With beautiful weather becoming the norm for most of the world, families are getting ready to embrace summer fully, mine included!  Lately, we have been staying outside most weekends, picking up the yard and getting everything ready to enjoy our summer together because it's only a few weeks away.

But let's be honest: prepping for summer takes a lot of work.

When you have kids, it means signing everyone up for camp, purchasing swimsuits, shorts, shirts, shoes, and sandals, and having a game plan for which parent is on duty when both parents have to work. After several years, our family finally feels like we have it down. But that wasn't always the case.

When my husband and I started working from home, I clearly remember us looking at each other at the start of summer and saying, "How are we going to do this?"

How were we going to watch four kids and work full time and support each other and make it through the summer?

Well, spoiler alert: we did it.

We did it without consistent he...

Author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said:

"Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful."

This quote perfectly aligned with a thought I had just the other day about going through hard times. What if we shifted our perspective from "I'm going through a hard time" to "I'm growing through a hard time?"

I've gone through hard times like everyone else, but lately, I've been reflecting on how I have grown so much through those experiences. When I think of those times in terms of growing, it is so much more motivating! Those seasons of my life don't feel as if they were for nothing when I look back and see the growth that happened. 

I don't reflect on a difficult season as a time I could not get through or was too weak to handle. When I choose to see all the areas where I learned, despite it being a challenging time, I can clearly see all the areas where I am better now than before! 

Here are some simple ways to start shifting your mindset to sta...

When you think of a leader, what comes to mind?

Sure, we all envision a high-ranking CEO or a boss in the workplace.

But what about a parent? A volunteer? They're leaders, too!

Knowing and believing we are leaders in some capacity throughout our daily lives, it's important to be continually asking those you lead one question:

"What support do you need today?"

Making this question a part of your regular conversation opens the door for a more genuine connection and mutual support that we all want in a group setting. Whether you're leading a group or you are a part of one, understanding the level of support needed for success is crucial. So why is this question so impactful?

First, it shifts the focus from assuming that we have all the answers, to being open to the idea that there are some unanswered questions and that more support is needed. How many times have you been in a situation where the outcome wasn't what another person in that group wanted, but it felt like the support wa...

Picture this: you're making your way through your work day and walk past the desk of an employee who hasn't been following through on their duties. You know this has been happening for quite some time but there's been no improvement. It's time to have a difficult conversation but you are most definitely not looking forward to it.

In fact, you are both internally and externally cringing at the thought of sitting down to have that discussion.

You are not alone.

Most people do not look forward to having difficult conversations, myself included. But in the last decade as a business owner, I have had to have countless hard conversations as the leader running a team, having clients, and being a service provider.

Yes, I've even had to have hard conversations WITH my clients!

If I didn't, I wouldn't even have a business.

The same is true for my personal relationships. I've seen firsthand how having a difficult conversation, while it can be super uncomfortable, brings so much more clarity...

Consistency is often thought of as the relentless pursuit of perfection and an unwavering commitment to always giving 100%. When we don't give it our all, we feel bad and sometimes give up altogether.

But that's not what consistency is!

It's not about being perfect all the time––it's more about giving whatever you have in your capacity, even if it's not always 100%.

Jim Kwik perfectly articulated:

"On the days you only have 40%, and you give 40%, you gave 100%"

It can be SO easy to get sucked into our fast-paced world and the pressure to excel in every aspect of our lives. Whether it's in our careers, relationships, health goals, or personal development, we often strive for perfection, aiming to give nothing less than our absolute best at all times. While this mindset can be motivating, it can also be exhausting and unsustainable.

Just like Jim Kwik said, it's not about giving 100% all the time. It's about showing up, day in and day out, and giving whatever you have in that momen...

Navigating the world seems to be a lot harder lately. We're seeing hard things on the news. We're hearing hard things all around us. We're reading about hard things and it doesn't feel like it's getting any better. It feels like it's getting worse.

And let's be honest, it's really easy to let all of the negative energy from what we're reading about get into our soul and mind. Negativity can have a huge impact on our mental well-being, but understanding its impact is crucial to developing strategies to overcome it and cultivate a more positive mindset!

Let's talk about some ways you can combat negativity and how positivity plays an important role. 

Understanding the Impact of Your Environment

The people, places, and things that surround us play a profound role in shaping our mindset and outlook on life. Positive influences can uplift us, inspire us, and encourage us to see the world in a more optimistic light.

Conversely, negative influences can drag us down, instill doubt and ...

Have you ever noticed that when you try to focus on winning in all areas of your life, you end up not winning anywhere at all? 

Tony Robbins, entrepreneur and business strategist, was spot on when he said,

"Your life is controlled by what you focus on."

As a high-performance coach, do I coach on having goals in every area of your life? Of course!

You are more than just your business or just one facet of your life and it's really important to be growing and optimizing all areas for true fulfillment.

However, when it becomes an obsession to win in every area all at the same time, you're going to find out that you can't win in any of those areas because no person can focus on all areas at one time!

So how does a high performer handle needing to be successful in more than just one area of their life? One key is habit stacking.

What is Habit Stacking?

Habit stacking is a productivity and behavior change technique that involves "stacking" new habits onto existing ones. The concept...

Be honest: when you hear the word DISCIPLINE, what comes to mind?

Is it positive or negative? Is it constantly having to say "no" and having to avoid pleasures (like your favorite foods)?

As children, we were disciplined when we didn't follow the rules or made poor choices. As adults, we use the phrase in a variety of situations, such as trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's just human nature to keep associating the word DISCIPLINE with less-than-pleasurable situations.

But did you know that the word “discipline” is from the Latin word disciplina, meaning “instruction and training.” It is actually derived from the root word "discere" which means ”to learn!” The concept of deprivation or punishment isn't even part of the definition!

Exploring the Concept of Discipline

Knowing that discipline isn't all about missing out on life's joys, I wanted to share a new definition of the word discipline (I wish I could credit the original author, but I couldn't find who it was):

It's the start of a new year, and if there's one thing everyone is doing, it's making plans.

But did you know that most people don't realize the four components of effective planning, and THAT is why so many fall off on their goals early in the year?

Here are 4 components of planning:

Vision casting, goal-setting, habit-building, and mindset.

If you've struggled with not only enjoying the process of planning but also activating and achieving your goals, it might be because you didn't have all four of the necessary components to make planning effective. 

If you're lacking even one of the 4 components, it's going to make achieving your goals that much harder. The good news is we're talking about all of them below, so you won't be missing anything this year!

4 Must-Have Components for Effective Planning

1. Vision

Picture this: you're headed out on a road trip to a place you've never been before. How do you get there? A map!

Just like you need directions to tell you where to go...

Have you ever noticed that the way you start your day sets the tone for everything that follows?

For high performers, optimizing morning routines is more than just a habit – it's a strategic approach to maximizing productivity, focus, and overall well-being!

How things go in the first hours of the day and its impact on your day isn't just luck––it's science! Our bodies operate on a natural internal clock, and morning light exposure helps regulate the release of hormones like cortisol, impacting stress levels and overall well-being. Establishing positive habits in the morning can positively influence these physiological processes and set a constructive tone for the rest of the day.

So how do you master a productive morning routine? Let's discuss some key elements to elevating your performance through habits and intention in the early hours of the day.

1. Early Rising: The Power of the Sun

High performers often swear by the practice of waking up early. The morning sun not only pr...