Transformation Tuesday: Meet Grace!

I'm super excited to get back in the habit of sharing the stories of the incredible women in my online fitness challenge groups and on my coaching team! You can read all my previous success story features HERE.

Today I want to share my friend Grace's story. Grace signed up as a coach a few months ago after participating in one of my 21 Day Fix Challenges, and her transformation so far has been extra inspiring to me because she's just as committed to inner and personal growth as she is to her physical transformation and weight loss. She's only getting started and I can't wait to see where she is in another year :)

Grace, I am SO proud to watch you grow out of your comfort zone a little more each day. This is just the beginning!

Sidenote: If you've ever thought about coaching but are holding back because you haven't reached your personal health and fitness "goals" yet, I hope Grace can show you that your story is most inspiring when you're in the middle of the journey.

xo Anna

Meet Grace!

When Anna asked me to share my transformation story I thought “me? transformed?”

It’s often hard to see changes yourself, that’s the trickiest part of making healthy lifestyle changes. You put in a TON of work and look in the mirror and feel discouraged. After all, you look at yourself every day. It’s hard to see the big picture. 

In February 2014 I was exhausted. I was ignoring my Master’s program thesis like it was going to finish itself, I started a new job and I was two years into a relationship where we’d both forgotten to take care of ourselves first. 

I should first say that my new job was for a health and wellness company. Everyone, for the most part, was healthy, and not in a no-carb, skipping meals kind of way. My co-worker introduced me to the world of fitness Instagrams and Tone It Up. At first I thought she was cuckoo. She talked about Karena and Katrina (and Taylor Swift) like they were her bff’s. But then, with a little fear of missing out, I created an account myself. 

Soon, I was talking to my boyfriend about my friends Karena and Katrina and he asked when he was going to meet them : ) Having a fitness Instagram was so much more than Tone It Up, it was the accountability and the camaraderie of thousands of other women going through similar journeys. Instagram also gave me the platform to record my daily actions and modify what worked and what didn’t.

But, this is far from a love letter to Instagram. During my transformation I’ve used all different tools: MyFitnessPal, a heart rate monitor, a Fitbit and a good old notebook and pen. Keeping track of your efforts is almost like conducting your own science experiment, on YOU. 

It’s great to look to others for inspiration and motivation, but ultimately I had to look at myself and figure out what worked for me. For me, it’s daily exercise or movement. If I can’t bring myself to do anything serious, I just walk my dogs! It’s also planning meals and eliminating temptations for when stress comes knocking. It’s taking care of myself and setting an example to others. When I’m in a healthy and happy place, it makes me a better friend, daughter, sister, girlfriend, a better me. 

Now that I’ve figured out my formula, I realized becoming a coach and helping others was the last piece. When I started the 21 Day Fix as a challenger, I noticed people around me making changes too. I stopped drinking Diet Coke, so did my boyfriend. I brought almonds to work in my blue container and my coworker followed suit. Not only was I sharing healthy behaviors, but I was accountable in keeping my own. And, knowing that I’ve barely tapped the potential of this coaching opportunity is the most exciting part.This time next year, I hope to be writing another transformation story.

Follow Grace's journey!
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July Life Update: Finding Calm in the Chaos

The above quote is my mantra right now. I'm doing my best to play the role of grand adventurer rather than fall back into overwhelm and victim mode because life is a little chaotic and staying focused has been a challenge! I feel most calm and in control when I have a dependable, predictable routine, and I don't think I've had a routine all summer with all our traveling and general life transitions going on.

I'm in the middle of a two week travel-free period, but instead of taking a breather to reground my life, we are MOVING! On Thursday, woohoo! We've been talking about moving into a nicer apartment for over a year, but it's always been this vague "oh wouldn't that be nice" thought in the back of my head. Now our apartment is in utter chaos with boxes everywhere, so I can't really ignore it any longer. It's official!

Between 2011 and 2012, Ben and I each moved at least 4 times, all around the country as we finished school and searched for full time jobs that were in the same zip code. It was a really crazy period full of uncertainty, so when Ben finally accepted a teaching position in Chicago three summers ago, we landed in the first apartment that caught our eye and have been here ever since.

It was a tough move for me. The day we moved in, Ben had to report to his new job, so I was the one tasked with deep cleaning and unpacking all our stuff. It was also the first time Ben and I had officially lived together and combined households, the previous tenants weren't the cleanest people in the world (to put it nicely), AND it was the first time I'd moved to a big city, so combine the stress with being 2 months out from our wedding and job hunting...yeah ok it was pretty damn stressful and I'm just glad I've made it through to the other side!

We love our neighborhood (Roscoe Village) and our 19th century walk-up has been a great first apartment, but we're more than ready to move onwards and upwards! I'm particularly ready for a fresh start, since there are so many intense memories in our current place. It's never really felt like home for me, because I haven't allowed myself to take ownership of it. (Back to that "victim" mode...). This sounds kind of dumb, but I've always held myself back and told myself I'm not worthy of having the beautiful, well designed home of my Pinterest dreams. I tell myself we can't afford to decorate, that buying pillows and furniture is a waste of money, and I've been battling this broke/struggle mentality ever since we moved to Chicago.

It's three years later though, and we've come so far. Especially me. I feel like I've grown up. I've discovered my purpose, learned how to trust myself, and am starting to extricate myself from the broke/struggle/failure victim mentality, although we're still living in the old apartment that I've given up on. I know my environment plays a huge role in my mood and self esteem, so I'm super excited to have a new home that actually matches where I'm at in my head right now!

I think I'm most excited about our kitchen upgrade. AHHHH!!! Stainless steel, granite counters, and more than one drawer??!! I officially feel like an adult now.

In other news, Ben and I are soaking up our last few weeks of summer before he goes back to school! We're trying out the new restaurants that have opened up on our neighborhood before we leave, and we're getting back in our church groove now that all our big trips are behind us. 

I don't think I've talked a lot about this, but last year we discovered and joined an amazing church community (Wicker Park Lutheran) and it's been like the missing link to my life. Just having a sense of belonging and a spiritual outlet is so important to me. This weekend we helped staff the booth at Wicker Park Fest, a great people watching opportunity ;) And we also checked out the 606, the new elevated path/park that runs through the city.

So that's the life update for now. Just trying to remain calm, enjoy summer, stay focused on my business goals, and take in all the changes that are happening!

I've discovered that it's so important to be proactive with carving out quiet time to take care of myself physically and emotionally, especially when life gets crazy. I've been waking up extra early lately to journal, read some personal development, and workout before plugging in for the day. It's easy to get sucked into "reactive mode," putting demands, to-do's, and other people's needs and agendas first, but I've been learning that it's ok not to respond to messages and emails immediately, and that I am always in control of how I feel and react to a situation!

I just finished Gabby Bernstein's Spirit Junkie and unexpectedly found myself skimming through most of the book and resonating the most with the very end of her story, which was a sign that I've come a LONG way on my own inner emotional/spiritual path. She inspired me to finally buy the entire A Course In Miracles, and I'm looking forward to digesting it this fall because I've been craving more peace, more inner stillness, more calm. I'm officially saying adios to the fear, doubt, anxiety, and insecurity that's plagued me for so long. 

I'm still figuring out the direction I want to take my coaching business, but I know for certain it involves helping women overcome the inner blocks and fear that holds us back from living up to our true capacity and loving ourselves. Stay tuned for tons more biz updates, wellness programs, and more! I'm brimming with ideas and mojo.

I hope you're able to find your own version of calm in the summer whirlwind. If you ever want to chat about life, I'm here for ya :) 

xo Anna

The Truth About Balance

It’s a warm Friday morning and I’m sitting in my camp chair in the corner of my tiny front porch, this little corner I call my “summer office,” trying to calm my brain and organize my thoughts.

Ever since I got back from Nashville and my first Coach Summit last Sunday night, I’ve been riding this non-stop adrenaline and endorphin fueled high and can’t seem to calm down.

I’ve even stopped drinking coffee this week, but I still feel like I’ve downed a triple shot espresso at all times. I’m trying my best to stay grounded, stay present, take deep breaths, and remind myself that I’m exactly where I need to be, and that there’s no rush to get everything done even though I’m so fired up and want to do all the things RIGHT NOW!

This is a 180 opposite to how I’ve felt the majority of this summer so far. To be honest, I’ve been feeling pretty lazy with Ben at home on summer break, and my motivation to grow my business and make things happen has been at an all time low until now. Well, after hanging out with my coaches, absorbing the ridiculously intense energy of 25,000 other highly successful and motivated people, and having our brains and hearts blown wide open, the motivation is officially back and I’m so excited and anxious to implement all the amazing ideas and training I soaked up last week. BUT the structure and routine is still out the window, especially since we’re also in the process of packing up our apartment to move next Thursday! Am I doomed to live an all-or-nothing life? I don’t know. I’m still determined to find a sense of balance within the chaos.

This entire summer has been such a whirlwind of travel and change and growth.

This is life.

The thing is, I like to feel in control. I’ve been working to get better at letting things go, but it’s hard at times like this.

Everyday I strive to find some level of balance. Work/life balance, healthy balance, family/biz balance, introvert/social balance, it’s a never ending quest especially if you tend to be an “all or nothing” person like me.

Do you struggle with balance too? I bet you do.

Sometimes it's about little things like trying to find the balance between the desire to have abs and the desire to eat ice cream. Sometimes it's bigger, like balancing a career with wanting to have children. We're constantly bombarded with messages about how we have choices, but we also have pressure to do it all and do it perfectly.

Have you ever stopped to think about if it’s actually possible to “achieve balance” in all areas of life?

Because I’ve been thinking about it a lot over the past year, especially since I quit my job and started working for myself.

It’s easy to throw the word around, but I think it’s really important to dig a little deeper into what we ACTUALLY need or want when we’re striving for any type of balance.

Does balance mean spending equal amounts of time or energy on every aspect of life? Nope. Because that would be impossible.

Life goes by in seasons, in cycles, in a never-ending wave of time and energy and highs and lows. Some seasons are for growth, and some are for withdrawal and renewal. Some are for lazy summer days, some are for busting your butt to hit milestones with your career.

The secret to feeling fulfilled is realizing that you can’t do it all, all at once, and you can’t freak out when some things that used to be a priority fall to the back burner.

My amazing mother-in-law Pat told me a great analogy once. She described life as a tapestry, and all the stories and people and events in your life are like different colored threads. Sometimes certain threads come to the forefront and create the picture, but the rest of the threads are still there, hidden behind the weave yet still a part of the cloth as a whole, waiting for their turn to come back to the forefront.

Last week, before I left for Nashville, I knew that this trip would be a turning point for my life and career, and I knew that my motivation and energy would return afterwards. So I let myself feel lazy and unmotivated guilt-free because I knew it was only a phase. Learning how to trust myself, acknowledge my feelings, and respond to my energy levels instead of trying to beat them into submission has been one of the biggest accomplishments this year.

Don’t force things that just need some time. The more aware we are of our bodies and energy, the more we surrender to the season or phase we’re in, the easier things start to fall into place without even trying. Don’t push through. Just let go.

I’m still working on my own personal definition of “balance,” but I think it goes something like this:

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Balance is the active process of becoming emotionally resilient to the rollercoaster of life.

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Balance is not something we can achieve or force or check off a to-do list. It's incredibly personal and involves developing an awareness of your body and what you need in the present moment to stay focused on what's really important.

Sometimes it's about waking up early to work out, and sometimes it's about staying up late to drink wine with a friend. Sometimes it's about being the best mother you can be to your kids, sometimes it's about focusing on yourself. We don't have to "do it all" to "have it all," but we do have the power to tune into our own needs and take control instead of letting the demands of life take the wheel.

One easy way to feel more balanced? Wake up 20 minutes early and journal or go for a walk BEFORE you check your email or rush off to work. Try it and let me know how it goes!

Feel all your feelings, high and low. Ride the waves. Trust yourself.

So yeah. It might not be "the" truth about balance, but it's my truth right now.

• Do you struggle with balance?
• What does it feel like to you?

xo Anna