Category Archives: Personal Growth

Crack the Whip on Spring Fever

It’s that time a year! Flowers are coming into full bloom. There’s more sunshine, warmer weather, and adorable fuzzy babies. And then, there’s a seasonal illness many of us are likely to catch– Spring Fever! How can you inoculate yourself against less productivity?

Three practical tips to crack the whip on Spring Fever! Maintain focus AND enjoy Springtime fun.

Click To Tweet

Plan with Priorities in Mind

Friend, it’s important to feel alive. Contrary to what most may tell you about planning, I’m diverging from the norm. In the Springtime everything is new again. There’s a renewed hope we carry within, and planning with our priorities in mind is crucial.

Take a quick moment to list what is MOST important to you. On that same list, take a moment to note how much time you actually spend on this priority. Is there a big disconnect? If so, what two decisions can you make to plan with priorities in mind? Just two. It will help you launch forward into the the direction that’s right for you!

As a wellness entrepreneur who works mostly from home, I have a confession to make. Long before Spring was in the air, I knew we were going to have a baby; a four-legged one that is! In years past I regretted not spending more time with other foals as I had wished. So during the Wintertime I decided to make “Slurpie”, our little fuzz ball a priority. I decided to schedule appointments with her, just as I would my own work or a work out.

Crack-the-Whip-on-Spring-Fever

 

The second priority I’ve set is training four health coaches to service a hospital whose patients are backing out of serious illness. And guess what? So far, so good! Three have been determined and soon I’ll begin interviewing for a fourth. This particular objective covers many bases for me– the need to contribute, multiple opportunities to help others with their health while empowering others to grow in their business skills. It’s a real win-win and a powerful priority for sure.

I’m sharing my personal choices to demonstrate that two choices can really impact multiple areas of our life. I hope you’ll join me! Obviously all of our priorities differ. It’s planning for them that matters.

Prescription of Play

In my humble opinion, Springtime equals fun. For some reason it always conjures up skipping through fields of wild flowers, playful puppies and pygmy goats, sunglasses, convertibles and delicious smoothies. Ah, the simple pleasures!

Charis

Clearly, we don’t need to be told to work harder. Many of us do that already. What we need is permission to play! Seriously, this can help us crack the whip on Spring Fever by getting out and playing for a while. The prescription of “Feel Good” empowers us to be happy, healthy, and balanced.

Take for the example how I actually made spending quality time with Slurpie a priority. This play time requires that I put on courage and trust that I become a better more focused person by allowing myself to enjoy something that brings me overwhelming happiness. It’s true that we’d all rather interact with happy people, isn’t it? Come on! Join the fun.

Ask yourself, “How will I show up by allowing myself to play this Spring?” A better you, yes? And why stop there? Go ahead include all the seasons!

Planting Periods of Productivity

Springtime is also a great time to plant for productivity. Ask yourself, what do you want to create? Better health? A more prolific business? Plan it and plant the seeds. Every single action we choose to take or dismiss produces a harvest. Why now get into production mode when everything is naturally growing and blossoming?

call

There’s a simple cycle to follow to eradicate Spring Fever. Plan, play and plant. Plan your play and plan what you’re planting for producing the results you desire. My hope is that this Springtime becomes your best yet. May it be the Spring you remember for years to come.

Oh, and just in case you can use some help, I’m here to serve. Just check out my offerings and let me know what best suits your fancy!

Chime In!

Tell us, do you ever battle Spring Fever? According to your priorities, what’s your prescription for play? OR what are you planting for that will produce some fulfilling results?

Proper brainwashing and 3 Tips to transform your programming

Brainwashing may seem a bit strong. And, now that I have your attention, you and I are brainwashed. Seriously. Think of it as being programmed for success or failure much like a computer is programmed to run sequences. In the lighter sense and use of the word, brainwashing includes the changing or influence of our opinions, attitudes or behavior by specific methods. The brainwashing we have dictates much of WHAT we do, often times without the understanding of WHY we do it.

Here’s some examples of how brainwashing happens. Many of us hustle to get an education to get a job we don’t even love. Or, we find ourselves scarfing down a bag of potato chips. Replays of “no one can eat just one” has us well-trained. We may burst out singing perfect lyrics in a grocery store aisle to a well-worn ten-year old song. We’re moving through life as our culture, society and mass media suggests.We are performing on cue.

Do we stop to question. Do we wonder why we live the way we do?

Click To Tweet

As an ambassador for health and entrepreneurship, I know first hand about resistance. I’ve been told that I need to go easy on Coca Cola and Nabisco. As much brainwashing that I had received about eating pre-packaged, canned goods, or fast food, it was my personal experience of poor health that forced me to question previous nutritional teachings- you know the ones I learned from the Jolly Green Giant, Ronald McDonald and Little Debbie.

My own mother (who was, and is still my biggest cheerleader) continually asked, “Honey, when are you going to get a real job?” Several close friends questioned why I would not go work for someone else. They’d ask, “Isn’t what you’re doing risky? Can you pay the bills? Aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to retire?” Then the revelation hit. As much as I had been brainwashed to get an education so I could get a good job, my personal experiences and yearning desires for freedom beckoned me into the entrepreneurial world. The reality I was seeing is that job security is only a perception. Experiences led me to the only decision I knew deep down that I must take. However, there was one problem. The brainwashing. Sure, I was strong, but I needed a plan to keep me moving in the direction of my dreams.

A Proper Brainwashing and 3 Tips to Transform Your Programming

Is it time to interrupt your personal programming to create a life you really want? Is it time to reconsider what others say you should be or do and step out in confidence? If so, I’d like to offer some advice that’s worked for me.

Decide

Your current results are a reflection of the total sum of decisions that you have consciously or unconsciously made. The same statement applies to me. However, something powerful can happen when we desire to forge a different path. Our ability to question the status quo or our current brain washing requires courage. We must decide to set the dial of our own programming, one that leads us to our desired result.

It’s a decision that has us much like salmon swimming upstream. Perhaps not the most comfortable decision to make, but the one that leads us to the most adventure of being alive.

A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it. ~ G.K. Chesterson

Click To Tweet

We get to decide to take the better path– the one that brings more purpose, health, and satisfaction. We get to decide how and what we will program our powerful brains with every day. Instead of being a receptor of information thrown at us, we can discern which voices to listen to, what books and blogs to read and how we to act on the information we receive. I’m rooting for a proper brainwashing!

Laugh in the Face of Conformity

Tradition doesn’t always breed health or happiness. In fact, it can perpetuate stress and sadness. This is why I suggest we quit trying to be in the one-size-fits all and embrace what makes more sense.  We need to laugh in the face of conformity, reject archaic, non-serving practices that make us want to poke our eyes out.

It’s time to bust up the societal brainwashing that repeats, “this is the way it is, this is the way it will always be.” Heck NO! As the late business philosopher, Jim Rohn said, “don’t sign up for that class!” Transform previous programming with humor. If you’ve caught yourself uncomfortably conforming, it’s time to stop being the butt of the joke and try an alternative approach to life. Pun intended. 😉

Huddle Up

HuddleUp

As awkward as this advice may sound, form your own cult or join an existing one. Let me explain. I’m not urging you to join the type of cult that will get you in trouble, rather one that has goals similar to yours. One that cheers you on and vice versa. Are you forging a new health adventure to better wellness? Find a group of health-minded individuals. Are you an aspiring or seasoned entrepreneur? Connect with fellow entrepreneurs.

Being part of a community that can huddle up, dialogue and exchange wins, challenges and inspiration is perhaps one of the most fruitful practices when it comes to “properly brainwashing” our self for transformative success. If you happen to be looking for a community that focuses on improving health or developing as an entrepreneur, let’s connect. Perhaps we should be huddling up so you can better create the life you desire.

Chime In!

What ways do you properly brainwash yourself? Any particular podcasts, blogs or social media you follow to help you transform your life for the better? Do share! I want to know.

 

Hi ho! Hi ho! We’re off to hit our goals!

Dreams are birthed when goals are set.

When it comes to goals, I propose we make conscious decisions that guide us so we feel fully alive. Let’s set them around our priorities, using clear communication and tenacity. All the while pursuing happiness.

We desire more than mere profits in our pocketbook. We truly desire to profit in our soul, not that we’re closed to outrageous financial blessings. We’d rather cast away what bankrupts our bodies and dashes our dreams by courageously stepping beyond the ordinary and embracing the extraordinary– it’s who we are.

Addressing Overwhelm

Most of the minutes in our day are taken. My question is, are those minutes planned out according to our priorities or are existing programs running the plans?

Is it time to draw a line in the sand? To march to our own drum? Reset the music to what causes our heart to dance?

Every December many resolutions or goals are set with high hopes for the new year. At times, we even avoid setting goals altogether.

What will be different this time? If you’ve set year-end goals, resolutions or intentions, will you and I really complete it? If you haven’t planned something for yourself, why not?

While I’ve been able to accomplish several big, audacious goals in my life, please allow me to speak into yours. I’ve failed learned boatloads while attempting great feats. Some years I’ve dazzled myself. Other years I was dumbfounded as to what I may dare next. As such, I avoided setting any goal. By the way, I don’t recommend that.

Here’s how you can address possible overwhelm. Don’t try to accomplish 50 amazing things in a small amount of time. Instead, pick one or two audacious goals. Do this to build character. Avoid running yourself ragged or trying to prove anything to anyone. Do this for you because it lights you up. Because you believe things can and should be better. Pursue goals because it develops you as an even more incredible person.

We live in a performance based culture. I suggest we avoid the churn and burn performances and go for a planned out passionate pursuit to reach a goal. In the end, it’s about becoming and being who you really are and being glad you did it. It’s about buffing out the dull lackluster of life and shimmying out the shine. It’s you– leading your own revolution. No regrets.

Opening opportunities for clarity of communication and the old turtle trick

Absolutely no

In a daunting world of jump faster. Jump higher! Do more! Be more! I’m shouting from the mountaintops, “Say no to everything that’s not leading you toward more peace, purpose, or truly profiting your soul.

We make meaningful progress when we give our self permission to say no.

Click To Tweet

No isn’t always easy. Learning to say no and how to say no has been a real challenge for me primarily because I absolutely love people and enjoy making them happy.

Quickly reach an absolute no by being clear and acting on your priorities. If the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t stuff your foot in; simply say no. If the request resonates with the life you choose to create, then it’s a blow the trumpet, sound the alarms, YES!

So how do you say no politely? Especially when saying no to a good cause when it doesn’t align with your overall principle/desires?

Here’s some tips in how to say and mean no graciously.

No thank you.

I’m unable to commit to that. I appreciate your vote of confidence.

I’m so flattered you’ve asked. However, my answer needs to be no.

I believe I can give you what you’re asking for in about in a 15 minute call. Want to set a time and date? If not, I’ll need to decline.

I’ve chosen to no longer continue placing my energy on “this” as I’m now focusing more time on “that”.

No, I can’t. I made plans to stay home and file my toenails and floss the cat. (Seriously, try this one for laughs.)

Hi-ho!-Hi-ho!-We're-off-to-hit-a-goal!

Sound the alarms YES!

I dare you to make every yes you speak align with who you are and what you feel you have been put on this earth to do.

I dare you to take quick inventory, gut check or visual tour of your written priorities. And when you say yes, it ushers you to more opportunity and deep contentment.

Say yes to what fills you up– develops you into being a better human, thrills you, challenges you and makes you increase your faith!

Graciously poo poo life’s mediocre callings with a confident no. Do yourself a favor and proudly stand up for the extraordinary with a resounding, yes.

Stay on Target with your Goal Setting

The simplicity of saying yes or no may seem insulting and yet it holds tremendous power to define the future. Our ability to make a decision and act on it out is paramount for staying on target with our goal setting. Friend, it’s less about an arduous journey and more about enjoying the smaller steps that empower us to complete the goal. When distractions happen or mistakes are made, let’s allow our priorities to guide us back to the target.

When set backs happen simply waltz back into the pursuit of happiness.

Click To Tweet

Don’t waste anytime lamenting. Return to why you chose to do what you’re doing in the first place and regain your momentum.

Tenacity wins

It’s not always talent that creates winners. It’s tenacity. Think Aesop’s fable about the tortoise and the hare. Steadfast with heart and slow from the start or cocky, quick and easily distracted– which would we rather be?

I believe our deepest desire is to create results that we can look back on in the years to come and say, “I’m so glad I did it! I persevered. I stayed the course! I learned so much about life. My character was developed. I’m satisfied and this win feels so great.”

Chime in!

What will you say no to this year? What are you saying yes to? Did you fulfill a big goal last year? Go ahead, toot your horn! Or how about sharing what you great feat you plan to accomplish this year? Share your inside scoop with us in the comments below.

5 Reasons Why Diets Will Fail You

If you truly want to live your life, I suggest you run from dieting. There are may reasons diets fail us. In general, diets can be frustrating because more often then not they aren’t successful and lead us to feeling delusional. I want to share 5 reasons why diets will fail you– just in case you’re thinking about a pursuing a New Year’s resolution or goal that involves dieting.

I want you to be fully aware of of empty promises that guarantee quick weight-loss. The kind that tell you no exercise or long-term habit changes are necessary. Beware. You may want to believe that it’s that easy, but our bodies need more than just a magic pill or power potion. It requires a combination of food, adequate rest, exercise and water. You know this already.

Sure everyone wants to be abundantly wealthy. And yet we know our odds of being struck by lighting are greater than winning the lottery. The point is this, when we desire a higher quality of life, there are certain mindsets and practices we choose in order to reach it.

I’m not gonna lie, I’d love a short cut for everything! Even if you aren’t looking to lose weight, you want to have energy right? Well, You’re not alone. Just because a diet works for one person, doesn’t mean it will work the same for you. Diets are destined to fail. After all, the word “die” is within the word “diet” and I want us to feel fully alive, ready for adventures and comfortable in our clothes and our skin.

5 reasons that diets are doomed to fail:

Short-term Goal

Ever notice how people choose to use a diet to achieve a short-term goal? Usually to lose weight before an upcoming event or right after the New Year? The perception of dieting is to take on a temporary action to obtain a rapid result. Once that result is achieved, the diet is stopped and old eating habits return. I know. I share from experience.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Ever had someone tell you how they accomplished a certain goal where you know you did the exact same thing but that “secret formula” didn’t quite work the same for you. Well, most diets are based on the premise of calorie counting and using a formula that gets applied to the general population as opposed to the individual’s needs. We all process calories and food differently. Not all calories are created equal. Calories consumed from sweet potatoes or brocolli are more nutrient-dense than calories consumed from a processed, low-fat bagel. Furthermore, if we consume too few calories, our body shifts into survival mode and slows down the metabolism. Here, we run the risk of our metabolism remaining sluggish once we begin consuming more calories.

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

If you’re a foodie like me, the answer is love has everything to do with it! The love of textures, tastes, nuances, crunchy, mushy, savory, salty: it’s what makes our favorites so flavorful.

You know love can really cause diet failure. Let me explain. Even before initiating a diet, we tend to believe that we’ll be deprived of the foods we love. Starting off a diet with this belief set us up for failure. Constant deprivation conjures up food cravings that are difficult to ignore. So instead of enjoying one chocolate chip cookie, we may possibly indulge in five.

The Ups & Downs

Yo-yo dieting has been coined as a popular phrase. Many of us go on a diet to lose weight then we gain it back and sometime even more than lost. It’s a cycle that brings frustration not just emotionally but it’s physically taxing on our bodies. In extreme cases it brings about eating disorders because the results are continually sought out with an approach that simply doesn’t support long-term results. It’s unhealthy and a form of insanity.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. ~Albert Einstein

Click To Tweet

What We Really Crave Isn’t Always on Our Plate

Cravings are always addressed in a particular diet. For this reason, I believe they fail. This goes beyond how to address food cravings and how to handle them. It’s normal for us all to have cravings. Often what we need are the tools and knowledge to help navigate through cravings.

When we are armed with how to reach for healthy food alternatives we can help eliminate them. Diets don’t address the notion of “primary food.” Primary food cannot be found on a plate. It’s the “food” that bring us and provides deep contentment. It’s the food that is fills up our hearts and even if our tummy is a bit empty, there’s satiation of the soul. For me, it’s being outdoors, it’s what fills me up!

Playa

It’s time to let go of frustration and look under the hood of dieting. I encourage you to look at them with eyes wide open especially since you or someone you love is considering one in the new year.

Chime In!

In the comment below, tell us, what fills you up? I believe knowing this will help us look at food and life differently. What simple things bring you satisfaction? Is it hearing your children giggle? Is it reading a good book? Drawing? Listening to music you love?

5 Reasons Not to Be an Entrepreneur

Personally I love being an entrepreneur.

I know, however, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If fact, if all or most of the five reasons in this article resonate, skip being an entrepreneur altogether.

You see, each one of us brings something incredible to the world. The way we manifest our life work differs– sometimes it’s best done as an entrepreneur, and sometimes it is not. Read about the five reasons you may want to steer clear of the entrepreneurial career path.

1- Saying “No” isn’t part of your repertoire

While “yes” is THE super word we all want to hear, “no” is a much needed and exceptional word for taking control of how an entrepreneur spends precious time and energy. “No” is empowering to the entrepreneur but can be catastrophic to the employee especially when that “no” is directed at the boss.

The entrepreneur is the boss and therefore on many levels the word “no” serves as a great gift. This gift empowers the entrepreneur to strategically choose when or if to take on new projects, territory or team members. Saying “no” is, in reality saying “yes” to bigger priorities.

This isn’t a blanket statement that all entrepreneurs say “no” when they need to, in fact, I believe it is a skill that is acquired over time through learning. Aspiring entrepreneurs learn that “yes” leads to overwhelm.

Seasoned entrepreneurs have learned that “no” is about increasing impact.

Click To Tweet

Saying “no” isn’t always easy. It’s human to want to please others. It can be a difficult pattern to break. If “no” isn’t in your current and future repertoire then run the other way, Forest! The entrepreneurial life will frustrate you more than “the song that never ends.”

2- You visualize hippies singing around a campfire singing Kumbaya when you think about personal development

campfire

Of course, employees grow. The point here is entrepreneurs are stretched in many areas because the choice to march the the beat of one’s own drum demands personal development. It is ongoing, lifelong because the only thing that is constant is change.

Employees are often caught up in maintaining the status quo so personal development isn’t a natural occurrence. Don’t hate me because I don’t believe this is always true. However, those I do know who get promoted within their company often do an outside job where personal development is where they create their cutting edge for advancing.

Still not too keen on embracing personal development? I suggest skipping out on being an entrepreneur. It will save you some sanity.

3- You rather belong to the more popular club

Belonging and community is in our DNA. On some level we want to be a part of a “club.” It’s part of our design.

Employees make up the largest, most popular club. Each with their own set of pros and cons, culture and mindset.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint of heart. It requires courage not to take most traveled path. At times, it may feel as though you are in a class all your own and in a club with little to no membership.

Eventually the entrepreneur tends to find other entrepreneurs where exchanges happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s for exchanging contact information for a good CPA or attorney, other times it’s to glean information about what each other is doing in the realm of social media or sales.

If belonging to the bigger club they most everyone else is a part, perhaps you should skip out on entrepreneurship. However, if you have patience to forge a club of your own or persistence to find the tribe that runs with your same vibe, you may just be fit to be an entrepreneur.

4- Adventure scares you

Every successful entrepreneur I’ve ever met holds a high tolerance for adventure. Let me explain.

I’ve yet to meet one that doesn’t travel or hasn’t traveled. It seems that the makeup of the person, mindset and purpose calls them into some sort of travel. Sometimes the entrepreneur travels for pleasure other times, for business either way it increases adventure.

What’s high risk to many, the entrepreneur perceives as freedom and adventure.

Click To Tweet

The mere responsibility of creating and running a business that supports one’s personal expenses isn’t quite the adventure for everyone. If you’d rather avoid this, no worries, the important thing is to know your limitations.

5- You’re more comfortable with someone else calling all the shots

One word– control. It’s how you see it.

At some point in time most entrepreneurs have probably been called “bossypants” or “controlling.”  They like to call their own shots, assume risks, forge new paths, and cause their mothers concern. On the other hand, employees tend to play by a certain set of rules, follow a path that is designed for them and receive and act on orders given by a superior. Again, each path holds its own set of pros and cons.

It is simply wise to know where you are most comfortable. Rather call your own shots? Or, are you more comfortable with someone else calling all the shots?

An entrepreneur likes the control and adventure of being in the driver seat. Most employees rather avoid off-roading and enjoy the ride instead.

Chime In!

What sayest thou? Entrepreneur or employee? Why have you chosen this path? Share with us in the comments below.

Dr. Paige Hunter, Business & Health Coach

Connect with me online: Connect with Dr. Paige Hunter on Instagram Connect with Dr. Paige Hunter on LinkedIn