How To Reprogram Your Brain

I'm definitely not one of those 'keeping up with the Jones'' types, but I don't want to let myself go, either. When I gained 20# after baby, I knew I had to do something. I found myself slipping into 'Mom Jean Mode'. I define MJM as pretty much giving up. You're married, have a couple kids, eh, what the hell, let's just quit caring that you're gaining weight, haven't had your hair done in months, don't even ask when the last time you shaved your legs was. Just throw on some mom jeans and call it a day. 

Well, not me (although, my husband would disagree. I haven't had my hair highlighted in oh, idk, 12 weeks. I'm going for the ombre look - he doesn't get it.)

When I became uncomfortable in my own skin, it started to affect my other relationships. I took a long, hard look at myself and was brutally honest. I was being complacent and lazy and had all kinds of excuses. I do NOT want my children to have a complacent or lazy mother. I woke up one day, and decided that was it. I was done. I wasn't going to be average. I was going to be awesome (my own version of awesome). My kids deserved it, my husband deserved it...I deserved it. I refused to settle.

Our brains are truly amazing little things. They really are. Assembling images, sensing emotions, orchestrating every move we make (and don't make), processing everything we see, hear, feel, touch, taste. It's pretty insane. But, as much as our brain controls us, we really can control it - and reprogram it when necessary.

It's been suggested that over 90% of all of our daily actions (brushing teeth, driving, the way we eat, etc.) are habitual.  NINETY PERCENT! If you think about it, that's probably about right. I mean, I check my facebook so habitually that as soon as I open my machine and put my fingers on the keys they automatically start typing 'f-a' no matter when or why I am on there. Swear. I catch it every day. So what else do I do that is purely habitual? The thought intrigued me. So, I started looking into habit formation and change.

The reason habit formation initially interested me is because I wanted to know why some people just seem to "have it all together" and others don't. What do they do differently? How can I be more like the people that I admire? How can I get done all of the many things I want to accomplish? There are people that do, so I know it can be done, I just had to figure out how. I want to be healthy, I want to be organized, I want to surround myself with beautiful things and be happy with my space, I want to be a present, engaged mom, I want to be a superstar wife, the list goes on an on, but how?

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Then I read the aaaamazing The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Not gonna lie, this book changed my life. I learned that if there is something you want to change, study your habits and you can reprogram your brain and make new habits, one's that you like.

So, I had the 'want to', I just didn't have the 'how to'. I started finding people who did and kinda just faked it 'til I made (maked?) it.

I've never been an organized person, but I wanted to be. So I started following organizing blogs and picking up and implementing their habits.

I've never been able to stick to something for longer than 30 seconds so I read a book on how to be more disciplined (and started Advocare. I knew that I'd stick to that if I had someone supporting me.)

You'll like this one. I didn't know how to clean and be domestic. Well, not efficiently, anyways. So I started following Clean Mama and a few others.

I've never been a good communicator, so I started blogging to help me learn how to think through things in a way that people truly get what you're saying (see what I mean...this is my toughest area. Writing well is a lot harder than it looks.)

You get the idea. Find mentors, people that have qualities/skills that you admire and learn from them.

You can learn to do anything if you really want to and have the discipline to practice and stick with it. 

This doesn't mean that I'm this magazine-worthy organizer or fitness model. Those are not in any way my goals (well, the fitness model would be nice, but let's be honest - with these flapjacks up top, ain't happnin'.) It just means I was better than I was when I started and I strive to get better everyday and that makes me happy. Truly, deeply happy. Proud of myself. I'm so proud of myself for sticking with things like Advocare, being grateful EVERY day and finishing books (which I read A LOT of). I definitely have set-backs, but I get right back up the next day and start over. It's a new day and I try and make the most of it.

So after all this rambling, here's the good part. Through May 30th, I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on 24-Day Challenges. If you've been on the fence, I hope that this helps you decide if you're ready for a change or just take your health and fitness to the next level. This is really where it all started for me. It's changed not just my body, but my life. For reals.

Email with any questions or if you're ready to get started. I'd be so grateful to be your coach. I truly love helping people get their swagger back - yes, I just said that.

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