel good! We want to feel good emotionally and physically, we want to have great relationships, and we want to feel motivated to reach our goals. But which habits will make us feel the best, and keep us striving and living our extraordinary lives? I have eight tools for you that will help. Some of them are a part of my routines while I lean on others when I need them; but all will help you feel better across multiple areas of your life. 

Sleep

It may be funny to think of sleep as a tool to help you achieve your goals. But think about it: when you aren’t well rested, everything else becomes more difficult. You may be moody, grumpy, or crave unhealthy food, and it’s hard to feel motivated to do anything when you are exhausted. Deep down, your body knows this, which is why it craves the routine of going to bed and getting up...

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There are a few times of year where change and new beginnings fit naturally. A new year is an obvious one, and the freshness of Spring is another - but when it comes to getting back into routine, September is my favorite time. With the start of school and the promising comfort of predictable days after a carefree summer, I’m looking forward to my routines and daily habits again. I’ve slacked off a bit with my morning routine through the summer, and I miss how it helped me greet each day with intention.

To give myself a jump start this month, I accepted a friend’s challenge to read the first three chapters of James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. I’ve read countless self-development books and I’m trained as a High Performance Habits coach, so nothing has surprised me in the book so far. Yet it’s helpful to hear things in a new way or from a different perspective sometimes, to help an idea resonate...

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Relationships are a key part of our happiness in life, whether with our partners, friends, or coworkers. For myself and many of my clients, creating happier and more connected relationships is an area of importance when we work on creating our extraordinary lives. Unfortunately, many of us don’t know how to create better relationships even when we want to… And I’m speaking from experience! 

My husband and I have a great relationship now, but that wasn’t always the case during the early days of our marriage and parenting. We were actually joking the other day about how passive-aggressive I used to be, which made me realize how far the both of us have come. Now that I know how to create better relationships with my husband, kids, and others, I want to share those tips with you. And for a slightly awkward trip down memory lane, I’m going to share the tips as they relate to my marriage. 

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Feeling overwhelmed is something that all of my clients struggle with to one degree or another. I work with all kinds of women, and overwhelm isn’t choosy with who it lands on: career-women, stay at home moms, empty nesters, and passionate creatives alike have experienced it. Maybe you are experiencing it right now. So how do you overcome the overwhelm? 

When you have big dreams and goals in your life, it makes sense that overwhelm will strike now and then. You’re trying to balance your existing life with creating a better, more fulfilling one, and that comes with swirling thoughts competing for your attention; and when you’re overwhelmed it becomes harder to take positive actions toward those dreams. Unless, that is, you know how to work through it and come out with a plan. 

Overcome the Overwhelm in 6 Steps

Feeling overwhelmed is a huge red flag that you’re lacking clarity. Your mind...

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When you first get started on your personal development journey or working with a coach, it’s out of the desire for finding more in your life. The “more” could be meaning, satisfaction, time, health, or any number of things, and each person’s journey is very personal and unique. That’s why it can be hard to know what to expect when you begin working with a coach! Your friend’s experience won’t be the same as yours. Yet because it’s nice to have some sort of idea of what to expect, I've put together a list of five things you should know about coaching that will make your experience that much smoother. 

1. I won’t tell you what to do. While it would be amazing if I held all the answers to your life, I don’t. You do! No one should tell you what to do, because you are responsible for your own life. But within a coaching role, what I will do is ask you clarifying...

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When you are ready to dream big and invite change into your life, it’s exciting! That’s probably why I often get asked, “what can I do now to get working towards my dreams?” The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do today, and then each and every day, to set the ball in motion. In fact, I came up with seven!  

7 Ways to Get Closer to Your Dreams Today

This list is a step-by-step mini-guide to creating your extraordinary life; however, you can stop and re-visit any step when it feels right. In fact, I regularly make time to go back and change things if they aren’t working, or if my goals have changed. So start with step one, and then take your time working through the rest. Remember: creating the life of your dreams is a daily practice, not a race. 

1. Practice Gratitude. Learning to practice gratitude is always the first step to take in  achieving your dreams. I...

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As a High Performance Coach, I have to recertify at least every second year in order to keep growing my skills and learning new things. This past March, I did my third recertification, and it was all about leadership coaching. Through the coursework and then as I applied it with my own clients, it struck me that as women, we’ve been holding extremely important leadership roles without giving ourselves much credit. In fact, I think being a parent is the most important leadership position I’ve ever had. 

While I practice high performance coaching, most (though not all) of my clients probably wouldn’t immediately call themselves leaders - at least not when we first start working together! They’ve never led a corporate team, or been head of a large organization; yet they are the leaders in their families. In fact, I’d say they’re the most qualified leaders, because they have to be in charge 24/7.

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I want to talk about the common characteristics of my favorite clients, and I’m taking a page from the way my amazing yoga instructor teaches his classes. Kofi Busia uses stories from his life, experiences of his family, and even taken from past students to help us understand the moves and lessons of the day. Today, I’m going to tell you about someone who inspires me, and how she reminds me of my amazing clients.

Did you know that throughout my 20’s, I did triathlons, mountain bike racing, and road bike races? It’s true, but I never was that great at road racing - which explains why I didn't have much interest in the races on television. But over the past year, I’ve become hooked!

Like everything new in the past twelve to eighteen months, I credit the pandemic with my racing obsession. That, and it was super hot and fiery (literally) here at the end of summer in 2020. There wasn’t a lot we...