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I know I’ve been talking about motivation and how to keep moving forward quite a bit lately, but there really is a reason for that. I’m trying to keep myself on track, too! I’m trying to write a book, I have fitness goals, and I’m keeping the home fires burning. It’s a lot to stay motivated about, and I know I’m not alone. 

Have you ever noticed how motivated you are when you start working on a goal or project, and then it just seems to disappear? Suddenly getting off the couch to work out or open your computer feels impossible.

Well, it’s not because you’re lazy or undisciplined (although I sometimes worry about myself, too), it’s just how our brains are wired.

Motivation is meant to give us that initial burst of energy—it’s not designed to carry us forever. But here’s the good news: you don’t need motivation to keep moving forward. You just need a plan to future-proof it!

How to Keep Going When the Initial Motivation Disappears

1. Make it part of your identity. Think of the new ...

When life inevitably throws you curveballs, it can be hard to stay consistent or be motivated to maintain your healthy habits. You can’t always control what life has in store for you but you can control how you respond to it. I’ve invented a simple rule for myself that allows me grace when I need it and also keeps me on track with the things I know are important to me. I bet it will work for you, too. 

It’s Been a Week Over Here

I’m sharing this trick with you because I had to use it myself last week. I caught a cold so I stayed in and rested for a few days. Then, while picking up a prescription, I decided to get my tetanus booster. I was overdue for it and already at the pharmacy, so it seemed like a good idea. I was wrong.

I don’t remember ever having much of a reaction to booster shots before, but this time it laid me out. I was achy, feverish, and lethargic for days afterward. Needless to say, I had a week of feeling awful and I didn’t feel like working out at all. Even though I...

Each year at this time I normally host my Design Your Decade Workshop. This year, however, I’m far too focused on writing my book about gut health. I couldn’t leave you hanging, of course, so I thought I’d share a simple but impactful part of the workshop below. It only takes ten minutes, and will help you “keep your eye on the prize” when it comes to your own goals. If you like it and want to go deeper, you can always continue on with the DIY version of the workshop. 

80% of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by February, so if you’re losing steam, you’re not alone. But if you want to breathe some life back into the intentions you set at the beginning of the year, this quick ten minute exercise will help you do it. In fact, you can do this exercise any time, and I would recommend putting some version of it into your routine.

It’s simple: sit down and write (or type) out what your life looks like a few months from now, when you’ve stayed committed to your goal. This will ...

We’re already a few weeks into January —how are those New Year’s resolutions holding up? If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed or are slipping back into old habits, you’re not alone. Many people find themselves losing momentum after the initial excitement fades. But here’s the good news: achieving your goals might be easier if you focus on doing less, not more.

The Problem with Overloading Yourself

Research shows that piling on too many goals or tasks can lead to decision fatigue—a mental drain that makes it harder to stick to new habits. When your brain is overloaded with decisions, your willpower weakens, and motivation starts to fade. So, how can you avoid this common trap?

The Power of Simplifying

The solution is simple: do less! Focusing on fewer, more impactful actions can make a world of difference. Ask yourself: What unnecessary steps can I eliminate? Simplifying isn’t about doing less for the sake of it; it’s about being strategic and intentional.

Here are a few ways to ...

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For the past several months, I’ve been prepping you to take the leap, get out of your comfort zone, and finally take action on your goals and dreams. I’ve shared the psychology of comfort zones, tips to motivate yourself to expand yours, and examples of the amazing things that can happen when you are brave enough to get uncomfortable. But the time for talking is over. No more planning. No more thinking about it. It’s time to take action. 

Getting from your comfort zone to your dreams will require you to take a giant leap of faith in yourself. There is no certainty in life. You can never know for sure if you’ll succeed or fail. Even if you’ve meticulously planned every step, there are too many external factors that can (and will) pop up on your journey. This isn’t said to scare you, but rather to give you that final push you need; you’ve done all you can! 

The only thing left to do is to take the leap. Here are the three ingredients you need t...

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As much as I enjoy the holidays, I'm always happy to get back to routine. With the buildup to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, it’s like six weeks of preparation and “unusual” days of visiting and celebrations. I love the time I get to spend with my daughter who has gone back to college now, and with my son who is nearing the end of his high school days. I know it won’t be long until he has left to follow his dreams, too. 

With a fresh year ahead, it’s the perfect time to take action on your own dreams. To do that, you need to step outside of your comfort zone; this is something you’ll have to do again and again. 

What Your Comfort Zone Is

I think most people imagine their comfort zone as a safe circle around them, where everything is predictable and cozy that doesn’t change. Surprise! Your comfort zone isn’t set in stone. It’s an artificial mental boundary that allows you to function in your daily life without anxiety or fear. It’...

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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...

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When it comes to achieving your goals or dreams, your success boils down to one simple thing: your mindset. If you keep a positive mindset, there’s no limit to what you can achieve. But if you allow yourself to sink into negativity, you’re going to stay stuck. So how do you flip the negative to the positive, even when everything seems hard? I’ve got a few ideas to help.

A Tale As Old As Time

I recently had the pleasure of reading a book for my friend’s book group. It’s called “The Dream Giver”, by Bruce Wilkinson. It's a short book, and the first half is a parable about the journey to following your dreams. Then the second half contains his steps to follow them. 

It felt like such a coincidence to pick up the book, because I’ve been talking about leaving your comfort zone this past month. I love reading different takes on the same topic, but the idea of leaving the familiar behind to accomplish something bigger has been around probably forev...

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I'm back from my road trip and was all ready to get my son off to his first day of school and get to work on my next podcast on motivation, when he tested positive for Covid. Not a great way to start out, but suddenly his previous congestion and my own headache and fatigue made sense. I’m still testing negative but am not overly energetic, certainly not enough to record a podcast on motivation! 

My go-to when I’m not feeling well is to focus on my health, which makes sense because physical health is an important part of motivation. I've been making sure to get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, and eat an abundance of fresh local fruits and veggies. Another tool I use to increase my energy is adaptogens.

Adaptogens are plants and mushrooms that help your body respond to stress, anxiety, fatigue, and enhance overall wellbeing. Not a bad thing for anyone to have in their toolbox, especially (in my opinion) women. About four years ago...

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Motivation. What is it? Why is it so important? I talk about it all the time in relation to achieving my own goals and encouraging you to go after yours, but do you really know what motivation is? In order to harness our internal drive to go after what we really want, it’s important to know what motivation is and how it works. 

In this blog series, I’m going to be sharing the different aspects of motivation, including how to find it, keep it, and use it to your advantage. But first, we need to define it. 

What is Motivation?

When defining a concept that we can’t see, it can help to start with the dictionary definition. Google defines motivation as “the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way”, or “the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.” I’d say that it’s a driving force that pushes its own pedal when it sees an opportunity. Thinking about the High Performance Habits, motivation goes...