Do You Have A Back Up Plan?

Even when the money stops, the bills keep coming.

Working in higher education, I've learned how fragile employment has become. Gone are the days of retiring from a company after 40 years of service. 

I've watched as school after school has cut back on faculty, reduced faculty course loads, watched student retention drop, and some even close their doors.

Waves of panic may be an understatement. As a single mother, my entire family relies on me to provide for them. I had visions of empty cupboards, broken down cars, foreclosure notices.

What I needed was a back up plan.

Today, we have access to more entrepreneurial opportunities than ever. Whatever your unique interests, there is likely a business that matches it. Jewelry. Home decor. Self-defense. Cooking. Clothing. All of my friends seemed to be finding their way into their own niche and embracing the freedom of a home-based business.

Because I have always had an interest in running and fitness, I found myself drawn to Beachbody. I loved the programs and I simply cannot function without my Shakeology, so I signed up to be a Beachbody Coach. 

Beachbody created and maintains my online office and handles all of my customer orders. In return, I get a 25% discount on all Team Beachbody products (including my must-have Shakeology) and I earn a commission on all orders placed through my store. 

I'm still in the building phase of my business, but I am earning a monthly profit. Knowing that I am creating an alternate income stream to fall back on is a huge comfort for me. 

If you don't already have a back up plan yourself, I encourage you to look into some options. I'm happy to answer any questions, whether related to the Beachbody Coaching opportunity specifically or my experience, in general. Email me today and I'll answer any questions I can. 

It's all about what you can be passionate about. 

Focusing on Body AND Mind

If you follow me regularly, you know I hold free online challenge groups each month. We focus on basic fitness moves or full fitness programs. Sometimes we just focus on defining and reaching our goals. I love running all of these groups, but I am particularly excited about the two groups I'm running this July.

Mind

I am a book junkie. And since becoming a Beachbody Coach, I have become a Personal Development book junkie. I can't even begin to explain all of the powerful ways that reading these books has changed my life. And often the information contained in their pages is not revolutionary. Most of it is really just common sense. But they are lessons and concepts that most of us, despite the very basic common sense behind them, do not apply in our daily lives. These books have a great power to change.

In July, we'll get started on Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Click on the picture below to get started.

Body

I am also a yoga junkie. I LOVE yoga. So, I simply cannot wait for the release of Chalene Johnson's new program, PiYo. PiYo combines Pilates and Yoga and so much more for a phenomenal workout that will help you not only increase your strength, but also your flexibility. With it's low-impact design and modifications built in, it is perfect for all fitness levels. This is also HUGE for someone like me who loves to run and strength train. Even better? This program is low-cost. You can get this 60-day program for less than 2 months at the gym.

Interested? Click on the picture below to get started.

Finding Financial AND Physical Fitness

Are financial and physical fitness on your list of goals? With the launch of PiYO this month, I am looking for 4 people to work with to take on the massive surge in business that will happen starting in a few weeks. Fill out the application below and see if being a coach on our team is right for you.

Summer Vacation. Summer Chaos. Summer Workouts.

With summer here and all of my sons' friends fully mobile with their beat up cars and driver's licenses, my house is never empty.

I love this. I love having a constant flow of kids moving through my house. I love that they want to be here. I do.

BUT, this constant flow also means that I do not get the house to myself...ever. And the very open floor plan means that my workouts are on full display. 

It has taken me some time to get fully comfortable with this concept. I mean, the kids that come and go from my home are athletes. They are in what may be the best shape of their lives. I anticipated ridicule. Laughter. Pointing. Mean tweets. A few smirks, at the very least.

Here's what happens instead. They join me. Maybe not for the whole workout, but they join in. And they see how challenging these programs can be. And, more and more, I hear them doing the workouts even when I'm not. Seriously. There are times when I have a basement filled with teenage football or soccer players doing some Les Mills Combat. 

These are kids that whine and complain about summer two-a-days and suicides and Saturday soccer practices. And here they are spending their down time doing High Intensity Interval Training. By choice. 

It is, in a word, awesome.

So, all you moms and dads out there, don't let the chaos of summer vacation throw you off your game. Keep getting those workouts in, kids or no kids. 

You Want Results? Go Get Them!

You want results? You've got to go get them. True.

And if you want help getting those results, you've got to get signed up with me. (Seriously, it's free and I'm all about commitment, accountability, and motivation, so sign up here.)

Even better than getting me as your coach...for free? Getting Les Mills Combat for next to nothing.

No, really. For less than you would spend on a month's gym membership, you get a 60-day program that you can do from the privacy of your own home, complete with an online support group and ME as your free coach.

This is one of my all-time favorite programs that I go back to over and over to help me continue to build:

strength

stamina

confidence

power

and a lean, toned body (which is really kinda nice this time of year...)

But you have to hurry! This sale ends June 9th and other programs are already selling out. Order here!

My New FREE Saucony Running Shoes

 You're supposed to replace your running shoes every 300-500 miles.

I, being the rebel that I am (read: lazy), can't be bothered to track the miles I'm putting on my shoes. So, I'm generally alerted to the need for replacement by the little aches and pains that start to surface in my knees and hips.

Unfortunately, my extra shoe-spending money does not always coincide with my sudden iliopsoas new-shoe-needing pain.

What's a runner girl to do? 

Mystery shop.

That's right. I said mystery shop. When I noticed those subtle pains popping up recently, I signed on for a few mystery shops, three of which involved visiting local shoe stores. With the shop fees combined with the reimbursement, I managed to snag a brand new pair of my favorite running shoes, Saucony.

Aren't they pretty?

Never tried mystery shopping before? You should. It's a fast easy way to make some extra cash and get reimbursed for things you already need anyway.

Sign up for one of my favorite companies, BestMark, and I'll even get a little referral bonus to put towards some new running shorts. So, thanks for that!

Happy National Running Day!

Simple Steps to Goal Achievement

Action Planning.

Goals are important. 

Writing goals down in clear, measurable, time-sensitive terms is important. 

Writing goals down in clear, measurable, time-sensitive terms EVERY SINGLE DAY is important. 

Writing short-term, actionable goals down in clear, measurable, time-sensitive terms EVERY SINGLE DAY is key to achieving long term goals.

Want to be healthier? Great! How will you make that happen?

Want to be financially secure? Yes! How will you make that happen?

Want to change the world? Absolutely! How will you make that happen?

Commit some real time to this process and you will start to see real progress. It won't happen overnight, but just stick with it. It WILL happen. 

Take some time right now to identify 3-4 basic goals you could achieve THIS MONTH that will bring you closer to your larger goals. Write them down, preferably in the current tense to get the greatest psychological impact. Do this at the start of EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

Then, at the end of EVERY SINGLE DAY, put a little check mark next to each monthly goal that you did any work on that day. 

It works.

And hey, did those three goals I mentioned above speak to you? If so, I've got some great news. I know a way you can achieve all three with one simple step. Just fill out the form below and I will follow up with you.