Should You Share Your Goals?

January 6, 2025

I've never shared my new years goals with someone.

But this year I did.

And the response was interesting…

But before I share that, I've gone back and forth on if you should share your goals.

Maybe you've decided this is the year you're going to do something besides work, start a morning routine, hit the gym consistently, or finally start writing the blog.

Telling people could:

Hold you accountable
Give them a chance to support you
Provide you constructive feedback from someone who knows a lot about you or your goal

But there is also:

Fear of judgement of someone giving the "The Look" of you're crazy
Not constructive feedback from someone who knows nothing about you or your goal
Extra pressure to make it happen

Rightfully so - it's scary enough for you to say your goals out loud, let alone tell someone else.

But for my 2025 goals, I did tell people.

People who:

Know me
Are goal-oriented themselves
Won't give me "The Look"
Believe in me sometimes even more than I believe in myself

The result:

Encouragement
A challenge to be more measurable
Questions on what I'm going to tackle first & when
Shared interest in my goal

So should you share your goals?

Based on my experience - it's being selective about who.

Tell people who are going to help push you forward, not hold you back.

Whether you decide to share or not, remember…

You aren't crazy
Your goals aren't crazy
There is no better year than this year to make them happen

If you want support in making time for your goals, EMAIL ME with what you’re working on and we can chat about how to make them part of your morning!

My Alcohol Journey - and How You Can Make It Past Dry January

December 31, 2024

I had no intention of getting sober.

But I did wonder, "would my life be better without alcohol?"

This is main question Amanda White poses in her book Not Drinking Tonight.

I picked up the book in January 2022 (here’s my initial blog post on it), after coming from a world where…

My family is always ready to throw the next killer football tailgate or 4th of July party
A college setting where one could argue the only activity was to drink
A social culture where "getting a drink" is the go-to for meeting friends or going on dates

3 years later - I can confidently say my life is better without alcohol, or at least less of it.

My life now looks like:

the default is to not drink, but I will on special occasion (maybe 1 a month)
my fam, friends, co-workers have mocktail options available when they host
not waking up hungover, and instead getting up to work on my side business

But I'll make it clear it wasn't easy to get to this point, but so worth it.

When friends come to me curious about the Dry January movement of not drinking (or maybe going past January) -

here are the 3 keys I share:

1) Set the default to not drinking

Instead of always saying yes to being offered a drink, the default became no.

This gave me a moment to ask myself

"Am I excited to have this drink?

"Am I getting it because everyone else is getting one?"

Drinking became an intuitive thing and saying yes to only the things I was excited about became empowering and made a drink feel special.

But what if you feel weird having nothing in your hands…

2) Know the mocktail options

So you're not drinking, but still want to join in on the festivities.

Knowing and getting creative with the non-alcoholic options is key!

Over the past 3 years, so many restaurants have added mocktail and NA beer options.

Some of my go-tos:

At a bar: Heineken Zero
At a tailgate: Athletic brewing or Brewdog NA
At work happy hour: non-alcoholic moscow mule
At a restaurant: fancy mocktail on their menu

This allows you to join in with a drink in a fancy glass that isn't water.

This kind of shuts up the people who are pushing you to drink too.

They do them, and you do you.

But the right environment can bypass this pressure…

3) Get in environments not centered around alcohol

Suggesting to friends or dates to go on a walk, play pickleball, get a coffee.

Doing this becomes eye opening!

It may become apparent that some friends are your "party friends" and you start to feel distant from them.

But you will also find new friends and new hobbies on this journey.

I'm now in a friend group that plays pickleball.

I'm in a relationship where not drinking was a 2 second conversation on our 1st walking date because we were on the same page.

You see what you're looking for. The more you seek it out, the more you'll find things and people that align.

The secret:

It's reps - not drinking 1 event at a time
It's being ok being the odd one out in the beginning
It's noticing how much better you feel when you don't drink, and how not yourself you feel when you do

IT GETS EASIER, I PROMISE.

Always here to chat more about it if you want to!

3 Short & Sweet Lessons Shaping My 2025

December 30, 2024

Every year is the year we think we'll figure it out.

We figure out some things..sometimes we get lucky..while other times we get absolutely slapped in the face.

As a 29-year-old who this year…

Spoke at Fortune 500 companies
Got promoted
Exited her single girl era
Started playing pickleball weekly
Built her dream office in her home
Threw her dog a 1st birthday party
Went on 4 trips with family
Enjoyed the little things while still being hungry for more

Also struggled with…

Imposter syndrome
People pleasing
Work stress
Bad 1st dates
Acne
Life direction
Societal pressure

Here are 3 short & sweet lessons shaping my 2025…

Lesson #1: The consistent, little things add up

Putting in 20 minutes in the morning to the side business
The clearly communicated email
That 30 minute workout squeezed in at lunch
Putting $100 into savings
Writing the unexpected thank you note

The little things are the path to the big things.

But don't forget the big actions too…

Lesson #2: Ask for what you want

Asking for the raise, instead of waiting for someone to give it to you
Telling your partner what you need, instead of thinking they should just know
Asking someone directly to give your side business a chance, instead of thinking they'll just stumble upon it
Being open with your family/friends about what you want for your life so they can help you make it happen

But be careful what you put out into the world because you might just get it…

Lesson #3: Know where the goal post is

If you don't know where the goal post is, you never feel satisfied
If you keep moving the goal post, what you did is never enough
When you hit a goal, it's easy to immediately jump to what's next

What does a good [fill in the blank] look like?

Net worth
Job
Body
House
Side business
Relationship

Know it.

Meet it.

Celebrate it.

Figure out the next one.

—

What lessons are you taking into 2025? Lemme know as I want to hear!

Thankful for all you who read these weekly newsletter! Wishing you the best in the new year; you got this!

Break The Work, Eat, Sleep Cycle: The 2-Step Guide To Start Healthy Habits and Hobbies

December 9, 2024

At the ripe age of 23, I had my first identity crisis.

I sat at my corporate job knowing I wanted to BE more and DO more than work, eat, sleep.

I eventually went on to:

Start a podcast
Complete 200-hr yoga teacher training
Launch a business

BUT it was a 4-year winding road with a lot of breaks and doubting

Here's how I went from sitting at my corporate job with big ideas to taking consistent action on my health & hobbies

(so you can do it in less time than I did)

1) Start a morning journal practice

Start with answering 1 journal prompt or question each morning to explore who you want to become.

My favorite: The Life Pie Exercise

If your life was a pie, what are the 4-6 pieces?

(health, family, friends, hobbies, etc.)

This represents who you want to be & how you want to spend your time.

BUT DON'T GET STUCK HERE

Start taking action right after that!

2) Habit stack action

Once you get a consistent journal practice down, take action on something that contributes to your Life Pie.

Most common action is doing something for your health or hobbies since these get lost in our day easily.

Example:

During my journal practice - I got clarity I wanted to start a hobby of podcasting
After my journal practice - I would work on the podcast

Before I knew it, I wasn't just a corporate employee.

I was also a daily journaler, podcaster, and proud of the person I was becoming.

THE KEY:

Doing this in the morning!

Pairing a morning journal practice + action helps you…

Prioritize what's important to you (so it doesn't get lost in your day)
Use your freshest energy on what's important to you (instead of someone else)
Gives you purpose to get out of bed (and eliminate the dreadful mornings)

So what are you waiting for? Start tomorrow!

Need the push to get started? The Morning Routine Workbook as a 3-step guide to getting started + 12-month habit tracker to hold you accountable!

3 Tools To Level Up Your Life in 2025

November 25, 2024

1 thing I know about you is that you want to level-up!

Steal these 3 tools I used to level-up this year that I plan to use again!

(and just in time for the 2025 edition of all of these to be on sale this Black Friday)

—

The Big A Calendar**

If you're a planner and want to make time for the RIGHT things, this large, 3-foot calendar is amazing!

I have mine up in my home office and it's a way to see my whole year in 1 place! It fills me with both excitement and gratitude for the year ahead!

And if you're not following Jesse Itzler (the creator) yet, you're missing out!

—

The Wealth Planner

If you want to track your budget, savings, and net worth - this is a 1-stop shop!

Money with Katie created this extensive excel sheet that has completely changed how I look at my personal finances (not to mention feel excited about my progress)!

She also has a podcast and newsletter that I highly recommend checking out!

—

The Morning Routine Workbook

If you finally want to do a morning routine for more than 3 days, my Morning Routine Workbook is the key to making that happen!

This workbook is based on my proven, 3-step morning routine method that has gotten my clients to:

wake up earlier
workout in the morning
quit their bad phone habits
start working on their side hustle

Not to mention includes a 12-month tracker to hold you accountable!

Digital + hard copy will go on sale Black Friday!

You’re This Close To Becoming More -- Get Started With A Morning Routine

November 18, 2024

When I was 23, I sat at my first job saying "I think there is more than this."

I loved my job, but I knew I wanted to be…

Healthy
Seek out new interests
Live an exciting, well-rounded life

I didn’t really have anyone around me showing me this or to tell my crazy ideas to.

But I knew I had to do something….

1) I started with healthy habits like journaling and morning routines.

2) I explored interests like strength workouts, yoga teacher training, podcasting, blogging, etc.

3) I started to feel excited to get out bed & felt in control of my life!

I started to believe…

“I am more than this.”

So if you're in the "I think there is more than this" stage, I want you to know

You're more than your work
It takes 1 journal entry, 1 morning to get started
The ideas in your head are not crazy

Don't wake up next year in the same place you're right now.

Start taking action towards the person you want to become.

—

Schedule a free 15 min call this week and we can chat about using your morning to make time for your ideas!

3 Reminders When You Feel Judged For Your Idea

October 21, 2024

I've gotten "The Look" a lot.

6 years ago - I got it for the first time.

Today - I get it less, but it's still there.

"The Look" I'm talking about -

The confused, possibly judgmental, face someone gives when you tell them about your idea, interest, endeavor, or business.

Starting a podcast
Opening a business
Posting online

It's a look of "you're crazy" and it's the #1 thing that holds us back from pursuing our idea.

If you've experienced this -

3 reminders that helped me overcome the "The Look" and kept me moving forward on my ideas (so that you can too)

—

1) You're not crazy

Believe in your idea - because if you don't, no one else will.

Who knows - your unique perspective and life experience may be exactly what the world needs.

(and you may be doing the world and you a disservice by not sharing it)

But I understand it can be scary to share…

—

2) Some people will never get it, and that's ok.

Doesn't mean you need to cut people out of your life who don’t get it, yet it's not our mission to convince them of our idea.

Remember - "The Look" may even come from a place of confusion, instead of judgement.

The right people will cheer you on along the way!

But sharing your idea may give you the opportunity to meet "your people"…

—

3) Your people are out there

They're on podcasts you can listen to, online communities, and events in your city.

The people who truly get it and want to know more.

But you'll never know until you put your idea out there.

The Key:

Even if you get the dreaded "Look," keep showing up!

Morning routines can be a great way to make time for your idea!

And if you want to connect with someone who definitely won't give you "The Look" -

Schedule a free 15 min call this week and we can chat about your idea + how you can use your morning to get it off the ground!

3 Steps To Make Time Weekly For Your Crazy Idea

October 7, 2024

The crazy ideas you have likely aren’t crazy at all.

Whether it's….

Starting a podcast
Opening a wedding venue
Creating a website for your (potential) business

I recommend this 3 step method to start taking weekly action on your idea!

—

Step 1) Start writing it down

When you think of an idea throughout the day, write it down or put it in your phone.

Whether you're sitting at your 9-5 work desk or walking the dog, jot the note down!

Start writing it down because…

You will forget later
It's a way to build on your ideas

PRO TIP:

This also allows you to get the idea out of your head and onto paper, making it feel…

More real
You feel less crazy (because you aren't crazy!)
Wanting to make more time to think about it…

—

Step 2) Set designated writing time

If you want to start making time to think more about it, start journaling in the morning!

To make this easier:

Wake up 10 minutes earlier than you normally do
"Habit stack" or place journaling after something you already do (like brushing your teeth)

PRO TIP:

Journaling is a key place to start, but don't get stuck in this step!

Journaling is a safe space to understand ourselves, but the uncomfortable next step is likely what moves the needle forward…

—

Step 3) Start taking action

Since you already have designated time setup to journal, you can now "stack" taking action on it right after you journal.

Journal, then write the blog post.

Journal, then email that connection.

Journal, then start researching.

This allows you to brain dump and then take more organized action!

PRO TIP:

Doing this journal + take action method works for many people because it's…

Purposeful - gets you out of bed
Doesn't require perfection right away - gets the brain dump out, then organize

You're already waking up early.

You have the time set aside.

You have the momentum.

Now get after it!

—-

If you want support in taking action in the morning…

Schedule a free 15 min call and we can talk through your not so crazy idea!

29 Powerful Questions That Helped Me Grow Personally & Professionally

September 23, 2024

I turn 29 this week - and I thought I would have all the answers by now.

Surprise, surprise I don't - but I have learned to stop & ask myself powerful questions!

Here are 29 questions that helped me grow this year (organized by category):

—

Personal Health & Values

1) What do I do just for fun?

2) What do I believe? Where did I learn that belief?

3) How many days a week do I need to workout to feel healthy?

4) What do I want my relationship with social media to look like?

5) What would make me happy?

—

Relationships

6) Who are the most important people in my life and how can I make time for them?

7) Do I put my perfectionism onto other people? Is that fair?

8) What is my ideal day with my partner?

9) Do I give other people the same recognition & appreciation I expect to receive?

10) How could I meet more people?

11) How can I listen & learn more about people?

—

Corporate Career

12) How do I want my professional connections to describe me?

13) How can I improve this process (not settle for the status quo)?

14) What actions do I need to take to make it easy for someone to give me a raise?

15) What is my ideal work situation & how can I make that happen?

16) How can I be a leader as an individual contributor?

—

Entrepreneurship

17) Who do I need to connect with to grow my business?
18) What are my quantifiable goals and why that number?

19) How can I build my business around my life? (and not my life around my business)

20) Who do I want to help and what is my mission?

21) How can I dream a little bigger?

22) What progress have I made already that can motivate me to keep going?

23) Am I spending more time planning or taking action?

24) What data points did I gather (instead of declaring something a failure)?

—

Finances

25) What is my net worth and how can I grow it?

26) How much money will make me happy?

27) What am I saving for?

28) What am I proud to spend money on?

29) What could multiple streams of income look like?

—

The Key -

Using morning journal session to reflect on these questions - absolute game changer for my growth!

3 Ways To Still Take Action On Your Goals When Your Family, Friends, Partner Don't Get It

September 3, 2024

If you want to do more than work, scroll social, watch tv, and drink, you're not alone.

When I was 23 and started my first job, I wanted to…

Start a podcast
Maybe start a business
Have a morning routine

— and I got very mixed responses from the people in my life!

Some people encouraged & enabled me

(shout out to my 1st roommate for letting me turn off our loud air conditioning for a hour so I could record a podcast in the closet)

Some people didn't understand my mindset at all

(I encouraged an ex-partner to get into more things, and the response I got was "I don't do projects like you do." Ok got it.)

So do the people in our life need to be on board with us doing more?

Yes and no.

If you want to be more, start doing more.

Set the example for the life you want to live.

Some people will:

Encourage you
Make it easier for you to do it
Want to do it with you

Invite them, hold onto them, have gratitude for them!

Others will:

Not understand or encourage
Not make it easier to do it
Not want to join you in it

3 ways to still take action when people don't get it:

1) Don't force anyone to do or think anything; set the example

Ex: you want to go on a run in the morning with your partner

Invite them along, but forcing them may not be the move.

You can still go if they don't want to & set the example for the life you want to live

2) Still communicate what you want to do

Ex: you have a friend or parent who doesn't understand that you want to start a business

Tell those you trust what you're working on, little by little (yes, it can be scary!)

That's the only way you'll give them the opportunity to support, enable you, or connect you to someone who has a similar mindset to you

3) Sync your schedule to their tendencies so you can keep living the life you want

Example: my Maisy pup

She has so much energy in the morning, but I want to work on my business. So I cater to her first and get her energy out, and then work on my business.

—

Don’t let other people stop you from doing what you want to do.

Set the example, communicate, sync your schedule.

The more you take action, the more likely you're to find your people.

6 Harsh Truths for Achieving Work/Life Balance and Career Growth

July 15, 2024

It's been 6 years since I entered the battle.

The battle I'm talking about (that you're probably in too):

Navigating career growth WHILE striving to maintain a strong sense of work/life balance.

In the past 6 years, there are 6 harsh truths I had to accept to propel my professional growth without sacrificing my personal life

1) People notice consistency. Be consistent at the right things.

What you say you're going to do
Stick to the boundaries you've set so people don't expect your attention during non-working hours

DON'T

Be the person who doesn't communicate
Continually rush in late

Start to Ask Yourself: What do I do consistently?

People notice, and relationships are going to be the wind in your sails for your career.

2) Relationships are EVERYTHING.

Chat with people before or after the meeting
Have coffee or lunch with someone you want to connect more with
Make an effort to go to the office if you're hybrid

Building relationships and trust can push your career forward almost more than the day to day tasks you're doing.

However - no one is coming to save you.

3) No one is coming to save you.

Even if you've built strong relationships, you still have to directly ask for:

The raise
Someone to advocate for you
Extra support or training

Don't assume someone is going to make it happen for you.

Taking initiative and going above & beyond is essential to growth.

4) Just doing your job is not going to be enough (if you want to grow).

In order to excel, you have to find time for:

Digging into root causes, instead of slapping band aids on a problem
Leading projects that aren't in the original job description

The time may not seem there, but what are the little things you can do that make a BIG difference?

And despite what you've been told, it's possible to do this without burning out.

5) Your ideal job situation exists.

We've been told that working 60 hour weeks, going to the office every day, and feeling burnt out is normal.

If you don't want to do this to be YOUR normal, your ideal work situation DOES exist!

Starts with getting really specific about what that looks like:

when do you work
where do you work
how much flexibility do you have

Then integrate parts of it into your current situation.

If this doesn't seem possible, don't stop dreaming about it.

You're in control of this more than you think.

6) Wakeup for you, not for work.

Whether you're in your ideal job situation or not, consider WHO you're waking up for.

Who is choosing what time you wake up?
Who is choosing what you do when you wake up?

Even if you have to be at work early, you can:

Set your alarm for the time YOU want to get up so you can…
Do something for YOU before the work day starts.

This is the difference between work controlling your life vs. you controlling your life.

This mindset shift helps you:

prioritize you
takes pressure off of work
makes you a more effective employee because you've fueled you

To recap,

People notice consistency. Be consistent at the right things.
Relationships are EVERYTHING
No one is coming to save you.
Just doing your job is not going to be enough (if you want to grow).
Your ideal job situation exists.
Wakeup for you, not for work.

If I had a billboard to sum up the first 6 years of my career, it would say:

You're more than your work.

What would your billboard say?

3 Decisions Successful Leaders Make About Their Morning Routine

May 28, 2024

Sometimes we forget there is a human behind successful leaders.

Behind the fancy accolades and job titles is someone…

waking up
turning off the alarm
making the decision of what the first moments of the day are going to look like

I recently came across this Balancing The Grind article about morning routines of successful leaders.

(people like Sara Blakely, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Gary Vaynerchuk)

Here are the 3 decisions they make about their morning routine:

—

1) Being aware

When asked what their morning routine entails, no one is saying "not sure."

They're aware of what they do in the morning and are pretty specific about it.

Makes you think this awareness translates into their success in the business world.

—

2) Being intentional

They have a reason for why they do the things they do.

Whether it's working out or "putting around," there is a reason they do it, and it’s usually because there isn't another time in the day they're going to get to do it.

—

3) Taking control

These leaders are starting their morning on their terms.

They aren't saying "I have to do XYZ."

Instead, they say "I like to do XYZ."

It's the mindset of taking control of not only your morning, but your life.

—

1 MORE THING

When looking at people we admire, before we adopt the tactics they use, I like to consider if I value the same things as them.

More specifically how our time is spent.

With family, friends, working, exercising, etc.

What we do comes from what we value, and if we don't value the same things, we don't need to do the same things.

3 Essential Routine Shifts To Make When Getting A Dog (or Experiencing Any Life Change)

April 8, 2024

My co-workers have been lovingly laughing at me.

I got my puppy Maisy almost 6 weeks ago and she has turned my life upside down.

As someone who likes routine, it's been disrupted by:

waking up 2x a night to let her out
morning starts with her first, then me
interrupting what I'm doing to get whatever it is out of her mouth or let her outside

My co-workers with kids and dogs lovingly smile as I tell them this when I walk into the office, as I am starting to empathize with what they go through.

To look at the bright side, I'm learning some new, important routine tactics.

3 essential routine shifts to make when getting a dog (or experiencing any life change):

—

1) Be thankful for the good habits you've already established

The good habits I already have in place ground me and make me feel like I'm in at least a little bit of control while this big change is going on (even if I don't get to do all of them).

The good habits I have already have remind me of who I am before being becoming a dog mom.

AKA start good habits now!

—

2) Do not force it, sync to what is craved

But not all the habits are going to be EXACTLY the same as before, and don't force them to be.

In the morning, I tried taking care of myself and then her.

NOPE

Maisy has her highest energy in the morning.

My morning was so much easier when I tended to her and then went on with my morning.

Just like we need to sync our routine to how our brain/body operate, who knew we also needed to sync to our dogs.

—

3) Add time buffers

Let me repeat that, ADD TIME BUFFERS

Everything is going to take longer, especially starting out:

mornings
getting out the door
basically any task as it can be interrupted with a puppy needing to go out or chewing on something they aren't supposed to

Give yourself extra time to do everything so you aren't showing up frantically late all the time.

Because showing up as the calm & present person may also require giving yourself a little extra time & grace.

Also - thank goodness she's cute!

—

If you happen to be going through a life change too, let’s chat about it!

I open up a few 15-min spots on my schedule each week to chat with people about their routines!

Feel free to grab completely free :)

12 Step Checklist To A Calm & Productive Schedule

April 1, 2024

I made a 12 step checklist to a calm & productive schedule that I keep coming back to.

For the past 4+ years, I’ve studied morning routines & time management diligently and the amount of information can be overwhelming.

So the Time Management Checklist was born:

Identify the person you want to be
Who do you want to be? How do you want to show up. Present, calm, someone with boundaries, responsive, etc.
Do the Life Pie exercise
Split your life into 3-5 pieces (ex: health, family, work). Get really clear on what these are. This not only determines where your time is spent, but where your happiness is coming from.
Time block
Take your pie pieces and time block where they’re happening in your week. Example: family time happens after work, workout time is in the morning. If it doesn’t have a time block, it’s probably not happening.
Aligned with what you crave
Is your schedule aligned with how your body/brain operates? If you brain works best in the morning, maybe that is the time to work on that dream business. If your body has the most energy in the morning, maybe that’s the time to workout. This limits the amount you’re FORCING yourself to do something.
Beginner mode
Is your schedule set to beginner mode? Do you have habits or things on the schedule that feel manageable and sustainable, and won’t lead to burnout? For example: if you normally wake up at 7am, but tell yourself you’re going to start waking up at 5am to workout, you’re going BEAST MODE instead of BEGINNER mode. First try waking up 15 minutes earlier and then work your way up so that 5am becomes a lifestyle change, instead of a short term goal.
Wind down time & activities
It takes longer than we think to get our brains to shut down for bed. Instead of having a bedtime, have a wind down time 1-2 hours before bed to get your brain to slow down. That could include not working, leisurely reading, or journaling. Anything that prepares you to be ready to sleep when bedtime comes around.
Sleep buffer
The goal isn’t to rush in the morning, so why rush out of bed? Here’s your permission to give yourself a sleep buffer or 15 minutes to leisurely wake up. This is also a good benchmark if you’re someone who continually hits snooze.
Rest days
This is scheduling unscheduled time. This is time to reset, relax, or maybe get caught up on something that didn’t get finished this week. Creating more flexibility and rejuvenation in your schedule.
Special spots
This is designating a special spot for each thing you do. Where do you work? Where do you sleep? Say your Special Spot for work is your desk. That means your desk is where you go to focus on work, and maybe not scroll social. Likewise, that means work doesn’t occur in bed. The purpose of this is designating a place you can be fully present for what you’re doing, and your brain can easily switch into the mindset it needs to be in.
Phone settings aligned
Are your phone settings aligned with the person you want to be? Are they aligned with your Special Spots? For example, if you want to be present, maybe you limit the notifications popping up on your home screen. Or maybe work emails only get checked at your desk, and not when you’re at the gym.
Routine options
Give yourself options for routine so you’re more likely to do it. For example: you could have a go-to-the-office morning routine that is a little shorter, and a work-from-home morning routine that is a little longer. It doesn’t need to look exactly the same every day and you can give yourself options.
Anchor activity
Have an Anchor Activity for yourself, or something you do for 2-5 minutes each morning no matter. This could be journaling or taking 5 deep breaths. The purpose is to show up and check-in with yourself. It doesn’t always have to be all or nothing when it comes to your morning routine.

Reminder - you don’t need to integrate all of these at once.

Pick 1 that resonates the most right now and start integrating into your schedule.

I have the full 1-pager checklist if you want to download & save for later!

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Need guidance on which 1 to get started with?

I open a few 15-min spots on my schedule each week to chat with people about their morning routine & schedule (for free)! Feel free to grab one before they’re gone :)

#1 Way I Started Customizing My Life

March 25, 2024

The first time I realized I could customize my life was when I chose to be sober curious.

I knew I didn’t want to be sober, but I didn’t want to drink all the time or have those hang-xiety mornings.

So sober curious it was - drinking on occasion.

This showed me:

I didn’t have to pick either extreme
I didn’t have to do what everyone else was doing
How incredibly empowering it was to live on your own terms

2+ years into being sober curious, it has given me the confidence to:

Start customizing other parts of my life
Unapologetically get super specific about how I want to spend my time

To name a few examples:

The house with minimal yard - because I don’t want to spend a lot of time on yard work right now
A business that is primarily marketed through writing, instead of video - because I know I would keep writing even if no one read it (can’t say the same with video)
A schedule with minimal travel - because I love my routine & would rather spend money on my home
A job that allows me to choose when I go to the office - because it provides the flexibility I need to become the well-rounded person I want to be

Things don’t have to be black or white, and there are more options than you way think!

An easy way to start customizing your life?

Each morning, take 5 mins to write down the super specific things you want and how you want your time spent.

Want a more organized way to go about it?

Identify the 3-5 sections of your life (health, family, job, etc.) and write specifically how you want each section to look.

But be careful - those things may just start happening, so start mentally preparing to make space for them :)

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Need someone to tell you that the things you want aren’t crazy?

I absolutely love chatting about customizing your life & time, and I have a few 15 mins spots on my schedule this week to do so if you want! Feel free to grab completely free :)

You're More Than Your Career

March 18, 2024

When I was 22, I wish someone had told me you’re allowed to be more than your career.

It was pounded into my head to do everything to get THE job.

Thankfully, I got it, but then what?

I remember dragging myself out of bed every morning to commute to my first job thinking…

“I think there is more than this”

I wanted to be:

Healthy
Seek out new interests
Live an exciting, well-rounded life

I didn’t really have anyone around me showing me this.

So I had to take action for myself!

I started with healthy habits like journaling and morning routines.
I explored interests like strength workouts, yoga teacher training, podcasting, blogging, etc.

I started to feel in control of my life!

The biggest mindset shift that got me there?

Things can co-exist if you want them to!

Career & side project
Business & relationship
Health & career

When I started believing this, I found:

Doing my side projects made my career better
Not escaping my job allowed me to grow my business authentically
I could wake up for me, instead of for work
Pursuing my interests led to finding people who had the same interests

At 22, I wish someone had told me…

You’re more than you think
Things can co-exist if you want them too
You’re the designer of your life

—

I wish I had someone to show me what was possible, so hope to be that for whomever needs it!

If you want someone to talk through pursuing your interests, I have a few spots on my schedule this week available! Feel free to grab completely free :)

Who or What Are You Waking Up For?

March 4, 2024

I’ve always coached people on “waking up for yourself.”

But I’m going to put an asterisk* on that now.

My 11 week old pup Maisy has made her entrance into my life & I am absolutely not waking up for myself anymore!

I am waking up to take care of her (and admittedly so she doesn’t have an accident in my house)!

There’s a selflessness that’s come over me since I’ve gotten her.

It challenges what I always thought about waking up for myself and gives me MORE purpose to get out of bed!

I take care of her and then we snuggle up & do my morning routine!

So I challenge you to…

LIKE WHO OR WHAT YOU'RE WAKING UP FOR

Many of us wake up for work.

If you’re happy with that reason, great!

If not, you can change it!

Wake up for:
-Yourself
-Your partner
-Your pet
-Your kids
-Your dream side project

Whatever or whomever gives you the drive to get out of bed!

And if it is someone else, still pouring into yourself in some small way in the morning is a beneficial way to start the day.

Make YOU the priority early on in the day so you don’t get lost in the list of everything else!

4 Ways To Keep Going After Your Goals When People Around You Don’t Get It

January 29, 2024

1 month into the new year and maybe you’re noticing something…

Did you set some big goals this month or year that are different than the people around you?

Maybe:

Not drinking/dry January
Waking up early to journal
Workout 4+ days per week
Smarter spending
Starting your dream business

You’re acting on these things, but you find it hard to keep going because the people around you don’t have the same goals.

Maybe they don’t get it, and it’s not our job for them to get it.

But it’s also not a reason to stop going after your goals!

Here are 4 ways to keep showing up for your goals when people around you don’t get it:

1) Set the example

You may not realize it, but the people around you may need you as the positive influence in their life.

Be the trailblazer and set the example for going after your goals!

Without even saying anything, you may be surprised who joins you (maybe even your significant other?)!

2) Train people on your new boundaries

While you set the example, you’re also training people on your new boundaries.

What I mean is keep showing up how you want to and slowly that will become the new thing they expect from you.

Not drinking
Not responding to texts after 9pm
Prioritizing getting to the gym

The more you do it, the more it becomes a part of you (the best version of you)!

Others will start to expect it from you and (the right people) will respect those boundaries.

3) Listen to podcasts

I remember when I first got out of college and had dreams of doing more than just my day job.

I didn’t feel like I had people around me who had the same mindset.

But there were a lot of people on podcasts who did!

Every day on my 30 min commute to work, I listened to people who had the mindset I had/wanted and filled my ears with that.

It was motivating, inspiring, and made me feel like my dreams weren’t crazy!

A few I listen to on the reg right now:

4) Show up in spaces who have those people

I kinda despise the advice of “get new friends who think the same as you and leave the rest behind.”

It’s not a flip of a switch.

I say start showing up in spaces with people who have the mindset you want to be around!

Find communities, events, and places who have those people.

Search your specific interest on sites like:

Google
Instagram
Eventbrite
Meetup
Heylo

You may be surprised what you find!

ALSO - you aren’t going to find your BFFs the 1st time you show up to an event!

Building friendships takes showing up multiple times, so give it more than 1 chance.

P.S. - It took me a solid year of living in Columbus to find communities I clicked with and 2 years to find my BFFs!

Be patient and keep showing up; you’ll find YOUR PEOPLE!

— —

I swear every event I go to, I meet someone who says:

“No one in my life really gets it and I don’t have anyone to talk to about my goals!”

If you’re feeling this way, I’m ready to hear your big goals!

Let’s chat about morning routine or time management coaching and make your big goals happen this year!

6 Lessons Helping Me Find Calm in Chaos This Year

January 1, 2024

In 2023, I feel like I found the calm in the chaos.

I slowly became a go-getter doing a lot of things intentionally and calmly.

I’m trying to come up with the term for becoming this person.

I was inspired to come up with a term when I started reading the newsletter The Quiet Rich.

The title captures perfectly people wanting to become humbly rich and live life intentionally.

What do you call a person who finds calm in the chaos?

I’ll start asking chat gpt, but let me know what you come up with!

—

While you think about it…

Here are 6 lessons that helped me find calm in chaos (and build the lifestyle I always wanted):

1) Special spots are the key to calm (and focus!)

Designating where I do certain tasks has made a world of a difference when it comes to calm and focus!

Example:

Work happens at my desk
(work doesn’t happen in bed)
(social media scrolling doesn’t happen at my desk)

Creating special spots helps me:

Not switch tasks so I’m not wasting time
Stay focused so I can do better work
Be less stressed because I have clarity of where my attention needs to be in the moment

Thinking about this a lot as I move into my new condo this week! Follow along on Insta to see me build my new command center / she shed!

2) What you do MOST of the time is who you’re becoming

Workout vs. not
Morning routine vs. not
Drinking alcohol vs. not

I started asking myself:

What is my “default habit” (or what do I do MOST of the time)?

Whatever it is, is who I’m becoming.

Active vs. not
Grounded vs. not
Mindful drinker vs. not

This has helped:

Hold me accountable to doing good habits more than 50% of the days
Give myself grace when I had 1 bad habit day
Get me closer to the person I want to be

3) What is measured is managed

I measure the things I need to make sure don’t get lost in the chaos.

And I don’t measure the things that’s sole purpose is just to be fun!

What I measure: days I workout

I track the days I workout & color in each day I do to hold me accountable
I use different colors to give myself options for movement, making it more likely to do
You can download the tracker I’ve used for the past 3 years that has led me to working out >90% of days HERE!

What I don’t measure: the number of books I read a year

This is a leisure activity for me so I don’t measure it
As a perfectionist, I’ve found when I measure anything and everything, I feel like a failure because I’m always not hitting some number

4) Procrastination is telling you something

The things I procrastinated on this year were mostly do too:

Me making it harder in my head than it actually is
Me trying to convince yourself I like doing it

Once I noticed this, I started posting on social media for my biz a lot less.

It wasn’t really filling my cup or converting to income, so I started focusing my biz attention elsewhere.

Noticing what is not filling my cup has helped me conserve my energy for the things that do fill my cup (like this writing this newsletter)!

5) Build flexibility into your schedule

This year I found the balance between setting a schedule AND having flexibility to move the schedule around.

Building flexibility into life has been a way to make all the things happen when things don’t go as planned (which is a lot).

Some flexibility I’ve built into my life (and feel so thankful to have!):

Flexible job of working at the office vs. home when I want
Multiple options for working out so I get some type of movement in every day
Side jobs that don’t have to be done at a certain time

I want to continue to build a flexible life where I can!

6) Waking up with purpose is the most underrated thing ever

Does this sound familiar?

You know those mornings where you’re laying in bed deciding if you’re going to get up?
Maybe you scroll email or social to procrastinate doing it.
Then you feel drained and unmotivated before your feet even hit the floor.

Those have been days of the past ever since I started waking up with purpose!

Getting up to do something to nourish my body or mind:

Journal
Cup of coffee
Walk

On the good and bad days, having an activity, a spot, a mindset to go to.

It’s a landing pad for the hard days and a springboard for the good days.

To put it simply, it’s a morning routine!

But it’s more than a morning routine:

It’s you believing you’re worth getting out of bed for.

Because you’re and 2024 is your year!

To recap:

Special spots are key to calm & focus
What you do most of the time is who you’re becoming
What is measured is managed
Procrastination is telling you something
Build flexibility into your schedule
Waking up with purpose is the most underrated thing ever

Wishing you the best in this new year and can’t wait to see what you do!

I Was Running Away From My Day Job

June 12, 2022

I remember graduating from college, starting my corporate job, getting about 3 months in and thinking…

there has to be more than this.

There has to be more than commuting to work, sitting at a desk, and then commuting home.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked my job and I was thankful to have it.

I also knew that as I started my adult life, work couldn’t be the only thing in my life.

That is when I started creating wellness content, exploring yoga, and a bunch of other hobbies for the first time.

It was the 1st time I could see that I could be more than my day job.

It was the 1st time I could see myself becoming a complex, multi-faceted human-being.

It was also the 1st time I started running away from my day job.

Around that time, I started following a lot of creators and entrepreneurs on social media and listening to their podcasts.

For the past 3-4 years I’ve been consuming their content constantly because I felt like they had this similar mindset that there was more to life than the corporate job.

After years of being immersed in this, I noticed that my definition of success had shifted to being to get out of my day job as fast as I can and do something else to make money.

I started running away from my day job. Like a full out sprint.

I wanted to get out of there as fast as the amount of time I perceived it taking for other people.

Of course, I perceived them doing it quickly and easily, so I often have to remind myself that I’m probably only seeing their highlight reel and not necessarily the blood, sweat, and tears that went into building their side business.

I knew I could get to the point of starting a side business, but I realized I haven’t been utilizing a key superpower I have to get there.

That superpower is my day job.

Adam Grant explains in his book Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World that some of the most successful entrepreneurs have stayed in their day job during the first couple of years of their side business.

Staying in their day jobs made them more likely to take risks and be creative in their side businesses because they had their day jobs as a financial and emotional safety net.

I had this epiphany that if I want to do hobbies or start side businesses, I don’t need to be running away from my day job. I need to be using it as a superpower.

It is an asset that can help me move forward instead of holding me back.

I pride myself on being a multi-faceted person and I was reminded that it means accepting all sides of yourself, including the day job part of me.

When I shifted the way I looked at myself and my life, things started to change.

I started making bigger strides at work.

I was taking more action on my hobbies and potential side businesses.

I became more present in the things I was doing and people I was with.

Instead of running away, I needed to meet myself where I’m at in order to move forward.