Category: Monthly Motivation

  • 217 | Positivity

    217 | Positivity

    Is it necessary to be positive all of the time?


    My answer, from my gut, is no. Recent research is showing that the movement towards constant positivity can backfire. Ask yourself: What does it mean to think about positivity, to think about positivity all of the time? Let’s talk about what positivity can mean in your life, how to apply it, and why it may not always be necessary.


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  • 214| Monday’s Motivational Words of the Week – What time of day should I exercise? | with Lara Heimann

    214| Monday’s Motivational Words of the Week – What time of day should I exercise? | with Lara Heimann

    Today I’m answering the question, what time of day should I exercise? People often ask me whether it’s better to exercise in the morning or evening.

    The advantages of working out in the morning are:

    • You get it done
    • You set your day up for better organization, energy and possibly more success (high-performers tend to exercise in the morning)
    • You jumpstart your morning with better blood flow, joint lubrication and increased energy
    • You get the satisfaction of accomplishing something early in your day
    • You may lose or maintain your weight (research shows people who exercise early eat less during the day) 


    The advantages of working out in the evening are:

    • You don’t risk losing sleep because you don’t have to get up early to exercise
    • Because you’re more in sync with your biorhythms you might perform better
    • Improved performance may help you exercise longer
    • Evening exercise tends to help people go to sleep faster and sleep more soundly


    Because there are advantages and disadvantages to working out at both ends of the day, I recommend picking the time of day or night that works best for you. Sticking with that time so that it becomes a habit is the most important ingredient for success. And if it feels overwhelming to get started, try exercising in 15-minute chunks and doing that several times a day or building up to longer periods. You deserve to spend time in movement, and doing regular exercise will help you be more effective and efficient in other areas of your life.


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  • 205 | How to Balance Life & Work to Preserve Your Energy

    205 | How to Balance Life & Work to Preserve Your Energy

    Work-life balance is an area that many people, myself included, struggle with. The way we move can help move ourselves to the center of our work life and our home life.


    How are you balancing between getting work done and taking care of yourself? When we feel overwhelmed with all that’s going on in our lives, we aren’t moving efficiently or with enough joy. Listen to this episode for a few tips on finding that balance.


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  • 196 | Mantras for Movement

    196 | Mantras for Movement

    Movement mantras are sayings that we repeat to ourselves to remind us of how important it is to move. They are things we tell ourselves to keep us motivated.

    I have a few of my own movement mantras to share today, but when you’re in the space to do this yourself, I recommend writing them out pen-to-paper. What are the movement mantras that you need to have in place so when you look at them or say them, you feel inspired?


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  • 195 | How to Deal With Adversity

    195 | How to Deal With Adversity

    I’m reading the book Everyday Spiritual Practice: Simple Pathways for Enriching Your Life, and it’s a lovely book. I wanted to talk about one aspect within the book today, and that is adversity.


    We don’t have to look far to see examples of adversity, where people are really struggling. What do we do when we’re faced with that? This book talks about developing a self-discipline that will help comfort you, and even nourish you, in moments of adversity.


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  • 192 | What I Learned from my Trip to Africa

    192 | What I Learned from my Trip to Africa

    I’ve been asked what some of the greatest experiences I had in Africa were, and I’m going to talk about them here, as a way of motivating myself and you, and to provide a look into a different culture. The Africa we often see on the news or in National Geographic is not the whole picture.


    There is so much more beauty and wonder out there than we are fully aware of. We know so much about the horrors of the world, but we forget about these beautiful places. Seeing these places for yourself will give you hope, and we need hope.


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  • 187 | How to Get Out of Feeling BLAH

    187 | How to Get Out of Feeling BLAH

    Everybody knows what that “blah” feeling is. It’s that feeling when you’re not excited, you’re not motivated, and you’re not energized.


    So how do you get out of this feeling? In this episode, I’m going to share some tips for getting over that funk and getting some motivation back.


    The important thing to remember is that this feeling is trying to tell you something, so don’t ignore it. Listen to your body, and learn when you need to feel it, and when you need to start pushing against it.


    Get the tools that you need for feeling better, but don’t shove it down. Allow yourself to feel it and move through it. If all you do is sit in it, you’ll only ever feel blah. And you should feel lit up.


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  • 181 | Monday Motivation: Habits Matter

    Today’s podcast is about habit formation, and this is in lieu of New Year’s resolutions and goals because most people don’t achieve them. The problem is that they try to change too much too fast. Habits, on the other hand, are tiny little actions that build up, like compound interest. 

    In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg talks about starting super small with habits. For example, if you want to start running, for the first week you would just have your shoes out and look at them. Week two you might put them on and lace them up. In week three you might walk around the block. 

    Listen to the episode for a look into the science of behavior change. I cover why creating a positive feedback loop and working on the identity behind your actions can make a huge impact on your brain.


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