I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head and my heart right now.
It’s Wednesday mid-morning, I skipped my workout because I woke up feeling really lazy after staying up too late, I’m supposed to be bringing my car into the shop to get the transmission looked at...but I don’t think I can leave the house until I get some of these feels out! So even though I’m struggling to find words to describe everything I want to say, here goes my best shot!
This past year has been a giant Anna-experiment in comfort zone busting.
The end of August (how is it already August??) marks one year since I quit my job to work for myself, and the ensuing emotional rollercoaster has taught me so much about myself, what I believe, and what I want for my future and career.
This past weekend was another comfort zone milestone. I was invited to a leadership retreat and flown down to Orlando, Florida to spend two nights and days with my Beachbody mentors Robb and Chelsea, ten of the other leaders on our team, and a top 10 coach Carly Del Carlo.
We were treated to a private photo shoot, delicious food and drinks, and lots of bonding time. I’d say “networking,” but it felt more like a bachelorette party-meets-girlboss mastermind.
Just being in the presence of so many driven, successful, ambitious, and big hearted people was oh so powerful and a little overwhelming to realize that they saw me as an equal.
Even though I grew up as a straight-A student and high achiever, I've always struggled with self-esteem and I used to be easily intimidated by outgoing, confident, outwardly successful women.
For years I was content to sit on the sidelines and read blogs, stalk social media accounts, and watch creative entrepreneurs do their thing. Over the past several months though, I’ve been feeling pulled towards that energy and a growing desire to make a bigger difference...to use my life and my story to inspire other women too. To come out of the shadows and BE SEEN and respected as a leader and mentor.
How did I start? With baby steps.
I started to really think about what I didn't like about where I was at in life, where I wanted to go, and what I needed to do in order to start moving in that direction. Then I immersed myself in personal development to gain enough confidence and self esteem to believe that I was actually worthy and capable of making these changes and feeling successful!
Fear and self doubt are mortal enemies to dreams and success, and must be eliminated ASAP!
I started posting more on social media, started taking my blog a little more seriously, and started to recognize that my words and story have influence. Over the past year I’ve been able to help hundreds of women get started or re-motivated on their health and fitness journeys, and I am leading an amazing team of over 100 coaches who are changing lives and building passive incomes for their families.
For the first time in my life, I’m proud of myself. I feel successful, I have found my purpose, and I’m so excited for the future because I can see it unfolding. I still have a long ways to go to meet my big crazy goals, but I’m learning how to be content with the journey, and proud of myself for every single step instead of beating myself up for moving slower than other people. I’m learning that I can’t compare myself to others, and that I’m writing my own story. Everything that needs to happen will unfold when the time is right.
I’ve also developed a closer relationship to God and my own spirituality than I’ve ever experienced before, because blind faith is necessary when you’re creating your own career out of thin air.
This has been a terrifying 18 month process! But so incredibly exhilarating.
WHY LEAVING YOUR COMFORT ZONE IS SO LIFE CHANGING
You won’t be able to figure out who you really are and what you’re capable of until you test and find your limits.
When you empower yourself and set the bar high, you raise it for everyone in your life.
When you uplevel your personal expectations and choose to surround yourself with successful, positive people you admire, you don’t have to look up to them anymore. Instead of putting your mentors and role models on a pedestal and keeping yourself low, raise yourself and look ACROSS.
For all my fellow introverts: you don’t have to exude energy to be magnetic. Pushing yourself will increase your confidence, and you’ll start to exude a quiet power that’s all your own.
TAKE YOUR PIPE DREAMS SERIOUSLY! You deserve to be happy. You don’t have to struggle forever. Everything you want out of life already exists somewhere out there….go take it!
"Whatever happens, stay the course, because there’s nothing cooler than watching your entire reality shift into one that is the perfect expression of you." (Jen Sincero)
For too long I just assumed that if I worked hard and did what I was told, I’d feel successful. But the real world doesn’t work that way. If you don’t take initiative for your choices and your life, you’ll never end up where you want to be. And if you don’t take a minute to think about where your ideal destination is...even scarier!
Don’t get swept up in the current of life.
It’s easy to just go with the flow, work towards other people’s goals, respond to the demands that family and co-workers put on our time, listen to what society tells us we should or shouldn't do, but if you’re constantly living in “reactive” mode, you will never know what your true purpose is. You’ll never experience pure joy that comes when you realize that it IS possible to make a living by doing exactly what makes you most happy.
As soon as I realized that I wasn’t ever going to get the feeling of success and fulfillment I wanted until I stopped passively waiting for something to magically happen, I decided that I couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore. I had to get uncomfortable and put myself out there.
Stop playing victim and become the hero of your own reality show.
For me, that opportunity came in the form of Beachbody coaching. For you, it may be something different. But please do yourself the favor of deciding what you actually want. Five years from now...where do you want to be? What do you want your daily schedule to look like? Is your current job laying the groundwork to get you there? If now, decide to make one small change to shift your course in the right direction.
Stop taking what you can get, and start creating what you want.
You deserve it, and you are worth it.
xo Anna
Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located at https://images.beachbody.com/coach-office/downloads/statement_of_independent_coach_earnings.pdf for the most recent information on our Coaches' actual incomes.
I help ambitious, creative, quarter-life women get out of their own way, find their voice, and grow into their full capacity so they can make a difference and create freedom without having to compromise or change who they are...READ MORE.
My favorite part of my job is helping women have that AHA moment and recognize their own power and potential for the first time.
To learn more about joining my team as a coach, email me!
