My goal for you in 2018 is that you crush it.

You heard me. Crush it.????????

You might have big plans for 2018. Maybe each year you sit down and write up a few, maybe you don’t. I personally love setting new goals. and I do this multiple times a year, I don’t necessarily set New Year’s resolutions, although I certainly can see what drives these resolutions; the start of a New Year is a natural time to reflect on the year past and set intentions for the year to come, and there’s nothing wrong with that. While you don’t need to set resolutions for 2018, it does help to know where you want to go.

And to go where you want to go, you will need to take actions that will bring you closer to what you really want and whom you want to be.

This is where your internal dialogue can change and where it often falls apart in my mind. One of my initial questions when taking on new clients is what they wish to accomplish with the program and why. I like to listen for the underlying messages here, the ones we tell ourselves and do not want to share.

I am too fat, I am not good enough, if I had abs I would love myself, if I had abs so and so would love me more.

This is all crap and nothing positive will come out of self-loathing. One thing I can tell you from experience, if you do not love and accept yourself now, you will not love and accept yourself with a 6-pack or a bigger salary or a shinier car.

That does not mean you cannot want a 6 pack or a new job or a new car. But let’s find a better Why. Let’s first learn to love and accept ourselves as the flawed being we all are and create the life we want for ourselves because we deserve the best.

Setting new goals implies we wish to affect change, whether that’s in ourselves or in our circumstances. Change can often imply something is broken or needs fixing. But it does not need to. You can both love and accept yourself and want more for yourself.

Coming from a place of self-loathing has proven time and again to be ineffective. Why not go at it from a different angle in 2018?

You catch more flies with honey or so the saying goes.

Go after the life you want. Do what brings you joy. Live your best life. Heal your relationship with food because life is too short to spend it shaming and hating yourself over imaginary fat rolls and eating too many cookies last night.

Eat the salad. Have the cookie. It’s all good.

So now let’s go back to finding what you really want. Let’s go back to loving ourselves enough to want the very best for ourselves. Let’s go back to making small changes and taking actions to get you to where you want to be and end up crushing it in 2018.

We are the sum of all the actions we take, big and small. No change is too small. If your destination matters to you, you need to have the patience to get there and find enjoyment in the journey. Make it something you want to do. Small habits are the key drivers of change. Your goals or intentions can be big or small, just make sure you are walking in the direction you want to go.

Here are two habits I adopted in last couple of years around the New Year, kind of like a resolution, but not really since I am not into that. ???? Both were fairly simple and small changes, and both moved me in the direction of where I am today.

In 2016, Meatless Monday was born in our home. I love meat, my grandpa was a butcher and although I have never met him I swear it’s in my blood. I also love trying new things, my family does too, and variety is the spice of life. If you eat a wide range of foods, you get a wide range of nutrients. From that new habit a whole new world opened up. Plus, we are doing our small part for the environment! In the process of doing this I discovered many great vegetarian foodies on Instagram, upped my meal planning game, and my  family has happily stayed faithful to the Monday tradition. Having a theme night actually helps you decide what to eat by narrowing down your choices. We truly can get overwhelmed by all the options; automatizing things really does help us. Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wrap it Up Wednesday, Pasta night, Stir-Fry night, Slow-Cooker night. See one that you like? Try it out and see if it makes your life easier.

In 2017, I combined my long desire to keep a journal and be more present by taking up a FiveMinute Journal practice. I loved the idea of journaling, I loved buying pretty journals, but the trouble was that I rarely stuck to any of them. The 5 Minute Journal is just the right format for me. I can definitely take a couple minutes when I wake up and before bed to write. In fact, it never leaves my bed side and I find myself looking forward to it daily. Sure, I skip a day here and there, but I always return to it. I’m currently on my 2nd Journal this year.

The practice has helped me set the tone for my day. But mostly it is the reflecting on my day that has helped bring me back into the present moment and bring a sense of gratitude in my life. I can get so caught up in making goals and looking ahead that I often forget to appreciate where I am right now and how far I have come.

For 2018 I am still in the reflection phase. Nothing like 10 days relaxing in the sun to help provide more clarity and help me set a clearer path ahead. Really looking forward to going to Hawaii with the family tomorrow. I am certainly grateful looking back on 2017; I get to live the life I want, do what I love and help others achieve their goals. What transpired in 2017 for PowerUp Nutrition was beyond my own expectations and looking ahead to 2018 I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come. Bringing on another coach, rolling out a new Lifestyle program. Hopefully touching and helping many more of you.

Now go sit by a window with a pen and paper and take time to reflect on where you are. Be grateful, be loving, be kind with yourself. But also, be honest and carve out what you really want out of life.

Because my goal for you and for me as I said above is that we all crush it in 2018!????????

Happy New Years! ????????