“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

-Jim Rohn

In our last newsletter we discussed the importance of planning out your adventures and coordinating them with all your best buddies. But what if you don’t have any adventure buddies, yet? And if you do, are they the right buddies? Read on for ideas of how to make sure you have the right people in your corner and how to connect with more.

Who You Spend Your Time With MATTERS:
So if you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with, then it’s important to take stock of those you are surrounded with on a daily basis. 

David Goggins’ book, Never Finished discusses this idea in one of his chapters. Two of my favorite pointers were:

• Change Is Okay
  • Your high school bestie may always be in your life but they may not always be your bestie. And that’s okay! And sometimes that’s a good thing too. What I mean by this is, sometimes you can outgrow this person and your relationship with them could be holding you back to achieve your new goals. 
• Mom & Dad Aren’t Always Your Biggest Supporters
  • They love you. They want you to succeed and reach all your goals. But they care more for your survival and if you come to them with some big scary adventure you’re about to do, they might unconsciously (or consciously) talk you out of it. So be aware what their motives might be behind their advice. And sometimes you need those people around you that will push you to do those big scary things. There’s nothing wrong with what mom and pop are doing but just be aware of it! 

There are really interesting studies out there that talk about your peer group and the influence they have over your life. If you surround yourself with unhealthy individuals, you have a much higher chance to be unhealthy too. So take some time to think about your friends and family that make you be a better person. Focus on those relationships. The other ones, can you help them become a better version of themselves? If not, it doesn’t mean you should cut them out completely (although some say that’s okay to do) but perhaps just invest more of your time in the other healthier relationships. Figure out what YOU need.

Relationships MATTER:
There’s a new book based on an old and ongoing study from Harvard that discusses that “good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.” -Robert Waldinger. If you don’t have time to read the book then you can watch his successful TEDx talk HERE. Otherwise, my favorite takeaways from the study/talk are: 

• Social connections are what keep us happier AND healthier longer! 
• It’s not about the number of friends, but the quality of those close relationships that matter. 

So find the quality relationships, that support your lifestyle and goals and then make sure you are taking the time to maintain them!  It could cost you your health and/or happiness later in life if you don’t.

Now, how do you find quality relationships? Keep reading! 

Finding Your People:
My hubby and I have moved a lot in our adult life and I will say it’s not always easy making new friends. Over the years though here are some ways I’ve learned to connect with people: 

• Gyms
  • Truth be told it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a gym other than CrossFit so I’m not sure how it works making friends at other types of gyms, but I will say the majority of all my friends in the past 10 years have come from our CrossFit gym. It did take some time but when you suffer through workout after workout with people, you start to connect! And social events at the gym helped us meet even more people too! 
• Parenting Places
  • Library at StoryTime, Mommy & Me Preschool Class, Other Kiddo related activities and places. 
• Meet up Groups
  • Create an account HERE. 
  • Find the groups that interest you and get out there with those people! 
• Facebook Groups
  • There are FB groups for all different types of hobbies! So go find one in your area and start posting to meet up. Don’t be shy! And if there isn’t one that interests you, then it sounds like you need to create one. 🙂  Some of my favorites:
    • Valley County Ladies Social
    • Idaho Hiking & Backpacking and/or Idaho Hiking Community
    • Moms of McCall 
    • McCall Trail Running
• Strava
  • Find others doing the same outdoor activities as you and ask to meet up and do that! 
• Join a nonprofit
• Ask the Professionals
  • Whatever your hobby, you most likely have a store or expert you go to, so ask them! For example, if you like mountain biking, connect with the mountain biking clubs in your area and/or ask the bike shops if they know of group rides. 
• Take a Class or a Course
  • If you’re taking a class or course in an area of interest there is a good chance you’ll find similar people. I recently did an avalanche course and met some cool peeps I hope to ski again with someday. 

Get a Dog:
Okay, be careful here. Don’t just go get a dog because you’re lonely. Make sure you actually have the capacity to take care of it. My current pup, Ember, is my best bud but when we first got her, it was a LOT of work. I’m not talking the normal puppy work, I’m talking about intense training AND medical issues that I never could have foreseen.

So make sure your lifestyle allows for the work you have to put into with a dog. And if it does allow it, then oh my gosh it’s the best!! My best adventure people are either other mommas with hectic schedules or my husband, who if I’m out adventuring is usually at home watching the kiddos. So these days, my dog is my number one adventure buddy and I’m so grateful to have her every time I go out for long solo runs in the backcountry. 

• Need the science to back this up? google “do dogs make us happier” and there are loads of studies to back up the fact that pets help us physically and mentally. 🙂 

Business Owners-Find the RIGHT People:

This study linked HERE talks about how having friends at work is key to employee engagement and retention, job success, and business profitability. 

So if it’s important to have good friends at work, how do you go about doing that?

• Figure out what the culture of your business/team is first, then target to those individuals for your next hire. 
• When you narrow your applicants down, have your team do a group interview. 
• Do keep in mind though, that sometimes having a diverse team can be important as they’ll help you think in new ways and grow. 
• Go DEEP on references. Don’t just call the references a person provides, but ask that reference who else they know that you could talk to about this candidate. Then ask that next person. 

And not to put the pressure on but, having the right people in place at work can make or break your business. 

• One study showed that the average cost of a bad hiring decision is at least 30 percent of the individual’s first year expected earnings. 
• Hey Realtors, do you need leverage but hiring overwhelms you? We know a great resource that handles the hiring process for you and we’re happy to connect you with them!
  • Or you could always just hire us at Elevate TC Services. 🙂 

I’m so grateful to have FRIENDS and the RIGHT people on my team at Elevate. I genuinely want to hang out with Melissa and Danielle inside and outside of work as they’re amazing people. I feel so lucky to be in business with them every day! 

TeamKT:

I’m no relationship expert and I don’t have the perfect relationship but I do know this, having the right spouse or life partner in place is a huge contributor to your happiness. And like we talked above, make sure it’s someone that aligns with what your life goals are.

I’m so grateful that when I met my husband he pushed me to become a much better version of myself and he still does to this day. When we met, I was young and I liked comfort, I liked the “known”, I liked type 1 fun. All that is just fine and I still like those things. But he pushed me outside my comfort zones in many ways that I’m forever a better person because of it. He encouraged me to check out this thing called CrossFit. He pushed us to hike the NH 48 in 12 weeks. He pushed me to start my own TC business. He pushes me daily to become a better version of myself and I’m grateful I have him by my side to tackle life with. 

If that isn’t your spouse, and they are instead more of a comfort source, that’s okay too! Just go find those friends that push you and then come home to that partner to snuggle on the couch with. Both are very needed and important!

Lastly, I talk a lot about friends that push you to become better versions of yourself and most of the time for me, that means in a physical way (hiking, biking, CrossFit, skiing, etc.), but if that’s not your thing, that’s okay too! Just figure out what YOU want in life first, then find those friends that support those goals. 

“When you say ‘YES’ to others, make sure you are not saying ‘NO’ to yourself.”

-Paulo Coelho

Remember our Livin’ Life newsletter from November that talked about that super important February planning session? Well guess what friends, February is here! So, reach out to your closest friends and family members, the ones you want to be adventuring with this summer and put a night on the calendar to get together to start planning. 

Before you meet up with them though, there are some important steps for you to take, so read on to make sure to set up your 2023 with a plan to LIVE. 

Before Your Planning Session:

• Go grab that dream book we always talk about and get to work making a list!
  • If you didn’t do this back in November when we first mentioned it, then start making a list of all the things you want to accomplish the rest of this year in your personal life. Trips, hikes, bike rides, spa days, weekend getaways with the gals, camping trips, lunch dates, etc. Need some help with ideas? Click HERE to read our November newsletter that shared tips on how to get inspired to plan your best year yet. 

Keep In Mind:

• Like the quote above, it’s important to remember that whatever you say ‘yes’ to, you are saying ‘no’ to something else. I’m a YES person by default so I get the urge to always say yes, but sometimes you need to stop and think, “is this really how I want to use my time”? Be aware of this when you meet up with your family and friends to plan out your year. 

Solo Time:

• Last year was the first year that I actually time blocked out the hikes that I wanted to make sure happen. Usually I just made a list of hikes to do, but last year, I actually put them into the calendar and man, did I get in a lot of miles because of this simple act! The reasons being were:
  • It made it clear to my hubby he was on kiddo duty. 
  • During the slower winter months I did the legwork to figure out which hikes were best at what times of year (hello wildflowers), and how long they’d take me. So if I only had four hours I knew this hike was perfect for that, etc.
    • If you want a list of those hikes I’m happy to share, just shoot me an email!
  • Most importantly though, life gets busy and hectic, especially in the summer. But when I had something on the calendar I had this feeling of obligation to go and respect my date with myself. And despite feeling overwhelmed with life (from the messy house, to the work emails, to the weekend trip to pack for, etc.) I just listened to my calendar and headed out. It was always a much needed outing and everything else still got done, eventually!
    • You can watch this funny Instagram video I posted to see the optingoutside-runners-high you may get after a solo adventure :). Click HERE.

Making it Happen- The Gear:
You’ve planned out what you want to do and who you want to do it with. But now it’s time to think about what else you need to make your 2023 year a success. The gear, the sitters, the work coverage, etc. Some helpful tips on all of this: 

• Gear: 
  • Check with your City
    • Our McCall City has loaner gear, from cross country skis for kids, to snorkel equipment, so I bet your city does too! 
  • Ask friends for help
    • I have so much gear gathered over the years and I hold onto a lot of it even when I’m not using it anymore because we get a lot of visitors to McCall. These friends can’t always bring their own gear from home and/or they might not have it. I’ve even had other friends hit me up to borrow for their family and I LOVE seeing my old gear get used- so don’t hesitate to ask people you know if they have extra stuff you can borrow. 
  • If you have to buy stuff- watch the sales now! 
  • You can find used gear for inexpensive prices at your local used gear shop (McCall has the McCall Sports Exchange, Boise has Play it Again Sports) and also check out thrift stores!  . 
  • Check out the Sendy app
    • It’s basically Airbnb for outdoor equipment and I think it’s a brilliant option! It’s a newer app and they’re just getting members so it might take some time before there are a lot of rentals available, but it will be a good option once there are! 
• Work Coverage
  • As soon as you get adventures planned make sure you put the request in at work if you need time off, do it NOW! 
  • Remember REALTORS- you can always hire a TC company, like Elevate TC Services to cover your transactions while you’re on a mini adventure or on vacation. 😉 
• Babysitters 
  • If you’ve got young kiddos at home and you need care for them, then get to work on setting that up now so that won’t hold you back from your adventures. Anything from babysitters, to family, to mom swaps!
    • What’s a mom swap? A few of my fellow moms and I created a mom swap program. A simple spreadsheet with a point system that tracks who is watching others kiddos so there is no guilt that someone is watching kiddos more than someone else. Let me know if you want a copy of the spreadsheet template. 

Mindset to Remember:

• If you erase, you must replace.
  • I get it, things come up, but respect yourself enough to reschedule whatever you erase! 
• When you’re jam packing your schedule and trying to do it all just remember that it may be a little chaotic and crazy and your mind may be spinning. But at the end of the day, or end of the season, or end of the year, or even more dramatically the end of your life, I believe it’s better to be exhausted and fulfilled then rested and full of regrets. 

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” 

-J.K. Rowling

It’s February y’all! Which means winter is almost over. For some I am sure that brings sadness and others I’m sure it’s making you do a little dance right now. Which one are you? For those that may struggle through winter, I’d love to share some info on how to find some light during these darker winter days. 

Chase the Sunshine:
Did you know Idaho has some really cool locations? And a lot of them are really great to visit during the winter time! Here are some of our favorites: 

• Riggins
  • Hike the Rapid River Trail (pic above) and/or drive the Salmon River Road.
    • **TIP**- I almost always see bighorn sheep there-
• Hells Canyon
  • Pittsburg Landing was insanely beautiful when I went last year for the first time.
• The Owyhee area
  • China Wall and Succor Creek are really cool. And it’s on my list to see Leslie Gulch this year. 
• If you just need SUN, then get above our darn Idaho inversions! Drive to one of our ski resorts and I bet you’ll find the sun.
  • *Tip**- Check the webcam on their website before going to make sure they are above the inversions. 

Lessons from a Toddler:
It’s true, it’s really true, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. My five year old daughter has been going to Roots Outdoor Preschool since she was 1. I have dropped her off in negative temps and she has survived for three hours outside just fine. But it’s taken a lot of work to dial in our system to achieve this and it’s all about the gear. Our favorite gear we use daily while living in McCall is: 

• Handwarmers
  • Electric ones are amazing to be friendly to the environment otherwise Costco sized boxes to the rescue. 
• Layers, layers, layers
  • Base layers, mid layers, vests and then the outerwear. If you want specifics on what we use, where we get it cheap or anything else then shoot us a message. 
• TWO pairs of gloves as the first one will probably get soaked. 
• Warm drinks
  • When we go adventure as a family we pack tea, coffee and/or hot cocoa to take on our outings. It’s amazing what one sip of something warm in the blizzarding outdoors will do. 
• Treats
  • Like the warm drinks mentioned above, a little bit of something yummy just warms the tummy. 

Embrace the Winter:
When I moved to McCall 6 years ago, I had fallen out of love with winter but I knew to make us last through the Valley County snowy months I needed to learn to embrace and love winter again. Here’s some tips that helped me that might help you!

• Learn something new
  • I picked up skate skiing and backcountry skiing.
    • **TIP**-Your library or City may have loaner gear to get you started. 
  • If you’re not up for learning a new hobby, then try a new recipe weekly or a new indoor activity (see ideas below). 
• Find a winter crew
  • With my new sports I found new friends to encourage and motivate me to get outside. 
• Find social media motivation
  • I found a few local people that post a lot of their winter adventures and just watching those clips each day made me want to get out there and do that too. 
• Find local areas to still get outside
  • My bestie has a “river loop” in her neighborhood that her HOA grooms in the winter and it’s perfect for us to do multiple times a week. It gets me, the kiddos, and the dogs outside.
    • **Tip**-sometimes snow is actually easier with kiddos as you can pull them in sleds or Thule chariots where you can’t always do that on singletrack dirt trails! I bought a “jetsled” off amazon and the kids love that for being pulled around through the flats.
  • Our McCall golf course plows the paths in the winter and even does fun Friday night tiki torch walks. 
  • Our City of McCall shovels and maintains an outdoor ice rink. 
  • Some areas are easier to access in the winter than summer- like Egg Rock in McCall. 
• Hot Springs Chasing
  • Compile a list of hot springs that are accessible in the winter and start checking them off. 

Find Indoor Places:
If you just can’t do winter, or you need only small doses then find some indoor places that can offer solace when you need to just get out of your house. For our small town of McCall, there’s not many options but what we have found is: 

• The library- Books, toys, games, and more. 
• Look at your City’s programs as they probably have indoor activities for you and/or kiddos 
• The pool
• Join a non-profit
  • I recently become a board member for CIMBA (Central Idaho Mountain Bike Association) and man, if you’re bored in the winter then go volunteer, as that keeps you busy! 
• Take a class
  • Have you always wanted to learn to cook or sew? Improve your finances? Look for local classes you can take. I just saw a really cool acrylic painting night via zoom on Facebook events. I highly recommend going to one rather than virtual as the social interactions in real life will be much better but if you can’t, doing something like this virtually will help! 
• Create a Checklist
  • When Covid hit I had two young kiddos at home and it was March and April in McCall, aka mud season. It was rough. I normally head to Boise that time of year to enjoy the dirt and green grass but obviously that wasn’t an option. So I created an ABC checklist. For 26 days we did an activity based on the letter for that day. So Day 1 was A and we made Airplanes (paper ones). Day 2 was B and we had a Balloon fight. And so on. Pinterest to the win on ideas for this! Just a simple checklist like this helped us get through the long muddy days.  
• Hibernate
  • I don’t recommend doing this the entire winter like the bears, but it is a great time to listen to your mind and body and relax by the fire, take a bath, read a book, etc.
  • Be careful though! I find myself reverting to the desire to stay inside and be comfy and cozy. It’s easier than dealing with all the layers and snow. It’s WARM, it’s lovely. And I do think a healthy dose of that is needed and perfect. But if I listen to my inner thoughts every time it tells me to stay inside then I find myself feeling pretty down and depressed. Winter is hard, I get it! I live in it for many months each year and I get so tired of all the layers you have to put on, all the extra planning, and I HATE HATE HATE to be cold. And truthfully, every single time I make plans to go outside in winter, my brain always tries to tell me why I should bail and stay inside. Every time.  But when I get myself out there I am ALWAYS grateful I didn’t listen to my mind trying to convince me to stay in the comfortable house.
• Planning Sessions
  • We’ll chat next newsletter about planning out your epic adventures for the remainder of the year. But if you’re feeling down and out right now, then pull out your calendar and your dream book with the list of places you want to go and start thinking about those future days with sunshine, tank tops, and ice cream! 
• Book a trip. Like now. Don’t think, go to google.com/flights and find a weekend flight to sunny California, Las Vegas, anywhere that’s close enough for a quick weekend trip and go find the sunshine. It’s amazing what one weekend in the heat and sunshine will do.
  • We try to take a yearly trip to Southern Utah for some sunshine and biking and that always helps me! 
• Find an Anti-winter crew?
  • Above I said to find a winter crew to adventure with, but perhaps you just need an anti-winter crew? Not a group that only complains about winter, but a group that supports each other by meeting weekly (indoors or outdoors) to connect and help get you through these darker days. 

Just Can’t Winter Anymore?:

• There is only 48 days left in winter, which for those in the Treasure Valley that really means way less since the sunshine and clear trails show up well before then…usually.
• On March 15th the sun will start setting at 7:51. Daylight!! 
• Maybe this will help- go create a calendar countdown, like one of those cute paper linked ones to give you a visual for when winter is over. 🙂 

What are some of your favorite tricks for dealing with winter? Or if you love winter, what’s your favorite activities and adventures this time of year? 

“Systems Run the Business and People Run the Systems.”

-Michael E. Gerber

In the Real Estate industry, winter is typically our slower season, and as demonstrated by the cute dog picture above, we highly recommend you take some time to recharge during these slower months. Hibernate, rest, relax, whatever you and your body, mind, soul need- do it. But once you have had some resting during these slower times, we recommend you improve your systems! And if you’re not in the Real Estate industry- we still have some great tips for personal systems, so read on!

But First…What’s a “System”??:

• What: Systems can be anything from an actual technology system you use at work, to every day life systems like your calendar. 
• Why: Systems are AMAZING! If you trust and use them they’ll help you be more efficient, consistent, and have less stress.
• Who: The people run the systems so make sure you have the right people in the right places. AND, make sure you have the right systems in place that the right people can follow them. This creates consistency in your work, which is KEY for referrals in the RE industry! 
• When: Don’t over systematize your life so much that you’re actually less efficient. So be aware of this when you are creating systems and stop to ask your self, “will this actually make me more efficient or better?” Also analyze what systems you had previously and if they’re still needed? 
• How: Create a list that throughout the year you can add to it of systems you need in your life and/or ones to rehaul if it’s broken. Then during these slower months use that list!
• Where: Where you use systems will ultimately be up to you but I try to analyze anywhere that I’m repeating the same actions and think how can I build it out to not have to repeat it entirely. 

Our Favorite Systems for Personal Life:

• A virtual checklist that I add tasks to that show up on the day they need to be done.
  • This is my bread and butter and how I run everything with work and life. It’s used for my business but I have personal checklists in there too to keep me on track.
  • For example it has monthly reminders on giving tick medicine to my fur babies, quarterly reminders to pay taxes, yearly reminders to cancel or renew subscriptions, birthday gift reminders, etc.
  • Mine is a Real Estate specific one that I’m happy to tell you about if you’re interested but it does cost money, so a free non RE related one I’ve used and loved is Basecamp. 
• My Dream Book
  • I’ve talked about this many times but it’s a system. And although I love virtual for various reasons, when it comes to big dreams and ideas there is nothing that beats the feel of the real book in your hands. The slowness of the ink scrawling on a page versus typing has the ability to create excitement as each word fills the pages. 
• Bags for Efficiency
  • Each season I create separate duffel bags for each activity. They’re all packed with snacks and the gear specific to that activity. Then when I’m on a limited amount of time I can run out the door with the bag and know I have everything I need.
    • Life goal: Own a rad van that has everything I would need! 
• A note taking app on my phone with these various notes:
  • Outdoor Crew:
    • I’m lucky enough to have a lot of friends into the same hobbies as me. When I am getting ready to go do one of those I look at my list to remind me which friends are into which sports. It gets confusing which one of my friends has classic cross country gear and which ones have skate gear. 🙂
  • Shopping List:
    • I add to it daily when I run out of food/house items or when I’m meal prepping each week. 
  • Favorite Recipes
    • This one is the best!!! I find myself making the same 10 recipes each week so I saved them into this note with the ingredients right there, so then when I’m at the store I can have it laid out what items I need. 
  • People I Meet
    • I suck at names. Like real bad. So when I meet someone new I try to immediately go put them in this note with details (spouses name, kids’ ages, job, etc.) so next time I am going to see them I can do a quick refresher. 
  • Gifts:
    • Somewhere to keep track of gift ideas for people. When you’re hanging out with someone and they mention things they need/want, go add it to this note and come Christmas time you’ll thank yourself! 
  • General To Do:
    • This is for non time sensitive stuff that gets put here rather than my virtual system. 
  • Entertainment:
    • Books, movies, and podcasts to someday read or watch. 
  • Trips:
    • As I’m planning a new trip I’ll create a new note and add things to it. From to do items to things to look into, etc. 
  • Foodie:
    • I hate going to the same restaurant and ordering something I don’t like. But I dislike even more going back to that restaurant and forgetting what I ordered and having the same bad meal twice. Oops! So now I make a list of foods I love or hate. 

What are some systems you live by? What systems are you lacking in life? We’d love to hear what is or isn’t working for you! And we hope this sparks ideas of how to build out systems in your life to give yourself more time, to focus on what’s important to you! 

Hey Realtors, This Sections for YOU!
Some Professional Systems to Win Your Day:

• Our virtual system mentioned above also has two super important key features:
  • Checklist Templates:
    • If you don’t have transaction checklist templates built out for your business yet, please reach out to us today to chat about this as it’s a huge time saver and it makes sure you aren’t dropping the ball anywhere in you transactions. 🙂 
  • Scripts:
    • Do you find yourself typing up some of the same emails each transaction? Well that’s a script that should be saved as an email template and then you can just plug in the appropriate info. We have worked hard to make our scripts not only efficient and informative, but personable too and you can build this out as well! 
• Do you know about Instanet Templates?
  • These are available for free and will save you so much time when putting together offers for buyers, listing docs for sellers, etc. If you don’t know about these reach out today and we’ll show you how to set them up! (Or you can pay us to set them up for you.:)). 
• We have even more systems that we’re happy to share- email us to request those OR you can follow our Facebook page (Click HERE) where we post weekly about great systems we have. 

“You’re Off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your Mountain is Waiting. So…get on your way!”

-Dr. Seuss

It’s Here!!! It’s Here!! It’s finally here!!
What’s here you may ask? Well, the New Year!! 
So…Let’s Do This 2023!  

In the past few months we’ve discussed the importance of setting goals and making sure your life is setup to achieve those. We hope you have a year ahead of you planned with challenging but fulfilling business goals, special and exciting personal adventures, and whatever else you may have tagged as important and must achieve.

Today, we just want to say congrats! And Woohoo!! Because TODAY is YOUR day! Your Mountain of goals is waiting- so, go, go now and get on your way! 

We can’t wait to hear all about your journey throughout 2023. And thank you for your support reading along with the Elevate Livin’ Life newsletter- it means a lot! 

“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”

— Jean Shinoda Bolen

• I still struggle with this on a day-to-day basis. So just know, this might be an easy lesson to read but a hard lesson to take action on. But you know the saying about when an airplane is going down you need to put your oxygen mask on first? Well, I personally feel this applies to life in general. And even saying this makes me feel so guilty and cringe! What will people think when I say that I need to do something for just MYSELF?!
• But here’s some reasons why you should:
  • My husband jokes, but will say “a happy wife is a happy life” and although that might not be totally true, there is some truth in it. When you’re happy, others can feel it and by default it can put them in a better mood. If you’re stressed or unhappy they can feel that too.
  • If you aren’t taking time to take care of your body then your body someday won’t perform for you. And if you are having medical issues (sick, tired, etc.) then how are you going to take care of your family, your house, your job?
  • Some people say AFTER they got sick it was a blessing in disguise as it made them slow down and reassess what they needed and/or what was important to them. Well honey, here is your message to take the time NOW and not wait till you get sick. It’s way more fun to do fun things when you aren’t sick than when you are going through chemo or other illnesses, trust me, I’ve been there! 
  • It’s our obligation to give ourselves space to do the things that make us happy. We owe it to ourselves, to our families and friends, and to the world. We need a world full of happier people, not burned out individuals. 

Ho Ho Ho – A Holiday Message: 

• I send this message out now because many of us are going into the holiday season and we let go of the things that make us happy for family obligations. This is necessary at times, but don’t lose sight of what YOU need over these holidays. If you give up on your needs, you may have resentment and/or frustration towards family and friends. So really, for the good of all those you’re around, do what you need to make yourself happy this holiday season….and for the future too! 

Being a YES Person…most of the time: 

• I’m a “YES” person by default! I want to do it all and I typically pile on a lot to try to achieve this. But I am learning that by saying yes to one thing that means I’m saying no to something else. So keep this in mind before you commit to activities, is this really how you want to spend your time?
  • My friends know this too. They know I’m not the person that will join them for a drink as that’s not really my thing, but I will happily have a beer with them after we get a mountain bike ride in. I’ve learned to be okay with saying no to invitations and making up where I can and want too. 

What Does Self Care Look Like To You?

• Not sure where to start for some self love?
  • If you did the exercises on the newsletter we sent a few months ago then you should have made a list of what sets your soul on fire. Pick something there.
    • If you didn’t see that newsletter you can read it HERE.  
  • My mom has a rule that every day she is going to do one FUN thing for herself. So take a few minutes to write out what you find fun and start there.
  • No time to figure it out now? Then just start with a walk outside. Or choose an activity you have told yourself you’d do when you had more time in your life and go do that tomorrow.  
  • Sidenote- let’s normalize taking breaks in the middle of the workday for a walk or something refreshing. I never did this when I was a W2 employee as I had guilt that I was supposed to be in front of the computer from 9-5 the entire time. But if you are business owner, push your peeps to go outside! They’ll come back more productive and full of new ideas and energy! You will too! 🙂 

Place Oxygen Masks on Your Loved Ones Next: 

• As the flight attendant tells us, once you have your mask secure then go help others around you. So, as you are figuring out what you might need this holiday season and in the future, remember to think about what those around you may need as well.
  • Is your significant other an introvert that expels a lot of energy over the holidays? Perhaps you need to build in some “quiet time” for them while you’re with your crazy, loud, fun, energetic family. 
  • Is your toddler overstimulated by the holidays? They may need extra snuggles to help them through. 
  • Another good reminder- who do you know spending the holidays alone? Can they join some of your festivities? If not, even a text or phone call can go a long way. So, think about that now before the festivities start and compile a list of people to reach out too! 

We hope you have a fabulous holiday season full of yummy treats, good times with family and friends, and a little (or a lot) of space for yourself! 

“Giving up on a goal because of a setback is like slashing your other 3 tires because you have a flat.” 

The holidays are here and although they are stressful, fun, crazy, exciting, whatever you want to say, they can also wreak havoc on your nutrition and fitness goals. So here’s some friendly reminders that I hope help you stay mostly on track. 

Nutrition:

• First off, let the guilt go and let yourself enjoy some of the holiday shenanigans. If you don’t go too deep down the rabbit hole you’ll be just fine and can pull yourself back out once they’re over. It’s a time to be festive and merry with family and friends so if you really want a glass of wine, or a sugar cookie, then go for it. And if you do it, try to let the guilt go! 
• That being said, think about how you want to feel after the holidays. In years past I’ve definitely come back from Christmas vacation a little heavier and feeling like crap. I’m trying to go into this season with a realistic and achievable goal of enjoying myself but not too much. Truth be told, it’s usually easier for me to just abstain completely than moderate but I’m working on moderation goals. I want to be able to eat the sugar cookie with my kids while we’re baking them, but I don’t have to have 2,3 or even 4 in one day!
  • By the way, anyone else still working on moderation goals with all this dang leftover Halloween candy?!
• Plan ahead! You can carry food on the airplanes, in your car, and yes it’s weird to pack your own food when visiting family but who cares, you do other weird stuff with them and they stlil love you. So plan ahead for what you’ll need. Healthy bars over a snickers at the airport can go a long way. Carrots instead of chips, etc. 
• Also, eating out can be expensive and at times unhealthy so if you are going on a trip, take pictures of your favorite recipes before you leave so you can make some home cooked meals. And I recommend finding 1-2 recipes that you can make with minimal food and quickly. I’m happy to share some of my go-to meals if you’d like. 

Fitness:

• Just like nutrition there is a healthy balance of resting. Sometimes your mind and body needs the time off so don’t be scared of it. Just enjoy it. Or focus on slightly different activities if you need/want too?
  • If you’re a CrossFitter like me, maybe it’s a great time to do yoga for the week (and if you’re a Crossfitter you know this is definitely needed in your life).
  • If you are visiting somewhere warm, pack those hiking shoes and get out for a walk with family.
  • If you are visiting somewhere cold, rent cross country skis and be active that way. It’s a great bonding experience with family/friends, it will be more memorable then sitting on the coach stuffing your face (although that is nice and needed too at times), and it is great for your body to mix it up! 
• Again, plan ahead:
  • If you are a Crossfitter – it’s so fun to drop into other gyms but check their hours. I went to Sun Valley last year and was so excited to drop in to their gym and didn’t realize they closed down for the whole week of Christmas break. Oops. 
  • Plan out what times you’ll go to the gym if you still plan to go- FYI, mornings are the best when you’re on trips, even my night owl husband agrees! 
  • Plan out workouts you can do in a pinch. I would LOVE to share some at home workouts you can do if you need some. 
  • Pack your own stuff. I typically bring a pair of dumbbells with me on trips so I can still get some weights in. 
  • And if you don’t have the room for any equipment, there are still no excuses. I once did pullups on a tree branch outside the Excalibur hotel on the Las Vegas strip. Click HERE for proof. Feel free to laugh. 🙂
• Be a person that runs in the rain.
  • No one (or very few) people actually want to go for a run in the rain, so this is where discipline comes in. Create enough discipline in your life that no matter how you FEEL you’ll follow through on your actions. 
• Build in contingency plans for when things get derailed. For example, you plan that you’ll workout once you arrive at your destination on a trip, but then your airplane is delayed 5 hours and arrival is after midnight. Well, have a backup plan to do a workout in the airport. If that feels too funny, then just tell yourself you’ll walk up and down the flight of stairs five times. Which, by the way, let’s normalize working out in random places and not let it be weird!
  • Basically make a plan for when you’ll workout, what your workout will be, AND when you’ll make up that workout if something comes up and you have to change the day/time/location. 
• Lastly, just remember it doesn’t have to be pretty. You don’t have to have the same intensity or style of workout on your trip but moving just a little bit over not moving at all will make you feel better and happier!  

So what are your favorite at home workouts? What are your favorite snacks on the go? We’d love to improve our arsenal of how to deal with staying somewhat on track this holiday season. And again, enjoy the holidays too! 

“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion, you must set yourself on fire!” 

If you read our previous post you hopefully took the time to make a list of trips, adventures, and other activities you want to accomplish in 2023. I know that I’m excited, are you? Next to do though, is to plan out your business goals for 2023. 

Once that NYE’s ball drops, it’s game time! You’ll have 365 days to achieve those professional goals and propel yourself to success. So let’s start planning now so that when January 1st hits, you are ready to roll. 

Big Why & Setting Goals: 

Before we take action we must first know where we want to end up. So grab that dream book and let’s get to work!!

Think about your BIG WHY- this is your purpose, mission, need, what fuels you with focus and energy, it’s the reason you are excited to get up in the morning. 

• Now reflect on 2022:
  • Think about where you are at right now and what do you wish you accomplished in your business this year? Was it more sales? More leverage? Better connections? Hiring? Firing? What feels unfinished? 
• Now think about the future:
  • In exactly one year, what are you hoping to accomplish in your business? Five Years? Someday?  

**Don’t edit, just write**

• Now from your list you created, choose a few of your favorites and really think through what they’ll look like and write about what you are visualizing. Add a timeline to when you’d like to accomplish them.
• Lastly, break down each of those four goals into actionable items down to the right NOW task. I love this helpful image from the book, The One Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan to help you do this:  

Achieving That Goal & Accountability: 

Great job, you have your goals written out, woohoo! Now what? They’re no good if you don’t take action AND track them to ensure you are going to achieve them. 

• It’s easy to be fired up when thinking about your goals, but it’s not so easy to stay fired up with the mundane every day tasks needed to achieve them. That’s where accountability comes in. And let’s be honest, being accountable to ourselves rarely works. So I’d love you to take the time right now to write a list of people you could enroll to be an accountability partner. Some great examples are: parents (they always want to see you succeed), spouses (they’ll want your income too ;)), someone else in your industry or another industry, COACHES! Heck, enlist your kids, they’ll love it and it’s a great bonding/parenting activity. 
• Now list out how you’ll track whether you are hitting your goal. You need measurable numbers throughout the process, not just numbers at the end, but something measurable throughout so that you know monthly or even weekly if you are on track, ahead, or behind.
  • If you are a Realtor, I have a great resource on how to break this down to achieve the net income you want. Message me today and I’ll happily share it! 
• Then setup a time with your new accountability partner to meet monthly to go over your numbers. And YOU should be meeting weekly with yourself to gather those numbers and review them. 

Here’s a graphic from Keller Williams Business Planning Clinic that I love that you could use with your accountability partner: 

Thoughts to Ponder: 

• Have you heard of the rule of 80/20? If not, a quick summary is 80% of your results comes from 20% of your actions. So hopefully your actionable items you created are your 20% and then you turn those into your “HAVE-to-do-list”.
  • We all have a to-do list. But the most successful people make sure to achieve the items on their “Have-to-do-list”. So make sure you add your actionable items to that and each day work on this list first, then you work on your other to-do lists. 
• Remember, results are not immediate, so have patience, don’t get distracted, and keep grinding! It will be worth it in the end!
• Lastly, share those goals! On Social media, with a vision board (vision board parties are the best), whatever it may be, share them because: Individuals with written goals are 42.1% more likely to achieve them. Individuals with accountability are 77.6% more likely to achieve them. Thanks Gail Matthews for doing the research to figure these stats out. 🙂 

We hope this has helped you visualize your professional goals, write out actionable items and/or helped you in any way towards a successful 2023. We’d love you to email us today what your business goals are and more importantly if there is any way we can help you achieve those! Working together is better!  

“There are DREAMERS and there are PLANNERS, the planners make their dreams come true.” 

-Edwin Louis Cole

Every February I gather my closest friends for a summer planning session. We get together for dinner, drinks, and come with our calendars in tow. I tell everyone before this dinner to have a list of trips, adventures, hikes, bike rides, kiddo events, as well as previous obligations with work and other personal events compiled. Then we hash out what we want our summer to look like.

I started this because I realized a few years back when I didn’t do this that by the time summer came around everyone was already too booked up and we couldn’t sync up for family camping trips and other adventures. My girlfriends poke a little fun at me but here’s the thing- I was able to do a lot of amazing things in 2022. Curious what I did? Check out my 2022 Review Video HERE.

But this wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for my planning session in February! You may be asking me why I’m telling you all of this since it’s not February yet. Well, NOW is the time for you to start compiling YOUR list. I personally love doing this now because summer and fall are winding down and it’s a great time for reflection. AND if you want to book 2023 camping spots a lot of them become available to reserve on January 1st, so you might need to plan even earlier. 

So grab that dream book I mentioned on our previous Elevate Livin’ Life newsletter and get ready to dream and write some more. 

• What do you wish you did this past summer?
  • What trips did you not take that you wanted too?
  • What trails did you not get a chance to explore?
  • What people did you miss out on bonding with?
• What do you want to do again next year?
  • Was there something you did that you absolutely loved and need to make it an annual thing?! 
• What do you want to NOT do?
  • In 2020 and 2021 we did some major house projects over the summer and I specifically requested that we take the summer of 2022 off so we could focus on FUN! It was amazing! And the house is still standing and is patiently awaiting for us to love on it some more another time. 🙂 
• What else do you want to accomplish next year?
  • From spiritual to nutrition, to all the different areas in life, what do you want to put on your 2023 to do list? Look at that list you compiled a few weeks ago of all your dreams- can any of them be accomplished in 2023? Why not take that Dream vacation?! Or start that new workout plan? OR perhaps it is the year to focus on improving your house? 

Lastly, it’s a great time of year to think about the gear that you’ll need to accomplish these goals because you can score some sweet deals on end of season sales, Black Friday and/or just adding them to your Christmas wishlist! 

Happy planning! And as always we’d love to hear what you have on your 2023 calendar as we’re always looking to be inspired with other people’s goals! Share with us today! 

So here’s the thing, if you don’t set yourself up for success by building out the daily habits to achieve your live worth living, then you aren’t going to achieve it! 

In our last Elevate Livin’ Life newsletter we had you do some activities to determine what sets your soul on fire. Now let’s discuss how to prioritize your ACTIONS and TIME to make sure you achieve them.  

1. Focus on one of your big goals you set for yourself and if you haven’t done so, decide when you want to achieve this (be realistic but push yourself). 
2. Now work backwards from that big goal to figure out what you need to do to achieve it.
   1. Where do you need to be in one year to achieve this goal? 6 months? 1 month? 1 week? 1 day? And most importantly what do you need to do RIGHT NOW to achieve it? 

Example of this: 
In 2011 my husband was finishing his clinicals for physical therapy school and we had a 12 week assignment in a small mountain town in New Hampshire. We had learned about a hiking checklist called the NH 48 (48 peaks over 4000 feet) and thought, wouldn’t it be cool if we did this? Is it even possible to do this in 12 weeks?! It felt like a big, uncomfortable, and scary goal. We liked hiking and had done it occasionally throughout life but we weren’t hardcore hikers by any means. But we went for it and oh my gosh, it’s still one of my most favorite summers ever!

So here is a quick version of how we played out setting our life up for this goal-

1. Big Scary Goal: Hike NH 48 in 12 weeks.
2. First step for us: QUICK research on how long each hike was and making a list of said hikes with estimate time frame. I say quick so I didn’t get lost in the rabbit hole and never took action NOR did I want to dig too deep and realize how uncomfortable it was going to get at times. 
3. Next step: Timeblock our life
   1. We took out our calendar of the next 12 weeks and penciled in prior engagements (social and professional). Then we got to work time blocking when we’ll do those hikes. Short ones after work, long ones on weekends, and even a few two-a day hikes. We also time blocked out the time we’d need to do further research on each hike for that week, preparing the food and supplies we’d need for those hikes, etc.  
4. It took us 11 weeks and 1 day to do it! Photo above is us on our last peak. -weren’t we babies?! 

So, take your big goal and think backwards to what you need to achieve it so that tomorrow you know the first step you need to take. If you want to run a marathon in a year, perhaps tomorrow’s first step is downloading a running program or hiring a coach (I know a good one if that’s the case!). 

Things to keep in mind when you are building out your new life on how to achieve these goals: 

• Time block is Key!!!
  • You must first figure out how much time you need to achieve your goals and once you know that, start time blocking it into your calendar. 
  • When you say yes to one thing you’ll be saying no to another. So make sure you know what you’ll be saying no to and that you’re okay with it. When we hiked the NH 48 we had to say no to friend invites to do other fun things. We knew we wanted to achieve this goal and talked about what we’d have to give up and said we were okay with it. So when the time came, although it was hard and sad, we were prepared to say “no thanks, we’re unable to at this time”.
    • Protect your goals! Others don’t know them, and/or might not care as much and try to pull you away from what matters to you at that moment. 
  • If you erase, you must replace. Life happens and stuff comes up so it’s good to be flexible when needed but always make sure you reschedule the activities that will lead you to your goals! Don’t just cancel them all together.
  • There will always be things left unfinished. Laundry can be folded tomorrow but you can’t always make up your workout. 
  • Read The One Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan for more amazing tips on this! 
• Willpower is a Battery!!
  • The more mental decisions you make and/or the more times you test your willpower, the more you drain it.
    • Some decisions you can’t avoid but some you can. Lay out your outfit you want to wear each day the night before so you tax your willpower less first thing in the morning. 
    • Don’t allow yourself to make important decisions later in the day when your willpower is more taxed.
      • What’s for dinner? Decide the night before so when you’re tired you don’t default to the easy option of drive through that you’ll regret later. 
  • Another Great Book: The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal 
• Be growth minded!
  • Your past history will not dictate your success if you set the right habits in place and believe you can achieve this. You can change (if you really want too)! 
  • Keep on Reading: Mindset by Carol Dweck 
• Set yourself up for success. 
  • It’s not only about the time you’ll need to achieve tasks, but what food will you need or what gear? Plan ahead so you can’t use excuses that you didn’t have the right equipment to achieve your goal! 
  • Make a decision for who you are ahead of unfortunate circumstances. It’s easy to go for a run when it’s sunny and nice out. But when it’s raining and your willpower is low it’s much harder to still do it. Make a decision BEFORE bad weather on if you are a person that is determined to achieve your goal so much that you will run in the rain? If you aren’t, that’s fine, but then you must be okay with not achieving your goal. 
  • Create buy-in with those around you. You may need to let your family, friends, and/or work know of your goals as sometimes you’ll need their help, you’ll need to say no to them, and/or you’ll need them to just hold you accountable!
    • Speaking of that, it’s great to have a coach or accountability partner. 
• The Time is NOW and No Regrets 
  • A close friend of mine talks about how her dad worked so hard all his life and kept saving his money, big trips, adventures, etc. for retirement. Then he passed away before he retired and never got to go for them. Stop saying “someday” and do it now! 
  • Live your life so you don’t say “I wish I had…” instead you say “I’m so glad I did”. Yes it will take more work, energy, time but you won’t regret it! 
• Remember this will get hard 
  • There will be times when you want to throw in the towel but stick with it and hopefully you set your life up with the previous recommendations so when those times come it will be easier (not easy) to stick with it. 
  • Truth be told, a productive, fulfilling life can be exhausting. But it can also be exhilarating and amazing too!
  • I highly recommend reading: Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.
• As the Chinese said: 
  • “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now”. 

There are so many amazing resources out there to help you build our your best life and lots of additional ideas. I just hope the points I shared help start you in the right direction to you building a life you won’t regret and one you’ll be stoked to look back on! 

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month: Fall Mountain Biking with Good Friends