The Chicken or The Egg?

In 2010 my husband, Joe, began the official journey of writing his first book. He was writing for a daily devotional site and one particular week he wrote a series on the life of Joseph. The readers gave tremendous feedback and wanted to read and learn more. This was the inspiration Joe needed to get his dream of writing a book off the ground. So, what came first - the inspiration or the writing?

Think about the question this way: What if Joe had simply been waiting for inspiration (the right thoughts, ideas, audience, a publishing company to offer him a book deal)? Would the book be written?

I venture to say that he would not have been writing for the devotional site in the first place if he was waiting for inspiration, waiting for the invite, waiting for the phone call, or waiting for the eager audience to emerge.

The writing came first.

Writing daily was just the beginning. This daily habit and desire to share with others caused Joe to pursue writing for the daily devotional site. He was not invited. Well, it was a very loose invitation and it required initial action on Joe's part. After several months of writing, the devotional series on Joseph emerged and was ultimately the catalyst for putting those initial thoughts into the pages of a book. Project Joseph is an amazing tool for dealing with past pain and gaining a new, life-changing perspective.

Are you waiting for inspiration before you take action on your dreams? What action do you need to take or what habit must become part of your daily life so that you are in a place where inspiration can appear.

When inspiration comes, will you be ready to receive and act on it? I hope so!

Be Extraordinary!

Bulbs Bulbs Bulbs

One thing I learned after making it through the long Northern Michigan winter of 2012-2013 was how much I crave color come spring. "Spring" is a loose term here. We experienced snow on the ground from November until May, and my craving for color showed up sometime in early April. Perhaps it was all of the Facebook photos of blossoms and green grass from my friends in the lush Oregon valley. Or perhaps it was because white was the only "color" I had seen outside in more than five months (not even gray pavement). When "spring" arrived in early May the snow was melting and my tulip bulbs were peeking through the snow-covered flower beds. I have about fifteen tulip bulbs that come through and ten that bloom. These tulips are here from the previous occupant of our home. I had intended to fill up the flower bed last fall but never really got around to it. In this part of the country, if you don't get the bulbs planted by early October then it probably isn't going to happen. That was the case for me last year, but not this year!

I enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon of bulb planting in early September. As I held the bulbs, dug the holes, and breathed in the wonderful scents of the outdoors, I thought about and envisioned what "fruit" all my labor would produce. I was dreaming about spring (while taking in as many warm days of fall as I could).

The seeds and bulbs don't look like much - they are not beautiful - and they aren't even colorful. The work was tedious and a little tiresome (I planted 44 bulbs!) I don't even have anything to show for my labor except some fluffed up dirt in the flower bed. In fact, come December, February, and even April I will likely have no signs of color. I don't even have a guarantee that they are going to emerge from the dirt or bloom into color.

BUT I have hope. I did the work. I made the investment. And, with hope, I trust that the results will come.

So often (almost everyday) I want to see the results of my efforts NOW! Instant gratification does not usually bring about the real and lasting results I really desire. Because the results I desire don't come fast enough, sometimes I slack on the effort and investment I make today. It doesn't seem like it will make that big of difference, but six months from now when there are no flowers in the flowerbed, vacations taken, work promotions, or meaningful relationships, I will know why.

What about you? Is there an area of your life where some bulbs need to be planted so that in the season(s) to come you will have fruit? Please share your thoughts in the the comment box; let's see if we can encourage each other to make the investments and plant the bulbs now that will lead to an extraordinary life.

Be Extraordinary!

Don't Worry. Be Happy.

"Here is a little song I wroteYou might want to sing it note for note Don't worry, be happy In every life we have some trouble When you worry you make it double Don't worry, be happy......"

Those of you born in the 90's and beyond may not remember this catchy little tune that actually hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for two consecutive weeks in 1988. Those of you who do remember may have the pleasure of this song being stuck in your head for the next two weeks!

Let's begin with a big parenthesis. "Happy," as it is used in the English language, is not the goal of this life. For this post, and for the future when this song is stuck in our heads, let's redefine "happy."

Happy: extraordinary peace; joy in spite of circumstances; placement of people and situations which I can not change or control into the hands of a God who loves me and wants the best for me.

If you were to make a line with worry on the far left and happy on the far right, where would you place your dot? Where would your marriage dot, parenting dot, financial dot, health dot, safety dot, future dot, and death dot go on that line?

I have a lot of experience with worry. I don't have a PhD, but I would not say that I am a beginner. (By the way, this isn't necessarily a good thing!) One thing I know for certain: worry does not serve me. Worry in one area of my life (i.e. finances) impacts areas of my life that are relatively free from worry. Worry impacts my emotions, responses, relationships, productivity, and even the fine lines and wrinkles on my face! Worry is not worth it!

"Don't worry, be happy" is a choice.

Nobody makes us worry. We choose worry when we hide instead of owning our part in a situation, procrastinate, leave bills unpaid, don't communicate clearly, and don't resolve grievances.

What are you doing -- or not doing -- that is causing worry in your life? Honestly evaluate key areas of life (dots listed above). Take 15 minutes and come up with a solution or take an action that will move your spirit in the direction of happy.

John 10:10 says that Jesus came so that we might have "life, more and better life than we ever dreamed of." That is the kind of extraordinary life I want to live; how about you?

Be Extraordinary!

4 Reasons to Work on YOU!

Personal development is an absolute necessity to live an extraordinary life. My first real experience with this type of learning (besides life events) was in 2007 when I attended a weekend, experiential, personal growth and development seminar. Since then I have attended many more seminars and trainings. I have also read and listened to books to enhance my personal growth and learning. The method of gaining knowledge is not as important as the consistency of learning and the application of the knowledge. I attend seminars, submit myself to one-on-one coaching, and read/listen to books that force me to see where I currently am and challenge me to live out more of my potential.

There are many benefits of taking the time and spending the money to learn more in this area of personal development. Remember that the benefits will only be experienced by taking action, making changes, and being held accountable to help the changes stick long-term.

Encouragement Discouragement comes in life. Shocking, right? I am amazed at how many times my area of frustration in business or parenting is addressed in the books I am reading. It is encouraging to find a solution and to discover that I'm not the only one who has experienced the same struggle. Personal development is a great way to combat discouragement.

Challenge The books I read, coaching I receive, seminars I attend are not just fluffy, feel-good, rah-rah times of encouragement. I am challenged - challenged to look honestly at MY behavior and choices. (Remember this is personal development.) If you are not being challenged then you may want to change what you are reading or listening to.

Growth This is where the learning meets real life. Am I going to take the challenge I received and do something about it? It is in the process of living out our awareness (challenges) that I experience real growth. I change! Change is difficult and this is where accountability comes in. Not many people have the sheer will-power to make big changes stick. I am thankful for my husband, coach, and others who hold my feet to the fire so I can grow, change, and live a truly extraordinary life.

Impact This, to me, is the exciting and rewarding part of personal development. During and after difficult periods of growth and change, I have the opportunity to take what I have learned and impact others. Many talk about wanting to change the world but don't know how. I think the best way to change to the world is to first change ourselves - one lesson, one habit, one challenge at a time.

The cost of living an extraordinary life is often high, but always worth it!

Be Extraordinary!

Waiting for Tomorrow . . or Not!

Every day.Every week. Every month. Every year. . . until it is complete.

Are you that committed to your big, hairy, audacious goals (BHAGs)? Most of us fit better with Mandisa's song, Waiting for Tomorrow. "Maybe tomorrow I'll start over Maybe tomorrow I will finally change my ways Said the same thing yesterday Don't know why I'm so afraid."

Often it feels easier to make plans for tomorrow than to live out those plans today regardless of the results we may see immediately. Who doesn't want big results with little effort? The most successful people appear to be sitting there while money, friends, and accolades are poured into their laps. But at a closer glance, most successful people have daily habits (that they follow) which over time produce results.

Jordan Kemper is one of the most successful young men in the company I work with. His success appears to come so easily and I think it does--now. I heard Jordan share about the struggles he faced in the first year of his business. Nothing came easy and it didn't look like success would come at all. What did Jordan do? He kept working. He did what he knew was right. He didn't take short-cuts. He worked his butt off and followed the wisdom of his mentors. Daily. Weekly. Monthly . . . until success came and kept coming!

We can create that too if we are willing to pay the price up front.

Are you willing to pay the price of working daily for your goals and dreams? Are you willing to work at that relationship, that pile of debt, that book you've been meaning to write, that business venture daily, weekly, and monthly until you see the results you desire?

It isn't always easy, but paying the price up front is always worth it!

Be Extraordinary!

Moomers, Paper Piles, and Candy Crush (Part I)

I am a yo-yo. Not a silly, goofy girl (although some have seen that side of me). I am a yo-yo goal-getter. I'm on, then off, then on again. I'm on health kicks and business runs and then I'm not. This is very problematic when it comes to achieving big goals. The short goals (30 days or less) are not so bad, but some of the things I want for my life and business as well as dreams that Joe and I have together are bigger than a 30-day challenge or even a 100-day challenge! After many years playing yo-yo, I am finally saying "ENOUGH!" I want the goals - the life of my dreams - more than I want to stay in my yo-yo comfort zone.

How do you stop the yo-yo?

Determine what is holding you back. When you look at your goals and dreams, what is that one (or two or three) constant that keeps showing up and robbing you of those dreams? If you are like me, at least one of these answers will come to your mind without any hesitation. Most of us know what our Achilles heel is in life. And, if you're like me, you won't want to speak that answer out loud. Why? Because acknowledging what holds me back now makes me responsible. From this point on, I choose. I either choose to address this beast or ignore it, but either way I choose.

Maybe you can relate to one of the three biggies that are holding me back: #1 Moomers Moomers has been voted the best ice cream in America by Good Morning America and I would have to agree - it's amazing! Moomers is not actually holding me back, but represents one of my biggest struggles - sugar! I love sweets! When I consume sweets . . . I eat too much, I crave more sugar, I have less energy, I gain weight, I am moody (more than usual), etc. Sweets do not serve me.

#2 Paper Piles These paper piles include bills, junk mail, important mail, receipts, forms for the kids. Paper piles are overtaking my desk, kitchen counter, table, bookshelf, and any other available flat surface. Seeing the piles causes me stress. I don't work well in the chaos; phone numbers are misplaced; important documents are missing and we don't even know it. Do I need to continue? I think you get the point. All of these things cause me stress and I am not very productive in the midst of them.

#3 Candy Crush I enjoy Candy Crush along with a lot of other games for my iPad. I like the challenge. If I am honest, these games contribute more to wasting my time than building my mental muscles. When I choose to play one of these games I am often avoiding other things that need to be done. I play longer than I intend to, meaning that I stay up later or don't accomplish important tasks. "Just one more time." I've said that more times than I can count - to myself and my family.

So, there they are. Three things that are holding me back from living the life of my dreams. What are yours? Can you identify one, two, or three? Are you willing to name them "out loud" in the comment box below?

Identification is good, but there is more. Part II is coming.

Seriously pursuing the life of your dreams is not easy, but it is worth it!

Be Extraordinary!

New Year's Resolution . . in February!

What resolutions have you made for this new year? Is your response like mine? You answer "no" along with a little head shake because you KNOW that resolutions don't work! Maybe you did set a resolution and it has already been broken. So often resolutions are broken and it seems that many are set with the idea that they will be broken. Due to the lack of accomplishment I have resisted setting New Years resolutions. I have set goals and talked of dreams for the new year . . . and broken those too so really the wording doesn't matter. I do know people who have had success with resolutions. Like AJ who went one year without candy or soda, I went a year without fast food or soda which was a huge accomplishment at the time. A friend went a year without French fries. Resolve is necessary to accomplish these goals and the personal discipline required is huge.

By means of accountability, and to set the stage for many of my blogs this year, here are my 2014 resolutions: I resolve to create freedom in three areas of my life. I resolve to be healthy by releasing weight. I resolve to be wealthy by releasing debt. I resolve to be peaceful by releasing stress.

** NOTE: I originally wrote this blog towards the end of January. It is still very fitting and lines up perfectly with some posts to come in the near future.

This is just the beginning. I cannot create freedom, health, wealth and peace by simply making these statements or reading them daily. I have a detailed action plan for each one. I have several levels of accountability in place in each area. These statements, however, give me an easy filter for all of my choices. When facing a food decision I can ask myself, "Does this move me toward health?" When choosing how involved to be in an activity I can ask myself, "Will this promote peace?" Arriving at my goals and accomplishing my resolutions is ultimately a matter of choice. Every choice matters - big choices and, especially, small choices.

Have you resolved to make this year different than the previous year, or the previous 5 years? Today - right now - is the best time to get started! What are your resolutions? Is it time to put some on paper? What choices will you make today to move you in the direction of your dreams and goals?

It's not always easy, but it's always worth it!

Be Extraordinary!

Just a Little Bit More

If you have followed my blog for any length of time you know that my desire and passion is to live an extraordinary life. An extraordinary life is not simply made up of extraordinary events - although that is part of it - but is a life lived out in daily obedience. My obedience is a response to the voice, promptings, and intuitions of God. This means obedience to crazy-big decisions (i.e. donating a kidney!) AND also to the small things (i.e. taking that extra moment to look my child in the eyes!) In light of this desire, I have been challenged this week by my business and life coach, Tony, and through the book by Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect. I realize that my "extraordinary" life has become safe and complacent. I have been giving the bare minimum. A truly extraordinary life requires something extra, something more, than the average person is willing to give.

Imagine what would happen if in each task we take on today we did just a little bit more.

Business: Instead of making ten calls, make eleven.

Finance: Instead of putting $50 in the savings account, put $55.

Parenting: Instead of the 30 second "close your eyes and go to sleep" speech, give five intentional snuggling and listening moments at bedtime.

Marriage: Instead of greeting spouses with a quick kiss and "how was your day?", greet with a full seven second kiss followed by an embrace.

Health: Instead of the regular 30 minutes on the treadmill, push an extra two minutes at the fastest pace.

These ideas may seem small, but what would happen if we embraced just a little bit more over time? This is what Darren Hardy calls "the compound effect." Our choices compound over time, whether negative or positive. And extraordinary does not come about because of a one-time decision; it comes about through the compounded results of little choices each day.

Where can you step up to live extraordinary in your life? What little choices will you make that over time will make all the difference? This is the crazy thing about extraordinary living: making one extra sales call or spending two extra minutes on the treadmill don't seem that extraordinary, but the results of those actions and that mindset creates an extraordinary life.

It is not always easy, but it is worth it!

Be Extraordinary!

Optimism is a Choice . . . Really? part 1/2

Once upon a time I considered myself a natural pessimist. After a while, I decided that didn't carry such a nice ring so I called myself a realist. My assumption was that optimists were just the people that were born naturally positive. You know those people? The positive people that always see the glass half full and believe things will always turn out ok. I am married to one such person, and too often he was right and things did turn out ok even when it looked like they wouldn't. That is maddening to those of us who are naturally pessimistic -- um, I mean realists. I'm not sure when the aha came for me, but one day I realized that I, too - a naturally born realist - could CHOOSE to be positively optimistic. What? I have a choice even in this? Wow! But how?

The first key is awareness. I chose to step out of the denial that said I was born that way and had no choice in the matter. When I was no longer in denial, I could see the reality of my attitude - it stunk! Awareness stings. I realized I wasn't perfect and I wasn't right. I became aware that I needed things to turn out poorly so I could be right about my belief that things often turn out poorly. (That sounds terrible as I write it!)

I also became aware that my negativity was contagious. Have you ever noticed that negativity breeds more negativity which breeds more negativity which can turn the focus of your entire day? It is so easy to allow the negativity of others to create negativity in the outlook of your day. Just look through Facebook. Negative people read negative posts, comment on those posts then post their own negative posts. Then those people get in cars, shop in stores, engage their families and carry that negativity all over this world. It sounds dramatic because it is.

In my next post I will share some practical action steps that helped me see and choose to live on the positive side of the street where extraordinary people live. Until then, how about some negativity awareness? Are you breeding negativity - on Facebook, in your family, in your workplace, at the grocery store, behind the wheel? What excuses are you making for that negativity? Awareness is the first key.

Be Extraordinary!

Choices…choices…choices...

This is Part 3 of a 4-part blog series about the New Year I am doing with my husband Joe. Thanks for reading and sharing in the journey.

Be Extraordinary!

2014 in Living Color

How many times have you set the same resolution? Maybe you don't call it a "resolution", but you know what I'm talking about. We all have that goal, dream or resolution that always eludes us. We say, "this is the year, or month, or day that everything will change!" Maybe you reflect on the past year and realize, in one area or another, that you are in the same place you were last year at this time. Or, perhaps, you've had a wake-up as Alfred Nobel did (story featured in yesterday's post).

If you relate to being stuck or feel like your life is going in circles and fear that you will continue to end up in the same place over and over, then it is time to write a different story. My friend in business, Melissa, often reminds people that "your past does not define your future". The story of 2013 does not have to be the story of 2014. Just like Alfred Nobel, you too can choose something different.

Here are three steps that I am using to help write a different story in my life and hopefully they will help you write the story you dream of too!

1) Know your commitment and commit to the process. One of my resolves for 2014 is to be healthy and release weight. If healthy is the story I want to create then I better be committed and know clearly the process I am committed to. I will not arrive at healthy without making choices that reflect my commitment. Some of these choices are putting healthy food in my mouth; stocking the fridge with healthy, whole foods; filling my purse and car with shakes and bars for those times I am on the run; exercising regularly; and communicating with my accountability partners. I know what it takes to be healthy, but in order to really achieve healthy I must commit to the process.

2) Paint your story in living color. Tony, my business and life coach, is a master of painting life pictures. When he describes living in financial freedom, for example, it comes to life and I can visualize, feel, smell, and touch each piece as if I am actually living financially free. That kind of clarity is necessary if we are going to pursue dreams. We must be able to see our story in clear, living color. This can be done by writing your story as it looks on December 31, 2014. When you get to the end of this year what will you have accomplished? Write it in specific, detailed, living color.

3) Be accountable. I avoided accountability for many years because I convinced myself that it showed weakness to need help. I didn't want to bother others with my journey, but I also realized that my journey didn't go where I wanted it to without accountability. The dreams that elude me are ones that require changing my actions and my choices and that is where accountability comes in. For me, the idea of the end goal is exciting and inspiring, but a few days or weeks into the daily habits my excitement wanes and slowly my choices return to "normal". Accountability is key in order to maintain the changes until they become my new normal. (Joe will share more on choices in the next post.)

What story do you want to write for 2014? Take time before Part Three on Thursday to write out your story from the perspective of December 31, 2014.

The road to our dreams is not easy, but it is always worth it!

Be Extraordinary!

This is part 2 of a 4-part blog about the New Year. My husband and I are tag-teaming to create these special blogs, so be sure to read part 1 here, if you missed it. Part 3 will be at www.overboardministries.wordpress.com on Thursday, and part 4 will be back here on Friday.

Tis the Season to Be . . Stressed Out!!

The causes and experiences of stress are different for everyone. I tend to hold my stress inside, often without realizing it. I feel fine and everything seems ok . . then that 'one thing' causes all my stress and frustration to be expressed with great force. At that moment I feel the anger, disappointment, sadness, and exhaustion of days or weeks of underlying stress. I had one of those moments yesterday that turned into an evening of questioning so many things about life, family, and my ability to see circumstances with clarity. I realize I am being a bit vague here, but I hope you grasp the idea. I have let little bits of stress - physical, emotional, mental, financial - go unchecked and it caught up with me. When I feel this kind of stress I make poor choices in how I take care of my physical self. By doing this I actually create even more stress in my body.

In thinking about stress and my response to it, I was reminded of some great tips from Sanoviv Medical Institute about managing stress. Sanoviv says the following about stress:

"Stress is an adaptation response in your body when there is a perceived challenge or danger. In this response, your body readies itself to either fight this challenge off or flee from it. Chronic stress is a pervasive stress response in the body that can have serious health repercussions as this does not allow your body to rest and heal itself effectively. Chronic stress can trigger or exacerbate most of the major health conditions that we face today."

Here are just a few simple daily habits that can help lessen the stress in your  life.

1) Reduce or eliminate refined carbohydrates, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.

2) Increase your intake of healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, and cold water fish while decreasing your intake of damaged fats and oils (hydrogenated oils, deep fried foods).

3) Stress can deplete B-vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium and zinc. Take a high-quality, pharmaceutical-grade supplement. See my recommendation here.

4) Engage in regular, moderate exercise.

5) Eat more fruits and vegetables, and less processed foods. (This can be a challenge through the holidays, but is possible and worth it!)

6) Identify the source of your stress and deal with it effectively. When there is an elephant in the room it causes a lot of stress!

I am incorporating these tips in my plan for a healthy 2014. If you would like help, encouragement, and resources in creating a healthy game plan for 2014 please contact me by clicking here. It will take work, but the results will definitely be worth it!

Be Extraordinary!

AJ's No Candy No Soda Challenge part 2

Picking up where we left off in the last blog, I wanted to take the time to interview AJ and get his direct perspective on his No Candy No Pop Challenge. For starters he informed me that he would rather I call it "soda" than "pop" and therefore the name change on this blog. :)

Traci: What was the challenge from your perspective?

AJ: To go a full year without candy or soda.

Traci: Define candy.

AJ: Anything you would get on Halloween.

Traci: What was your first thought when you were presented with the challenge?

AJ: I thought it was impossible.

Traci: It took you two days to make the decision . . what made you change your mind about it being impossible?

AJ: Another person did it meaning it must be possible, so I decided to give it a try.

Traci: Why did you take this challenge on?

AJ: 1) The reward. ($365, all or nothing) 2) To show myself that I could do it. It's not impossible.

Traci: How were you able to accomplish this challenge?

AJ: 1) I kept repeating the Bible verse, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." 2) Support from family and friends. 3) Saying "I am choosing" instead of "I have to". It was my choice. I could end it whenever I wanted.

Traci: What challenges did you face along the way?

AJ: 1) We moved to Michigan, on a camp, where they have pop and candy. It was tempting especially during my week of camp. 2) Right before it ended - I really wanted to be done. 3) Friends and family would forget and offer candy and soda. It felt like they were doing it on purpose to taunt me.

Traci: How did you handle these challenges?

AJ: I knew I wasn't going to back out anytime during the challenge so I just kind of stepped through them.

Traci: Would you do this challenge again? Why?

AJ: (A moment of pause). Yes. Without doing challenging things (like this challenge), I wouldn't be ready or able to do other challenging things God has for me later.

AJ is a pretty wise 12-year-old. What challenge or challenges have you been putting off? What new challenge are you willing to step into that will move you in the direction of your dreams and goals? 1) Choose your challenge. 2) Clearly define the parameters. 3) Enroll family and friends as your support team. 4) Give yourself a reason or set a reward that will motivate you along the way.

Will it be worth it? According to AJ it is worth it.

Be Extraordinary!

Winning or Learning

I have really enjoyed reflecting on life through this blog. I am so grateful for feedback from many of you, and for the opportunity to encourage many more of you to live your own extraordinary journey. I love writing about great experiences, influencial moments and opportunities fully embraced. Today, however, is not one of those times. I set a few goals 89 days ago. The deadline is here - tomorrow - and I did not complete the goals.

My awesome, convicting and sometimes annoying (I usually feel that way when I am being a victim) coach, Tony, often reminds me that  "sometimes you win and sometimes you learn". The only way that a failure is truly a failure is if I don't learn. So today, on the precepice of my 90 Day Challenge, I choose to learn and to share a couple of those lessons with you.

Lesson #1: Enlist Accountability

When I make a goal (commitment) I must set up firm accountability. I must enroll people on my "team" that will hold my feet to the fire. And in order for this to happen I must share my commitments with them openly. I recognize that I did not enlist firm accountability for the long, 90 day, haul. It looked pretty good for the first 30 days, but then I let things slide. It is difficult to enlist firm accountability without being firm in my commitments. Honestly I was not very firm in the commitments or action plan that would take me to my goal.

Lesson #2: Embrace Commitment

One goal I made was in relation to my health and releasing inches around my waist. Eating sweets does not serve me in reaching this goal. I really love sweets, but I committed to go without. That's a great commitment but the problem is that I did not commit to going without sweets for the entire 90 days. I decided I would go until I no longer craved them. Go ahead and shake your head. I'm shaking mine too. What was I thinking? I made it 30 days with no sweets and I no longer craved them, but by day 37 I could no longer leave the sweets alone. My commitment was weak. My action plan was non-existent and I payed the price.

Lesson #3: Execute an Action Plan

Executing an action plan would require creating an action plan. Again, a 30 day action plan is not sufficient for a 90 day goal. Creating daily, weekly and monthly plans are critical in order to create real success. Sad to say, but I took more of a "fly by the seat of my pants" approach rather than developing a clear, concise action plan.

These lessons are great, but this learning is only as valuable to me as my willingness to implement change in the future. What goals are on your horizon? What are doing to ensure success on your extraordinary journey?

Be Extraordinary!

Change Your Language. Change Your Life.

Life is rough! I had to wake up long before daylight this morning. In fact, I had to set my alarm for 5:40am so I could get a shower before having to drag the kids out of bed for school. I was so hungry that I had to eat an early breakfast, but the only thing I could find was PB&J. Then I had to make a sandwich for my son's lunch. When everyone was finally ready I had to drive the kids to a school 25 minutes away from our home! Are you feeling sorry for me yet? My life and circumstances are tough! Sadly, this reads like a lot of people's Facebook feeds and quite honestly, I feel kind of down about my own situation after reading the above scenario. My circumstances seem worse and the hope of life looking different does not seem possible. How did my life become so bleak? One simple word: choice.

Everyone has a choice for every circumstance in their life. Yes, everyone for every circumstance. In some instances we may not actually choose the specific circumstance, but we still have a choice in how we respond to the given circumstance. My husband, Joe, delves even deeper with this idea in his book, Project Joseph, where he unpacks the life of Joseph from the Bible. Joseph is a supreme example of someone who had every right to be a victim to his circumstances, but he recognized that he had a choice.

We choose. And when we can acknowledge the fact that we choose, then we have the power to make change in the future. One simple way we can begin to take back our power is by choosing our language around our choices. Let me illustrate be restating the first paragraph from a place of choice.

I chose to wake up early this morning, in time to to enjoy the peace of the quiet house. In fact, I chose to set my alarm for 5:40am so I could take a nice hot shower before waking my amazing kids up for school. I chose to eat breakfast and although it wasn't great, I chose the food I ate. I chose to help my son by making a sandwich for his lunch. I chose to talk with the kids while I drove them to school. (And I chose to enroll the kids in an excellent school, where I am their transportation.)

I chose my morning and if I want the actual activities or the attitudes of my day to change, then I must control my choices and the language around my choices. This tiny change of language has radically changed my life and it can change yours too! Kind of like Clean Sinks, Floss, and Sit-Ups - little changes of habit can create greater results than we could ever imagine.

Be Extraordinary!

Clean Sinks, Floss, and Sit-Ups

What do clean sinks, floss, and sit-ups have in common? Quite a bit actually. Each one of these is a relatively small act that has great impact. Many years ago I heard about Fly Lady, a woman who teaches people how to keep their houses clean. What is the first and continual step for keeping your entire house clean, according to Fly Lady? Clean the kitchen sink to sparkling clean and keep it that way. I was sceptical, but I gave it a try. What happened when I cleaned my kitchen sink? I ended up cleaning the kitchen counters too. I swept the kitchen floor. I cleared the kitchen table and even placed a centerpiece on the table. The entire house became more clean - not overnight - but very quickly the house was in better shape, starting with the simple act of cleaning the kitchen sink. I have had similar experiences with exercise, most recently with sit-ups. I am currently participating in a 30 day Strong Ab Challenge. Day 1 involved 15 sit-ups, 5 crunches, 5 leg raises, 10 second plank, a healthy nutrimeal shake and protein snack bar. The rest of the day I could do and eat whatever I wanted. This relatively small challenge inspired even greater things out of me on that first day. I chose water to drink, I snacked less and I avoided late-night eating. Just like the clean sink, making a small, easy change can motivate change and better decisions in even more areas of the house and my life.

One more example: I rarely choose to wash my face at night. I use the best skin care products and I love the feeling and smell after washing my face - in fact I think I even sleep better at night - yet I still choose not to do it. After my last dentist appointment, I made a decision to floss my teeth every night for the six months between appointments. Guess what happened 21 days into this new daily routine? I started washing my face! Flossing my teeth at night is a very small thing that very quickly impacted another area of my health and life - washing my face (not to mention the fact that my mouth is experiencing great benefits also).

So what's the point? Go clean your kitchen sink, floss your teeth and do some sit-ups? The point is to embrace the small changes - daily - and allow those small changes to impact greater areas of your life. What is a small change you can add to your life that does not feel too difficult? Commit to doing this new habit daily for 30 days and watch what happens. This may be the thing that propels you into an even more extraordinary journey.

Be Extraordinary!

I Have a Seasonal Craving . . Routine

I love summer - sunshine, long days, late nights, campfires, kids riding bikes and, now that we live in Michigan, thunderstorms. One thing that does not seem to exist, in the beautiful and lazy days of summer, is routine. I wouldn't trade these summer days, but there does come a time when I start to crave routine. Our family has always lived in an area where school begins the day or two after Labor Day and by the start of school, I have a heavy dose of routine-cravings going on.

One of the challenges of having a home-based business is maintaining a consistent routine. Recently, I realized that the spontaneity I enjoy in having my own business is both a blessing and a curse. For years I have run my business more like a hobby, fitting it in where and when I can. However, running a business like a hobby produces the results of a hobby. I make a good income, but have plateaued as I became complacent, even lazy, about my business routines. Now that I want more - the full results of the powerful, residual, life-changing business that I have - I must take on the routines necessary to achieve those results.

These realities bring me back to the value of setting goal-driven, intentional routines. As school gets underway so do the routines, habits and disciplines that move me closer to my extraordinary dreams. Will it be challenging? Absolutely! Will it be worth it? Most definitely!

What routines will you embrace that will move you closer to your extraordinary dreams? List them in the comments.

Be Extraordinary!