Hey, friends! So… like what happened to this past year? I feel like I blinked and it’s almost over, right??? I’m rather excited for this next year, even if I am yet to finish shopping for Christmas. Whoops! It’s on my to-do list this week ; ) Speaking of lists (shout out to my other list makers… I make one for everything!), has anyone else put any thought into their goals for the next year? Just out of curiosity- is this something you typically sit down and think about? Or are you the type that just pensively archives your goals in a mental rolodex? I tend to be a big supporter of writing it all down because I think it solidifies our intentions and incites action, but admittedly, I’m a bit biased since that’s my jam. Regardless, have goals, right?

A couple of years ago, I came across a book by Danielle LaPorte, called “The Fire Starter Sessions“ . It categorically revolutionized my thought process in regards to setting goals. It was certainly no coincidence that this book metaphorically fell into my lap just as I was beginning my year long study at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. And, thank heavens it did. It has undoubtably served as the catalyst for developing the foundation of Blonde Beet Nirvana’s Sugar Detox.

My health coaching… shit, my whole life… would be radically different if I had not read this book.

While there are about a bazillion poignant messages I took away from this book (and continue to as I have reread it numerous times), perhaps what resonated with me most is this:

“You’ve got a to-do list, right? Quarterly objectives? Raise your hand if you set yearly goals. Five-year goals? Now, who has a list of how they want to feel in their life?…We have the procedures of achievement upside down. We set our sights on the babe, the bucks. We get them. Sometimes. We set a goal, we reach it, we feel great. Unless, of course, we feel empty or flustered or anxious that what isn’t working to fill the hole in our soul. Let me say it another way: Typically we come with our to-do lists, our bucket lists, and our strategic plans– all stuff we want to have, get, and experience outside of ourselves. All of those aspirations are being driven by an innate desire to feel a certain way. What if, first, we got clear on how we actually wanted to feel within ourselves, and THEN designed our to-do lists?…It’s about the FEELING that you’re going after.”

Mind blown, right? Setting goals based on how we want to feel versus something external? That changes EVERYTHING. Here are a few ways I’ve put this into action in my own life–

1. For years I thought I needed to continue climbing a corporate ladder, at a soul sucking job that I hated. Why? Because my “goal” was to make more money. But after reading ‘The Fire Starter Sessions’, I asked myself– WHY do I want to make more money? What is it that I want so much more money for? It was the feeling of freedom. It was actually so I could QUIT my job… the one I had previously designed my goals around. This sounds totally insane to me, in retrospect. When I finally acknowledged how ass backwards this was, I quit my job… and found the freedom I so desperately craved. This freedom was actually attached to making LESS money! By the way, making money, even tons of money, is not at all a bad thing. On the contrary, I hope we all make an abundance of money! I simply realized that more money, in this particular instance, was an external outgrowth of what I REALLY wanted to achieve.
2. In regards to my health struggles, my goals were previously, like most, centered around reaching a specific number on the scale. I thought once I reach xyz pounds on that silly machine on my bathroom floor, I’ll have achieved something monumental in my journey back to pre-hypothyroid disease Tina. So I counted calories. And points. And I did “cleanses” that were basically just fancy marketing for fasting, with a price tag attached. When I finally reevaluated this numerical goal, and asked myself WHY I was giving this any significance, I realized what I was really searching for was…confidence, energy, happiness, the courage to try new things, etc. Wow. Do you know how many other, and much more creative avenues there are to access those emotions? THIS is when I made this mental shift and realized my REAL goal was to “live life in color”. Not only did the physical scale on the bathroom floor have absolutely nothing to do with reaching my true emotional goals, I discovered it is actually counterproductive to everything I was striving for. Yes, a very large component of living my life in color is being healthy, but the purpose behind being healthy is to have an abundance of energy, a clear mind, and a grateful heart. When I started eating to fuel my body to support myself in that manner, shocker– I returned to my normal weight, pre-hypothydism, wasn’t exhausted anymore, rocked the new outfit, challenged myself physically, laughed a lot more, learned how to channel inner peace, and the list goes on… and on… and on.

And as result, I created Blonde Beet Nirvana’s Sugar Detox program. My intention (because it makes me immeasurably happy) is to help my clients cultivate their own goals, identify what brings them bliss, to desire more, to crush comfort zones, feel joy, and ultimately learn to love themselves… so when they forget, because we all do at times, they have the tools to remember again. Eating food that supports your mind and body plays substantial role in this equation. Losing weight is typically a byproduct of working towards these goals, but it can not be “The Goal”.

As Danielle LaPorte says in her book, in reference to goals- “Fulfillment is the result of bringing your whole self to the game.”

So, for this next year, can we all bring our whole selves to this party? How does this change your current goals? Let me know!

xo,

Tina