Seven Tricks To Race You Towards Your Goal (Plus, FREE Printable!)

Did you set any goals/resolutions at the beginning of the year? Were you able to stick with them or were they ancient history by Valentines Day? If you have trouble sticking with your goals, you are not alone. In fact, recent studies have shown that 88% of New Year's Resolutions are not kept. No wonder the gym has been so empty lately.  ;-)

Today, I thought I'd share a few quick tips to help get you back on track (and a free printable checklist, too!). You don't need to wait for 2014 to roll around, or even the beginning of next week - today is as good a day as any! So without further ado, here are...

Seven Tricks To Race You Towards Your Goal 

1. Make sure you goals align with your priorities. If your family is your number one priority, then choosing a goal that takes you away from them (i.e., spending more time at the office) is not going to be very easy (or enjoyable) to accomplish.

2. Set "SMART" goals. You've probably heard this one before: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. For example, lets say you have a goal to lose some weight. Saying, "My goal is to lose weight" is not quite specific enough. Instead, try "My goal is to lose 20 lbs in 3 months." This way, you have a specific amount of weight, not to mention a date to help push you along.

3. Work on your goal every day. You would be amazed at what you can accomplish when you work on your goal every day. Add 2-3 things to your to-do list every day that push you closer towards your goal. Don't keep a to-do list? Start! There are tons of great list apps for smartphones these days and most are free.

4. Hold yourself accountable. One of the easiest ways I have found is to use a good 'ol fashioned checklist. Simply put your goals on the top and then give yourself a little check-mark at the end of the day if you met/supported your goal. No time to make a checklist? No worries! I made one for you. It may not be fancy, but sometimes simple is best. Click here for your free printable.

5. Visualize yourself achieving your goal. The mind is a spooky, spooky thing. The original super-computer, it will try to create what it "sees." Want to look good in your swimming suit this year? Imagine yourself strutting your stuff on the beach (minus a few pounds) and see what happens. *Doing this alone obviously will not melt the fat off your body, but it helps get your mind right!

6. Surround yourself with supportive people. This kind of goes without saying, but when you are around people who are encouraging and helpful, it is WAAAY easier to feel good about what you are doing (especially when you hit a rough patch, which you inevitably will). The opposite is also true...don't let the haters bring you down!

7. Finally, to piggy-back off that last point, follow some blogs related to your goal. Unless your goal is to spend less time on the internet, finding blogs that relate to your goal can help to keep you inspired. They may even provide you with helpful tips.

Implement any of these strategies into your life and you will find yourself soaring towards your goals! If you would like even more assistance reaching your goals, visit here for some 1:1 assistance - I'd love to help you!

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Candy Bars

For my first "official" food post, I had grand ideas of posting a highly nutritious, vegetable-filled main-course that would get everyone's taste buds up and dancing. Unfortunately, I have a sweet-tooth roughly the size of Texas and couldn't help myself.  :-)  However, even though we try to eat a whole-foods, predominately plant based diet at our house, there is still room for treats on occasion. (Like, the occasion of "I need me some chocolate"). I like this recipe because while not "nutritious," it is a somewhat healthy treat (not something to have every day). I found the original recipe here - it looked good and tasted even better so I thought I'd share! So, here is something sweet, chocolate-y, (and my personal favorite) EASY.  Let me know what you think!

First, you'll need some stuff. I bet you already have most of this in the cupboard. If you are a hard-core nutritionist, which apparently I am not, you can find better (more natural) versions of the products pictured above. I, however, live in the middle of nowhere and sometimes have to take what I can get. 

 Melt coconut oil, honey & PB. 

Stir in chocolate chips. Resist urge to eat directly from pan.

Take off heat and add in cranberries & oatmeal.

The original recipe suggested pouring it into a 9x13 inch pan, but I like 'em thick, so I used an 8x8. Use whatever size floats your boat and then stick it in the fridge until they firm up. Or until you can't take it anymore. (*Guilty).

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Candy Bars

1 C peanut butter (natural)

2/3 C honey

1/2 C coconut oil

2 C oats (not instant)

1 1/4 C chocolate chips (original recipe called for mini, I used dark, regular-sized chips)

3/4 C dried cranberries

In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, coconut oil and honey.

Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, cranberries and oats. Stir until combined and chips are melted. 

Spread into 9x13 pan (for thin bars) or 8x8 for thick bars. Refrigerate until hardened, about 1 hour. Store in refrigerator. 

Blogs, They Are A Changin'

Maybe I missed the mark the first time. Maybe I have adult ADD. Whatever the reason, I've decided to change the style of this blog, already.

The idea for change started not long ago when I was talking with a friend about my diet (whole foods, nothing processed).

"So, what do you eat?" said my very dear, but highly skeptical friend.

"What do you eat?" I asked.

She couldn't believe that anyone could realistically eat a diet free of processed food and like it. I couldn't believe she thought I was eating tofu and lettuce for every meal.  

As I was thinking about our diet choices (which I believe to be connected to living a happier life), I realized that not long ago I, too was living in the land of Oreos & frozen pizza. It wasn't until I stumbled upon this website and let the creators virtually hold my hand & walk me through the process that I was able to make the switch in my diet.  

Then it hit me - maybe, just maybe - there are people out there who (like me, not long ago), need a little hand holding when it comes to this happiness stuff.  

So.  Wham-O.  An idea was born.  Just like that. 

Starting today, this blog will serve as your "How-To" guide to happiness.  I'll be posting healthy recipes, meditation tips, goal setting advice, and anything else that I believe will aid you on your happiness journey.

Hopefully, you'll find this change to be useful, but as always, if there is a particular topic that you would find more useful, let me know in the comments section.  

Thanks for bearing with me as I make this change! Stop back next week when I'm back with a "Healthy Eating for Happy Living" post!

The Most Important Thing To Do This Holiday Season

Ahhhh, December.  A time when colorful lights illuminate our neighborhoods, strangers greet one another with wishes of "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays," and our to-do lists become so unmanageable it sends stress levels through the roof.  Cookies to bake, lights to hang, the anxiety of wanting to get that "perfect" gift - just typing it is sending the cortisol surging through my body.  *shudder*

Its also a time we hear the message to slow down and remember why we celebrate in the first place.  A wonderful message, most would agree - but who has the time to slow down?  That list I typed was just the tip of the iceberg...

Unfortunately, when our days are so jam-packed with events, it's hard to be present in the here & now.  Our minds are constantly thinking ahead to the next thing on our never-ending list.  What to do? 

You guessed it - slow down anyway. Not always easy, but as a wise, old marketing slogan once told me:  Just Do It. Take some time to savor the holiday happenings around you, and surprise! your happiness will increase. Let me say that again:  enjoying the moment = more happiness.  Be mindful.  Aware. Relax a little.

Easier said than done?  Then plan to relax.  Actually put it on your list.  Use the time you have right now and take a red pen to your to-do list.  What items are big time-suckers that you can do without (do you really need to put up lights a la Clark Griswold or can you throw up a strand and call it good)?  Do you need to attend all of those holiday parties and bring fresh baked treats to each one (repeat after me: it's OK to say no)?  Where can you schedule some time to relax and unwind?

Speaking of unwinding, who doesn't like to unwind with a good book?

*WARNING - Shameless self-promotion ahead*

My new book, "How To Live Your Happiest Life" has just been released and is chock-full of nifty happiness tips, just for you.  Identifying priorities, goal-setting, the physical side of happiness - it's all here and can be downloaded in mere seconds thanks to the wonders of technology.  (And of course, it would make a wonderful Christmas gift.  The gift of happiness - what else could you ask for???).

So what are you waiting for?  Click here and take a sneak peek!  You'll be glad you did!

Are You Still Grateful?

So, November is almost half-over and a lot of folks are still doing the "post something I'm grateful for every day on Facebook" thing.  If that's you, are you running out of ideas yet?  I hope not!  There are so many things to be grateful for - take a look around you!  For those of you who are grateful for people, I decided to re-post something from my former blog 100 Days of Thank You.  I hope that by reading it you might be inspired to tell someone you are grateful for them instead of posting on Facebook.  Go ahead.  Take the extra step.  You might like it.  Enjoy!

Who to Thank

So far, I have thanked a variety of people/organizations.  Some were heartfelt...some were, uh...a little weak, but since I'm making the rules here, I say they still count.  Here are some examples of people I have thanked:
*  A very dear friend who has always been an inspiration to me (thanked via email).
*  The pastor at my church who I think does a phenomenal job (thanked via email).
*  The chick who cut my hair - she was so happy & fun the entire time - maybe it was the fumes from the hair dye, but I think she's maybe just a fun person (thanked IN PERSON...but I didn't go into much "thank you detail, since I didn't want to freak her out.  I do want her to cut my hair again).
* ConAgra foods.  O.K., this one is one of my more "weaker" thank yous, but I had what I felt to be an exceptionally delicious "Healthy Choice" meal for lunch the other day & thought they should know how much I liked it.  (Obviously, this was another emailed thank you.  If you are curious, I believe it was a lemon chicken meal with peppers & noodles.  Highly recommended).

The list goes on, but that is just a sampling of the people I have thanked.  Pretty much, anyone who makes my life a little better gets a thank you (slowly but surely).  I am finding it REALLY easy to send emails and not so easy to thank people in person.  I'm talking a true, heartfelt thank you -not just a  "thanks" when someone holds the door for you.  Perhaps I need to step it up a notch to make this challenge a little more of a challenge...stay tuned to see if I can find the courage to start thanking more people in person...

Tune in next week when we explore more ways to express gratitude!  Until then, here is a short clip to give you a little gratitude inspiration!  

Louie Schwartzberg's TEDtalk on "Gratitude"

This Is Your Brain On Gratitude

Ahhh, November, aka, the "Gratitude Month."  If you are like me, your news feed on Facebook has now been infiltrated with post after post of what your friends are grateful for. While sometimes predictable and other times close to bragging, this is actually a terrific practice - one that should continue past November 30th.  Expressing gratitude is good for us on so many levels, so to help celebrate the "Gratitude Month" I've decided to share an excerpt from my new book "How To Live Your Happiest Life" (out soon!).  I hope you enjoy!

"Hopefully, we are all being grateful from time to time, but are you spending enough time being thankful for what you have or are you taking it all for granted? How much time do you spend dwelling on what's wrong about a situation instead of what's right about it? As Stephen Covey said in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, "The way we see the problem is the problem." Shift your perspective and look at things from a different point of view and you may just see more things to be grateful for. 

Interestingly, a "grateful" brain actually looks different when scanned than a brain focusing on negative things. When we're focused on negative things (i.e., why did this tree fall on my house!) we become clumsier and less likely to think of a solution to our problem. We process information slower and get confused more easily.

Practicing gratitude daily can give us a greater sense of well-being, make us more likely to help others, and help us make more progress toward our goals. In a study, doctors who regularly practiced gratitude were better at making a correct diagnosis. Grateful people also are (surprise!) happier, more satisfied with life, exercise more and feel physically healthier (probably due to all that exercise).

It wasn’t long ago that I conducted a short experiment entitled “100 Days of Thank You.”  (You can read the brief blog here:  www.100DaysofThankYou.blogspot.com ).  Much like volunteering, gratitude can (but doesn't have to) involve others. I found that as I verbalized my feelings of gratitude toward others, I was also getting that familiar 'ol warm-fuzzy feeling. Again, being kind to others = being kind to yourself. But fear not, introverts! You don't have to actually tell people you are grateful for them. Simply keeping a journal of what you are grateful for is a big step in the right direction."

Next week, I will continue with the gratitude theme and we'll look at what you should be grateful for (just in case you were running out of Facebook posts!).  

Exercise: It's not so complicated, after all!

In this week's post, we continue looking at how having a healthy body can increase our overall happiness.  In the last few weeks I've been talking about how important nutrition is in maintaining our health (and I had plenty to say about it!).   Today, we'll take a look at the physical-fitness side of things.

There's no question about it - our bodies were made to move.  Unfortunately, judging by the general physique of the population, many of us aren't moving enough.  Are you moving enough?  Try this - keep track of how often you are sitting/lying down throughout any given day.  Do you commute?  Have a desk job?  Like to relax in front of the TV before bedtime?  There is nothing wrong with any of those things, but added together, they make for a pretty sedentary lifestyle.

What types of exercise are the best?  Ask ten people and you'll get ten different answers.  Some swear by running.  Others say lifting weights is key.  You'll find many yoga fanatics out there alongside those that just like to walk around their neighborhood.

Want to know the best kind of exercise?

The one you'll do.  That's kind of a "duh" answer, but it's true.  If you do not have major weight loss or body/shaping goals, then it doesn't really matter what you do, as long as you do.  

There are a plethora of "programs" to choose from (turn on the TV at 3 AM you are sure to find a muscle-bound, sweaty guy pushing his latest product on you), there are also YMCA's to join, online support, fitness magazines, etc.  Pick one and do it.  And if you don't like it & didn't stick with it - pick something else.

Yes, it's probably smart to have some form of cardio.  Yes, it's probably smart to have some weight-bearing activities.  Stretching is a good idea as well (plus, it just feels good).  Truth is, pretty much any physical activity you do will fall into one of those three categories.  Don't make this part so hard.

Often, we tend to overcomplicate things - perhaps we are looking for an easier answer (i.e., take this pill and you'll wear the pants size you're dreaming of).  The easy answer is this - move your body every day in a way you find enjoyable.

Simple.

Now get off the computer and go for a walk!