My New (School) Year’s Resolution
As I was shopping for school supplies with my kids the other day, it started to feel real that fall is coming. It may still be hot and sunny out, but it sure feels like a change is in the air – do you feel it too?
Every September, even before the leaves turn into their beautiful golds and reds, I get the feeling that it’s time to start something new, something substantial – almost like a New Year’s resolution.
It’s exciting – for me, there’s a certain readiness. It’s this new, fresh energy that things are changing, things are happening. I feel it in the big areas of my life – family, fitness, my business.
For one thing, my kids and I are just getting back from summer vacations – we’ve had an amazing time working with my husband as he films in Romania; we went to LA for the Emmys; we’ve also been taking hiking trips around New York and New Jersey. They’re starting school this week, so we’re...
How to be Grateful that the Train…or Plane… is Late
I’ve been doing a lot of traveling recently with my family in Romania and without fail, we have been delayed by either a train or plane at almost every turn of our adventure. You’d think I’d be used to this after living in New York for so long…
Then I thought – as the train screeched to a stop in front of me – why was I wasting my energy in that pointless way? I was only fueling a negative attitude by focusing on my own impatience.
So the next time it happened, a few days later in Times Square, I decided to use that time for a mini-mindset reset.
I started walking down the platform, and each time I passed a...
If you’re craving cake, not carrots…
It happens to us all—you’re going along on a new diet or nutrition plan, doing well, and then, BAM. You get a craving.
What do you do?
Here’s one technique to get around those nasty cravings.
First, satisfy it. That’s right. Not with cake or donuts, if it’s sugar you’re craving. Be creative—think of some healthy alternatives, like watermelon. Indulge in it, if you want—have lots! Watermelon has some sugar, but it’s natural sugar, and a whole lot of water, plus nutrients like vitamins A, B1, B6, C, and lycopene, which is fantastic for your heart. (In fact, watermelon has been called one of the healthiest foods in the world—read more here). So, you’re getting that sweetness, and you’re not putting processed or empty calories in your body.
Then, examine what it was your body wanted. Was your body really, physically craving sugar? Or were you emotionally craving it?
What would you be covering up right now if...
Your Brain on Caffeine.
This is your brain on caffeine
Think coffee is harmless?
Think again:
Read more about it at http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm
It’s sure to wake you up!
How to Get the Mindset of a Wimbledon Champion
Heather, put your face in the water!
Djokovic, win the Wimbledon final!
A few months ago, my friend Heather gave me a great way to accomplish a goal. It felt silly, but it turns out Djokovic used the same method this past weekend to win the Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.
She was training for a triathlon, Heather told me, and she just hated putting her face in the water.
‘So I would tell myself to do it,’ she said, ‘I would yell at myself. “Heather, do this!” “Put your face in the water, Heather!”’ She laughed. And of course I thought, I should try that!
I’m sure a lot of you saw that amazing tennis match last Sunday – the one where Novak Djokovic lost the fourth set and his momentum. And then he turned it all around to win the Wimbledon final. In the interview afterwards, Djokovic was saying how it’s not about talent right now, it’s not about technique, it’s about mindset. In fact, it’s so...
Creating a Habit: Just Put Your Shoes On
I have a friend from NSA named Jim Cathcart. Once upon a time, he’d been very overweight and he wanted to start running. Now, he hated running, he hated every bit of it—but, he knew, it was going to be a critical component of his weight loss program.
So what he decided to do was this: just put on his sneakers, everyday, and go to the corner. That’s it. If he wanted to go further, he could, but if he didn’t, all he had to do was put on his socks and shoes and run to the corner and come back. His wife asked why he didn’t just run 1 mile or a set distance everyday. He responded, ‘Because I know I won’t do that but I know I can commit to going to the corner.’
He joked about it—one time, he was actually in a tuxedo going to some event, but he hadn’t done this yet. So, as his wife is yelling ‘Come on, we gotta go!’ he actually yelled back, ‘No! I have to put on my sneakers and run to the corner...
Point Your Boat at the Little Red House
During one of the Moti-adventures, I led a group of women kayaking to the Statue of Liberty. The workshop was about riding the currents of your life, and breaking our goals down into milestones.
As we got started, we could see the Statue of Liberty, and it looked so far away. Our kayaks felt so tiny—it was a little ominous; even I as the leader was like, oh my gosh, how are we going to make this happen?
The first thing the instructor told us was, don’t look at the Statue of Liberty. You know it’s there, you’ve seen it; you know that’s the goal; now let’s break it down. Our first destination is going to be that little red brick house on the other side of the river. Keep the tip of your boat focused on that house. And just paddle until you get there.
So that’s how we overcame that fear that arises when you’re starting something new. It can be scary, to look at your goal, your end point, maybe your whole dream vision. You might think, but...
Build the Castle First...
When Walt Disney first had the idea of Disneyland, everyone thought he was crazy. People said it was impossible to build this theme park, because it was astronomically expensive, and completely new, like nothing that had been built before. So one of the first things he had the workers build was the castle.
His reasoning was, if you have this big beautiful castle that people can see, it’s going to galvanize them. They’re going to see it and get excited; they’re going to wonder what else he could do. It spreads magic. It spreads excitement, intrigue, energy, momentum—it gets people to see the potential. It also kept the workers motivated, because they saw how incredible this one aspect of his vision was. Brilliant!
I love that concept, so when I started creating Moticise, I kept thinking, what is my castle... and how can I build that first?
Well, Moticise isn’t just an exercise program. It’s a lifestyle in which you get really, really...
Welcome!
Have you ever taken the time to envision your ideal life? Where you’re happy, successful, fulfilled, at peace, around the people you want to be around, where you’re fit enough to enjoy it? Where you have enough energy?
I’ve always been passionate about visualizing. One day last winter, I was on a treadmill, and watching some really bad morning television, when it hit me—I could be using this time better.
I wanted to bring in my vision board and prop it up on the treadmill, so I could look at that while I ran. It’s huge, though—I store it under my bed—so I didn’t think it was really appropriate to carry it to the gym with me. So instead, I imagined it—all the inspiring images I’d put on it, all the places I wanted to go and the things I wanted to do. And you know what? It was incredibly motivating!
That’s how I got the idea for Moticise – Motivational Exercise. It’s a fitness program that integrates mindset...
