About Progress

Do you ever catch yourself staring down a long list of check boxes? Either you're overly eager to zip through them all, or paralyzed by the thought of even starting? Wherever you fall, productivity is one of those things we can all benefit by checking in on. This month I want you to be productive in less time and in ways that really count. We're calling it meaningful productivity. Productivity is a strength of mine, but I want to tell you the truth about the weakness I have found in that strength. Full days, with lots of different things to do are exciting to me and always have been. But, what I learned recently is that I sometimes hinge my value off of my outcomes. So then, if I don't fit in and check off absolutely everything, I'm disappointed and unhappy. It isn't a sustainable cycle. Facing my day using my 3 step system has really helped me narrow in on the to-do's that matter most, without feeling guilt from the things I don't get to. Tune in for the simple steps you can also follow, along with my person

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I'm living the life I've always wanted...so why am I still so ______________ (insert negative emotion)." I have lived through that and for me it was feeling unhappy, unfulfilled, lost, stuck, even empty. Through a lot of personal development I dug myself out of that hole, and continue to grow in a way that lets me love this life I've always wanted - even when it's sweeping crumbs off the floor. I want this change for you, too. Tomorrow is the very last day for enrollment in my small group growth coaching Progress Program. Don't let the opportunity to do something for yourself (and ultimately even for others via trickle-down-effect) pass you by. As always, I'm giving my monthly "what's happening" life update in this episode - including a Harry Potter review, the coaching certification program I finally decided on, and a moving update. Then, how I got schooled this month. Including takeaways from each episode and what you all really taught me about self respect. Tune in to he

In this episode we uncover that the anecdote to shame, weakness, and negative self-talk is really compassion. Does showing yourself compassion feel unfamiliar? Maybe it's something you've only considered as an action towards others. If so, then it's time to be your own dear friend, as Cheryl puts it. As you work on your own self respect, you can drive your growth with more compassion. Cheryl Cardall is a wife and mother of 5 on a mission to strengthen families, by strengthening mothers. She is an advocate for giving yourself grace and has worked on her own self to be able to focus on the positive. She opens up about her own mental health, and the relief a diagnosis brought her. She also shares tips you can use daily to find compassion for yourself, including an experience with affirmations that changed a lot for her. To improve yourself, to grow, to even begin to respect yourself you don't need to do a 180 degree change. In this episode learn how weaknesses, even negativity, can coexist with strength and posi

One time I almost considered becoming engaged to someone (not my husband!) because I was so scared to say no. My struggle with saying yes and saying no has been a long journey, friends, and it's one I'm still working on. In this episode I want to talk about how to guard your yes's and give you my personal experience with, and guidelines, on how to do that. Last year I lived a year of yes (anyone else read Shonda Rimes' book?) and learned a lot about myself, and others, who behave this way. Not only does saying yes, and even saying no, affect you, it affects everyone around you. Maybe that's not surprising. If this is something you struggle with, examine the feelings that come up when you give a mis-intended yes. Now let's not go crazy here, I don't like laundry but I still say yes to it, because of my life's priorities. That's the bonus fourth point I share in this episode, along with 3 other rules I follow to guard my yes's. If this topic is something you know you need to work on even more, check out Becky H

In college, a therapist recommended I read "The Secret" to help with visualizing and understanding the influence of thoughts. Have you read it? Heard of it?? It's a little woo-woo for some, but the concepts have stuck with me over the years. So, instead of using manifestation to focus on the materialistic things, in this interview we discuss how to use it to get the life you want. Shirin Eskandani, of wholehearted coaching, believes in and teaches manifestation...but almost without calling it that (she explains that!). In this interview she shares how several years ago she was in a really rough patch and took a giant leap of faith on self development for herself. Since then her ideas of manifestation are more focused on dreaming, self work, and overcoming obstacles. We break down the beliefs women often have about themselves, as well as manifesting in non-materialistic ways, and how you can get started with this. I also share how manifestation has worked in reverse - meaning how the negative beliefs I had abo

Kim White taught us how to fight, feel, and love. She urged us to be grateful for our working lungs and legs, our difficulties with kids, the ups and downs of our marriages.  In her fight against cancer, she taught us how to live. Like you, I have been profoundly influenced by Kim and was so saddened to hear of her passing this early morning. This episode is a tribute to her--to her goodness, her sass, her strength, her realness, and her spirit. We love you Kim. We love your husband, child, and family. Thank you for giving us so many gifts and letting us be part of your magnificent life. You will treasured, always. Show Notes: Kim's Instagram Kim's husband--Treagan's--Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is something we often talk about around here, but yet, always worth repeating. Do you ever feel like you're not fulfilled, even though you're living the life you've always wanted? You can replace 'fulfilled' with lots of words, like happy, confident, even yourself. Growing through those feelings, towards finding yourself again is really at the heart of About Progress. Today's interview provides another meaningful look at the situation many of us (myself included) find ourselves in; tune in and know you can grow into who you were meant to become. Amy Tangerine is the creative behind her lifestyle brand, which includes a book, podcast, and workshops. But, of course, it isn't all just bright colors and confetti. Her story of running a million-dollar-business around the time of the 2008 economy crash, and how she found her way back to her creative self, shows the real grit to her growth. Amy believes in infusing creativity into the everyday, while really nourishing yourself and giving pause where needed. In

It's the month of love, so we're going to sort of play off of that feeling with February's theme. No, not self love, not a frivolous treat yourself mindset, but real self respect. They are different, and there may be a time and place for self love, but as we work towards deep down growth and change you need to work towards self respect. Why does it matter to respect yourself? Life has so many ups and downs, so much of it is out of our control. But you can control yourself, you can be your own anchor amongst the storm. Respect is something that we can anchor into, more so than we can with just self love. Do you feel like you're living a reactive life? I'm opening up about the shift I had to make years ago, going from being reactive to active living. I had to find myself, learn to respect myself, and do something. What you're witnessing today was born during that time! In this episode I'm sharing a few simple questions you can ask yourself to just get started towards better self respect. If you want more specif

Last week's free organization challenge is over (catch the replays for a few more days). Let me just say, WOW! So many of you, more than I even imagined, showed up ready to learn and experienced true organizational breakthroughs. Do you want to experience even more confidence and clarity in your life? YOU CAN, through organizing your mind, space, and time. Check out the Organization Overhaul audio course. With 12 teachers and 24 lessons, you'll be equipped with the tools you need to transform your life. The value of this course is $297, but only until February 1st it's $77. Podcast listeners get lifetime access for the lower yearly price with code 'PROGRESS' at checkout. After this month of "getting started" I'm opening up about what that has looked like for my family - both big goals and exciting short term plans. I also share how I got schooled by our guests, meaning what surprised me and what I won't ever forget from our conversations. If you missed the Do Something growth spurt episode here's a friendly r

If you find yourself discouraged in your wandering, you don't have to be! The growth is really in the journey, not the arrival. If you don't believe that, we get into it in this episode with artist Caitlin Connolly. She shares her unconventional path, how it really took decades to believe in herself, and why you, too, should pursue your blessed wandering path. You've probably seen Caitlin Connolly's work; her art is strikingly beautiful and many women identify strongly with her figure painting. I for one, knew I needed her to share her unique story with this community when Miranda Anderson shared a bit of it on her podcast. There is something so familiar in her own story of struggling to find her calling. Her advice? Start with what you love. Anything, no matter how small or trivial in your mind, will do. Then build, seek support, find clarity, and gain confidence. We also discuss how to deal with "arrival disappointment", and the beauty in taking a break. If you find yourself well-versed in fear, scared of t

Hopefully you've been making progress with this month's theme, get started. And maybe your "Do Something Plan" is part of that. You may have felt some discomfort, described in this episode by Becky Higgins, as refining moments. Through her personal experiences you'll see why you need to say no to good things, to choose the better thing. Why You Need to Say No to Good Things Becky Higgins, podcasting friend and master of memory keeping, is candid about things she's had to stop, to get started. From a bold move as a career woman and young mother, to the daily struggle she still faces, Becky is no stranger to making tradeoffs. In fact, after being blindsided by an anxiety attack she describes letting go in major ways that actually allowed for a much needed shift in her life. As you work through your own refining moments, remember you are inherently worthy of living a story that you want to tell. And if you want this episode's Progress Pointers make sure you're subscribed to the Go Getter Newsletter and get them

In 2016 I was a shell of myself, and missing out on my own life. So, I set out to create a bucket list of sorts with the prompt of "do something that scares you". That original list had everything from blogging, to dates with my husband, to making 30 new recipes. The spark inside of me was ignited, and it was very healing. Almost every year since (2017, 2019) I've continued creating these lists, and encouraged hundreds of you to create your do something plan through the Rediscover You workshop. Here's the most freeing thing I can tell you as you get started on your own Do Something Plan: you don't need to know the end from the beginning. Learn how to create the feelings you're looking for, rather than the specific outcomes you think you need. Tune in for the other 3 lessons I'm sharing to help you get started on your plan. You know I often give you some graphics or printables, but not today! Because there is no right way to make your Do Something Plan. Instead of an exact formula, I'm going to offer you a fra

Before you roll your eyes at another "new year, new you" post just know this is NOT that. Yes, we're talking organization, and yes that is a super popular topic this time of year. But, we're doing away with the big feelings of overwhelm and negativity that can come with it. Keeping with this month's theme, get started, here are 10 basics you need to know to organize your home - simply and with intention. In my just announced Organization Overhaul Audio Course we are covering three aspects of organization - mind, space, and time. Taking charge of organization in all aspects is possible and will help you change your life. To kick things off in the right direction, Mika (also a guest teacher in the course!) is talking about space. And even though we focus on the home, you'll hear how simply organizing her batteries freed up her time and allowed her to feel more control of her mind. Mika is a professional organizer, now using online platforms to help clients, as well as a wife, mother, and podcaster. She dispels

I've gone ahead and done all the work for you on this one. What work is that? The thing where you look ahead to a new year, come up with new goals, and then use up all your energy throwing a million excuses at them. There are 3 big ones I'm talking about in this episode, and I'm sure well all have many more. But what I want you to hear is, get started ANYWAY. Have you ever considered that every day you get to decide to start again? It's such a refreshing thought, to remember that failure is never final. So yes, we're all excited to get started with the new year, but I want to motivate you to not let small things derail your new found progress. I share with you, in the episode, how I let myself (literally) sit in the wings many years ago and how that attitude persisted in my life. Now, after taking steps both big and small, I allow myself to move towards center stage in ways that previously would've paralyzed me. You, too, can start without knowing the exact finish line. If you've been here a while, remember w

As the year (and decade!) come to a close, I have to say I'm so incredibly grateful for this community of "progressors". If not for you sharing your experiences, and growing together, this would just be a fan club and I never wanted any part of something like that. Tune in to hear some year-end thoughts in this "Dear Progressor," December Edition and read below for more ways to grow, with the help of this community, in the new year. After hosting the Rediscover You Workshop in California and Utah I'm so excited it's finally online! Now all of you can participate from the comfort of your own home, but interact live with me and other attendees. This will only be offered ONCE this year and it's at the very beginning of January. Get more details here and make your personal growth a priority. Also, the (still unnamed) membership group will be launching as a beta group very soon. You can get on the list to be notified of its launch here. This membership group will include coaching, accountability, insightful dialog

Hey, I see you! I see how hard you've worked this holiday season to show up for your family, friends, coworkers, church and community responsibilities, and whatever else has needed you this month. It's time to take a deep breath, and give back to yourself. One way you can do this is by joining me and other women live, and online, for the Rediscover You Workshop at the beginning of January. If you do this, I think it will end up on your "best things I spent money on" list, too! If you're anything like me, it's kind of fun to hear about other people's favorite things. There are whole parties this time of year surrounding them, right?? So, I thought I'd share my tried and true favorite things from 2019. From Disney+ to the natural cleaner you've seen me use on Instagram, I'm covering all the things that our entire family has been enjoying the very most. And it's not all about the material things. I also share what intangible things have been my favorite buys this year. This includes help with my home and kids, h

Merry Christmas friends! If you find yourself reflecting on this past year, especially as you look forward to the new year, I want to encourage you to remove the negative "failure filter". There are good lessons to be learned from what we often consider failure. Today I'm sharing the best failures I had and lessons learned in 2019. I like to learn, I want to learn, so I've had to come to terms with failing. For example, I'm being very transparent in this episode about my goals for the podcast and what happened that helped me realize them. There were also failures in my relationships, and not the all-is-lost kind, but the kind that helped me realize where I need to improve. My hope in sharing those as well as some business and spiritual related failures (you might be surprised by what I say!) is that you, too, can learn to reframe failures into growth. And I'm really not just saying that, because I've lived it. I'm going to keep putting in the work, even if it keeps taking me years to grow. Through my own pers

As we head in to 2020, are you ready to put yourself first? By paying attention to your own growth and development you will be able to more fully give to all of the various roles you fill. The most immediate way you can do that is by joining me live and online for the Rediscover You Workshop (only offered once in 2020!). You can also join the new membership group that will be launching, get on the waitlist for the beta group. Now on to the best food I ate and shows I watched in 2019... If you've been around here for a little while, you actually know food has been the source of a lot of struggle for me. In recovery from my disordered eating I've worked hard on my relationship with food, so I'm excited to say that this year I have a list of food I loved and thought would be fun to share with you. Some you can grab if you have a Trader Joe's nearby, others you'll have to travel to Texas for, but each one has me salivating just talking about them. And in the spirit of these more lighthearted favorites, I'm tellin

We are used to being taught that everything starts with your thoughts, but have you ever struggled to make actual change that way? There is another way and it is far more doable. Tony Overbay, therapist (and fellow podcaster!) is giving us actionable ways to change the story we tell ourselves. You can learn how to stop hating yourself. Tony Overbay, father of 4 and married to his high school sweetheart, is a podcaster and marriage and family therapist. Funnily enough, this is his second career and you'll hear him share about his complete industry switch - as well as the opinions others had about it. Using a different model of therapy, Tony shares tactics to take action about the way you're thinking about yourself. Maybe hate is a strong word for you, but you probably have some stories you're telling yourself that do hinder your personal growth. This episode has stuck with me allll year, and especially as you head into this new year I wanted you to hear it again. So, as we say in the episode, learn how to say

In the first Rediscover You workshop I was inspired by Rachel Nielson to determine what I wanted more of in motherhood. (Interestingly, you'll know this question is part of the exercise from the monthly theme!) My answer was more reading. I used to always have my nose in a book, and I wanted to get back to that as much as possible. Now I can officially share the best books I read and podcasts I found in 2019. If you are also wanting to make reading more of a priority for you - or if you are already good about that - I put together the best of the best from my year, because there's nothing like a good book recommendation, right?! In this episode I'm sharing from lots of categories: non-fiction, fiction, light hearted, self development, you get the idea! (They are all linked here if it's easier than writing them down.) I also discovered some new-to-me podcasts that I wanted to share. They include: Brooke Snow Podcast, Pod Save the Queen, Live Free Creative, Second Life, and Don't Keep Your Day Job. If you tune