Life in March

My month of experimenting

I know, I know, it's already April. But March was enormous for me, a huge experiment in life and work.

Growing pains. Overwhelming. Exciting. Terrifying. Uncomfortable. Exhilarating.

 I want to process everything that happened before I get too far into the new month! When you work for yourself and create your own schedule and calendar, it's easy to lose track of the weeks and days because each one blends seamlessly into the next. It's hard for me to get out of my own head and extricate myself from the inner chaos and endless to-do's, to step back and look at my life from above, to appreciate everything I've accomplished and learned. To acknowledge that I don't have to keep hustling and striving and pushing forever...I can accept and embrace the fact that I have arrived. I am safe. I am doing this. I can simply BE.

Even though I'm trying to define entrepreneurial "success" from a place of fulfillment in the present moment (instead of letting my self worth be defined by things I've achieved or accomplished), it's still important to recognize and celebrate all the baby steps along the way.

So here's a snapshot of all the things I explored and learned last month!

IN LIFE

I'm slowly realizing that after a lifetime of school, choices, opportunities taken, dead ends hit, more school, random jobs, unemployment, funemployment, part-time employment, experimentation, adventures, risks, and inner struggle, I have finally arrived at where I’m meant to be.

WOW!

It's not a destination, but it's the right path and the journey that's unfolding is beautiful. I don’t have to search for my perfect job or purpose any longer. I just need to accept myself for who I am, and then find joy in sharing my life to inspire other women. Learning to trust myself is the hardest freaking thing I've ever done, and it's a daily process with constant ups and downs! 

I'm experimenting with my limits and boundaries, when to push myself and when to back off, which sometimes results in pushing myself a liiiiiittle too far, but I'm learning that life is a continuous process of course correction. I'm learning how to slowly and patiently deal with my perfectionism and accept that "done" is usually better than perfect. How to TRY my best instead of trying to DO my best, how to balance goals with intentionality so I end the constant vicious cycle of "never enough."

I'm experimenting with my creativity, and starting to write and paint more. Writing and painting make me feel connected to myself, my purpose, the universe at large, and when I resist or block my creativity I feel resentful and frustrated.

I'm learning that inspiration is found in the real world, not online, and that getting out of the house is critical to my sanity and happiness, as well as a great reminder that I'm a functioning member of society, not a crazy hermit. 

I'm also learning that even though I don't have to drive to work anymore, I can't forget I still own a car on street sweeping days. Oops!

Something major that's tying everything together is the weekly dose of community and spiritual grounded-ness Ben and I are gaining from attending church every single Sunday. 

IN WORK

Work was craaaaazy this month. After spending January and February on personal growth and figuring out who I am and what the hell I'm doing, I'm starting to take action and make things happen. Cue ALL THE PROJECTS!

I've been mainly focusing on growing my coaching team and mentoring my coaches, as well as hosting monthly fitness challenges and supporting my amazing clients! My mission right now is to empower women to feel beautiful from the inside out by figuring out what "balance" means to them.

I'm learning how to run an online business through Marie Forleo's 8 week program B-School, which has been a perfect investment for where I'm at right now. I'm realizing that I've already come a long way, and I'm excited to start taking this website and blog more seriously and launch a newsletter (stay tuned!!)

Now that the weather is warming up it's easier to get out of the house so I'm on a mission to explore all the coffee shops in Chicago, which is a fun reminder that I'm so blessed to have the freedom to work from anywhere. 

FITNESS

I have two personal fitness intentions right now.

1. Have fun!
2. Challenge myself.

I've been exploring new barre and yoga classes, playing with new at-home workouts through Beachbody On Demand and Tone It Up, running now that the days are longer and the ice is melted, and I gave the 21 Day Fix Extreme my best shot (more on that to come...)

Ben and I are going to Cancun this month for a mini-getaway that I actually earned for free through Beachbody last year...so right now I'm on full on bikini lockdown mode! You can follow along on Instagram, where I post my daily workouts and meals.

When it comes to fitness and weight loss, I highly recommend setting "intentions" instead of concrete goals, because it forces you to focus on daily ACTIONS and decisions that you can control, instead of letting your sense of self worth and success hinge on a random number on the scale. Take back control whenever and wherever you can!

I ATE ALL THE NOMS

Soooooo many epic salads this month. 

Ben and I enjoyed a few date nights too. We love checking out new restaurants and bars around the city! Mythos and Bistro Dre are my current favorite date night places. They're both small, friendly, intimate, and BYOB so you can bring your own wine and spend your money on the incredible food.

I DRANK ALL THE SUPERFOODS

One of my secrets to staying healthy, energized, and in control of my sugar cravings (...80% of the time...) is making sure I drink Shakeology every single day, usually for a morning or afternoon energy boost. This stuff is amaaaaazing. It's an all natural protein/meal supplement smoothie that contains vitamins, probiotics, immune and digestive system boosters, and I literally haven't been sick in over a year !! Plus it tastes like froyo. Enough said.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Personal development has been a lifesaver and the #1 reason I've had the balls to even attempt this whole "live your dreams" thing.

I'm currently working my way through The Artist's Way, which is an INCREDIBLE book for re-connecting with your inner creativity and unblocking yourself from the inner doubt and resistance that holds us back from embracing ourselves and living wholeheartedly.

Other personal development books, courses, and podcasts that have deeply impacted me lately:

Essentialism
Conscious Living
Life With Intention Online (I HIGHLY recommend this e-course!)
Lewis Howes' School of Greatness Podcast 

I'm learning how to live more intentionally and joyfully by recognizing and eliminating ego-driven distractions in my inner and outer worlds. I'm learning how to focus on my intuition and what's TRULY important so I can channel my energy in the most impactful and fulfilling ways. (Insert all the woo-woo Pinterest quotes here).

Deep stuff!! It's so fun.

SHOP UPDATE

Everyone keeps asking me "how's the Etsy shop?" Well, the answer is that it's going. I just added several absolutely gorgeous silky spring scarves that are all ready to ship. Check them out HERE!

I have lots of big plans and ideas for my creative business, but instead of beating myself up for not making ALL THE THINGS HAPPEN all at once and build two small business empires at the same time, I've decided to stop stressing myself out and keep the shop how it's always been: a fun creative side outlet for me to share my love of beautiful things, when I have extra time and energy to put into it. 

The reality of operating an Etsy shop is that you can have the most amazing products and the most amazing photography and put so much energy and effort into the shop itself...but if you actually want to make SALES, you have to spend even more time marketing and promoting yourself. It's fun, but kind of exhausting, and on months where I simply don't have any extra energy to give, I'm not going to worry about it.

The secret to "doing it all" is accepting that there's a season for everything in life, and acknowledging that you can't do it all at once.

Right now in this winter-into-spring phase, I'm in a season of empowering women through my health and fitness coaching business, and I want to spend my energy on mentoring my coaches and building my team as well as building my own confidence and self esteem as an online entrepreneur.

I predict that this spring and summer might be a season for creative growth....but we will just have to wait and see :)

xo Anna

21 Day Fix Extreme Week Three Meal Plan

I'm officially heading into my third and final week of the 21 Day Fix Extreme program, and it's been a great learning experience for me so far!

I went into this program with an open mind, and decided to use it as a way to experiment with what "healthy balance" feels like to me. My philosophy is that you don't have to restrict or deprive yourself to reach your health and fitness goals, and I believe that live is meant to be lived and enjoyed. I refuse to ever believe in a diet or nutrition program that keeps me from going out and living my life, including date nights and wine with friends. Having to decide on a restaurant based on what I can or can't eat or what foods are "approved" is bullshit. I love food, and exploring new restaurants and bars in Chicago is one of our favorite things to do.

Basically: do more of what makes you happy. Eat for energy and joy.

So how does that factor in with a program called "Fix Extreme?" First of all, I'm not a fan of the name of this program, because I don't think the mentality of having to "fix" your eating habits is necessarily healthy. Food is food! Yes, there are better choices, but you shouldn't ever feel like a cookie or pizza is bad or off limits. Plus, I'm a proponent of BALANCE, and I don't think that extremes are sustainable and healthy.

So why am I such a huge fan of the 21 Day Fix? Because despite the misleading name, it truly is about balance. To be completely honest, I think they named it the Fix because that's what people are looking for--a quick fix that will give them the weight loss and results they want in the shortest amount of time possible--and that's what they're going to buy. But once you start actually committing to the program, you begin to realize that it's not about a quick fix. It's about developing sustainable habits that you can take with you for the LONG HAUL, so you don't end up dropping 10 pounds through starvation and then gaining it all (plus more) right back once you're done.

I'm planning to write more on my personal quest for healthy balance and my thoughts on the Fix, but in the meantime here's my plan for the week!

(You can read more about my weekly meal planning strategies HERE!)

21 Day Fix Extreme Week Three Meal Plan

BREAKFASTS

+ steelcut oatmeal, fruit, hard boiled eggs
+ Shakeology
+ eggs and sweet potato hash

LUNCHES

+ epic salads
+ dinner leftovers

DINNERS

+ slow cooker chicken mole
+ roast veggies and honey mustard chicken
+ coconut curry bowls with tofu
+ leftovers

SNACKS

+ Shakeology
+ cinnamon apple slices
+ veggies and hummus

I share my daily meals, workouts, and recipes throughout the week on Instagram and Facebook.

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The Breakdown

DAILY PORTIONS

Veggies: 4-5 servings
Fruit: 2-3 servings
Protein: 4-5 servings
Carbs: 2-3 servings
Healthy fats: 2 servings
Oil or nut butter: 2-4 teaspoons

HUSBAND MODIFICATIONS

Ben is on his own for breakfast and lunch. I blend him up a Shakeology in the morning to take to work to keep him energized and help boost his immune system (he's a high school teacher, crazy schedule and tons of germs!), and he eats whatever I make for dinner. I just make him extra portions and add a carb like pasta, rice, bread or tortillas. (I've learned that I feel best when I follow the Tone It Up nutrition plan guidelines of keeping my carbs to the morning and lunch! Although I do eat healthy carbs like brown rice or sweet potatoes with dinner a couple times a week and relax a bit on weekends.)

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So that's the plan! If you have questions or want to learn more about the 21 Day Fix, please shoot me an email! I host monthly accountability bootcamps and we have a ton of fun.

xo Anna 

Grilled Chicken Shawarma Salad

My love affair with any kind of Greek, Mediterranean, or Middle Eastern food began in high school when I participated in a life changing 5 week study abroad trip to Germany. Set a dozen small town central Illinois teenagers loose in Munich, Berlin, and the Rhine Valley aaaaaaand, yeah. It was fun. One of the popular fast foods we quickly discovered was the Doner Kebab, which is basically a Turkish gyro. Think layers of savory spicy meat, cucumbers, chopped veggies, creamy sauce, all wrapped in a hot and chewy pita, yum. I've been obsessed with anything even closely related to a kebab ever since.

Recently I discovered the AMAZING Middle Eastern deli here in Chicago, Sultan's Market, and had another epic chicken pita sandwich, so when this recipe for Chicken Shawarma and Hummus popped up in my blog roll I was immediately inspired to try out my own version! It was actually really easy to make the chicken, especially since I'm a spice hoarder and had tons of seasonings on hand. I've been making an effort to think about dinner a little earlier in the day so I can start using marinades more often. They make such a huge difference!

p.s. This recipe is completely 21 Day Fix friendly. I served it with naan bread for Ben to make it husband-approved!

Grilled Chicken Shawarma Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken
+ 1 lb chicken thighs or tenders
+ Juice of 1 lemon
+ 2 T olive oil
+ 2 t curry powder
+ 1 t smoked paprika
+ 1 t cumin
+ dash of cinnamon
+ 4 cloves minced garlic
+ salt and pepper

For salad
+ Romaine
+ 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced
+ 1 cucumber, sliced
+ 1/2 red onion, sliced
+ Kalamata olives
+ Hummus
+ Italian parsley
+ Red wine vinegar
+ Garlic powder

Directions

1. Combine the chicken and all ingredients in a large ziplock bag, and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Heat a grill pan until a drop of water sizzles. Cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes, or until it's cooked through.
3. Assemble salads, top with chicken and hummus, drizzle the whole bowl with vinegar and a sprinkle of parsley and garlic powder. Enjoy!

NOTE: This recipe is also AMAZING on pita or naan bread!

21 Day Fix: 2 green, 1 red, 1 blue

xo Anna