Life lesson #8: Take the trip!

We had never taken a vacation with my parents until February 2020, when we brought them along on our annual trip to Puerto Vallarta. It was a fantastic time away. We had good fun and unforgettable memories.

It could have been easy to say “Let’s do it another year” because of the expense or ten other reasons, but we knew we wanted to do it sometime and so just decided to make it happen. Why wait?

What we didn’t know then, is it turned out to be the last time we could have ever made THAT trip. When we got back, the world shut down, and my mom died suddenly eighteen months later, just before the world opened up again. So I appreciate the trip even more now and how special it was.

I used to think that travel was unnecessary or frivolous – either too expensive or not worth the time, but the truth is that experiences make our life richer. Life is too short to put off something that you know you want deep down.

So, what’s...

Life lesson #7: You can’t see how all the dots will connect YET.

When I left my corporate career in 2015, I said it was because I wanted more fulfillment and flexibility – which was true.

It was also true that, while I kept good boundaries, I had a VERY hard time mentally disconnecting from work and wanted to be more present in my life (which I have since learned through mindfulness and teaching others).

Only now do I understand the REAL reason I left. It was because I had a different calling and purpose.

Running my own business and helping other leaders to be happier, confident and the balanced leaders they want to be wasn’t even a blip of an idea back when I left.

And if I hadn’t had my experience in my corporate career, I also wouldn’t be where I am now.

My intuition was guiding me here all along – but at the time, I had no idea. I can only see how all the dots connect now, looking back.

So if you’ve made a big leap or something...

Life Lesson #6: When things feel hard and overwhelming, slow down and do less, instead of plowing through.

A few years ago, when I felt overwhelmed with everything to do, I would double down on my effort and hard work.

I would put in longer hours, push through the overwhelm, and tell myself that when I got all caught up THEN I would slow down and give myself a break.

But this approach was a stressful way to live. And not very productive after all!

When you are overwhelmed or stressed, you are less focused, less productive, make more mistakes, things actually take longer and feels pretty crappy too.

Today, when the overwhelm sets in, I do the exact opposite of what I used to and slow down in those moments instead (it still feels counterintuitive at times).

So, the next time that you're feeling overwhelmed, instead of plowing through . . .

. . . pause, take a deep breath and acknowledge how you're feeling. Ask yourself: What do I need right now?

Maybe it’s a walk, a breather, talk to...

Life Lesson #5: Hunt for the good every single day

However the day or week went – whether it was awesome, overwhelming, or just ‘meh’ – take a few minutes to acknowledge the good. To notice it, to feel it, to write it down, and even to celebrate it.

I rarely used to do this and would just go through the grind day after day. Now gratitude and appreciation are a part of my every day. When the week goes well, this is easy. When the week is ‘meh’, I don’t feel like doing it, but do it anyway. And when it’s a tough week, I take even more time to sit quietly and reflect on what is good. This makes a profound difference in your happiness, your performance, and your life.

So, what were your wins? The task completed, the kind gesture, the positive feedback. What do you appreciate? Spring in the air, the quiet cup of morning coffee, the funny thing your kid said. What can you acknowledge in yourself? You showed up, you gave your best,...

Life Lesson #4 - You’re probably not going to want to do it

I always have ideas floating around in my mind.

Lessons I’ve learned, questions to ask, perspectives to share.

But as soon as I decided to share more of those lessons on social media and with you . . . my mind went blank.

I felt like I had nothing to say.

And when I did think of an idea, the unhelpful thoughts popped up . . .

It’s not valuable enough.

I don’t know how to say it.

Someone has something better to say.

It’s too much. It’s not enough.

It’s too much me. It’s not enough me.

Ever find yourself in this unhelpful loop?

When you want to speak up in a meeting, but you hold back.

When you know you need to have a conversation, but you avoid it.

When you want to ask a question, but tell yourself it’s silly.

When you want to take a stand for what’s right, but you talk yourself out of it.

When you know what you want, but you don’t take even the small steps to...

Life Lesson #3 – What you really want is what you must really go for!

Back in 2015, when I left my corporate career, I had some new space in my calendar.

For the first time ever, we had the option to live at the cabin for the summer.

It was the best summer ever. To live there for two months felt like a dream.

My son asked after if we could do that every summer – and so we did!

(Although he regrets that now, as a teen who wants to be in the city with all his friends ;-)).

I designed my business around this and, for the past six years, we have lived there for July and August.

I work for a few hours in the morning and have summer fun all afternoon.

I say “no” to in-person work or bigger commitments.

I say “yes” to what we really want for our life.

And, last year, even though I worked less than ever, I also generated more revenue than ever.

Living our best life.

(That is messy and imperfect too).

So whatever it is that YOU really want . . .

. . . whatever excites...

Life Lesson #2 – What do you NOT want?

A few years ago, I used to have a really hard time answering the question: What do I really want?

When you are feeling overwhelmed with everything going on, you likely need some space to think before you can answer a question like that.

Or maybe you just can’t see all that is possible for you YET.

BUT I bet you know what you DON’T want!

I could definitely answer that question back then . . .

I did not want to work evenings and weekends.

I did not want to be worrying about work when I was at the kid’s swimming lessons.

I did not want to be in meetings all day long or that I thought were a waste of time.

I did not want to feel like I was barely keeping up.

I did not want to be yelling at my kids.

I did not want to be fighting with my husband.

I did not want to feel like crap most days and have no energy left in the evenings.

I did not want to settle for the status quo.

THE THING IS, what you want is on the other side of what you...

Life offers us little lessons every single day. Are you paying attention?

February 28th, 2022 was my 43rd birthday. When I turned 40, one goal I had was to share forty lessons I've learned so far.

What would I go back and tell my younger self? What are the little lessons I've learned that have fundamentally changed how I lead, parent, and show up in my life?

What could I share that I used to mess up that might offer someone else a new perspective or value?

Well, life happened, and I never got around to it at 40. When I turned 41, I said it would be the year – still didn't do it.

Now I'm just going to go for it, and I am on the hook by declaring it here!

Over the next few months, I'll share 40 life lessons + three bonus ones (in random order) and I will update this blog post as we go. All lessons are listed below and you can click "read more" to read the full story and lesson.

Let's get started . . .

Life Lesson #1: It's never too late to get started!

I have often had...

When I find myself unfocused, anxious or not as productive as I *think* I should be in a week, it sometimes seems like a fine line to figure out if I am procrastinating or what I really need is to take a step back and reset.

That’s what happened last week. I was trying to will myself to take action on a couple of projects and get things done (catching up from three weeks of not feeling well from Covid). But I felt like I was making little progress.

Someone asked me a simple question about how I was doing, and, out of the blue, overwhelmed emotions all bubbled up.

I've learned to pay attention to moments like that instead of just plowing through.

Because our emotions are a cue to pay attention and offer us valuable feedback when personal needs are -- or are not -- being met.

What I needed was some space. I ended up canceling a couple of meetings, went for a walk and listened to a podcast that filled me up instead. I made a new list of what was draining my energy and let go of some...