Category: goals

Advice to graduates…be true to yourself!

Posted in Family, Family coaching, goals, Life coach, parentingTagged , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

We have another high school graduate in our home. It’s been a week filled with joy, 18 years of memories, sweet tears, and a full heart. I desperately try to live in the moment and not wish for years past. I savor the time I have with my young adult children and truly enjoy the changing nature of our relationships, watching them make the most of this phase.

And my one bit of advice to all graduates is always the same…be true to yourself. God created only ONE you; one unique, incredibly special you. Listen to your inner voice…what gives you joy? What are you drawn to? How do you like to spend your time?

Look at what you’re good at…these are your strengths; use them to help others, to find a career that’s fulfilling. Don’t shy away from things that come naturally but challenge yourself to grow further.

Be honest with yourself…what is hard for you? These are weaknesses that can be turned into gifts. Put hard work into making changes that better yourself. We all have areas that we need to work on so embrace them for they will make you stronger.

Your path will not look like anyone else’s and it shouldn’t. Be proud of that! Take quiet time alone to get to know your true self, pondering questions, planning actions to answers. Self-reflection is a normal part of human development and happens quite often throughout your life so get used to it. Enjoy the process, the metamorphosis…this one unique life that only you will live. ❤︎

Guiding Questions for Graduates: Set aside some quiet time and write down honest answers to these questions. This is a valuable way to learn more about your unique self.

  • How do I describe myself?
  • What do I like to do in my spare time? What are my hobbies?
  • What’s fun? What brings me happiness?
  • What do I find hard to do? What’s challenging for me?
  • When do I procrastinate? When am I excited to start something?
  • How do I handle stress?
  • What do I value? What’s important to me?
  • Who do I prioritize? Who do I go to for help or advice?
  • What motivates me? Inspires me?
  • Here is a list of my goals:
  • Where do I see myself in 6 months? 1 year? 5 years? 10 years?

✺ Lauri is a certified life coach working with new grads on creating self-awareness and confidence in their unique selves navigating the space of young adulthood.

Simply Better Yourself

Posted in goals, Happiness, Joy, Little Moments, Midlife, mindfulness, motherhood, scripture, simply better yourself, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Cheers to a new year of simply bettering yourself!

I’ve been MIA…sorry! Life happens and sometimes not in a good way. I herniated a disc in my back months ago and it took a long time to feel well enough to even want to write again. The pain was tremendous and effected every facet of my life. Yet through it all, I prayed…

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1.

I have come to see that years of putting off taking care of myself is wrong. It hurts myself and my family and there is no excuse. I am blessed with good health and function, yet I take it for granted. I believe I got injured for a reason. I needed pain to stop being in the cycle of taking care of everyone around me before I even thought about what I needed. I stopped needlessly worrying about mundane tasks, unimportant events, and unfulfilling relationships. I focused on what was essential to me and my loved ones.

One of my realizations was that now was the time to simply better myself…little steps each day to physically, spiritually and emotionally make me a stronger person. First up was starting my day with inspiration. Before I got out of bed, I read my devotional, wrote about the things I was grateful for, even when first thoughts were self-pity, anger and disappointment. Yet, I did encourage myself to dig deeper. look wide-eyed around me for all the goodness. Next, I was able to focus on my health…a 10-minute routine from my physical therapist on stretching my body is now what I do before I leave the house! This simple new habit led to joining a local gym so I could get into a warm therapy pool to ease the pain and foster healing even more. Now, I can say I’m a gym-regular and can’t imagine my days without it!! Why do bad things need to happen for us to truly focus on what’s important? I have worn out my emotional ‘battery’ on minutia for years and I am trying to stop because it is truly not worth it.

So, why am I telling you all this?? Because I want you to

Simply Better Yourself!

Seek out 1 small, easy way to make today better for yourself…not for others, but for you! Will you eat a healthier snack, go for a walk instead of watching TV, call a friend to catch up, sign up for that yoga class you’ve been dreaming about, or make a home-cooked meal instead of eating out? What is 1 thing you can do right now to Simply Better Yourself? I am definitely stronger, happier and healthier due to the little changes I strive to make each day. Will you join me?!! ♥︎

Lifelong Learning-setting the example

Posted in Family, goals, Happiness, Hobbies, Joy, Little Moments, parenting, self-improvement, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , Leave a comment
Nana’s newest project

I have always loved learning, loved school; that’s one of the main reasons I became a teacher. During my years as a homemom, I was always finding ways to better myself. I would take online seminars from my alma mater staying abreast the newest technology, I enrolled in a Life Coach certification program to gain insight into how to inspire others and I ALWAYS read! Reading continues to enlighten, guide and transform me in whatever season of life I’m in.

Recently, my 76-year-old mother took up knitting. She is a very accomplished croceter, but knitting was new. While she has found it challenging, she feels it’s ‘good for her brain’ to keep learning new things. And what an example she sets for me AND her grandchildren. They watch in awe as she patiently tries and retries to learn a new skill. She makes mistakes, gets better, gets frustrated but keeps going. It’s this lifelong learning that keeps her young in spirit, relevant, and simply happy. I can’t help but think of all the things she has learned over three-quarters of a century and how that has shaped this amazing person we call Nana. So for the sake of inspiring your children to simply be better, try something new yourself! Hmmm…I have an idea…

Productive Procrastination

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I can always put off tasks to go to the beach!

Do you ever put off what really needs to be done with other simple, mindless or even pleasant activities? I have come to realize that I do it a lot when it’s time to exercise! I find myself putting in another load of laundry, or organizing the linen closet or sweeping the garage. I definitely get sidetracked but I recently learned that what I do has a name… productive procrastination. This doesn’t mean that because it has a name, it’s ok to put off exercising. In fact, it has had the opposite effect! Now I realize what I’m doing…color-coding our monthly calendar can wait until I strength train for 45 minutes! And guess what? The calendar still gets done and I feel stronger, physically and mentally! So, the next time you put off doing that thing that you don’t really like doing…..pause…. and think about how your productive procrastination isn’t that beneficial. Call yourself out on it and then get the real job done!!