Tag: goals

Five tips and tricks!

emyminzel

To help keep healthy living resolutions –

Lots of us chose to re-evaluate our health routine at the beginning of a New Year. It’s always a great idea to shake things up with our habits and menu! I have been doing my best to cut out unhealthy eating habits and substituting them with better nutritional alternatives. I figured I’d share some of the tips I have been using, as a reminder, that it doesn’t take a whole lot of work to trade this for that!

Meatless Monday – There are great ways to get protein in your diet without meat. Some examples I love are beans, peas, eggs, and cottage cheese. Try making vegetarian fried rice or eggs for dinner. It’s an opportunity to get creative. I chose to make several meals a week meatless; it’s as easy as peanut butter and jelly. (Another tip: I make peanut butter mixed with maple syrup as substitute for jam/jelly with it’s refined sugar.)

Five servings of veggies and fruit per day –  Adding color to meals with fruit and veggies helps us get the nutrients our bodies need, so our cravings for junk food are less intense. Nutritionist say to stay away from starchy potatoes and pick vegetables with lots of colors. I love to make baked beets, carrots, and sweet potato mixture as a tasty colorful vitamin packed side dish.

Cook at home – It’s easier to make healthy meals when you are in your own kitchen. Plus, it gives us a chance to get better nutrition into our menu. I like to make soup and add lots of veggies, herbs and sometimes I use beans instead of meat. There are lots of ‘Hot Dishes’ and stir fry recipes that are quick, easy and a healthy way to get your veggies in.

Swap Snacks – Skip the Chips and grab a bag of trail mix. I’ve been cutting way back on processed sugar. So instead of a chocolate bar, I have been snacking on dates! They are delightfully sweet! You can also eat more apples! They have a satisfyingly sweet crunch to help with cravings and are full of fiber that keeps us feeling full!

Add exercise – I’ve got a Fit Bit and have been doing my best to get my steps in. When I have a hard time doing it, I just run up and down the steps a few times a day or make another lap or two around the grocery store. Did you know doing jumping jacks count too? You don’t need a fit bit of course, but even deciding to take the stairs more often and park farther away when you go out, is a good step towards progress.

One more easy (but important) to remember tip is to keep yourself accountable before you put food in your mouth. Ask yourself “Is this good for my body?” It sounds simple enough, but I found that when I ask myself this, I usually make the healthier decision!

I’ve been doing other things to up my diet game. I have quit drinking soda, coffee creamer and alcohol, they are full of empty calories, chemicals and have no real nutritional value. I have also been making sure that I drink more water every day. Substituting tea and natural juices also seem to work to curb any cravings that may strike.

Although I may have my moments of weakness and chocolate may be one of them…. I know that it is okay. I just keep getting back on the horse. I am doing my best to make better choices for my health and every little step forward counts!

I hope those of you who made New Year healthy living resolutions are doing well with them too! You can do this! I believe in you!

I’d love to hear what tips and tricks work for you! Please feel free to share!

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

 

2018 Review!

emyminzel

What are you proud of and what could you do better?

If I were to make an adult report card about life, I feel like there are major courses we all have in common. Each of these life courses may demand more time than others at times, so they cannot always be as equal as we would like them to be. Balance is good thing, but when life hands us assignments, it’s not always in manageable bite size pieces.

This year I wanted to grade myself on my personal performance in 2018. Then use it as a guide going into 2019 so that I know where I need to focus my attention. Here are the courses of life in which I am going to grade myself and do my best to be realistic yet kind; so that I don’t romanticize areas in which I can improve.

2018 Report Card

Family Relationships = B

Marriage/Love = C+

Career & Money = C-

Health & PE = F

Passions & Hobbies = B

Family 2018 – I believe that relationships with my closest family members have improved this year. We all have grown on personal levels and learned to accept and respect each other for who we are. Yet there is always room for improvement. We could be closer, and I would like to work more towards that going forward.

Family 2019 Goals – Spend more time with my mom, daughter and extended family. This summer has been crazy busy, and I did not get to spend as much time as I would have liked to with my favorites. To rectify this, I’d like to plan some girl dates and outings that support team work and relationship building.

Marriage/Love 2018 – I put marriage in its own category because I believe it is a separate relationship that takes much more tending to. 2018 has been a major year of transformation and growth for my marriage. I admit that not all of it was as perfect as the pictures I post on Facebook. To be honest, we had a very trying year. Yet by the end of 2018 we are better than we had been all year. We made it through the growing pains, we got stronger and our marriage muscles improved from this struggle. We both have sincerely thanked each other for the life lessons we seem to have given during the past year.

Marriage 2019 Goals – We hope to use those lessons as stepping stones. I am thankful for our love and communication skills that helped us through really trying months. I will not take my husband’s love, support and loyalty for granted. I realize that there are ways I can improve my part of the relationship. Like not blaming him for things we both have a part in creating. Again, I must work on myself by managing my time, emotions and expectations to better benefit our relationship.

Career & Money 2018 – Like the teacher who is hard on you because they know you can do better, I’m going to be very tough on myself in this area because I feel like I need to be. Although I have worked harder this past year than I ever have in my life! My bank account does not reflect a smidgen of the effort I extended, and this is not okay with me. In a world that sees success as dollar signs; I know that I need money to accomplish the things I want to. I’ve got Adventures to go on gosh darn it!

I am doing my best and working hard to make a career by following my heart and passions. While reality is that my real-life needs are not being met by doing so. This current situation frustrates me beyond words because I love being a Massage Therapist. I love helping others feel better in their own skin.

Owning your own business is not easy. It’s taken me eight years to build my practice and gain clients to be financially successful… and only one summer to feel like I hit a massive recession. Currently my career is not supporting the lifestyle I wish to live. Now and it’s up to me to decide what I am going to do about it besides complain. I’ve got to get back to good in this course!

Career & Money 2019 Goals – I just don’t know how to justify doing what feels good and following my heart; when it does not support my other human needs and wants. I am hoping the Universe/God sends me some signs of relief soon. That being said; I am very proud of myself for overcoming my fears and taking the chances I did.

I used every single ounce of courage I had to run for State Representative so that I could affect the change I wished to see in my government and community. I lost the election, but I learned a great deal and had a magnificent life experience. I am proud of myself for that. Yet, doing so had a negative effect on my income and career that I did not anticipate.

If I choose to run again, I will now have the experience and knowledge of what to expect, which should help me prepare.

Health & PE 2018 – Although I lost weight in 2018, I know I failed health class. I will not candy coat it in anyway because I would be lying. I had an adventurous and fun yet, very stressful year, that had me reaching out for the comfort of all my bad habits I had thought I was over. I started smoking again, I was not eating nutritious foods and basically lived off wine and pizza. I was not exercising except when I was out door knocking or in a parade.

It was the stress and anxiety that helped me lose the weight. Yet during the short time between the election in November and ringing in the New Year, I have put every single pound back on. I was seeking consolation through food and eating my feelings. Not healthy and I know it. Time to regroup and recoup.

Last, but not least. I learned that I have a strong tendency to fall back into old habits.

Health & PE Goals 2019 – This year I will focus on losing the weight in a healthy way. Giving my body what it needs to be its best. Utilizing nutrition and exercise will be my number one goal for healthy living. I will give my body the proper nutrition it needs with whole foods and stop feeding it sugar and pizza!

I need to love myself enough to say no to things that insult my body, mind and spirit. I must love myself enough to make decision and choices that heal, not harm my body. I know better, I must do better.I have resolved to manage my stress with exercise instead of the brain changing chemicals of smoking. (So far, so good!)

From what I remember, I used to like to exercise! Dance parties in the kitchen are back into my routine and squats while I fold laundry are now on the schedule most every day. I have a goal to start running again too! I am ready for this change.

Passions & Hobbies 2018 – Although this year was plum full of goal setting, and dream chasing I feel like I had a really hard time with balancing it all into life. I gave myself a B, because I had a very adventurous year doing things, I never dreamed I would do.

Yet, I still did not do much of the things that bring me to balance. Like camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area or kayaking and spending time on the water. I justified this by saying if I didn’t run for office, I may not have the BWCA to escape to in the future. When I should have made time to go because that is where I feel my connection to spirit the most. After all, it was my passion for the environment that led me to running for office.

In 2018 Stacy and I submitted our book proposals three different times and where unsuccessful. I will not let this dishearten my resolve but will work harder to get better so that we will succeed.

Passion & Hobbies 2019 Goals –

I allowed the demands of my time to pull me from my spiritual path at times. I now see I need those time outs to center my soul and listen to my inner guidance. Being realistic with the timeline of achievements will benefit my state of mind too.

Adventure Sister Stacy and I know that 2019 will lead to another book to add to our Trilogy and are excited to get to work on it!

I’d like to work on my public speaking ability in 2019 also. It is an area in which I would like to improve for the sake of my own personal growth. In 2018 I learned that facing my fears is difficult, but the reward is worth it.

I am extremely proud of my courage, tenacity, persistence and dedication I showed I am capable of in 2018. There are many areas in which I see I can improve, like working on my closest relationships that took the back burner as I chased my dreams. I have learned the value my time and the importance of balancing it.

Comments:

Look at that! I have not only grown older but maybe even a little wiser! 2018 has been full of lessons and growth that have led to setting more goals. Self-improvement is something I work on every day. Working on ourselves is important so that we don’t blame others for situations in our lives. It helps us take responsibility for where we are, where we are going, how we are going to get there and who we are while we are there.

You cannot change others, you can only change yourself!

I tend to look on the bright side of things, so I had to be tough on myself in this report card. As you can see 2018 GPA has some room for improvement! My hopes are that these grades will serve as a tool to continue my own personal growth. I can’t wait to see this report card come up in my timeline over the next years to compare!

When we put our pro’s and con’s down on paper its easier to see how far we’ve come in one year and how far we have yet to go!

What lessons have you learned during 2018?! I’d love to hear how you’ve grown!

May your 2019 be full of blessings and Lessons through Joy!

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

Willpower – What willpower?

emyminzel

Now that I have written about getting back on the bike and on track with taking care of my health; I feel like I better get to it! Even though I know it is what I must do, I still seem to be lacking the willpower to do it, and it is stressing me out. I know I am not the only person who struggles with making changes even when they are necessary. Days go by that I don’t make progress or even try to implement the goals I have set.

I wonder to myself. “Why am I so resistant to getting healthier? Why can’t I make myself do all the things I wish to do?”

Instead of pursuing personal and professional goals; every cell in my being says. “Nope, nah, not today. You should hibernate instead! That sounds like a much better plan. How about a nap?!”

I often call myself a walking contradiction. Isn’t it interesting how a person can contradict their own inner knowing, simply because our minds resist our will? It is to me. I know that when I go to gatherings pertaining to subjects that I am interested in. I feel much better than when I do not, because I get to see my friends! Yet it seems to take every ounce of willpower, in my entire being, to make myself go.

Do you feel this way about your own goals and will?

How do we get over these invisible roadblocks that delay our progress? Taking initiative to just do it! Sounds so simple, yet we know it is not. Have my internal wires been crossed? Are these feelings a sign that it is okay to take my time? Is there some innate subconsciousness that purposely sabotages my own success?

I ask myself so many questions that I don’t have the answers to… I am sure you do too.

It is Winter here in Minnesota and the temperature is perfect for hibernation. Every ounce of my get up and go, says. “Nah… no thanks. I’m good right here at home.”

Then my mind says. “Great! You don’t have to go anywhere! There are plenty of things you can do here at home. You could catch up on your ‘to do’ list! You don’t have to go to the gym, you can exercise right at home in the living room. Also, you wanted to write some blogs so… you can exercise later. You know what? You can work on that ‘to do’ list tomorrow. Or the next day, or the day after that…”

Is it the Winter blues or am I still in the grief process; I know I am trying to plow my way through? It is Winter, the time of the year in which we are supposed to slow down, rest and regroup for Spring shenanigans.

Adventure Sister Stacy likes to remind me of divine timing. To trust the process and pace of life. It is nice to think that there is a divine order and timing of our path. Yet, I struggle with my own willpower to do what it is, what I know I ‘should’ be doing and when I think I should do it. Maybe I should just stop ‘shoulding’ myself and lean into the respite I must need.

Does anyone else feel this way?

Some of us are better at allowing ourselves to rest than others. I seem to be finding my lack of willpower and over resting uncomfortable, and it is not helping my mood! But, until I find that willpower again, I am going to try and be gentle with myself. By allowing my soul the break it needs to regroup and recoup in this season.

Maybe there is nothing missing at all? Not my willpower or my ambition. It is, in fact, entirely possible that I am just flowing with the Winter cycle of life.

*Picture is of my boys Gus and Hank in their favorite spot.

Wishing you an abundance of joy and blessings,

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

 

Get back on the bike

emyminzel

After taking some time to process big feelings. I  imagined what I might say to a friend who is feeling down. Mostly I believe I would recommend to keep doing what they love and volunteering for things that call to your soul.  Encouraging my friend to answer the calling to contribute to the greater good of the world around them. I would say simply, keep putting your energy where  your heart feels guided.

It’s like I discovered a secret about myself that I should have known the whole time… finally seeing that I feel sad and anxious when I choose not to participate in all the glorious life there is to experience! Then I start eating all my feelings and… Blahhhh!!!!  Not cool… just sayin’. (Who’s with me here?)

So, I have decided it’s just going to be best for me, to get back on the bike folks.

Do you find its best for you to keep moving when you feel a little derailed? I think we feel better when we get our heads back in the game and participate in expanding our life experiences. Having a few things that keep me excited about the future makes a huge difference for my outlook.

Truthfully, I am very curious to see what life has in store next! Until then I will keep following my inner compass. This is the advice I would give my friends so, I may as well try it myself. Below are some things that will help me keep making progress.

Writing: I have always enjoyed and learned that sharing my experiences, to help others, makes me happy. It allows me to organize and process my thoughts, feelings and emotions. I look forward to writing every day! I love to read other peoples stories too! Sharing our life lessons has helped build our Facebook page, while writing our books and blogs has led to building a soulful, adventurous community that makes me smile. Being an Adventure Sister has been a beautiful experience I will continue, because I love it!

Family Time:  Spending time with family and friends is something that makes my heart sing and my soul smile. Lately, I am doing my best to enjoy each day when it is here. I am more aware of living in the now instead of constantly planning my next move. Slowing down to check-in with ourselves allows us to put priorities in order. Being fully present, when I am with family, is something I was not doing great at. I am now doing my best to put my phone down and be better at living in the moment. I know many of you can relate!

Volunteering and Community Organizing: After some time to contemplate and hibernate, I have realized, I’m missing the involvement in projects and organizations that have a bigger purpose. I really miss working towards a positive greater good. So, I will also continue to build a strong foundation that includes the friends I’ve made on the campaign trail. We are organizing gatherings that promote conversation and action to improve the community and our lives. I already have some exciting ideas floating around, I can’t wait to see where it goes from here! Do you like to volunteer? I’d love to know where!

Get back on the bike: The way I see it. Most everyone who’s ever been anyone was or is just a regular person. A person, just like you and I, determined to do what they knew they must. They followed their hearts and listen to their souls. Even when they’re told they can’t, shouldn’t or won’t succeed; they did it anyway. Successful people don’t quit when it gets hard or when they fall. They just get up, rub some dirt in it and keep going. I’m choosing to pick myself up, and keep doing what makes my heart flutter. I highly recommend you try too. It’s not anxiety, it’s excitement!

There are so many ideas and things I want to do that it just doesn’t even seem possible to do them all. But this doesn’t seem to stop me from trying… I have a ‘to do’ list, a ‘wish’ list, a ‘vision board’, travel goals, and many dreams that I try to work towards most every day. I have finally realized I have accomplished a whole lot from where I started so why slow down now?!

What are the things that bring out your passion for life? Do you have hobbies and interest that keep you fired up and excited to wake up tomorrow? Where are the destinations on your dream travel itinerary?

I would love to hear what makes your heart sing. What happened when you decided to ‘get back on the bike’?! Please, feel free to share your stories with me!

Wishing you an abundance of joy and blessings,

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

Photo credit;Google images – http://thegoodthebadthequirky.blogspot.com/2013/01/getting-back-on-bike.html

Finding Joy

emyminzel

Adventure Sister Stacy and I have a book we wrote on called Lessons Through Joy. We tell stories about how we were tired of learning lessons the hard way and decided it was time we started learning lessons through joy. It was an intentional manifestation of how we were willing to ‘learn our lessons’. Believe it or not, we did learn many lessons through joy after we sent that request up to the heavens in a fire ceremony in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

I believe that because we were expecting God/Spirit to answer our request; it happened. We had also made steps to purposely look for the blessings in each of our situations, deciding to focus on the good rather than what we perceived as bad. Stacy and I often consult each other when life gets rocky. We depend on each other to be there when we need to talk or vent our frustrations. I depend on her to remind me of the good, when I have had a bad day.

Bad days happen to us all, often when it rains it pours and somedays it can feel overwhelming. I am human, I have bad days. Lately its been storming, shaking things up in my calm life. I feel the need to step back and look at the big picture. There are things demanding my attention keeping busy and distracted from what was and is truly important to me in my life.

I have big dreams goals and aspirations folks! Sitting on my tush isn’t going to get me there and I know I’m busting my butt for a good reason. I am dedicated my goals. This is not to say that it is always fun or exciting. Some day’s all these goals and dreams take a lot of hours, leaving no time to relax or enjoy nature I love so much. Some day’s make me think can I really have it all? Can I really write books, run for State Office, run a business, enjoy the great outdoors, and have a happy family all at the same time????

Yet, I know deep in my soul, I cannot and will not quit. That’s not who I am. That’s not what I want. What I have decided to do instead is to ask the Universe again, to start helping me learn my Lessons Through Joy. I know it is possible because it’s happened before. I am going to choose to look for the blessings in my situation. I am choosing to be thankful for all the opportunities I am offered.

I believe that Spirit would not give me these opportunities and desire to make a difference in the world if I was not able to achieve them. I believe if by chance I don’t succeed, I will still be just fine.  I also believe the way I choose to look at things is how I choose to experience life. If I think today is crap, then in fact I will have a craptastic day.

If I wake up and decide I am ready to seize the day, I usually do! I’ll admit once in a while I wake up on the wrong side of the bed. My attitude sucks and I need to adjust it, or my day will reflect my energy. Today was one of those days. I spent all day in a miserable mood, sharing my energy with my family and receiving what I had given.

I complained to Stacy and as she usually does, she helped me put things into perspective. She’s not in the thick of things here at my house, she can see the forest and that I am just a tree in it. Stacy reminds me to step back, relax and to see the blessings in the situation. So instead of complaining about to do’s and such, I am going to express my gratitude for all I am blessed with today.

I am thankful for the generous people who have offered and delivered exceptional help to the Emy for House Campaign. These people have been a blessing since the moment I met them. I will probably never be able to repay my gratitude for their time and energy donated to help me win. These people help me believe there is an abundance of good in the world.

I am thankful for my husband who supports all my big dreams, aspirations and goals even when they are a lot of work for him and take time away from our family. He is devoted and takes care of me with stability, strength and love. I am blessed beyond words to be the one he loves this much.

I am thankful for my daughter who I think of as a great friend, she gets me out of the house, takes me and the dogs on walks because she knows just when we need them. My daughter is an amazing, and kind young woman who I am incredibly proud of. I am thankful for that.

My mother and I have not been able to see each other much but I try to be in touch with her more often then we used to. I love her lots and I know she loves me. I am very blessed to have my mom, she shaped the strong willed, big hearted woman I am today, I am thankful for this too.

I have tremendous friends and supportive family. Even though they may not understand my desire to do all I do, they love me and support me anyway.

I am thankful to have a roof over my head, enough to eat and a life that keeps me feeling alive. To feel strongly and feel big feelings is human and what makes me chase my goals. When it feels like a bigger job then I anticipated, its up to me to trust that I will not be delivered anything I cannot handle. It’s up to me to find my Lessons Through Joy every day.

Wow, I feel better after I see my blessings on paper.

I wonder how many times I have counted them out while complaining about trivial situations? I hope not too many. I know many of you understand that life can feel heavy, and somedays it pushes more than you think you can take. I believe all of us feel that way at one time or another. What is important is to step back, count your blessings, be sure to acknowledge there is always, always, always, something to be thankful for.

 

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@emyminzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com