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It’s already 2 weeks into the new year, and I’m excited to get back into routine and work on my goals. Unfortunately, it’s been hard to find motivation again after the holidays. Whether you’re in the same boat as me right now or are reading this later in the year, the truth is that creating your own motivation can be tough. Luckily, I know a few tricks that are sure to get you moving in the right direction sooner rather than later. 

The Power of Habits

Before I let you in on the secret to creating your own motivation in five minutes or less, I can’t miss out on the opportunity to talk about the power of habits! Once you create a habit (good or bad) and perform the habit, your body gets a hit of dopamine. That’s right - your brain actually rewards you for doing the same things over and over. That’s the reason why you may find yourself reaching for the ice cream tub each night at the same time, but it’s also why once you get in the groove with, say, exercise, it gets easier to lace up ...

Happy New Year! (Or whatever time of year you’re reading this.) My daughter has gone home after the holidays, and my husband, son, and I are resting after several days in the snowy mountains. We are also starting to think about our goals for the coming year. If you’re like most people, you are, too.

Before you jump into setting those New Year’s resolutions, take a step back and think about how your New Year’s resolutions usually go. As most of us have experienced, setting a goal just because it’s January first isn’t enough to make it stick. That’s not because resolutions are bad, but if you want to reach health, career, or even relationship goals, it’s best to make your resolutions more meaningful and specific. 

So how do you make sure that happens? Start by asking yourself these three questions: 

1. What habits would make the biggest positive impact on my daily life? We tend to overestimate how much we need to do to reach our goal. Instead, think about which habits will give you the...

When you’re trying to follow through on good habits or make changes in your life, it’s easy to fall into the trap of “I have to”. I have to prep my meals. Or, I have to get a workout in. The trouble with the phrase “I have to” positions the task as a chore, which your brain obviously doesn’t lean into very hard. Here’s a different way of thinking that will flip a switch in your brain to make keeping your good habits easier.

A Simple Mindset Shift

Our brains love routine and comfort. That’s why once a habit is established, it’s so much easier to keep going. You actually get a dopamine hit for following through on your routine. But it also means that when you try to introduce a new habit or push outside of your comfort zone, your brain sees it as a disruption and tries to resist. 

This is where the “I have to” thoughts sneak in; your brain is trying to sabotage you! Luckily, you are in control of your thoughts, and with one simple change you can flip the script. Instead of saying “I h...

I’ve always been interested in self-development and getting to know myself better. I want to live an Extraordinary Life, not an ordinary one, and understanding my inner workings is what is making that happen. Self-development is a daily practice, though, not a one-time deal. Just like any other skill, you can deepen your understanding and learn new strategies the more you do it. Last month I had a great reminder of this, one that may help motivate you to improve your daily practices, too. 

A Family Reminder

One of my daily habits is to write out what I’m grateful for. At the top of the list is always family and friends; especially now, as my father-in-law passed away suddenly this summer. As a result, I made two trips down to Colombia. The first was to attend his funeral with our family, and the second was to support my husband and attend family events. 

I spent almost two weeks there, and when I first arrived, my Spanish was very rusty. By the end of the second trip, I’d picked up ...

You KNOW that I love the power of good habits! Habits like drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, setting out your gym clothes the night before, or journaling before bed are easy to do and make a positive impact in our lives. But what about those bad habits that hinder your progress? I’ve got a simple approach to help you break free from negative patterns and transform them into positive ones. This effective method will empower you to conquer your bad habits and create lasting change. 

Where Habits Come From

I know how frustrating it is when you realize you’ve been doing something out of habit (again) that you didn’t even want to do. Like finding yourself arm-deep in a bag of chips whenever you get upset, despite normally being committed to your health goals. Or maybe you drink a glass of wine or two after work each day, but wake up the next day wishing you hadn’t. 

You weren’t born with these habits - they are learned behaviors. And if you learned them, you can unlea...

 Over the past month, I've been talking about clearing out your mental clutter to gain more mental clarity for greater success. To wrap things up, here are seven daily practices that will help you gain control of any thoughts continuously swirling around in your head. Add these tips to your toolbox for when you find yourself ruminating or overwhelmed by unhelpful thoughts. 

Easy Strategies to Clear Your Mental Clutter 

Whether you can’t focus because of the to-do list running in your head, or you can’t sleep because you’re stuck worrying about work, we all get stuck in a “thought loop” sometimes. Your brain won’t turn off or let you focus, and it zaps your energy and productivity. Try one (or a few) of the tips below the next time you find your mind overflowing; or, better yet, choose one and make it a habit to keep those thoughts from turning up in the first place. 

1. Mindful Breathing. If you feel overwhelmed or are experiencing a lack of focus, practicing a mindful breathing tec...

 As I look back over the past twelve months, one of the things I’m most proud of in my business is how consistent I was with my podcast and blog. Despite vacations, my son’s bike racing, and everyday life “interruptions”, I made the time to create new content to help you stay consistent and create your own version of an Extraordinary Life. Below are the top five podcasts and blogs that people enjoyed the most; surprisingly, my very first podcast ever captured the #2 spot! I hope you’ll enjoy revisiting some of my favorites, to help set yourself up for a great year ahead. 

#1: Episode 30: Always Growing - An Interview with Artist Tina Short

In today’s episode, I interview Tina Short, an artist living her version of an extraordinary life. Through parenting twin boys, divorce, and finding her path as an artist, she’s come up against many obstacles. Yet through it all, she’s stayed committed to growing and staying true to herself. 

In this inspiring interview, we chat about following ...

Listen on The Extraordinary Life Podcast

The end of the year is on the horizon, and with it comes the new one. Whether you make resolutions or not, it is still a time when most people think about being motivated and actively working on their goals. It’s always easy to motivate yourself in the beginning when something is new and exciting, but when you're in a slump? Not so much. If you’re ready to break free of the doldrums, keep reading for ways to motivate yourself out of a slump.

What Motivates You?

The first thing to consider when you find yourself with the blahs, is what usually motivates you? Part of your answer will be your “why”. If your “why” is strong enough and you can reconnect to it, it might just be enough to jumpstart you again. If not, it’s time to go deeper. Let’s talk about the types of motivation you can use to propel you forward again. 

Types of Motivation

There are two types of motivation: extrinsic (external) and intrinsic (internal). This can be helpful not o...

Listen on The Extraordinary Life Podcast

I’ve been talking a lot about breaking out of your comfort zone to achieve your goals and dreams. Today, I’m tackling another way to get up and get going: self-discipline. Without self-discipline, it’s easy to get distracted from your goals and just coast through life. That may be fine for a little while, but coasting won’t take you where you want to go. Success takes commitment, and to stay committed, you need self-discipline. 

Self-discipline is something I’ve been working on again lately. You may remember back in May, I tried the 75 Hard Challenge and only made it about halfway. I had all kinds of excuses to stop because the road to success is full of temptations and distractions. I was keeping up with things like my podcast and blog, but not doing some of the other things I knew I should have been doing to move my business forward so I can help more people. So, back to what I know works to be disciplined about my goals. 

4 Ways to Be More...

Listen on The Extraordinary Life Podcast

Last week I shared strategies on how to train your negative thoughts to be more positive because the thoughts that move through your head have everything to do with your confidence, success, and even your health. (Check it out here.) This week, I’m taking that concept one step further, and sharing how you can set up your internal environment for those positive thoughts to flourish. In other words, what can you do so that your brain is more receptive to the positive messages you're sending it? 

Studies show that you can prime your brain to be more open to feeling confident, positive, and to making healthier choices both for your body and your mind. You can physically alter your brain circuitry to promote more positive responses with simple practices that anyone can fit into their day. 

Give Meditation a Chance

Meditation has been around for literally thousands of years, and for good reason. If you’re the type of person who thinks they could n...