I'm really excited and frankly super passionate about this episode because we're going to talk about strong body strong mind. I am going to give you an overview of the habits in key areas that I have figured out over time that if I do them most of the time I'm way better off. I know you're thinking wait a minute this is about success in business. Are we really going to talk about bikini body. No we're not. These are not exactly life hacks on diet or fitness so that you can look slammin in a bikini. This is about staying strong and sane filled with energy and possibility so that you can have the endurance the tenacity the joie de vive to go after your goals. Because I got to tell you something if you are hungry and tired you are very unlikely to be your best self. And if you want to go after a very bold big dreams you need to be your best self. So taking care of you is not an option. You cannot be last on the To Do list. And actually that's a huge lie we tell ourselves and especially women we think our role is to self-sacrifice take care of everybody else and that's how we're gonna do our job the best as a giver and a nurturer. But the reality is if you are. A crappy version of yourself you kind of doing a crappy job for everybody else. That's just a truth that if you embrace it it will let you do you and take care of you. Guilt free baby guilt is a totally useless emotion and it needs to be kicked to the curb so that you can take that energy and reapply it to your wellness you deserve it. So I'm going to go over just the basics. I have a feeling we're going to go over lots of questions on this in the future we'll dive deep into each of these topics in future episodes but this is going to be an overview in a few key areas sleep mindfulness diet exercise guiltless pleasure because Yes pleasure is valid and it's a way to take care of yourself and you should not feel guilty and it should be fine. But let's go through step by step and we're going to start with sleep. But before I preach it why you should get rest. Let me first come fast. This is absolutely the pot calling the kettle black. Throughout my career as a mom working and as a student and as an entrepreneur I have sacrificed sleep many many times and I'm not saying it never has to be done. I mean I'll tell you what has to be done. You have a newborn that's pretty much going to happen to you. But what I am saying is this you should not be proud of this. It is not a goal it isn't heroic to get less than seven eight hours of sleep nor is it good for your company or your family. It is something that should be done very sparingly and very carefully. And that is something I shed over time. I thought that I could sacrifice everything else including myself and sleep versus being thoughtful and honest about hold on. Am I really doing the most critical thing right now or can this wait and do I actually take care of myself. So I'm not always perfect on this and frankly no one's ever perfect on anything so don't beat yourself up if you're not. But this is about intention and direction. And if you were doing this 90 percent of the time you will be way better off than if you just ignore it. So here's the deal. Sleep is essential. You're a human animal. We require it. And I know there are certain people that will say oh I only need five hours sleep only seven hours. You know maybe 87 maybe I need eight. The reality is I really think it is very much the exception and not true for most people that you actually need less than seven hours of sleep. So there are certain things you need to do to prioritize it and have a little talk with yourself. First thing you want to do with any habit that you want to evaluate and say Am I in line here. Am I not in line. And this is going to be your take action after this episode is actually just track it. Take a look at how much you're actually sleeping and aim for seven eight hours for one week and just assess how you feel how you perform how you act how you show it for other people when you're rested and look at what are the things and choices that you're making because you yourself made you're in control of you you're in control of your time what choices are you making that let you prioritize rest. And here's a few that I do when I'm home that helped me sleep. So first of all I am someone who needs to get away and turn off my brain and not look at a screen and not think about work before I try to fall asleep or my mind will still be racing so I wind down starting around 8:00 o'clock most nights and it's tuck in the kids time. They don't go to bed but I go say goodnight to them and it is time for me to like take a bath and chill and then I hang out with my husband. We might watch them TV or I read a book but I really try to disconnect and that is not a time for me to scroll my life away on social media the way that I am by the way. I can do that and no doubt if I'm switching time zones I can't go to sleep. I will scroll my life away on social media. We could all be guilty of that. It's like a rabbit hole but it isn't really good for you sir. Really enhancing the value of your life. It's addictive and addictive behavior that's bad for you. You just kind of gotta go break it by having discipline discipline. You will hear me say that once twice a zillion times. Discipline is critical for the best you. It is critical for success. You don't get to rely on your nature on it already being a habit time experience or whatever it just takes discipline to make things happen in sleep may be something that if you are watching really crappy TV too late hit next episode next on Netflix. If you are scrolling your life on social media if you've got too many screens I can't resist it. Do not plug your phone in by the bedside but just do what you need to do to get solid sleep. The other things that I have figured out that I really need to do is I am super sensitive to caffeine. So I used to say to myself all the time in college I would always says I'm just a terrible sleeper. I have insomnia too. I blamed it on like my nature my physicality. Reality is this. When I cut out caffeine. Trust me I'm a fantastic sleeper. I could take a nap in the middle of the afternoon when I if I were literally to have zero coffee and so I know that if I don't cut out caffeine by 9:00 in the morning I my husband can like during some espresso and then pass out cold. Not me. I could get off caffeine. So really ask yourself what is your diet and intake doing to your sleep habit and be willing to experiment and see if you need to change the amount of stimulants you're taking in if you need to lessen the alcohol that you're drinking especially during the week. Because if I drink wine or cocktails I basically don't drink wine anymore because it wakes me at them all night so that's something you have to have an honest talk with yourself. What habits are leading you to sleep well or not sleep well. And then lastly I also need to exercise I need to move throughout the day or I'm just restless and antsy and I don't sleep as well. So that's some things that I've done. You try you but as long as you're getting that super solid quality seven to eight hours a night. Try it for a week and tell me how you feel I want to hear your story. Mindfulness. OK. This is another one where I promise you I will always be honest. I go through phases where I'm really good about meditation. Then I go through other phases where I'm terrible at it and I just don't do it. And boy do I show up differently in the world. And you'd think I would be disciplined like I preach to always do it and I'm not going to be honest. But this is one where boy can I feel the difference. So if I'm at peak performance peak creativity peak interaction as a human with others. The difference that a 10 minute meditation even five minute meditation can make in the morning and at night it is all the difference. And you know another way of saying meditation is quiet your mind and shot intentionally for your day. Actually ask yourself those soulful questions like What is my purpose. What do I want to get out of this day. Who do I want to be. Let me let go of stress. Let me focus on gratitude. So there are so many apps I'm just gonna recommend. To have a whole episode of that on meditation so I'm super into it believe in it but I use Insight Timer that's my one tip on this topic in this overview episode of just lots of free apps that you can get that will help you if you're a newbie on meditation guide you through it and just stick with it.

I'm really excited and frankly super passionate about this episode because we're going to talk about strong body strong mind. I am going to give you an overview of the habits in key areas that I have figured out over time that if I do them most of the time I'm way better off. I know you're thinking wait a minute this is about success in business. Are we really going to talk about bikini body. No we're not. These are not exactly life hacks on diet or fitness so that you can look slammin in a bikini. This is about staying strong and sane filled with energy and possibility so that you can have the endurance the tenacity the joie de vive to go after your goals. Because I got to tell you something if you are hungry and tired you are very unlikely to be your best self. And if you want to go after a very bold big dreams you need to be your best self. So taking care of you is not an option. You cannot be last on the To Do list. And actually that's a huge lie we tell ourselves and especially women we think our role is to self-sacrifice take care of everybody else and that's how we're gonna do our job the best as a giver and a nurturer. But the reality is if you are. A crappy version of yourself you kind of doing a crappy job for everybody else. That's just a truth that if you embrace it it will let you do you and take care of you. Guilt free baby guilt is a totally useless emotion and it needs to be kicked to the curb so that you can take that energy and reapply it to your wellness you deserve it. So I'm going to go over just the basics. I have a feeling we're going to go over lots of questions on this in the future we'll dive deep into each of these topics in future episodes but this is going to be an overview in a few key areas sleep mindfulness diet exercise guiltless pleasure because Yes pleasure is valid and it's a way to take care of yourself and you should not feel guilty and it should be fine. But let's go through step by step and we're going to start with sleep. But before I preach it why you should get rest. Let me first come fast. This is absolutely the pot calling the kettle black. Throughout my career as a mom working and as a student and as an entrepreneur I have sacrificed sleep many many times and I'm not saying it never has to be done. I mean I'll tell you what has to be done. You have a newborn that's pretty much going to happen to you. But what I am saying is this you should not be proud of this. It is not a goal it isn't heroic to get less than seven eight hours of sleep nor is it good for your company or your family. It is something that should be done very sparingly and very carefully. And that is something I shed over time. I thought that I could sacrifice everything else including myself and sleep versus being thoughtful and honest about hold on. Am I really doing the most critical thing right now or can this wait and do I actually take care of myself. So I'm not always perfect on this and frankly no one's ever perfect on anything so don't beat yourself up if you're not. But this is about intention and direction. And if you were doing this 90 percent of the time you will be way better off than if you just ignore it. So here's the deal. Sleep is essential. You're a human animal. We require it. And I know there are certain people that will say oh I only need five hours sleep only seven hours. You know maybe 87 maybe I need eight. The reality is I really think it is very much the exception and not true for most people that you actually need less than seven hours of sleep. So there are certain things you need to do to prioritize it and have a little talk with yourself. First thing you want to do with any habit that you want to evaluate and say Am I in line here. Am I not in line. And this is going to be your take action after this episode is actually just track it. Take a look at how much you're actually sleeping and aim for seven eight hours for one week and just assess how you feel how you perform how you act how you show it for other people when you're rested and look at what are the things and choices that you're making because you yourself made you're in control of you you're in control of your time what choices are you making that let you prioritize rest. And here's a few that I do when I'm home that helped me sleep. So first of all I am someone who needs to get away and turn off my brain and not look at a screen and not think about work before I try to fall asleep or my mind will still be racing so I wind down starting around 8:00 o'clock most nights and it's tuck in the kids time. They don't go to bed but I go say goodnight to them and it is time for me to like take a bath and chill and then I hang out with my husband. We might watch them TV or I read a book but I really try to disconnect and that is not a time for me to scroll my life away on social media the way that I am by the way. I can do that and no doubt if I'm switching time zones I can't go to sleep. I will scroll my life away on social media. We could all be guilty of that. It's like a rabbit hole but it isn't really good for you sir. Really enhancing the value of your life. It's addictive and addictive behavior that's bad for you. You just kind of gotta go break it by having discipline discipline. You will hear me say that once twice a zillion times. Discipline is critical for the best you. It is critical for success. You don't get to rely on your nature on it already being a habit time experience or whatever it just takes discipline to make things happen in sleep may be something that if you are watching really crappy TV too late hit next episode next on Netflix. If you are scrolling your life on social media if you've got too many screens I can't resist it. Do not plug your phone in by the bedside but just do what you need to do to get solid sleep. The other things that I have figured out that I really need to do is I am super sensitive to caffeine. So I used to say to myself all the time in college I would always says I'm just a terrible sleeper. I have insomnia too. I blamed it on like my nature my physicality. Reality is this. When I cut out caffeine. Trust me I'm a fantastic sleeper. I could take a nap in the middle of the afternoon when I if I were literally to have zero coffee and so I know that if I don't cut out caffeine by 9:00 in the morning I my husband can like during some espresso and then pass out cold. Not me. I could get off caffeine. So really ask yourself what is your diet and intake doing to your sleep habit and be willing to experiment and see if you need to change the amount of stimulants you're taking in if you need to lessen the alcohol that you're drinking especially during the week. Because if I drink wine or cocktails I basically don't drink wine anymore because it wakes me at them all night so that's something you have to have an honest talk with yourself. What habits are leading you to sleep well or not sleep well. And then lastly I also need to exercise I need to move throughout the day or I'm just restless and antsy and I don't sleep as well. So that's some things that I've done. You try you but as long as you're getting that super solid quality seven to eight hours a night. Try it for a week and tell me how you feel I want to hear your story. Mindfulness. OK. This is another one where I promise you I will always be honest. I go through phases where I'm really good about meditation. Then I go through other phases where I'm terrible at it and I just don't do it. And boy do I show up differently in the world. And you'd think I would be disciplined like I preach to always do it and I'm not going to be honest. But this is one where boy can I feel the difference. So if I'm at peak performance peak creativity peak interaction as a human with others. The difference that a 10 minute meditation even five minute meditation can make in the morning and at night it is all the difference. And you know another way of saying meditation is quiet your mind and shot intentionally for your day. Actually ask yourself those soulful questions like What is my purpose. What do I want to get out of this day. Who do I want to be. Let me let go of stress. Let me focus on gratitude. So there are so many apps I'm just gonna recommend. To have a whole episode of that on meditation so I'm super into it believe in it but I use Insight Timer that's my one tip on this topic in this overview episode of just lots of free apps that you can get that will help you if you're a newbie on meditation guide you through it and just stick with it.

And this is my other advice if you're trying out this new habit and advice in life if you want to be self mate and you do.

And this is my other advice if you're trying out this new habit and advice in life if you want to be self mate and you do.

You can't do something once and say this sucks I'm too restless I'm not good at this it's not for me. Get rid of it. You have to be willing to suck for a while and give something a chance to work before you conclude whether or not it's going to work for you or not. So give that one at least a week. And I bet you will feel better. I do this when I'm doing it as part of a morning ritual. I go get my coffee. I sit in a chair I put on a guided meditation on the app and I have to say it's so great because by the time I'm done with that my coffee is broken and I'm ready to go exercise. But before I go on to the next topic of exercise we're gonna talk about nutrition and diet first because baby you can't outrun your fork and what you intake really is about fueling your strength. And I am not talking about your. Friend perfecting yourself to be skinny or a certain size. Not at all. No judgments there. In fact I firmly have the belief of everything in moderation including moderation and I actually really think it's way too stressful to be on an overly rigorous vilify an entire food group type of diet. And you know why. Because I think you can't live that way and I don't think you should try to do today which you can't sustain tomorrow versus living in a healthy way. So the book I'm actually going to recommend. And I have many I'm certainly not an expert on nutrition but I've read so many books and I've been on every form of diet. Like most women after kids I did Weight Watchers I didn't Nutrisystem and I did oh I've done all kinds of different things. And here's what I've learned is that if you're sticking to anything it works. So if it works for you it's a good thing but I'm not actually talking about weight loss or calorie restriction plan. I'm talking about fueling your body. I know so many entrepreneurs that sacrifice themselves and they eat crappy food and they skip a meal and then they eat junk food and then they take snacks out of the drawer all day or they don't stop for lunch or they you know they just basically don't care for themselves as a human animal that needs nurturing and caring to be at their best self and then they feel shitty about themselves. They've got a headache. They're dehydrated. They're in a bad mood. They're not pleased because maybe they just don't have the the energy. And it detracts. So don't think to yourself I don't have the time to not feed my body well. Think to yourself. I don't have the time to waste to not be operating at peak performance. So that said you know I eat healthy. Aside from the times I'm having a cocktail or cook I really believe that if you can embrace whole food eating packages not a lot of sugar you know a lot of processed foods and you eat a reasonable amount and you do that 90 percent of the time and you're focused on fresh nutritious foods you know healthy fats protein fiber greens. You're you're in good shape. So that's just what I have to say about diet is is focused on finding a healthy something that works for you so that it doesn't you're not obsessed with it. You don't have to overly index your time to weighing and measuring but you need to take care of you. That's going to involve Fresh food cooking and investing time and eating once again sleep mindfulness diet like you're a human. You need these things as you do the next one which is exercise. Exercise I think should be fun. I really do. I think moving your body the way you move at every single day should be something that you find great joy in and that you should have discipline around. So I'm kind of preaching on this one. I had I've Oh I've never been an athlete. I've always been an exerciser. I am not talented at sports at all in fact my hand eye coordination is so bad that I guarantee you I get a black eye within a minute of playing any sport that involves me catching a ball. But I have always been a high energy person that probably wouldn't be diagnosed as like ADT today because I don't like to sit still. I'm actually more comfortable moving but I am sitting for a prolonged period of time. So for me exercise is a key for stress relief. And let me tell you if you are trying to do something breakthrough in life if you're trying to do something innovative where there's questions where it's unknown you're really stressed out a lot and you need a regular form of stress relief and sitting there working longer is not gonna be that form of stress relief nor is drinking a good stress release or eating a good stress relief. Right. So you've got to really channel what else works for us humans. And that really is movement. And so for me I need to be independent and I exercise because I don't necessarily want to rely on a class or schedules of other people to get my 30 solid minutes end of moving about. So I love to run. I always have. I love the serotonin. I'm not fast. It's not about time. It is not about Grace. It is just about the runner's high. That I really get from just moving that way I feel most creative. So whatever that is for you I don't care. It's a power walk right. What. Or or sometimes I am feeling lazy so I get on the treadmill and I watch Netflix. I will do. I will put on music and dance by myself and look like a fool. But I don't care. It's just more fun for me than going out in the rain Duran or getting on the treadmill and trying to run if that's what I feel like I need about once a week I do go to a class or I go on a longer run with friends which is social and fun. But in general I am focused and subscribe to the belief that that short intense exercise is better for you. All kinds of studies about this that if you want to be in good physical condition and I get my that is strong body strong mind. Okay you need to get the mix of strength building and cardio. I will tell you I'll give you the inside scoop to my celebrity trainer. Very fancy Jackie Warner and you can have her too for her DVD on Amazon. Probably like 10 bucks. Honestly that was the first time I did a multi joint multifunction routine. We're kind of out of breath the whole time and it's 30 minutes instead of thinking that the best way to work out was like go to a gym for an hour. I really think that class like you make it hard because you use the right weights and you should be like unable to talk the whole time and you only need to do it for 30 minutes and it's pretty hard to say you don't have 30 minutes in the day to prioritize your longevity and well-being. So that's one tip I use and I also want to highlight a couple apps that I love and I will go into more detail about this in future episodes. I know because I'm super passionate about fitness and living healthy so active and tone it up. Those are my two favorite workout apps and there are a million but they offer programs were undermanned. You can go look at the time and the duration and the area you want to work out or the type of workout you want to do. And there is something in there that fit your mood. And even if it is a better than nothing exercise it is good. Just do it. So I truly try to do that seven days a week. I go again here with a 90 percent rule that probably happens six days a week and if I travel it probably doesn't happen and then I do it later. So in general you're aiming for perfection but you're aiming for commitment to the idea that your fitness is not in the corner because you had a baby or in the corner because you commute or last on the list because you don't have time because yet this project it's the embracing of your efficiency and effectiveness as actual important things to prioritize. And recognizing that your energy level and clarity and stress relief is critical in doing that exercise is your friend. So don't exercise because you want to punish yourself exercise because you want to reward and love yourself and feel strong and bad ass like who is ever my guess if you really exerted yourself you might feel bad after a workout but who regrets working out right now. So do that and hydrate. OK. I like Brent's chain amino acids it's kind of like putting a nice flavor in your drink and I enjoy that. Well exercise. All right. So let's talk about the guiltless pleasure part because this is your stress relief fund. We can also think of this as vacation and taking time for you. Time for you maybe a week off with your family. I can tell you when I was an early entrepreneur I don't go on a vacation for four years that crazy but true. And I think Little had I thought that that was the way to signal excellence as an entrepreneur. Total commitment to the company. And honestly it was just total idiot move again dumb idiot. The culture of the time and I think people aren't that bad anymore. But the reality is I really think if I were to go back in my career and in my schooling I think I did so much less for me than I should have. And I do not think it drove a better outcome. And once I became a mom and really my kids schedules dictate whether or not I can work that week or not. You know what it's their spring break and I don't necessarily want to spend that time away from them. I've started taking that break and yeah I work on vacation before they get up and that's OK. You know I'm not like this I'm not as good as I should be about unplugging. But my point is whether it's a vacation or you're finding a way for 50 minutes a day to unplug and do something fun or you're doing that once a weekend for yourself. I find men so much better than this at women. OK. Any young mommas out there have a husband who when you have young kids they never stop. The boys trip. But how many young moms go on girls trips. None. Those all get canceled because you feel guilty leaving your baby especially if you work. And we just tend to put all that aside and stop having the adventure and the experience and the passion and I feel like I did not do that with my kids but I have to say I want you to know that being amazing and going the marathon not a sprint as a partner as a parent and as an entrepreneur as a leader as a coach as a community contributor as a human it requires self care.

You can't do something once and say this sucks I'm too restless I'm not good at this it's not for me. Get rid of it. You have to be willing to suck for a while and give something a chance to work before you conclude whether or not it's going to work for you or not. So give that one at least a week. And I bet you will feel better. I do this when I'm doing it as part of a morning ritual. I go get my coffee. I sit in a chair I put on a guided meditation on the app and I have to say it's so great because by the time I'm done with that my coffee is broken and I'm ready to go exercise. But before I go on to the next topic of exercise we're gonna talk about nutrition and diet first because baby you can't outrun your fork and what you intake really is about fueling your strength. And I am not talking about your. Friend perfecting yourself to be skinny or a certain size. Not at all. No judgments there. In fact I firmly have the belief of everything in moderation including moderation and I actually really think it's way too stressful to be on an overly rigorous vilify an entire food group type of diet. And you know why. Because I think you can't live that way and I don't think you should try to do today which you can't sustain tomorrow versus living in a healthy way. So the book I'm actually going to recommend. And I have many I'm certainly not an expert on nutrition but I've read so many books and I've been on every form of diet. Like most women after kids I did Weight Watchers I didn't Nutrisystem and I did oh I've done all kinds of different things. And here's what I've learned is that if you're sticking to anything it works. So if it works for you it's a good thing but I'm not actually talking about weight loss or calorie restriction plan. I'm talking about fueling your body. I know so many entrepreneurs that sacrifice themselves and they eat crappy food and they skip a meal and then they eat junk food and then they take snacks out of the drawer all day or they don't stop for lunch or they you know they just basically don't care for themselves as a human animal that needs nurturing and caring to be at their best self and then they feel shitty about themselves. They've got a headache. They're dehydrated. They're in a bad mood. They're not pleased because maybe they just don't have the the energy. And it detracts. So don't think to yourself I don't have the time to not feed my body well. Think to yourself. I don't have the time to waste to not be operating at peak performance. So that said you know I eat healthy. Aside from the times I'm having a cocktail or cook I really believe that if you can embrace whole food eating packages not a lot of sugar you know a lot of processed foods and you eat a reasonable amount and you do that 90 percent of the time and you're focused on fresh nutritious foods you know healthy fats protein fiber greens. You're you're in good shape. So that's just what I have to say about diet is is focused on finding a healthy something that works for you so that it doesn't you're not obsessed with it. You don't have to overly index your time to weighing and measuring but you need to take care of you. That's going to involve Fresh food cooking and investing time and eating once again sleep mindfulness diet like you're a human. You need these things as you do the next one which is exercise. Exercise I think should be fun. I really do. I think moving your body the way you move at every single day should be something that you find great joy in and that you should have discipline around. So I'm kind of preaching on this one. I had I've Oh I've never been an athlete. I've always been an exerciser. I am not talented at sports at all in fact my hand eye coordination is so bad that I guarantee you I get a black eye within a minute of playing any sport that involves me catching a ball. But I have always been a high energy person that probably wouldn't be diagnosed as like ADT today because I don't like to sit still. I'm actually more comfortable moving but I am sitting for a prolonged period of time. So for me exercise is a key for stress relief. And let me tell you if you are trying to do something breakthrough in life if you're trying to do something innovative where there's questions where it's unknown you're really stressed out a lot and you need a regular form of stress relief and sitting there working longer is not gonna be that form of stress relief nor is drinking a good stress release or eating a good stress relief. Right. So you've got to really channel what else works for us humans. And that really is movement. And so for me I need to be independent and I exercise because I don't necessarily want to rely on a class or schedules of other people to get my 30 solid minutes end of moving about. So I love to run. I always have. I love the serotonin. I'm not fast. It's not about time. It is not about Grace. It is just about the runner's high. That I really get from just moving that way I feel most creative. So whatever that is for you I don't care. It's a power walk right. What. Or or sometimes I am feeling lazy so I get on the treadmill and I watch Netflix. I will do. I will put on music and dance by myself and look like a fool. But I don't care. It's just more fun for me than going out in the rain Duran or getting on the treadmill and trying to run if that's what I feel like I need about once a week I do go to a class or I go on a longer run with friends which is social and fun. But in general I am focused and subscribe to the belief that that short intense exercise is better for you. All kinds of studies about this that if you want to be in good physical condition and I get my that is strong body strong mind. Okay you need to get the mix of strength building and cardio. I will tell you I'll give you the inside scoop to my celebrity trainer. Very fancy Jackie Warner and you can have her too for her DVD on Amazon. Probably like 10 bucks. Honestly that was the first time I did a multi joint multifunction routine. We're kind of out of breath the whole time and it's 30 minutes instead of thinking that the best way to work out was like go to a gym for an hour. I really think that class like you make it hard because you use the right weights and you should be like unable to talk the whole time and you only need to do it for 30 minutes and it's pretty hard to say you don't have 30 minutes in the day to prioritize your longevity and well-being. So that's one tip I use and I also want to highlight a couple apps that I love and I will go into more detail about this in future episodes. I know because I'm super passionate about fitness and living healthy so active and tone it up. Those are my two favorite workout apps and there are a million but they offer programs were undermanned. You can go look at the time and the duration and the area you want to work out or the type of workout you want to do. And there is something in there that fit your mood. And even if it is a better than nothing exercise it is good. Just do it. So I truly try to do that seven days a week. I go again here with a 90 percent rule that probably happens six days a week and if I travel it probably doesn't happen and then I do it later. So in general you're aiming for perfection but you're aiming for commitment to the idea that your fitness is not in the corner because you had a baby or in the corner because you commute or last on the list because you don't have time because yet this project it's the embracing of your efficiency and effectiveness as actual important things to prioritize. And recognizing that your energy level and clarity and stress relief is critical in doing that exercise is your friend. So don't exercise because you want to punish yourself exercise because you want to reward and love yourself and feel strong and bad ass like who is ever my guess if you really exerted yourself you might feel bad after a workout but who regrets working out right now. So do that and hydrate. OK. I like Brent's chain amino acids it's kind of like putting a nice flavor in your drink and I enjoy that. Well exercise. All right. So let's talk about the guiltless pleasure part because this is your stress relief fund. We can also think of this as vacation and taking time for you. Time for you maybe a week off with your family. I can tell you when I was an early entrepreneur I don't go on a vacation for four years that crazy but true. And I think Little had I thought that that was the way to signal excellence as an entrepreneur. Total commitment to the company. And honestly it was just total idiot move again dumb idiot. The culture of the time and I think people aren't that bad anymore. But the reality is I really think if I were to go back in my career and in my schooling I think I did so much less for me than I should have. And I do not think it drove a better outcome. And once I became a mom and really my kids schedules dictate whether or not I can work that week or not. You know what it's their spring break and I don't necessarily want to spend that time away from them. I've started taking that break and yeah I work on vacation before they get up and that's OK. You know I'm not like this I'm not as good as I should be about unplugging. But my point is whether it's a vacation or you're finding a way for 50 minutes a day to unplug and do something fun or you're doing that once a weekend for yourself. I find men so much better than this at women. OK. Any young mommas out there have a husband who when you have young kids they never stop. The boys trip. But how many young moms go on girls trips. None. Those all get canceled because you feel guilty leaving your baby especially if you work. And we just tend to put all that aside and stop having the adventure and the experience and the passion and I feel like I did not do that with my kids but I have to say I want you to know that being amazing and going the marathon not a sprint as a partner as a parent and as an entrepreneur as a leader as a coach as a community contributor as a human it requires self care.

It requires fine. It requires you taking care of you. So why would we feel guilty about pleasure. It could be about. It could be a movie. It could be watching that TV. I mean there's a little catch 22 there because I'm all for watching like 30 minutes about TV. It's when it's two hours and it cuts in your sleep but it crosses a line. But you should be doing something every day that isn't for anybody but you. And it's just because it's fun and it brings you joy and that's it. And so that is my overview of all these things that I want you to take action because listening to this and thinking yourself.

It requires fine. It requires you taking care of you. So why would we feel guilty about pleasure. It could be about. It could be a movie. It could be watching that TV. I mean there's a little catch 22 there because I'm all for watching like 30 minutes about TV. It's when it's two hours and it cuts in your sleep but it crosses a line. But you should be doing something every day that isn't for anybody but you. And it's just because it's fun and it brings you joy and that's it. And so that is my overview of all these things that I want you to take action because listening to this and thinking yourself.

Yeah. That's right. I do deserve a many pending. I need a massage. By the way that is my form of a guiltless pleasure. Bring my girls with me. Actually kind of felt guilty about that for a while that I gave up that guilt like that is silly. Why do I care. People are judging me. Point is I want to be with them and I want to anybody. So whatever that is for you I want to give you the challenge to actually be intentional and think about how you do it. How's your report card on taking care of you. I bet you get feedback all the time from work. If you're getting a performance review on how you're doing as a leader or as a spouse if they're giving you feedback on what you're doing right or wrong or even from your kids I can tell you that my kids give me feedback on how I'm doing on parenting and I certainly give myself feedback and thinking I'm doing a terrible job or doing a great job. But how often have used that and said am I doing the best job I can taking care of myself so that I can show up and just kick ass and the rest of my world. So evaluate these key topics I'm a golfer McGann. Pretty simple. You need a blank piece of paper. I open up Evernote an app I love using my phone.

Yeah. That's right. I do deserve a many pending. I need a massage. By the way that is my form of a guiltless pleasure. Bring my girls with me. Actually kind of felt guilty about that for a while that I gave up that guilt like that is silly. Why do I care. People are judging me. Point is I want to be with them and I want to anybody. So whatever that is for you I want to give you the challenge to actually be intentional and think about how you do it. How's your report card on taking care of you. I bet you get feedback all the time from work. If you're getting a performance review on how you're doing as a leader or as a spouse if they're giving you feedback on what you're doing right or wrong or even from your kids I can tell you that my kids give me feedback on how I'm doing on parenting and I certainly give myself feedback and thinking I'm doing a terrible job or doing a great job. But how often have used that and said am I doing the best job I can taking care of myself so that I can show up and just kick ass and the rest of my world. So evaluate these key topics I'm a golfer McGann. Pretty simple. You need a blank piece of paper. I open up Evernote an app I love using my phone.

Sleep mindfulness diet exercise guiltless pleasure.

Sleep mindfulness diet exercise guiltless pleasure.

And what I really believe is that you need to say to yourself what action Am I willing to take in the next 24 to 48 hours on one of these topics and make incremental steps towards improvement.

And what I really believe is that you need to say to yourself what action Am I willing to take in the next 24 to 48 hours on one of these topics and make incremental steps towards improvement.

If you get overly ambitious and say I'm going to do all these things and I'm going to meditate 50 minutes every single morning and sleep seven hours I'm going to start this new new diet and run six miles.

If you get overly ambitious and say I'm going to do all these things and I'm going to meditate 50 minutes every single morning and sleep seven hours I'm going to start this new new diet and run six miles.

The reality of sticking to it you probably fall off the wagon to do none of those things. It is better to pick one do it and then layer on the next when that first one becomes a habit or just tackle a couple at a time that you feel like can be balance. So ask yourself which one is coming to you right now is your. Are you nodding your head when you're like an ancestor. I agree. I'm cranky when I don't sleep and I actually do school my life way on Instagram every night. I could probably cut that out with a little bit more discipline. Or is it mindfulness. Is it do you feel. And I'll give you a little clue on this one. You have to ask yourself when you're interacting with people throughout the day. Do you have a little voice in your head that's frustrated angry quick to judge harsh. Are you frazzled do you feel overwhelmed.

The reality of sticking to it you probably fall off the wagon to do none of those things. It is better to pick one do it and then layer on the next when that first one becomes a habit or just tackle a couple at a time that you feel like can be balance. So ask yourself which one is coming to you right now is your. Are you nodding your head when you're like an ancestor. I agree. I'm cranky when I don't sleep and I actually do school my life way on Instagram every night. I could probably cut that out with a little bit more discipline. Or is it mindfulness. Is it do you feel. And I'll give you a little clue on this one. You have to ask yourself when you're interacting with people throughout the day. Do you have a little voice in your head that's frustrated angry quick to judge harsh. Are you frazzled do you feel overwhelmed.

Do diplomacy really hard. Or are you curious and oh interesting huh.

Do diplomacy really hard. Or are you curious and oh interesting huh.

I wonder how doable that is because mindfulness is what switches you to going from fear to curiosity. Case of that sounds appealing to you want you to pick that category diet. Do you feel just exhausted at the end of the day. Do you often skip meals do you eat things that first require opening a package or a freezer. If that is something that you want to focus on do not focus on it because you want to lose weight. That is not what this is about. It is about fueling your body and rewarding it with quality health care. Exercise. Let's talk about that one. If you think it sounds like you are tense in your neck your lower back hurts you don't have a lot of energy. Yahoo. If you think that exercise is something where if you stretched every day if you had movement if you are someone who always feels creative after you work out and you haven't done it enough because whatever habit you had was kind of complicated. It took like going to a class or playing tennis with a friend or something you're just not maintaining. Then pick out one guiltless pleasure if you feel like kind of like you're looking at the people around you like your babies your partner co-workers and you kind of looking at them resentfully like all I do is take care of you people and you don't do anything for me guys by the way if you are a young parent. This is a common plight by friends like we are martyrs and it is not for our gain or theirs. If you are feeling a little frustrated and you feel like oh I can't bear to spend money on me I've got to give it to the people you know whatever it is. Pick a little gutless pleasure and take it up every week whatever it is. Pick something fun and go for that category. So I want to hear from you. I want to know what you did and took action on to create a strong body and a strong mind so that you you can be sane and filled with the energy and possibility to do you better than ever before. Because my friend you are self made.

I wonder how doable that is because mindfulness is what switches you to going from fear to curiosity. Case of that sounds appealing to you want you to pick that category diet. Do you feel just exhausted at the end of the day. Do you often skip meals do you eat things that first require opening a package or a freezer. If that is something that you want to focus on do not focus on it because you want to lose weight. That is not what this is about. It is about fueling your body and rewarding it with quality health care. Exercise. Let's talk about that one. If you think it sounds like you are tense in your neck your lower back hurts you don't have a lot of energy. Yahoo. If you think that exercise is something where if you stretched every day if you had movement if you are someone who always feels creative after you work out and you haven't done it enough because whatever habit you had was kind of complicated. It took like going to a class or playing tennis with a friend or something you're just not maintaining. Then pick out one guiltless pleasure if you feel like kind of like you're looking at the people around you like your babies your partner co-workers and you kind of looking at them resentfully like all I do is take care of you people and you don't do anything for me guys by the way if you are a young parent. This is a common plight by friends like we are martyrs and it is not for our gain or theirs. If you are feeling a little frustrated and you feel like oh I can't bear to spend money on me I've got to give it to the people you know whatever it is. Pick a little gutless pleasure and take it up every week whatever it is. Pick something fun and go for that category. So I want to hear from you. I want to know what you did and took action on to create a strong body and a strong mind so that you you can be sane and filled with the energy and possibility to do you better than ever before. Because my friend you are self made.

Thanks for listening to self-made next. I want to hear from you. You. Send an email. To. Ask Jessica podcast. At Stella Dot. Dot com. And tell me your story of becoming self-made. Let me know what topics you want me to cover and any specific questions I can answer. If you like this podcast if you're curious that you know someone who might benefit from it then I would be so grateful if you would share it. Share it with your friends and use the hashtag self-made when you do. And if you dig it give it a review in Apple podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts from. Thank you so much. And until then my friend remember you are self-made.

Thanks for listening to self-made next. I want to hear from you. You. Send an email. To. Ask Jessica podcast. At Stella Dot. Dot com. And tell me your story of becoming self-made. Let me know what topics you want me to cover and any specific questions I can answer. If you like this podcast if you're curious that you know someone who might benefit from it then I would be so grateful if you would share it. Share it with your friends and use the hashtag self-made when you do. And if you dig it give it a review in Apple podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts from. Thank you so much. And until then my friend remember you are self-made.