Tag: goal

Nesting & Investing in the New Year

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It’s true what they say about pregnancy and nesting, but the New Year actually brings an even better excuse to clear out the old and make room for the new. Just like we cleanse our bodies of toxins, we can all benefit from cleansing our living space, workspace, and head space of clutter. We’re already spending the majority of the winter months inside, we might as well clean up a little, right?! Nesting is about simplifying and making space for what’s to come, investing in a new year of new possibilities. Whether you’re welcoming a baby into your household, just having house guests, or you have the desire to declutter your life, these tips are for you!

Let go of extra “stuff.” Sometimes we hold on to stuff that we may not even use because we have this fear of not having enough. Having “stuff” can make us feel secure in a way, but do you know what feels so, so much better? Getting rid of the extra stuff and making space – clarifying and simplifying things. That “stuff” can actually weigh us down and hold us back; after all, you know what they say: less is more. Once you clean out the stuff you don’t need, you’ll get it.

Where to start? Choose one small space at a time to make it manageable – your desk, the kitchen pantry, or a closet. Clean out everything you no longer need and organize the rest. Complete each space before moving on to the next.

When we declutter the space around us, we make space both mentally and physically for clarity and new opportunities. Use this open head space to visualize your goals for the New Year. Replace your resolutions with concrete goals and inspiration. Center your focus around inspiring words, mantras, and measurable tasks to ensure that you make progress. You may be inclined to change the decor of a room for a fresh start as well; try painting the walls, rearranging the furniture, or getting a new tool to help organize (anything from a file cabinet to a new mug for your pens.) This physical change may help instigate psychological change as well.

One Healthy Breakdown: get nesting, get focused, and get happy. Do it!

Reach (for Spring) March Challenge

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Happy March (rabbit rabbit!) Let’s hope that Spring weather is just around the corner, but until then, let’s reach for it! This unique move works your core like no other and requires zero equipment. From all fours, reach your right arm out straight ahead and your left leg straight behind you. This requires core strength and balance to keep your body stable. Bend your right arm and your left leg in towards your center to touch (or as close as they come) to further engage your abs. Reach them back out straight and then place them back down on the ground. Repeat with the left arm and right leg. This is one repetition. Alternate and follow the calendar below. Just save, print, or pin the image below and reach for spring. By the time bikini season arrives, you’ll be glad that you took on this challenge!

March Reach Challenge

One Healthy Breakdown: spring into spring…with a stronger core!

Word of the Year

What if planning for the new year felt thrilling? Exciting? Fun and invigorating? I don’t know about you, but when I was in the habit of making yearly resolutions, they most certainly did not feel like that.  Coming up with a New Year’s promises to myself was more like an exercise in shame and disappointment; it seemed to highlight all the ways my previous year hadn’t quite measured up.

Add to that the stress of planning goals and changes for the next year, and it became a recipe for disaster! At the end of 2013, I changed the way I thought about my coming year and instantly, everything felt lighter, easier, and more loving.

What did I do? I chose a word of the year. In 2015, I picked the word trust. In 2014, my word was simplify. My “word of the year” anchors my daily life. It helps me focus. It guides the work I do, the choices I make, and the way I navigate my everyday. When I feel adrift, I remember my word of the year and come back to myself & my goals for 2016.

word-of-the-year-2015-bMy word for 2016? Spaciousness. Sounds nice & relaxing, doesn’t it?

This means making space in my day for a spontaneous game of fetch with my dogs or a leisurely stroll through the farmers’ market. It means finally making space for the book I’ve always wanted to write. It means prepping food on Sunday in a non-stressful manner… and then having space to kick back and enjoy my evenings without worrying about what’s for dinner during the week.

Spaciousness1-editedIt’s resisting the desire to schedule, map out, and micro-manage every single last detail. It’s saying “no” comfortably to make room to say “YES!” It’s greeting life and opportunities with open arms.

But the word that works for me is not necessarily the word that works for you. Maybe you’d like 2016 to feel focused or connected or inspired. Or perhaps you want ease or to be more playful.

Choosing a word of the year has grounded me and changed the course of my next trip around the sun—and I want that for you, too! Here are three steps that will get you started:

1. Think about how you want your life to look and feel
In order to keep traditional resolutions, we usually end up counting calories, dollars, or social media followers. We track numbers and assess our success based on said numbers.

But when you navigate your new year with a single word as your beacon, the new year slowly shifts into something easier and sweeter. A “successful” year is a year that looks and feels the way we want it to look and feel.

Peer through the window of your Future Dream Life and really imagine the specifics. Would it look like Fridays off, getting a manicure with your best friend? Would it look like more quality time with your kids? How would you spend that time with them? What would you talk about? Would your Future Dream Life look like a night out in the city? Who would you be with? What would you be wearing?

And how do you want it to feel? Do you want to feel free? Supported? Seen? Imagine the way you want your heart and mind to feel every day and then choose a word accordingly.

2. Trust your intuition
Choosing your word of the year is a lot easier than you’d expect. You don’t necessarily have to labor over this decision; you likely don’t need to turn this over in your mind a thousand times.

Really think about the past year. What worked? What didn’t? If you’re honest with yourself, you probably already know how you’d like next year to be different. If a word immediately springs to mind and it feels right in your gut, you’ve found your word. Congratulations!

3. Now consider how you can apply this word to your whole life
“Supported”’ at home means something different than “supported” in your professional life. And “connected” to your body is different than being “connected” to your partner.

How does your word apply in the context of work? At home? Does it affect the way you move your body or the choices you make around food? Will it change the way you use technology?

When you take the time to imagine the way your word applies to all the areas of your life, you’re ready to make that word happen—everywhere.

Now it’s your turn to identify your word for the new year. Good luck!

One Healthy Breakdown: Wishing you a year filled with health, happiness, and finding just the right word!

What Fuels YOUR Inspiration?!

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Inspiration comes from all different sources for all different people. The things, people, and places that may inspire you may not inspire me and vice versa. Regardless of what inspires you, it’s important to be aware and seek inspiration in those sources. Inspiration really does fuel life – when we feel inspired, we’re able to reach a whole new level.

Here are some things that inspire me: meeting like-minded people, music, walking, family, dancing, yoga, a good night’s sleep, friends, sweating, meditating, laughing, coffee, nature, learning, fresh healthy eats, the beach, organization, goal-setting, running, and a whole lot more!

But enough about me, this is about YOU! Let’s ignite YOUR inspiration! Just print the page below and fill it out with those things (people, places, actions, mantras, etc.) that inspire YOU and post your list where you’ll see often. Just glancing at this should reignite YOUR Inspiration! Maybe it’s the first thing you look at in the morning, the last thing you see before bed, or your go-to before starting a seemingly-impossible task? Get ready to FUEL your inspiration!Fueling InspirationOne Healthy Breakdown: Nothing can stand in YOUR way when you’re INSPIRED!

3 Steps to Start Living Your Dream Life this Year!

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Ok, I have a confession. I failed at my New Years Resolution within the first THREE hours of the new year! I only mildly, vaguely, kinda sorta committed to the idea of being a vegetarian in 2014. So in the midst of champagne celebrations on New Years Eve, I was handed a chicken sandwich, and my resolution was out the door. It all just happened so fast…Oh well, there’s always next year! Alright, so resolutions shmesolutions. Nobody likes them, especially me. They don’t work. We end up giving up all together when we feel a little depressed about failing at them so quickly. Out with the resolutions, in with the GOALS!

3 steps to start living your dream lifeWhat does actually work is setting goals! Choosing a few clear, specific, and inspiring goals will change your year…and your entire life.

1. I need to lose this extra weight from the holidays (is soooo not inspiring to me. Blah. Ick. Get it away.) What actually may work?

2. I try out three new classes every week

or

3. My boyfriend and I cook a new vegetarian meal together every Friday. (Uhh…excuse me, but those goals actually sound pretty fun!)

We are going to make 2014 the BEST year–the year YOU start living YOUR dreams and having tons of FUN, starting NOW! If that sounds like something you want, sign up for Hamptons Wellness Week! I’m going to be delving a WHOLE lot more about goal setting, bucket lists, and dreams during my New Year’s Vision and Goals workshop during Hamptons Wellness Week! I hope you’ll join me then so we can get super clear, specific, and inspired for 2014!

But, why wait! Here are three simple steps to help you elevate this year to the next level of awesome:

1. Get crystal clear on what your dream year and dream life actually looks like. You can’t expect it to fall out of the sky, because even if it did–you wouldn’t recognize it if you don’t know what it is that you want! Take some time (like we’re talking 10 minutes) to sit down and make a list. Draw a picture. Create a vision board, or use Pinterest. Do some honest soul-searching. What does your ideal life, your ideal year, really look like? By ideal, I’m talking wildest dreams. Endless possibilities. Nothing is too crazy, too bold, too risky. It’s your year to start being honest with yourself and start living like you mean it.

Where do you dream of living? What do you daydream about doing for work? Do you want to travel? Where do you want to go? How do you take care of yourself? Do you wish you could run a marathon? Do you want to feel like you belong to a community? What does that look like to you? What do you want to do for fun? What is important to you? What do you value? What have you always wanted to try? Heck…what would you do if you won a million dollars tomorrow?

2.  Once you know exactly what it is you really want, you can start setting some inspiring goals for yourself! Goals give you a target, a clear, specific spot to set your aim towards and ultimately reach. Goal-setting sets your dreams into motion and gets your creative, subconscious brain moving in the right direction, YOUR direction. Your goals are 100% authentic to you and inspire you to take action. Brian Tracy (goal setting guru) says that “people with clear, written goals accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine. Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor.” Sounds pretty awesome, right?

3. Finally, the BIGGEST thing you need to do to make 2014 your BEST year yet is to get into action now! Your dreams, goals, and visions for your life are so beautiful and so perfect. The only way the world will ever see your greatness is if you choose greatness today. Choose to show up for yoga class. Choose to read that book, write that book, or give away that book! Choose to eat your broccoli, kale, and green beans. Choose to spend time with the people who matter most to you. Choose to sign up for that race you’ve been putting off. All it takes is one teeny tiny small action a day to bring you closer to your wildest dreams. YOU are the one that’s going to take your year to the next level. So many adventures are waiting, so many melt-your-heart moments, and so many “hell yeah, I did that!” are just beyond these initial footsteps.

Can’t wait to see YOU soon to talk more about your goals and to set you up with an action plan for the year! Sign up for Hamptons Wellness Week THIS Sunday, January 12th, at Hamptons Coffee Experience Store (749 County Rd. 39A) Wellness Week participants are invited to goal coach with me on January 16th at lululemon athletica East Hampton. It’s going to be an awesome year!

One Healthy Breakdown: Commit to choosing your dream life, and you will have it, it’s that simple.

ANNOUNCING HAMPTONS WELLNESS WEEK!

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How does this sound to you: after the holidays, you’re ready for a new routine, you’re energized, the kids are back in school, you reinvest in your health, you commit to being fit, you learn new wellness tools, you workout every single day, you take new classes…for FIVE DOLLARS.

WHAT?! It’s not a dream, it’s true, it’s HAMPTONS WELLNESS WEEK!

Wellness Week Slide

Kick off 2014 right with a week FULL of sweat sessions, learning, deals, kids activities, and LOTS of celebration. Right here in the Hamptons. From Montauk to Westhampton, there’s something for everyone, everywhere. Wellness Week is PACKED with hundreds of fitness classes, evening lectures, opening celebrations, gift bags, an awesome raffle, and a HUGE closing celebration. Read all about it at hamptonswellnessweek.com and be sure to check back for updates as the party’s just beginning! So, mark your calendar! It’s all going down January 12th – 17th! If you’re on Twitter, follow the conversation at #HamptonsWellnessWeek!

One Healthy Breakdown: Who said winter in the Hamptons isn’t the BEST time to CELEBRATE, SWEAT, MEET, GREET, LEARN, and LIVE?!

As Local as Local Gets

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photo 1Another great (and delicious) community event under my belt thanks to Slow Food East End. I’ve come to the conclusion that summer actually may not be the busy season around here. No, I don’t mean crowded, I mean productive, educational, and valuable. Summer has wrapped up and we’re getting back into our routines. For Hamptons locals, the ‘off-season’ caters to so many opportunities to get more involved in the community, meet new people, take on new goals, help a cause, or educate yourself and others. Personally, I’m making it a goal to take advantage of these possibilities. One of the ways I’m doing so is to educate myself and become more involved in local causes related to health and wellness. That started with a potluck dinner at the Shelter Island Historical Society with Slow Food East End.

Slow Food is a National nonprofit board with the mission of promoting “clean, fair food for all.” Slow Food’s East End chapter works to educate, advocate, and promote access to clean, fair, food for all. In few words, this means healthy, local, and accessible food. I am definitely behind this movement for food that is both good quality and affordable. While we’ve made a lot of progress already, we have a LONG way to go. Unfortunately, the best quality, non-GMO food is also expensive. While it’s an investment in health, let’s be honest, it’s expensive. In order for more people to eat healthier, it’s got to be more affordable and accessible. Slow Food, in addition to lots of other organizations nationwide, fight to recognize the discrepancy between health and accessibility. (As an MSW, I could talk for hours about this topic! But, lucky for you, I won’t!)

It is something I’m passionate about, though. Especially within this amazing community. It’s a good mission and I like it. My point, however, is actually much more broad than this one organization. The point is to get out there and get involved. Get local. Explore the real goings on in your community, wherever your passion or mission may lie. This is really what One Healthy Hamptons stands for; activating, both individually and together, a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Health and wellness are applicable on so many levels, not just in your kitchen. There’s a whole world out there, right in this community. Think outside of just your own body, your mind, and your family’s quality of life. Wellness extends throughout neighborhoods, communities, and cities. Take a step in the right direction, explore this world. Figure out what makes your community unique. That’s as local as local gets. Get involved, read, learn, teach, grow, cook, share. Get involved, however you can, however you want. And enjoy it.

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One Healthy Breakdown: What will you do to expand your local world of wellness?

Drafting Your Wellness Team

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If you are what you eat, what role do the people around you play? A big one! There are a number of steps we can take to help ensure that we will be successful with our personal health and fitness goals. Writing down our goals, declaring them publicly, breaking them into smaller, achievable pieces, and creating affirmations all help to achieve success. There’s another BIG aspect to reaching goals that usually surprises my clients. That’s taking a ‘social inventory’ aka, drafting your wellness team.

Football Team in a Huddle

Whenever you set a new goal for yourself, it is beneficial to take an honest assessment of the people in your life. Who will be able to support you in your new dream? Who may ‘sabotage’ you on this new venture by challenging your new goals and measures to attaining change? These people may not actually want you to fail, but some people can be less supportive than others, and some may not understand or appreciate your personal goals.

Unfortunately, everyone in your life may not seem totally thrilled when you decide to make healthy life changes. Food and family are closely connected, which can sometimes be tough (think: the husband who dives into a gallon of ice cream every night, this month’s family birthday party, or your girlfriends at the weekly girls wine night out.) Food is central in most social gatherings. If you decide you are going to stop drinking wine every night, or not eat red meat anymore, give up ice cream, or be out of the house three evenings a week exercising, these commitments will most likely affect some important people around you. To help ensure success, I ask my clients to identify a hero, cheerleader, trainer, confidant, optimist, and accountability partner for their journey.

The HERO is the person we aspire to be like, your  This person has already achieved the goal you have now set for yourself. This person may be in your social circle, but they don’t have to be. It may be someone you admire from afar. Study the behaviors of this person. What qualities does this person have that has contributed to them achieving your goal? Copy those behaviors! Imitation is ok – if it works, it works!

The CHEERLEADER is the person who wants your goal to happen for you just as much as you do! They want the best for you, as should you! Choose this person carefully. It may be best if your cheerleader is someone who understands the journey and may have been successful at it themselves. Or, it may be someone who has simply always supported you in your life and you know you can depend on their encouragement.

The TRAINER is the person who has the knowledge to guide you in this goal. This can be a book, life coach, personal trainer, nutritionist, teacher etc. It will be the person/resource you rely on for answers and direction.

The CONFIDANT is the person you can tell about your goal. You can go to them in your most vulnerable moments. This person is an open, non-judgmental listener. They will keep your secrets. You can share your worst fears and the truth about a tough day. You can share the emotional highs and lows of the journey. Your confidant supports you in a meaningful way that enhances your spiritual wellness on this journey.

The OPTIMIST is the person we know who has a magical way of seeing the good in everything and anyone. This person does not even need to know you have set this important goal. Their positive electric energy is uplifting. These people have a powerful way of reminding us that positivity attracts positivity and negativity attracts negativity. Setting a new goal for yourself is also a great time to consciously try to move away from negativity in your life as much as possible.

The ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER is the person that will kick your butt out the door on the morning you feel like sleeping in. This person could be the dedicated, fun person that spins every morning on the bike next to you. Get to know them. People in class notice when someone is missing! It may be another friend you have that has a similar goal. This person WILL NOT let you make excuses for falling off your plan…just the thought of them knowing you traded in your afternoon workout for a slice of chocolate cake makes you shudder!

So, make a goal, take a social inventory, and start drafting your wellness team! One person in your life may fit two of these roles; however, having a team of at least three different people is important for lots of support. The more people on your team, the better the support system you will have! Develop a consciousness about the role of the people in your life and how they may support your dreams. Good luck and good company!

One Healthy Breakdown: you’re not in it alone, take Norah’s advise and draft your team today – the stronger the better!

*Norah Benincasa is the owner of Pedal and Pose Fitness Studio in Concord, MA. She is a certified personal trainer, spin instructor, TRX trainer, Body Pump trainer, nutrition specialist, mom of five, and holds a masters degree in social work!