How do you reset from stress? I was lucky enough to travel to Spain for a coaching conference at the end of October. What an amazing experience I had, both the travel and the conference itself. Unfortunately, I came home with covid which totally threw off my plans of hitting the ground running. With no choice but to give in to my malaise, I rescheduled all of my appointments and began the cycle of sleeping for 15 hour stretches over the next 10 days. We make plans and God laughs That was the thought that popped into my mind as I reluctantly buried my head in my pillows. The original Yiddish expression is ‘Man Plans, God Laughs.’ When the little voice in my head said those words, all I could do was laugh to myself, “Alright”, I said to the empty room, “I get it Universe, you win!” I had such great momentum in my coaching business and a well laid out plan to keep it going when I was back in the States. Having to pivot for covid could have derailed me for the remainder of 2024. Luckily, through my personal journey and coach training I have become well practiced in stress management. I didn’t always have my stress under control. There was a time in the not too recent past that lived in a constant state of survival. My big Ah-Ha was realizing that I was the primary creator of my own stress . By staying busy and frazzled, I was unconsciously avoiding deeper feelings and truths that I wasn’t prepared to face. As Thanksgiving arrives a week later than normal this year, making Christmas less than a month away, it seems a good time to talk about stress. Whether our stress stems from being so excited to host and wanting to have everything just right for the big meal, or we are dreading a family gathering and what Uncle Bob is going to say to embarrass everyone, this is the perfect time for a reminder to slow down and take a moment for yourself. Oh yeah right Annie, how is there time for that, you ask? Not only is there time, it is crucial to take it so that we don’t burn ourselves out. Even if it is just a 20 minute break, going for a walk, doing one less thing on your to do list, it is so important. Filling your bucket first makes us all much more able to give to others from compassion versus from resentment. If it all feels like too much, consider this, when you feel yourself becoming stressed, don’t fast forward past it. Take a moment to consciously look at it. Sit with it and ask yourself, where does this stem from? Are you feeding into your stress? What do you have control over? Now, I am not saying that this week is the week to unpack those deeper feelings, just become aware of them. Since many of us will be with family, there will be opportunities to see old habits and patterns arise. And, just as we created those patterns and habits that aren't serving us any longer, we can replace them with new healthier thoughts and behaviors. That is what I love about coaching. There is science behind changing our behavior for the better so that we can live a calmer and more balanced life. Interested in learning more? Book a Clarity Call with me , I’d love to hear about your holidays and what you’ve discovered about yourself. Who knows, maybe you’ll uncover a pattern that you are ready to break.

I have no earthly idea what happened, I swear that September 1st was just last week. Here we are already at the start of the 4th quarter of 2024. I doesn’t feel that long ago that I was writing my January article challenging you on your New Year’s Resolutions. Ah, resolutions, something many of us set towards the end of December or as the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve in an attempt to redeem ourselves from six weeks of over indulging with friends and loved ones. I find that resolutions fall off of our todo list more often than they become healthy habits that we weave into our lives. I much prefer to intentions to resolutions. To me, intentions are goals that we strive to keep because they are a more fluid idea that helps us focus on the present moment and guide our actions toward a more fulfilling life. Intentions are easier to adjust along the way. By definition, resolutions are more of an all or nothing, pass/fail situation that can leave you feeling unaccomplished if not completed just so. Such as committing to going to the gym six days a week or doing Whole30 for the month of January. We start strong, committing for the first few weeks, then losing steam before a true habit is formed and our behavior is changed. October is the time of year that I always start thinking ahead and planning what the next year will look like for my personal and professional goals. This past August, I shared with you my manifestation journey and I have to say, everything that I desired to manifest has happened or is in motion! I’m super excited, so where next? Here’s what I want to share with you as you begin thinking about your goals for next year. Whether you are planning for your personal growth or professional development: How do you want to feel? Thats right, as you begin to dream big and explore your intentions for 2025, how do you want to feel? What are your wishes and desires? What fuels you? What will achieving this thing make you feel? I found a workbook I had picked up a few years ago from the author, Danielle LaPorte, called The Desire Map, in it she explains that, “ Desire drives more than our animal instincts. Desire is the power of wanting. It’s an engine of creativity and purposeful force. When we desire something, we’re willing to plot and plan to get it… In all cases, desiring something forces us to get creative in order to work out how were going to get what we want. ” And all desires stem from a feeling. Let’s use a financial goal as an example, instead of plainly stating “I want to be making $xx by Q2 2025,” what if you instead committed to, “I am so excited that I have reached my financial goal of $xx and my kids and I are going on our dream vacation to the mountains in May.” When we can come from feeling we feed our soul, and our goals based in emotion better challenge our growth. What do you think? Can you set aside for a moment all of the facts from financial obligations to family responsibilities that are swimming around in your head with all of your other to do’s and genuinely focus on how you want to feel? As a special treat for those of you who are also planning for your intentions for 2025 and beyond, here is a visualization that I created for the Vision Boarding class I teach each January. It’s a chance to get lost in your future and all the feels it gives you. I hope you find it inspiring in setting your inventions for a kick ass 2025, because it is never too soon to start dreaming about your desired future. If you’re interested in chatting more about your goals for 2025, I welcome you to book a free 15-minute clarity call with me by going to my calendar here. Or by clicking the button at the bottom of this page.