#GoalDigger Series Post #3: Visualizing Success

Welcome to my third post of the #goaldigger series! Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing with you how I goalset, how to find (and keep) my motivation, how to stay on track, and how to hold yourself accountable. My life has changed BIG TIME since last March due to several of the ideas I am going to share with you. I'm so excited to help you make 2015 the best year ever.

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You've set your goals, developed your why, and you've got those resources to help re-route you when times start getting tough. Probably one of my favorite parts of goal-setting, though, is thinking forward. 

Visualizing your goals coming to fruition makes them, in my opinion, more tangible. Picturing what life looks like once those goals are reached lights the fire in your belly just a little more. 

My three favorite ways to visualize success:

1.) Quiet time & meditation
I try to spend 15-20 minutes every morning (during my "sacred time") in perfect quiet, thinking forward and picturing what my life looks like once I've reached my goals. What am I doing? How is my family affected? What does our day look like? Jumping into the future is fun, because you can *feel* the potential there. It creates belief. YOU CAN DO THIS. In your mind, you already have done it.

2.) Affirmations
Every so often, I swap out my quiet time with affirmation-writing. It's easy. Take your goals and write them in the present, as if they have happened. For example: "I have saved $2,000 and we are taking a vacation." "I am active and present member in my church." "I am an Elite Coach." This helps put in you in that mindset. It helps you focus.

3.) Vision Boards
This one is my favorite, because it gets your creative juices flowing. Remember how you used to make collages with pictures cut out of magazines and newspapers? That's basically what a vision board is. You can make a hard copy with magazines, or you can use a photo editing program (PicMonkey is free!) to create one digitally.

Here's mine:

For the most part, my goals haven't changed since I last shared my goals with you. Except you might notice the addition of "Premiere" to the vision board...a Premiere Coach is high-performance coach who is a true leader of their organization. I want that, so now I've upped my rank advancement goal to 2 Star Diamond this year. It's a BIG, SCARY goal, but someone's gotta set one! You'll also notice that I added my goal to participate in The Color Run, my program goals, how many people I want to help this year, and how I want to find our church home (which we DID!).  That quote in the bottom center is a constant reminder about my journey...it's a slow one, but every step is shaping me and there is no rushing it. I am where I am supposed to be right now.

Ever use any of these methods to visualize success in reaching your goals? I'd LOVE to hear about it!

Next up: Staying Accountable. 

21 Day Fix EXTREME--It's Coming!

I've shared about my results with 21 Day Fix, which I think is anything but a "fix." It's not "Here, take this pill and you'll see results," or makes an empty promise on results. If you follow the nutrition plan closely and put in the work with the workouts, you will see results. It's so simple.

It's a transformative program for many that help them completely retrain their bodies and their eating habits. It teaches portion control; how much of what to eat and when; how to build strength and stamina. And all in 21 days. It's amazing.

I've had great results with 21 Day Fix (lost almost 10 pounds in November!), and I'm amped to announce that 21 Day Fix EXTREME is going to be launched on February 2!

For more info, check out this video:

Some quick facts:

You get SEVEN workouts that are 30 minutes each, which means you have one workout for each day of the week--it can be fit into ANY schedule! And you'll never be bored, nor will your body adapt.

The workouts feature a unique blend of steady-state aerobics, resistance training, and explosive power moves that target every muscle in the body. You'll see results fast.

The BIG difference between this and the original 21 Day Fix is that the weights are heavier and the nutrition plan is MUCH more strict. With 21 Day Fix, you could fit treats like wine and small cheats into your meal plan. Not with the Fix Extreme! You’ll be eating ONLY clean foods. No treats. No cheats. And, of course, you'll get the portion control containers that are a game-changer if you need help with portions and fitting in your different food groups throughout the day!

This program would be great for those of you that are looking to drop some weight and tone up fast--got a vacation coming up? People who are seriously serious about doing what it takes to see results would be great candidates for 21 Day Fix Extreme. Don't feel like counting calories or weighing food? I bet this program is for you.

To my 21 Day Fix, T25, and other program grads who are ready to take it up a notch--this one is definitely for YOU.

Interested? I will be hosting a challenge group that starts on Monday, February 16 and you can be one of the FIRST people to try it out!  I am only accepting serious applicants, and you MUST commit to your challenge pack by February 9 to be able to start.

Click here to apply to for the February Challenge Group!

#GoalDigger Series Post #2: Finding Your Motivation--What's Your WHY?

Welcome to my second post of the #goaldigger series! Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing with you how I goalset, how to find (and keep) my motivation, how to stay on track, and how to hold yourself accountable. My life has changed BIG TIME since last March due to several of the ideas I am going to share with you. I'm so excited to help you make 2015 the best year ever.

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So, you've set a goal. Maybe two of three of them.

You are a rockstar.

You are one step ahead of almost everyone. People make resolutions in January. But not you. You are setting tangible goals, and that makes you WAY more likely to actually reach those goals than the resolution-makers.

You set that goal. You jump in in January. You're doing great. And then...a few weeks goes by and you start losing steam. Your goal seems too hard, or too big, or just plain unreachable. By March, you become deflated.

Big goals, small goals--it doesn't matter. It happens to the best of us if we lose sight of the reason why we're working toward these goals.

It's easy to get super excited at first. You are running headfirst with a goal that can have a profound effect on your life. You are going to lose weight, connect on a higher level with your spouse or significant other, save more money, et cetera, et cetera.

But if you can't figure out WHY you are doing these things--there is no reminder that when times get tough, there is a strong underlying reason for reaching these goals.

Let's use the example of losing weight. I'm pretty sure it's the most popular resolution people make each January.

Those people hit the gym hard for the month and head into February strong. Then one day it snows and they don't feel like driving to the gym, so they don't go. Then another day they make lunch plans with their friends, so they tell themselves they'll go to the gym later in the day--but when later comes that thought is long gone. Next thing you know, it's March and that person hasn't been to the gym in weeks!

For me, I set a goal to get healthy last year. That included changing my eating habits and to start incorporating some sort of fitness regimen into my daily activity. One of the first few things I did was write out my "Why."

Why was I doing this? Sure, there were some vanity-based reasons involved, but my big reason stemmed from an experience I had just weeks prior in Disney World with my family. My daughter was two years old, and this was supposed to be an amazing day in the happiest place on earth. Except I was SO UNCOMFORTABLE the entire time that I just felt like I couldn't keep up with her. My feet hurt. My legs chafed until they bled from walking the park. I was bloated and had horrible digestive issues. I was in such discomfort that I broke down crying at lunch that day. True story: here I am, in the middle of freaking DISNEY WORLD, and I am crying into my lunch because I am in physical pain. At 28 years old. Because I was treating my body like crap, I looked and felt like crap.

January 2014.
I know I've shared this photo already, but this is a constant reminder to me of where I started.
This is the day that set my goal in motion.

When I got home, I promised I'd change. Not just for me, but for my family. I vowed that I wouldn't allow myself to remain unable to keep up with my family--especially my daughter--because of my weight and poor health choices. I promised that I would set an example for Peyton, to teach her that our bodies are our vehicles while we are on Earth, that we only get one, and we need to treat it right.

My WHY is relatively simple: my family. Everything I do revolves around my husband and daughter. I was to be present for my family. Share in joy with my family. Keep up with my family.

They are the reason I am still here, almost a year later, puffing away in my living room every day. When I have a bad day and I'm grouchy and I don't feel like getting dressed into my workout clothes, moving all the furniture out of the way, and pushing play (I know, working out at home is SO HARD, YA'LL), I remember that day in Disney World. That is what keeps me going.

So, if you have a goal in mind, sit down with a pen and paper and write it out--WHY are you setting this goal? What is it going to do for you? How will it change your life? If your goal is to save some money this year--maybe your why has to do with building financial security for your family.

Tie your goal to a REASON, write it down, keep it handy, and refer to it often.

Your WHY is what will set the stakes for you. It will raise the bar.

Your WHY is what will keep you motivation even when you feel like quitting.