21 Day Fix Extreme Review!

Oh heyyyy it's time for another fun fitness update!!

Today I officially completed the 21 Day Fix Extreme and I can honestly say I’ve never felt this strong, confident, and proud of myself from the inside out. I’ve come so far since I did the original 21 Day Fix for the first time back in March 2014, and I wanted to challenge myself and see what would happen if I committed 100% to a program again!

“When you lose your excuses you will find your results” -Autumn Calabrese

Beachbody trainers are always chock full of motivational quotes, but this one stuck out to me this month as I completed the 21 Day Fix Extreme because isn’t that a metaphor for everything in life?

We HAVE to get out of our own way in order to grow into the person we’re meant to be.

Some of my own excuses that popped up when I was thinking about doing this program --

“But I want wine and treats because SUMMER”

“I can’t fully commit, I’m going to leave myself wiggle room for wine and weekends...”

“I’ll never have the discipline to see this program through”

“I don’t want to feel deprived”

(See a pattern? This girl loves her wine and celebrating life with food!)

But you know what? I decided to commit. I decided that it wasn’t about willpower or discipline or forcing through or punching fear in the face or deprivation or all those aggressive tactics we use to shame and guilt and force our way into changing our bodies and habits.

I decided to take a more compassionate route, and simply get curious. I wanted to see what would happen if I devoted myself mentally, physically, and emotionally to taking the best care possible of myself.

This is the FIRST TIME I've ever done a fitness program because I want to take care of my body from the inside out. The FIRST TIME I haven't cared about what I look like, or put pressure on myself to lose weight or get an impressive before/after picture.

And let me tell you -- it's SO MUCH EASIER to stick to a program and say "no" to wine and sugar when you're motivating yourself based on love and appreciation for your body instead of feeling like you need to change to be happy.

Did I want to drop a few pounds and have more defined abs? Heck yes. But does it really matter in the end? Nope. I will love and appreciate myself no matter what.

It's ok to like your body and still want to change it.

And guess what? When you make that decision out of love and self-compassion and the curiosity to discover the strongest and healthiest version of yourself ... the results will happen as a side effect.

I decided to make July my month of EPIC self care.

I didn’t do this program to lose weight or inches, and didn’t weigh or measure myself at all. I wanted to do it for the internal changes and the confidence I always feel when I finish a hard program, and to honor my body through healthy nourishing food and challenging exercise.

I wanted to break my usual summer cycle of eating super healthy during the week, then over-indulging in wine, cocktails, froyo, and treats on the weekend and feeling like crap come Monday morning.

I wanted to spend less time working out and thinking about food, and have a simple plan to follow so I could free up my energy to focus on finishing my life coaching course.

Most of all, I knew that this month was going to be a STRETCH month for me personally and professionally, so I wanted to make sure I was taking care of myself while pushing my limits, doing big scary-exciting things like becoming a life coach and hosting live webinars for my team, and pouring love and energy into my challengers and coaches.

(I can’t emphasize how important it is to put your own energy first, especially when you spend your day pouring into others. Make sure you’re pouring from a full cup, or else you’ll burn out!)

(I know you're looking at that ice cream and honey nut cheerios... they were for my hubby I PROMISE! :)

What is the 21 Day Fix Extreme?

Put simply, it’s a next level version of the 21 Day Fix (which you learn more about on my blog here), but all you need to know is that the workouts are more challenging and the nutrition plan is a little more “strict.” In the regular 21DF you can have wine, chocolate, treats in moderation.

It uses the same nutrition plan that’s based on portion control, and you calculate the range of calories/day you need to achieve your goals then measure out your portions with the cute colored containers.

The 21DFX is geared towards fueling your body with the most nutrient-dense foods possible so it seems a little more strict, but if you make a mindset shift and remind yourself that you’re just saying “not right now” to the sugar and booze and saving them for later in order to say a bigger YES to the healthiest version of yourself, you won’t feel deprived. Your perception creates your reality - I focused on all the delicious yummy foods I could treat my body with and I can honestly say I didn’t miss sugar at all. Wine on the other hand … yeah I missed wine.

I love this program because it combines fitness AND nutrition. It’s easy to work out, but knowing how to eat right is what will make or break your results when you’re trying to work on health and wellness goals.

You can follow this program to lose weight, gain weight, or (like me) simply feel your absolute BEST from the inside out. You’re in control of your results, the amount of food you eat, and what you make of it.

There are 7 different workouts you cycle through each week, split between weight training circuits (upper body/lower body), cardio with weights, Plyometrics, Pilates, and yoga. All of the workouts are only 30-32 minutes, and are circuit-based, which means you’ll do a move for 30-60 minutes, move on to another move, and then repeat each circuit of moves 3-4 times.

One of the main differences between the regular and extreme versions is that Extreme uses more COMPOUND moves that work your entire body at once, and the regular Fix uses simple moves that are easier to master and learn.

I love this program because it has structure, but also gives you a lot of freedom. It’s not about being perfect or hitting a certain number of calories, because our bodies can’t tell the difference. It’s about eating certain portions of food to give your body the right amount of macro-nutrients (protein/carbs/fat) to feel energized, fuel your workouts, and change your body composition.

A typical day of eats

Doing this program made me realize how far I've come in my health and wellness journey, and with my relationship with food, because I didn't have to make any major changes to my diet at all! The main challenge for me was eliminating sugar and alcohol.

Here's what a typical day of eating looks like for me, both on AND off the 21DF plan.

Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit and protein powder, or toast and eggs

Morning snack: Vegan chocolate Shakeology blended with almond milk and ice

Lunch: GIANT salad (I love salads!) or leftovers

Afternoon snack: Veggies and hummus, or my Shakeo if I haven't had it yet

Dinner: Some combo of protein, veggies, and healthy carbs (sweet potatoes, rice, and quinoa are my go-to's) or another giant salad.

If I was hungry at night, I'd have a bedtime snack of Greek yogurt, berries, or a Shakeo mug cake. 

I also LOVED using the chocolate Recover protein shake from the Beachbody Performance Line, and drank one 4-5 times a week after my more intense workouts. It's an all-natural protein powder designed to reduce muscle soreness and I swear it made a huge difference for me (AND all Performance Line supplements count as "free" containers!)

My typical weekly meal plan

I've found it's easiest for me to assign certain "containers" (aka food groups) to each meal and snack, and stay consistent every day, just rotating in different food combinations. So for example, for breakfast I'll have a carb, a protein, a fruit, and a teaspoon of healthy fat. This could look like oatmeal with eggs, fruit, and peanut butter, or toast with eggs and fruit.

I share my weekly meal plans and recipes with my Challenge Groups and clients. Here's a sneak peek of a typical week in my life!

What I learned on the 21 Day Fix Extreme

I’ve really been able to make the 21 Day Fix a lifestyle. I didn’t have to make any major adjustments to my normal diet at all. The biggest challenges for me were giving up wine and sugar, but I did it!

I learned that I can survive without alcohol, even at social events… and that some sparkling water or La Croix with a dash of liquid stevia and squeeze of lemon juice is DELICIOUS.

I learned how to eat more mindfully, and loved giving my body the best possible food. I learned how to enjoy every single bite or sip instead of mindlessly eating crap that I didn’t even truly want.

I learned how to give up emotional eating! Because of the boundaries and structure I had in place, every time I was tempted to mindlessly take a sip of Ben’s beer or dig into the ice cream in the freezer, I could check myself and tune into what I was TRULY craving. Learning how to process emotions in positive ways instead of numbing and suppressing them with food is a skill I want to help all women master, because it feels so incredible and freeing.

I learned that I need to have snacks on hand when I’m out and about (apple slices and almonds are my go-to’s!) to balance my energy throughout the day. Food is fuel! When you’re eating pure unprocessed nutrient-dense foods, your metabolism will burn right through them, so it’s ok to feel like you’re eating more.

I learned that I can live without sugar and dessert, so in the future it will be a lot easier for me to pass on the desserts, and fully savor and enjoy a glass of really good wine.

Getting results doesn’t have to be “all or nothing” and that 30 minute workouts are really all you need. Stop abusing your body and slaving away with hours of exercise … stop feeling like you’re never doing enough and always need to be burning more calories or working out harder and longer. When you give your body time to rest and recover, you’ll actually see more changes, and you’ll also have the energy to enjoy your life.

I learned that it’s ok to follow the modifier when I couldn’t keep up with the moves, and it’s ok to feel weak. Feeling weak doesn’t mean you’re weak -- it means that you’ve found your edge and have room to improve and become stronger! It’s something to CELEBRATE, not beat yourself up over.

Tips for success

• You have to go all in for yourself. Don't leave ANY room for excuses to creep in. Trust yourself, and trust that you can do anything for 21 days!
• Stay hydrated. Water is so important... I love making infused water with ginger, mint, and lemon.
• Start slow! Use light weights and the modifier to master the moves. Form is SO important than being a hero, especially if you’re working out at home without a trainer to give you adjustments and tips. Trust me - even modifying the moves you’ll feel it the next day!

Here was my approach:

Week 1 - light weights, follow the modifier

Week 2 - increase weights, try the regular moves if you’ve mastered form, add the 10 min abs twice a week

Week 3 - challenge and push yourself while honoring your limits

• Make sure to warm up and stretch before and after the workout. I didn’t feel like the warm up and stretches were sufficient, you only get 2-3 minutes at either end of the workout, and there aren’t any “off” days with this program, just “active rest” days with Pilates and Yoga that will still challenge your muscles. On most days I went outside for a quick walk or jog around the block to warm up, and I also tried to foam roll a couple times a week to recover. You can also substitute a yoga class or longer yoga routine for the 30 minute yoga day.

21 Day Fix Extreme FAQ’s

Should I do the 21 Day Fix or 21DF Extreme?

I always recommend starting with the original 21 Day Fix if you’ve never done it before, because it will lay a really solid foundation and teach you the basics of the portion control system. If you’ve been working out consistently for several months, have mastered other programs, and are looking to take your results to the next level, then Extreme might be for you. IT’S HARD. I still had to follow the modifier by the end for some of the moves, and sometimes I couldn’t even finish the whole set WITH modifications. Don’t let your ego choose for you or you’ll end up injuring yourself and feeling defeated.

If you want to talk about your goals or chat about the best program for you, shoot me a message!

Do I have to do Shakeology?

You don't HAVE to, but it will make your experience a lot more delicious, help you eliminate sugar cravings, give you TONS of energy, and make sure your body is getting all the micro-nutrients it needs. So in other words, it's worth it!

Will I feel hungry or deprived?

You might feel hungry at first as your body adjusts, but I didn’t really have any issues and I LOVE FOOD. If your energy dips, you can eat an extra piece of fruit or bump up to the next calorie bracket to make sure you’re fueling your body properly! In terms of feeling deprived -- that’s more of a mindset thing. Focus on what you CAN eat, and remind yourself you’re not saying “no,” you’re just saying “not right now” to indulgent treats.

Are the results maintainable?

Yes! I wrote a blog post about how to maintain your results and use the 21 Day Fix as a lifestyle plan here.

I’m super lazy and unmotivated, will I be able to do this?

It’s only 21 days -- seriously that’s such a short period of time and it’s going to fly by. Less than a month!

Can I do this while pregnant/breastfeeding?

Ask your doctor, but it’s likely! If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll usually bump up your calorie bracket and eat extra food, but still in the propor portions and ratio of protein/carbs/fat.

Can I do this program and train for a race at the same time?

I’m not a trained professional so I can’t give advice except to listen to your body. Personally, I would never add additional workouts or runs to an intense program like this because its designed to push your body to its limits… however if you wanted to EXCHANGE the cardio workouts for runs that would probably be ok. Just make sure you’re adjusting your calorie bracket accordingly, because it’s designed for 30 minute workouts and you want to be very careful to fuel properly to avoid injury or damaging your metabolism.

I think this program might be my fave. I love the balance of different workouts, love that they're SHORT yet challenging, and I LOVE the results I've gained on the inside and out. Being healthy is about so much more than weight. Your body will naturally assume its healthy weight when you're treating yourself with love and respect, so let's stop beating ourselves up and start to actually nourish and respect our bodies and minds.

If you want me to coach you through this program (or try the original Fix!), I’d love to support you.

"I feel so confident and free from feeling trapped in what seemed for so long to be a hopeless pattern of ‘letting myself go’ when it came to my fitness and nutrition. I can’t even begin to say how thankful I am that I found Anna on Instagram and signed up for my first Challenge. It has been such a game changer and has renewed my hope and excitement in life!” -Rebecca K.

If I can do this, you can too!

xo Anna

I'm a life coach!

“It’s the possibIlity of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” -Paulo Coelho

Holy crap you guys, I did it.

I’ve graduated from the Beautlful You Life Coaching Course and I’M OFFICIALLY A LIFE COACH!

(If you want to learn more about the path that brought me here and how I decided to take this leap, you can read Part One of the story here).

I can’t believe I’m writing this post. This whole journey has been incredible, challenging, and full of highs and lows but in the end the most rewarding and self-empowering experience I've ever had.

I’ve been so full of emotions and adrenaline and happiness all week that it’s been hard to focus and put my thoughts into words, but I’m going to give it my best shot because I want you to know that whatever crazy scary thoughts, dreams, or goals you have hidden deep within your heart? YOU CAN MAKE THEM HAPPEN. I want to challenge you to say yes to yourself and go for it, no matter what that path looks like for you.

How am I feeling right now? Unstoppable. And so overwhelmingly grateful.

Last month I wrote about how I was going through some mega growing pains (and I know that life will throw me more in the future since I’m a comfort zone stretching junkie), but for now, I think I’ve successfully expanded into this new bigger version of myself and can let myself simply be here and explore my new territory for a while!

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MY BUSINESS

So what does this mean for my coaching business? Nothing is really changing, it's just getting bigger, better, deeper, stronger.

I've always been a little bit of a rebel inside, driven to take the road less travelled and stay true to myself, so I'm going to do something that I don't think anyone has ever done before and use Beachbody as an alternative business model for my life coaching business. 

For now, I’m planning to incorporate the skills and tools I’ve learned into my existing biz in order to help women transform on a deeper level, beyond health and fitness.

This was always my ultimate vision when I first became a Beachbody coach, because helping women lose weight isn’t my sole passion - but helping them get out of their own way and live bigger and happier lives lights me up. Health and fitness is a huge part of that process because it’s an easy and accessible place to start taking care of ourselves. When we respect and honor our physical bodies and test our own limits, we create positive energy and confidence that seeps into every other aspect of our lives and makes us happier and better in our jobs, relationships, mindset, ability to react to triggering people and situations, ambition, everything.

Starting in August, I’m infusing my existing monthly challenges with more one-on-one time with me, and a higher quality experience that truly reflects where I’m at and what I want to share with other women.

I want to CONNECT on a deeper and more personal level with women who are at the place I was a few years ago, working through their own quarter life crises.

Women who have big dreams or even just a restless energy calling them to live bigger, but who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or trapped inside their own heads and need some encouragement, accountability, and tough love to get out of their own way and become the happy, healthy, and confident person they’re meant to be.

I want to help women learn how to be their own best friend. To wake up every morning feeling excited and purposeful, spend their day sharing their gifts and talents, and go to bed content and full of gratitude. To know for certain that who they are is enough.

If you want to work with me -- you can learn more about my brand new Courageously Authentic coaching experience here!

I’m also going to continue to grow and develop my coaching team Inspire Joy with a focus on leadership mentoring and helping women create abundant, authentic, and successful heart-centered businesses using Beachbody as a platform.

The beauty of partnering with Beachbody is that it’s a proven system and framework for success. We can talk all night about warm fuzzy feelings and making dreams come true and get high on inspiration, but there’s a practical component to turning visions into reality - because let’s face it, dreams need money. We all have to pay the bills. We all need financial freedom in order to follow our hearts, pay off debts, and give back to the world in a bigger way.  (You can read more about my intentional decision to quit my non-profit career for network marketing).

Beachbody is also a community, a family, a support system and a safe space to share your journey with other people who get it, because your friends and family probably won’t get it at first, and until you are strong enough to believe in yourself it’s easy to give up when the going gets hard unless you are part of a support system of other growth-minded, ambitious visionaries.

Our team Inspire Joy is a dream incubator.

God has given me this business and this team of women for a reason: to grow and stretch me into a leader and create a movement that's much bigger than myself. This is my ministry right now, and I’m so freaking grateful.

For the first time in my 20's I feel like I've reached the end of my "striving/seeking/wandering" quarter life crisis phase and am finally growing into the BEING phase where I can simply be myself, accept myself, and create a life and business that directly reflects my values, strengths and passions. I've found my tribe, my purpose, but most of all I've been able to let GO of the pressure and anxiety to do more and be more. Because I am enough. And I figured this out just in time, cause I turn 30 next year, EEK! Lol.

If you're currently feeling stuck, alone, afraid, or in a funk, I want you to know that I feel you. I see you. And I know there IS light at the end of the dark confusing maze, if you keep showing up day after day and doing the work to figure out who you want to be.

Put your loyalty in your DREAMS, not your fears, even if no one else seems to understand...they don't have to. You're on this journey for YOU, and everything is happening in the perfect time, so be open to the lessons and stories that are happening in the struggle as you evolve and grow.

When we’re challenging ourselves to grow and evolve, growing pains are part of the process and they’re going to show up as fear, self-doubt, and a little voice in your head telling you that you’re not good enough and doomed for failure. These fears get louder and louder the closer you are to breaking through your own limits, and they’re a sign to KEEP GOING. Breakdowns happen right before the breakthrough - like a thunderstorm that blows over to reveal a gorgeous double rainbow. Let the emotions blow through you and trust that you’ll be ok.

At the end of the day, it’s not about what we achieve or accomplish in life, but rather who we become in the process.

You are becoming someone truly beautiful and powerful beyond measure.

xo Anna

p.s. Want to keep up to date on my adventures and offerings? Make sure we're virtual Pen Pals!

p.p.s. If you have questions about coaching, BYLCC, Beachbody, or working together, shoot me an email to chat!

On growing pains and breaking out of your comfort zone

This is how I feel right now.

WAAAAAAAAAA --> get yourself together Anna --> *rolls eyes* you're FINE, girl

Today I want to dump my heart and get real with you about GROWING PAINS, and what it looks and feels like to go out of your comfort zone and chase your dreams.

Do you ever look back at all the decisions, experiences, and choices that have brought you to where you're at right now? Life is CRAZY, I'm telling you, crazy sauce.

When I started this blog SEVEN YEARS AGO, I just wanted to have an online journal to share my life with my family and friends as I moved across the country for grad school. Since then, I've obviously graduated, moved back and forth across the country multiple times, got married, struggled through unemployment and a quarter life crisis, moved to Chicago, worked a bajilion jobs, quit my job, launched a health and fitness coaching business, and am now exploring my potential and purpose and going pro with this dream of mine: to create a thriving community of empowered women and establish myself as a life coach and brand.

I've always thought of life as an adventure and started reading (or more accurately - obsessively consuming) books like The Boxcar Children and The Chronicles of Narnia by age 6. These stories instilled in me an enormous imagination, sense of independence, and an unshakable belief in myself, and I've always known deep down that I can create anything I want or need, and that there is magic and possibility hidden all around us. I've never hesitated to follow my heart and make a pivot when I don't like the direction I'm headed.

However, the older and more entrenched in "adult society" I get, the harder it is to make these pivots and change course. It's easy to let the noise of the world distract us and pull us away from our heart and our intuition, and right now it's happening again and I'm caught in the crossroads between what my brain is telling me I SHOULD be doing, and what my heart is telling me I MUST be doing.

It's like a rollercoaster.

I've been caught in the "should's" so many times, like when I quit my job to follow my heart almost two years ago and thought I had to be an OFFICIAL ENTREPRENEUR ACHIEVING ALL THE GREATNESS! so I started to put a lot of pressure my blog to be a marketing tool for my business. 

Even worse, I put a lot of pressure on MYSELF to be instantly successful at being a full time coach and entrepreneur, just like I found success at being a student in school. I didn't want to admit that I was terrified and struggling, because I thought if I wasn't showing massive success, no one would want to work with me.

But the reality is that there's no such thing as overnight success when it comes to entrepreneurship. It was a hard lesson to swallow, and hard to admit that I have to be a beginner and put in the work before I can create something really great.

And guess what?

The work is messy. It's not glamorous. It's a hard long slog, like training for a marathon. All we see on social media and online are the shiny success stories, but we don't see the years of hard work, failure, mistakes, late nights, tears, breakdowns along the way.

I want to share the full picture, not just the tip of the iceberg. I don't want anyone to ever think that success came easily to me, and most of all I don't want to perpetuate the myth that overnight success is to be expected, or that you're a failure if chasing your dreams is hard and messy.

Reaching goals and working towards a vision that's so much bigger than yourself requires dedication, consistent hard work behind the scenes, and SO MUCH PATIENCE.

I want to stop putting pressure on myself to create the perfect polished content, and start sharing more of what I'm going through and be completely honest and open. I want to document each step of this crazy adventure I'm on so I can look back at how far I've come and also so I can show you what it ACTUALLY looks like to chase your dreams and build a heart-centered business from scratch. (Spoiler: it's exhilarating, messy, and downright terrifying).

Yesterday one of my fave mentors Cassandra Bodzak shared a story on Instagram of a lobster outgrowing its shell and it resonated with me SO hard. You see, when a lobster gets too big for its shell, it goes through a period of discomfort and maybe even pain before it finally sheds the shell. Then it's left extremely vulnerable, soft, and exposed and has to go behind a rock and hide to wait until the new bigger shell grows and hardens around its bigger self.

I'm not sure if this is biologically sound BUT that doesn't matter, it's a story. All that matters is that holy shit I'm feeling a lot like that cute little vulnerable lobster who is in between shells right now.

As Cass said, "We can only expand so much in our shells and then sometimes we need to crack that shell open and feel quite raw and vulnerable for a bit while we figure out while our new more expansive shell grows. This process is beautiful and magical. I've been going through it pretty intensely the past couple months and when I first recognized what was going on, it came to me like I was trying to fit my foot into a shoe that looked good but didn't fit. It's not easy or pretty to kick the shoe off and run barefoot for a bit while you find one that fits (or attract one) but it's SO much better than the pain of continually wearing a shoe or a shell that's no longer working for you."

Yes, yes, and yes.

This is me right now, and I'm sharing this post in case you can relate too. Sometimes we just need someone else to shine a mirror on ourselves so we can understand what's going on in our lives. 

Over the past year I've gone through the terrifying, painful, and uncomfortable process of breaking up with the "old Anna," the Anna who found value in achievements and external validation and was addicted to work and striving, who never quite felt like she was good enough because the more she accomplished, the higher the bar was set.

I've shed my old shell, worked with multiple life coaches, filled a stack of notebooks with brain-dumps, dreams, and fears, read dozens of books, invested in courses and programs, and I've grown exponentially over the past year.

I'm gaining a lot of clarity and confidence on who I am and how I want to be of service to the world.

But to be honest, I'm feeling extremely vulnerable and scared right now as I grow into this bigger version of myself. I'm running barefoot.

I don't want to hide anymore, but I'm scared of being seen. I'm scared to let myself fully shine and share my dreams, just in case I fail. Just in case no one listens or cares.

I'm feeling super vulnerable, but that's ok because I'm aware of what's happening and I'm trying to give myself lots of grace and patience as I work towards growing into this new shell.

Here are some of the lessons I'm learning along the way!

How to grow THROUGH growing pains

1. REMEMBER GROWING PAINS ARE A GOOD SIGN THAT YOU'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 

Whenever we do something that's outside of our comfort zones or set a big scary goal, we're figuratively breaking out of our old shell and forcing ourselves to grow.

When we grow and challenge ourselves, we will start to experience growing pains that manifest as doubts, fears, insecurities, and a mean voice telling ourselves we can't do this or we're not good enough,

If we listen to these growing pains, we start to believe that we're doomed to fail, and we end up self-sabotaging, even though the voice inside our head isn't true! Fears and doubts are to be expected and they're like little nudges reminding us how important this big new adventure truly is.

2. DON'T BELIEVE THE LITTLE VOICE INSIDE YOUR HEAD LATE AT NIGHT.

This is SO SO SO important to understand, especially because our fears and growing pains usually hit us when we're feeling extra vulnerable, tired, or run-down (like late at night)!

Opening yourself up to success and bigger, greater opportunities is going to crack open the door to the darkness as well, but your light is SO much stronger than the dark. Use it to illuminate the next step. Just one step at a time, like driving in the dark and using your headlights to light the way.

3. THE CLOSER YOU ARE TO A BREAKTHROUGH, THE MORE UNCOMFORTABLE YOU'LL BE.

Your fears and insecurities and doubts will feel the strongest the closer you get to where you want to be, because they're making one last ditch effort to hold you back.

Breakdowns are usually followed by breakthroughs, so don't be thrown off when everything is going perfectly one day, and then you feel wracked with anxiety the next day. Par for the course!

4. GIVE YOURSELF ENDLESS PATIENCE AND GRACE.

Lean into the discomfort. Take deep breaths. Carve out white space in your schedule for down time to let yourself relax and be present. Surround yourself with other people who are going through the same types of growing pains, because in community we find strength and courage. The more we isolate ourselves, the louder the Fear gets... so remember that you are never alone.

Take off the pressure and give yourself credit for the work you're doing. A lot of times we're so focused on getting EXTERNAL results that we ignore the changes and growth that's happening on the inside. Just because you can't see it or tangibly track it doesn't mean the growth isn't happening. This is why I love journaling (and blogging)! It's a great way to look back and remind yourself how far you've come.

5. STAY IN ACTION.

Keep moving forward, and try to do one thing every day that will get you a baby step closer to where you want to be. No step is too small! Heck, when a baby takes its first steps it's the most miraculous and exciting thing to witness ;) 

6. FIND SUPPORT!

This is the most important thing to remember. You are NOT alone. When we start to isolate ourselves, the negative voices in our head get stronger because they want us to believe we're all alone. When we find other people who understand what we're going through and can encourage us to find the positive and reflect how far we've come, the fears start to melt away and the whole terrifying process of growth becomes more fun.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

-Marianne Williamson

Know that wherever you are on your journey, I'm right here in the trenches with you :) And guess what? WE ARE SAFE. Unlike the cute little lobster, no one's going to eat us (mmmm lobster...). So let's take off the pressure and do our best to have fun as we grow into our new shell, ok?

Stay tuned for more updates and news because I am SO excited about what's in store for this blog, myself, and YOU.

xo Anna

p.s. Speaking of growing and getting support, I just opened doors to my July Inspire Joy Challenge accountability group and I'm SO excited to work with the women who are joining me to commit to our health and fitness this month. I have extra butterflies because this is the LAST Challenge Group I'm hosting before I graduate from my life coaching course and officially re-launch my business in August eeeeep! I'm still dreaming and scheming what Coaching With Anna 2.0 is going to look like, but know that if you want to take action, NOW is the time to get your beautiful self in the door -- click here to book a complimentary call with me!