Latest / The Bold Lounge / Ariel Belgrave: Boldly Being You- Better Habits, Better Health

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Ariel Belgrave: Boldly Being You- Better Habits, Better Health · The Bold Lounge

• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bold Lounge Podcast.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: My name is Lee Burgess and I will be your host.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: If you're anything like me, you love hearing inspiring stories of people who have gone on bold journeys and made a positive impact in the world.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: This podcast is all about those kinds of stories.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Every week, we'll hear from someone who has taken a leap or embarked on an extraordinary journey.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: In addition to hearing their stories, we'll also learn about their bold growth mindset that they use to make things happen.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Whether they face challenges or douse along the way, they persisted and ultimately achieved their goals.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: These impactful stories will leave you feeling motivated and inspired to pursue your own bold journey.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: I believe everyone has a bold story waiting to be freed.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Tune in and get ready to be inspired.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bold Lounge.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: Today I have Ariel Belgrave.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: She is an award-winning health and fitness expert, a creative wellness consultant and the founder of Jim Hookie Love that name.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Through her signature approach, the lean methods, she's helped thousands of women around the world adopt simple and sustainable healthy habits for high performance.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: She's also helped some of the nation's most innovative companies build a culture of wellness in a way that highly engages their audience, fuses in technology, allows for deeper human connection and is inclusive of authentic cultural experiences.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bold Lounge.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: Thank you, I'm so excited for this conversation.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: I know we've been talking before, so we're ready to jump into it, so I would love to know your definition of bold Ariel.
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: So I would say that this word is one that deeply resonates with the life I have and continue to live.
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: So, to me, bold is living, thinking, speaking in ways that is courageous and unapologetic.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: For me, that can look like being true to who I am, no matter what space I'm in, and that's something that has evolved over time.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: So, given my self-promission to evolve, that looks like unapologetically chasing my passion and the things that bring me joy, versus chasing the things that culture tells me I should chase.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: Society, the world, tells me I should chase, that is taking leaps and doing it scared, very scared, and just oh, I'd say just getting up when I fail.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: I believe that fitness is my jam, so it's only right that I have an analogy.
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: That's relative, but I believe that when I fall, I'm building that muscle to be even bolder and more courageous.
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: Excellent, that is an awesome definition.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: One of the things that you said is like doing it scared, living, thinking, speaking and being unapologetically you, and that's not easy.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: Simply said, but in the sense of simple does not equal easy for many when it comes to that, so it's a choice too.
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: I think that's really important for folks to understand and it's intentional.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: That's right.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: What it was the first time, based on your definition, that you remember being bold or one that stands out for you.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: So the one I'll share is one I believe set the foundation for, like, the rest of my career.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: So I'm going to take it back to elementary school.
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: Take it back In elementary school.
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: I'd say I was known for being the girl who loved to play football with the guys during recess and address, and I'm seeing this up for being bold, because this was me first giving myself permission to be in spaces.
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: That it's not that I wasn't allowed, but it wasn't expected convention wasn't there, right Convention wasn't there.
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, convention wasn't there.
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: So I love sports and although I was wearing a dress, I'm like, listen, I'm gonna.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: My mom knew she was like I'll wear pants underneath that dress because I think, even embracing it culturally, because that was something where it was like, okay, no matter what we closely put her in, she's gonna want to play football with.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: You know, play sports.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: So for me, I believe that set the foundation for being in spaces where I was a minority in many ways, whether it be my race, whether it be my skill sets, my experience, background, what have you?
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: So it would have to be, yeah, that elementary school.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: So when you played football with the, with the boys or the guys, what you know for you, there was no sense that you shouldn't be doing it right.
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: There was just like I would like to do it and I want to have some fun and I'm going to go over here and do it.
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: So where do you think, as adults, we lose that?
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: Oh, because I think you know you, just when you're younger and I think there's just this funky space.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: I always say it was like late 30s, early 40s for me.
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: I was like, well, maybe I shouldn't be all of me all the time, you know, because I won't get promoted, or maybe that group won't like me, or maybe I won't fit in, and I don't know.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: I did that, I think, you know.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: Maybe the listeners are just in, you know they've been strong the whole time, but I had this moment and I don't think it was weakness, it was just as a assimilation in a way.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: You know, like I got.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: I have to act this way because it's expected and for me to be successful in air quotes everyone, I must do this this way.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: Never one wants to hear my thoughts all the time.
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: No one wants to hear about how I encourage people to be bolder, to try something new or to try something knowing it might fail.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: Where do you think we lose that childhood spirit of I can do anything I'm meant to do or want to do?
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: We think.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Speaking for me personally, I think it's the moment we are of age where there's an even greater influence on what our expectations were are, especially when it comes to our careers, even as being women, I'd say for me, even through high school, I feel like I still have that unapologetic edge, the shift from me where I struggled right, so now I'm speaking about the unapologetic Ari in 2023.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: But the reality is, I lost a sense of that when I went to college and I kind of, when you go to college, you're introduced to a whole nother world where people can project their expectations on you.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: I know from me was also at time where I gave myself permission to even think through what it is I wanted to do in my career as a college student what have you?
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: But I do think outside influences can be the biggest distractors to that like unapologetic joy that we have as kids and for many it could be sooner right.
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: You have family expectations, cultural expectations.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: I think now, today is even a lot more different when you have access to social media and there's so much that we're being told on how we should be, how we should live our lives, and now that's a whole nother ball game, I think for the generations coming up.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it is definitely a whole nother ball game.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: I'm glad it wasn't around when I was young.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: Oh, my God girl, I don't think I would have made it.
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: I just wouldn't as an adult some days.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: I don't think I'm going to make it.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: So, yeah, definitely it is something that comes into that.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: You know, the kind of amplifies the outside expectations or comparison trap that can happen.
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: That's right, definitely something to think about as we think about healthy habits and intention and really the connectedness that we have, not only as women but also just as human beings wanting to do good and, to you know, be good in the world.
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: So making sure we're aware of those things as we kind of get older.
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: Hold on to that as long as you can and if you've lost it, you can get it back.
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: You can get it back.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah, so after college, kind of, where did you go?
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: So obviously you're founder of Jim Hookie, and tell us a little about what Jim Hookie is in your answer so we can understand what it is.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: But how did you get from college to Jim Hookie?
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: What happened to between there?
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: It's a great question because there's a lot that happened.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah, go listen.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: Go listen to that timeline.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so one of the things I mentioned I kind of preface was saying that going to college was where, I say, the floodgates were opened on what was possible beyond what I thought could be possible.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: When it comes to success and passion, what have you?
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: So I came into college with the intention of, like, being a doctor.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: I want to be a doctor.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Where I grew up and in my culture, success is Dr Lloyd, engineer, anything else, what is that Like?
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: What is success?
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: So, for me, I came into college okay, pre-med biology and what college did for me was gave me access to explore, like disability, explore other realms.
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: So I actually ended up switching to psychology still remain pre-med, but by the time I was ready to graduate.
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: I'm like I don't want to go to medical school and what I was doing in tandem was actually exploring the business side of things.
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: I was interning at a accounting firm, a tax accounting firm, and I really, really loved that world.
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: So, fast forward, where I started right out of college was actually an investment banking and was not a realm.
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: I think I mentioned I teed up playing football and being in these spaces that I wasn't, it wasn't designed to release, but me being a psychology major and entering spaces like investment banking, where I never had the big four internships or any of that attached to my name.
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: I worked for a small accounting firm and that was where I knew that I can do anything Like.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: It brought me so much joy to be in those spaces and just be able to thrive Fast forward.
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: Part of being in these spaces was what created, I'd say, a pain to a purpose with Jim Hookie.
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: So I went from being an athlete I was actually a rugby player in college, nice.
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: Listen, tough girl.
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: I see the football and elementary to rugby in college.
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: Like OK, all right, it's all connecting, it's all connecting.
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: But when I did take that to go all in and I'd say the real world, I struggled to take the best care of myself, right Going from an athlete to not having the structure, the accountability, something to look forward to being and performing your best.
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: I wasn't showing up and I wasn't working out, I wasn't eating healthy and I started to lose myself.
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: And this is where I had to have my come to Jesus moment where I was like, ok, you have a gym membership, you're not using it.
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: You're working 80 plus hour weeks.
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: You still have to take the best care of yourself.
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: Because I was moving up the ladder very fast and I wasn't really given the tools to deal with the burnout.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: I was just tools on how you move up the ladder.
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: Exactly.
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know the map of how to get there in the sense of professionally, like what are the steps, but I don't remember anyone ever talking to me about make sure you do this, make sure this is happening, because this is the other side of you.
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: Your personal well-being is important just as much as your professional track.
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: That's right.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: That's right and I worked in a male dominated environment, a white male dominated environment, so no one's talking about those things.
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: And for me, I felt that was like keeping up with the Joneses, right, like being on the younger side, young black woman.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: It's like, ok, I have to build a lot of rapport and trust and bring my AGM at all times.
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: So Jim Hookie ended up starting.
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: So I started actually doing homework outs because I had a gym membership, never used it.
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: So hopefully, jim Hookie sounds like what it is, which is this notion of skipping the gym, but more of a positive movement, of how you can take the best care of yourself outside of the gym.
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: So that's inclusive of everything, even beyond working out, from your mindset to the food you're eating, to the boundaries you're setting, what have you.
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: And I realized I worked with a lot of women Well, not a lot of women, but the women that we did come together like, oh my gosh, you look great.
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: I'm seeing a change.
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: I would love to go to the gym with you and I'm like, actually, I work out at home and I actually started sharing my workouts on Tumblr.
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: Ok, go back.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: Right, take us back to Tumblr.
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: So I started sharing on Tumblr and then that's when I realized that the need to create this community, the need to share education on what wellness can look like in a simple way, was absolutely necessary for women like me who were career-oriented, very ambitious.
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: So fast forward to January 2015.
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: I officially created an Instagram called Jim Hookie and literally that's where it all started, with creating community and just a lot of education around well-being.
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: And while working in banking, I also progressed in my career, ended up working for a nonprofit, moving to the Bay Area, then ended up at Metta working in tech, and at this point I had already transitioned to the HR space focused on employee engagement.
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: And in 2020 was when I took the full leap.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: The timing was pretty wild because I gave actually notice a month before the pandemic Pandemic was international.
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: My very last day at Metta was the very first day of shelter in place in California, and it's crazy how the timing worked because I built a brand around home workouts, so it actually worked in my favor to be able to be a source and a voice for what it looked like to take the best care of yourself at home.
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it was meant to be.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's amazing when your path that you've been on and the path you're meant to be on merge and you're just like whoa, did that just happen?
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: You know, I don't know.
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: Did you have that moment of did that?
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: just happen.
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: Yes, and it's crazy.
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: When I think back, I'm like man.
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: If there was just a one week difference, I would have been so I'd say I'm a risk taker, but I'm a calculated risk taker.
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: That's what being bold is.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: It's thoughtful, it's pragmatic.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: I mean there's a myth that you just leap without looking, but it's not that You're very thoughtful.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: It's an intention for me, and while I'll be the first to say it was not in my cards to ever want to be an entrepreneur when I grew up For me this what was a side hustle made me feel like it would take me that to that next level of chasing impact and chasing the things that really light me up, and that was in alignment with that.
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: So timing wise it was actually pretty wild, but I think if it was like a two week difference, I've probably been like, ah, you know, probably should take several seats and stay in corporate with all this craziness happening.
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah, plan B, plan B, yeah, no, it definitely comes into play.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: So what have you learned about yourself in three years since founding your company?
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: A little, I mean, you're almost to four years, honestly.
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: So I started in September of 20.
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: Sounds like you started in February, march of 20.
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: So, like, as you've built the company, what have you learned about yourself?
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: And then, how has Jim Huckey changed or evolved since then?
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: Cause it has.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Ooh, this is a great question.
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: So I needed to make a lot of mindset shifts.
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: Going from the corporate world to being an entrepreneur, I realized that I was tying a lot of my worth.
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: You know, when in the corporate world you have, like performance management, there's these metrics that allow you to progress based on how you perform and how much money you make and what have you.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: And I had to treat that very differently.
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: I had to separate the two, and you spoke about this briefly earlier was when I started.
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: I didn't want to have to keep thinking about money.
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: It was making an impact.
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: In the moment that I shifted my mindset on wanting to make an impact and knowing and actually truly believing, like having abundant mindset, that that is there and I'm deserving of that.
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: That's where it was that shift.
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: I found myself always comparing everything to the corporate world, which I say in the first year was holding me back a little bit.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: Where I was like my goals were a bit my new, I'd say.
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: Where it's like oh well, I'm just.
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: You know, when I compare it to the 10 plus years that I was in corporate, it took me quite a bit of time to get to this salary and to make these achievements and this impact.
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: So probably I should give myself 10 years to do that, when in reality, what I accomplished within the first years far surpassed how much, how quickly I moved in corporate.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: So that was one.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: The other is my natural love for learning.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: I am someone who I'm very curious and, wherever I can, I love to be in spaces with people smarter than me and that's something that I've prioritized in my business and even in my career.
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: It's like an extension of mentorship and what that can look like now in the entrepreneurship world is like masterminds and accelerators and different things.
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: And I realized for me, having that sense of accountability allows me to execute even faster because I'm a doer, but also having sound advice on this entrepreneurship journey has been really great.
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: And then asking for help.
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: I'm someone who can want to do it all and the roles that I was in in corporate.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: I had a lot on my shoulders.
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: I absolutely dealt with burnout and navigated that quite a few times and as an entrepreneur, it's like girl time to start getting a team, it's time to start asking for help, it's time to get sound advice from mentors, and that has allowed me to just bring my business to new heights.
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: Yeah, so as we like, evolve businesses or people evolve kind of where they are in their own career, I think there is just a sense of also reinvention, like okay, it worked here but it's not working here.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: What I did in 22 isn't the same as 23.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: And you know it's not going to be what we do in 24.
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: How did you embrace reinvention through those times and is it an integral part of someone when they're thinking about their health as well?
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd say a big part for me was knowing that I can slow down in order to speed up.
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: So being really thoughtful about what I'm building and also how I'm building my own habits that are in alignment with the life I'm trying to build.
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: So I'm definitely a forward thinker.
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: I'm always thinking about what it is that I like, what a success look like for me, and that has even evolved.
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: Before it was like, oh, I want to have a house or I want to have the money in the bank, and today it's like I'm working for freedom and freedom.
• 17:50
  Speaker 2: Can I imagine my definition for freedom today can look different five years from now.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: I don't have kids yet, but I imagine priorities can shift once that happens.
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: But for right now it is defining what freedom looks like for me, and that is like certain parts of work being a choice, being able to do the things I am passionate about.
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: I like to say I chase peace.
• 18:11
  Speaker 2: So all that I do.
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: In that evolution I realized technically I have been chasing peace since, since college.
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: But knowing that what, how I'm choosing to interact with people, the people I surround myself with, the decisions that I make, what I choose to offer for services, even within my business is all getting me steps closer to that sense of freedom and peace.
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: And one thing I do like to say is my corporate skills are paying the bills.
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: So it is also knowing that the experiences that I brought from that decade of being in the corporate world is more than valuable in my world as an entrepreneur.
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: I initially was like, oh okay, hr, fitness, time to scrap it, when I actually feel like it allowed me to navigate the world during the pandemic, especially as in the fitness space, very different than the average wellness professional, which allowed me to take things to more heights.
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: So it's literally taking all my experiences in one and changing my mindset to get to a place of what I would deem as freedom.
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: Yeah, so really powering your future with your experiences from the past.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: Right, and really, I think that's what it's all about.
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: You learn from it, you grow from it, you learn what to do, not to do.
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: I think one of the interesting pieces just about your journey to now is you have like the insider scoop of like what that world is like, which is unhealthy.
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: That's right, yeah.
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: So without that, and you experience yourself of like you weren't doing the workouts, you weren't going to the gym, and I don't know that.
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: I'm sure you know the exact specifics about how much people spend on gym memberships and then don't go.
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: You know the psychology around it, and we were talking before we started taping about just wanting to have folks who are interacting, you know now, with the collective and with the things that you're doing.
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: But for people to think about their health now, not waiting till December 31st, when we hit the New Year's resolutions and all that stuff.
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: Why do you think we don't get right when it comes to thinking about our health as something we can improve today?
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: It doesn't have to wait until we're done traveling or till we're done with that particular project or, you know, once this happens in my life, like I always feel like at least for me like I have an excuse and I'm really getting tired.
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: I told my team like I'm over myself and my excuses lately, so I just want to get at it and like it.
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: Just I have to do it and I'm doing it.
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: But I think sometimes we just like, put our health off or we backburner it.
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: Why does that happen?
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: With all your experience that you've had?
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: So I'd say two things A lot of us tend to when it comes to like our career in building whether it be our businesses or being in corporate and then versus our health.
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: We see them as mutually exclusive, versus what it can look like in tandem, because I think oftentimes we have had experiences where we feel like our back is against the wall and we have to choose one or the other, like I don't have time to work out because I have a lot of meetings.
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: I am working really late.
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: It's about making it a priority, though, and I'd say I like to say that we can tell a lot about a person by what they choose to put on what's on their calendar.
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: So, making sure that you are on your calendar if there are workouts you need to do.
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: If there is, I mean, wellness can span beyond workouts, obviously, but adding yourself as a priority rather than making it mutually exclusive.
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: The other is that we wait until our cast tank is on E before we fill it up and we think that, okay, well, I'm just going to work really hard, I'm going to go ham, go hard, and then I'll be able to go on PTO in a month or in December to start the year strong and the reality is it takes more than a week to recover, especially if you're in burnout.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: Some people are burning out for like a solid year and don't even realize it, because our body has been in this fight-or-flight response for a very long time that it's natural to feel this amount of stress until we have this break-in point.
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: Why do we do that?
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: I guess it's interesting.
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: So I had a group that went to one of our retreats and they all had goals one in personal, professional and wellness and they, like, rocked their personal professional goal and then I would say 80% of them backburnered their health goal.
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: And it comes back to prioritization, including myself and it comes back to making the time for it, knowing you have to do it but you're not doing it.
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: I've heard that a bunch of times.
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: I know what I need to do but I'm just not doing it.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: And that's habit right, that's habit formation and it's choice.
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: I always say, well, that's a choice right.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: So when it comes to kind of how or what should someone do if they're trying to front burner their health, like what are the steps that someone can take, that they may just be a small step forward, but it is a step towards a healthier you, which is so important, and I know everyone listening wants to be healthier in some form or fashion, whether it's emotionally, physically, mentally, like we all have stuff that we want to feel better about in those areas.
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: Yes, great question, and you said a word that sticks out and what my response will be.
• 23:16
  Speaker 2: And you mentioned small steps, number one, I'd say, of the clients that I've had, the number one barrier that I've helped them get through is the all or nothing mindset A lot of people go.
• 23:29
  Speaker 2: They'll start this journey and they will go from zero to 100.
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: And the moment they can't hit that 100, then it is like, well, I missed that workout, so I'm not continuing, or they feel like they've entirely full off.
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: So what I always say is give yourself permission.
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: Anyone.
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: Even if I went off track and needed to get back on as a fitness professional, I even start smaller and thinking about the small things that you can do and don't force yourself to make every change at once.
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: Right, I think in an ideal world we'd love to work out as often as possible, eat all the healthiest meals, drink all the water, set all the boundaries, but how are you gonna do that?
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: One step at a time, so it's not overwhelming to the point where, the moment you fall off, it's a lost cause.
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: So what I usually challenge folks to do is think of one thing they can do very well and do it consistently.
• 24:19
  Speaker 2: Perfection is not gonna get you where you want to be.
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: It is consistent.
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: So my rule of thumb is to not miss, whatever it is you committed to two days in a row, right?
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: So if you committed to working out and you're like, okay, I'm gonna work out four days this week and you miss a day, okay, I am not gonna miss, I'm gonna just pick up right where I left off, versus beating myself up and just give myself more grace.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: That's one, sir, and small.
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: The other is understanding that in order to say yes to yourself, you're gonna have to say no to other things.
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: Right, it is absolutely impossible right now.
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: If you are living a life where you can even think about 30 minutes, that you can fit in to go for a walk or to make sure you're hydrated, that means something has got to give.
• 25:09
  Speaker 2: And the reality is, if you were to write down every single thing on your plate, there may be an opportunity for you.
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: It may not be as important as you're making it seem, or it's not a priority right now.
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: So, thinking about, what are those things that you may need to say no to, and in those things, is there anyone that you can get help from?
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: Delegate, because I have a lot of like high, strong clients who are just like yeah, but it's mine, you know.
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: It's like but other people can do it, yeah, it doesn't need to be yours, it doesn't.
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: And this is where it becomes a you problem, right?
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: So it's like perfectionism is something that is causing you to burn out because you are not giving other people the chance to help you, you're not communicating that you need help, even as I have a lot of clients who are mothers, where it's like well, I have all these responsibilities of mothers.
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: Like, okay, well, have you asked your spouse?
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: Cause I actually have a lot of guy friends too where it's like huh, how do I get my wife to like actually ask for help?
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: She wants to do it all and I know she's struggling, right, so it's both ways.
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: While I want to hold it down for my ladies, I'm like listen, sometimes we beat a problem, you know.
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: And asking for help.
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: Sometimes someone just has to say you don't have to do it all, you don't have to do every piece or part of that.
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: You know some of the questions my team will ask me.
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: It was like, why are you doing that?
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: You know, can we do that?
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: Can someone else help with that?
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: We're like, oh, great question.
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: It's helpful to also like have other people call you on it and help you be accountable to yourself, which for me, I'll just tell you, is sometimes really really hard.
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: If I'm just working out for me like, okay, I could skip it, I might not make it, I, you know, might miss two days and more, but if I'm showing up for you, I'm there, like I'm not missing, I'm not letting her down, I'm gonna be there.
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: What is it about that?
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: That happens when we're doing something with regard to kind of our health or workouts or those types of things.
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: And making other people priority over ourselves.
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, like.
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: I'm accountable to you more than I'm accountable to me.
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: That can be deeper.
• 27:09
  Speaker 2: And when I say deeper, there's healing there, because what I also know as someone who's a recovering people pleaser that's something that I've had to work through as well.
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: Where I am at one point was willing to do for others, to have a feeling where I felt needed or I just wanted to.
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: I didn't wanna make it seem like I wasn't there for people.
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: You want anybody down to?
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: So there might be other listeners that can relate to just not wanting to let anyone else down, always wanting to be there, be supportive, but sometimes the one that we need to not let down is ourselves.
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: We need to be there for ourselves, and so I just think and I'm saying that out loud, I'm hearing it myself I think it's something that you just need to remember, because we put a lot of energy into others, but how much energy are you putting into yourself?
• 27:56
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 27:56
  Speaker 2: And one thing I will always say is that when you take the best care of yourself, everyone around you wins your kids, your spouse, your colleagues.
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: Why?
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: Because you're able to bring and be your best.
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: Right, when you are super burnt out, you're giving half of yourself, which may not be as valuable.
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: And one thing I would challenge listeners to think about when we think we live in this world of a lot of calendars right, a lot of things put on our calendars and you'll hear the word time management thrown around a whole lot.
• 28:28
  Speaker 2: Right, because we live by our calendars.
• 28:29
  Speaker 2: But one thing that I would challenge you to think, if you feel like you look at your calendar and there's so many things there, there's so many obligations that you have before work, during work, after work is to measure your energy versus time.
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: Right, time, I'd say, is nearly infinite.
• 28:45
  Speaker 2: You'll look at your calendar and if someone wants to say, hey, lee, like I have a question, do you have 30 minutes today?
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: You may look at your calendar and be like well, actually I do have 30 minutes during the workday.
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: But the question you should be asking yourself is do I have the energy, especially if it's a case if it's back to back to back.
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: I challenge you to think of energy as currency.
• 29:06
  Speaker 2: You are earning it and that way you earn it is how you're filling up your battery.
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: You are spending it.
• 29:12
  Speaker 2: That's how you're expending it to other people and then you're saving it.
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: You don't wanna get your currency, your piggy bank, to zero.
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: You always have to think about how you are I don't wanna use this word because I don't want that to be the word, but like a little bit selfish.
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: With your energy, you don't have to give it to everyone.
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: So I challenge folks to think about that.
• 29:32
  Speaker 2: If you feel like time tends to slip away, be honest with yourself and you owe it to yourself to just measure against what energy you have, because you could always have 30 minutes on your calendar and have that time, but do you have the energy for that conversation?
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: Yes, we've definitely heard of the energy audits.
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: I actually look at my calendar some days.
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: I'm going how much energy will that meeting take versus that meeting?
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: Can I really have a back to back of those two Just in the sense of how much am I giving in that?
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: Am I just a participant versus leading, which is another use of energy?
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: And if I think back about my corporate schedule, I easily, easily had 12 hours meetings a day on average, no less than 10 on average.
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: And you probably didn't.
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: I was gonna say you probably didn't start the work day because you're in meetings all day and then you have takeaways from those meetings.
• 30:22
  Speaker 2: You're working later at night to actually work.
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: I got to a point where I was doing two or three hours of sleep and then the pandemic just kind of pushed it for me and in that sense it was like it's just too much, it was ridiculous, and part of it I did it to myself right, I'm just being responsible, wanting to be responsive and not letting anybody down and all that, but yeah, so it got to a point where it just wasn't.
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: I had no energy left and no wonder why.
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: So I think it is important for people to actually look at their calendar and then actually do something about it.
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: I think that's the second step that's kind of gets missed.
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: They look at it, they go.
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: Oh, I just don't know what to do.
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: And again, it's the small steps.
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: Maybe you can't clear a Friday or clear a Monday, and that's hard to do.
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: Take it a step by step.
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Start blocking an hour, start blocking 30 minutes, start blocking your mornings.
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: To not start Doesn't mean you don't start working till 10, but maybe you just want eight to 10 to be like I just wanna get in, get in my space, get organized, whatever it may be, or focus on certain things.
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: I think people have better focus times too, whether it might be in the morning or the afternoon and thinking about when the best of you is and then match that with the things that are the most important in your schedule.
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: Yes, I love that.
• 31:34
  Speaker 2: And one thing I want to mention I feel like when you see articles online, you'll see a lot of like oh, this is what this famous person does.
• 31:42
  Speaker 2: Or to be successful in the morning, what's their morning routine?
• 31:45
  Speaker 2: And that's another thing that could be overwhelming is just the things we read online.
• 31:48
  Speaker 2: You'll see people who like wake up at 4am and they have the most productive day by 9am Meditate, cold plunge, yeah, all the things.
• 31:57
  Speaker 2: And I'm like, listen, if there's anything that you listening takes away from this is that you need to create a routine that is an alignment for your life and the season that you're in.
• 32:09
  Speaker 2: Okay, so if January 2024 comes in I know right now the group is planning and you set a routine that may not be the same routine in March 2024 and is giving yourself permission to meet you where you're at.
• 32:22
  Speaker 2: So if your morning routine is main like, okay, I'm going to wake up, not pick up my phone for the first 30 minutes and focus and maybe journal, or I want to go for a walk or maybe do my workout and choose one to two things that you could be consistent with, versus a morning routine that stresses you out just by the thought of it.
• 32:42
  Speaker 2: That can be very meaningful for wherever you are on your wellness journey, because that is.
• 32:47
  Speaker 2: Those actions are a sure sign of your commitment to yourself, which is not just now.
• 32:54
  Speaker 2: It's the long game, and the choices you make now are going to impact what your life is like when you are 70, when you are 80.
• 33:01
  Speaker 2: So it's never too early to make sure you're making yourself a priority.
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: It's never too late to start.
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: Going back to what you said earlier.
• 33:08
  Speaker 1: Like people think it's all or nothing.
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: Oh, I can't reduce my sugar.
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: I love sugar, that's me, but I mean.
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: But it's like, yes, you can.
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: You can just start making better choices, right, you could choose how much that one's worth you versus all of them all the time you know.
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: So, like, choose it wisely.
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: I can't drink a glass of water today.
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: Well, how about starting with three?
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: Again, it's just to begin begin.
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: You got to start and you have to make that choice for you and saying I'm not going to be unhealthy any longer.
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: And I think sometimes it's that first step that's a very, very hardest.
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: I love what you said about kind of the being, what season you're in, but also just even thinking about you, what you said, even the seasons of how you work out, like as it gets into winter versus spring, versus summer, versus fall, like you're going to be doing different things.
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: I personally like to switch it up anyway or I get bored.
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: There's certain things I like I could keep, maybe as a base, but then I got to do some different things around it, so that I keep interest as well.
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: Do you see that with your clients as well, or is it kind of a mix?
• 34:14
  Speaker 2: It's a mix.
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: There are some folks who are like gung ho, this is what I like.
• 34:18
  Speaker 2: I like to do it, but I actually encourage variety.
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: As someone who's a wellness professional and most people see me doing strength training I also love to dance, I love to try new things, and that is the only way you don't want your body to get so used to one thing, because then that's when you plateau you may not feel the same effects.
• 34:34
  Speaker 2: So surprise your body every now and then, and I think it's very healthy, especially if you're you have a level of self awareness where, like I, get bored.
• 34:43
  Speaker 2: And what happens when you get bored?
• 34:45
  Speaker 2: You're not as motivated or even committed to making it happen because you're bored.
• 34:51
  Speaker 2: So that's how you go for it Switch it up.
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: You can also do a hybrid of in person and virtual too.
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: I like to be in groups exercising.
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: If I run, or something like that, I want to be with other people or I want to be competing with other people.
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: In a way, I think it's a combination.
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: Thinking of the psychology You're a psychology major.
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: That was your base of like the psychology of sport is quite fascinating as well, right in the sense of how we even think about why we're doing what we're doing.
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: So what are some psychology nuggets or something that connects us to a healthier us like?
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: What do we need to realize might be happening?
• 35:27
  Speaker 2: Ooh.
• 35:28
  Speaker 2: So there's a word that that I that I want to tie to what you've been explaining and doing, things that you enjoy when it comes to movement, or at least switching things up, and that is joyful movement.
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 35:38
  Speaker 2: So that notion that you are going to do when it comes to movement and I say movement, right, it doesn't have to be a gym membership is anything where movement is happening.
• 35:48
  Speaker 2: But make it joy is only because when you are doing what you enjoy, you are more likely to be consistent with it.
• 35:54
  Speaker 2: You don't want your wellness to appear to be a chore.
• 35:57
  Speaker 2: You don't want it to.
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: It is a privilege, right, but you don't want it to be one way like, oh okay, I have to go work.
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: I was like no, I actually want to look forward to this and it's beyond how it makes you look.
• 36:09
  Speaker 2: Maybe you going on a run or doing those classes in in in person groups sessions brings you great energy, makes you feel more energized, especially if you're coming off of a stressful day.
• 36:19
  Speaker 2: So it's a thinking about definitely joyful movement and then be it's, it's it I got to bring in bold, right, it is.
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: It is being unapologetic and how you show up for yourself.
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: As long as you're showing up for yourself, I know that there are so many things that you can read online on how you should be doing it and, yes, there are some things you should be doing if you want to accomplish certain goals.
• 36:40
  Speaker 2: But if, when you're thinking about the long game, it is thinking everything holistically, down to even pausing if you need to and doing meditation right there some days where you're probably like I don't have it in me to do a full out, okay, go for a walk, listen to a podcast, move your body and that way and you mentioned the psychology Oftentimes we wait for motivation, right, so we believe that when we're motivated is when we can start.
• 37:07
  Speaker 2: But in reality, it starts with action.
• 37:09
  Speaker 2: Is action that motivates us?
• 37:10
  Speaker 2: Because, ready for this, let's use Lee, let's use a for use you, for example, you mentioned running.
• 37:17
  Speaker 2: If you were in a place where like, oh, okay, I'm off track, I'm just waiting for that moment to go for a run, what I would suggest for you is to just go for run, even if it's five minutes, lee, I want you to go for a five minute run.
• 37:33
  Speaker 2: Why?
• 37:33
  Speaker 2: Because you're going to go on that run and you're going to feel the effects of that run.
• 37:37
  Speaker 2: You're going to feel good from that run, you're going to remember the why related to that run and then that's going to motivate you to do it the next day.
• 37:45
  Speaker 2: Oftentimes we wait around for motivation and it's not.
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: Motivation is more of a discipline, or just from the get go, just starting period, and that can build your excitement up to do it again and again, and again and again.
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: You might also realize how far you are away from your goal.
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: Like I, just think about going for a run right now.
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: I know I couldn't go as far but you're.
• 38:06
  Speaker 2: But you're comparing.
• 38:07
  Speaker 2: You're comparing it to a time that you used to have.
• 38:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so that will be.
• 38:12
  Speaker 2: The other thing I would say is be careful on comparing ourselves.
• 38:15
  Speaker 2: Comparison is a thief of joy and oftentimes we hear that in the context of other people.
• 38:19
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but also comparing ourselves to versions of ourselves five years ago, 10 years ago, can also be unfair.
• 38:26
  Speaker 2: So it is thinking about where you are now and what does version 2.0 of Lee look like?
• 38:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, what is the point of anyone listening here?
• 38:34
  Speaker 2: Look like, for how it is.
• 38:36
  Speaker 2: You want to look, not to say you can't achieve those things that you that that time, that you did five years ago.
• 38:43
  Speaker 2: But even with you saying it's like us terrible, my time was X and it's like listen, you may need to have a new goal because you're in a different place.
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: Your older life is different, there's different responsibilities that you have.
• 38:53
  Speaker 2: Our body as women just changes in ways that are out of our control, you know.
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: So making sure that that's a priority in general, yeah, that's probably a reasonable thing, that a lot of people do so like I'm about to turn, it'll be 52.
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: I was comparing myself to the 42 Lee, okay, but I also never want to feel like I'm settling and I think that's the in a little bit of a way, like I just want to keep pushing myself to be the best me at 52, you know, not trying to be 42 Lee, because I don't know there's lots of 42 Lee.
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: I'm God I don't have to be like, yeah, I feel like, yeah, some of the things I'm more confident about.
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: But you know, definitely I think that's a good thing to point out for folks to remember.
• 39:35
  Speaker 1: Don't compare yourself to others, but also don't compare yourself to yourself as well.
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: Maybe it was a couple years ago, maybe things have changed.
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: It doesn't mean you can't get back on track, like you said, or get to where you want to be, but don't like compare it, just be happy.
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: You're taking the run.
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: You know you took a run today.
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: Check like let's celebrate that like something you had and done in a long time.
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: So I love that mindset flip there as well.
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: You're going to end with habits, because I think that's one of the things really, really important for people to understand that their habits are part of their mindset, are part of the things that they're doing.
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: So we're talking right now around the Q, the routine and the reward around someone's habits.
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: So, like, what's the queue like if you, you know, get upset?
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: Or what's the queue if you eat chocolate in the afternoon?
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: Or what's the queue if you skip your workout, like it was a long day?
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: So, in all of the work you've done with the thousands of people you've worked with, what are some of the things around the queue, the routine and the reward for establishing a good habit that you know, from a tip perspective, we can use?
• 40:36
  Speaker 2: So when I think of being on your wellness journey, I always want you to think of it as, rather than taking things away, it is what you can add so we can use water, for example.
• 40:48
  Speaker 2: I love that you mentioned the Q routine reward.
• 40:50
  Speaker 2: So you think water, for example.
• 40:52
  Speaker 2: We know we gotta drink more water.
• 40:53
  Speaker 2: So when I say I want you to think of what you're adding is, how can you add it to your existing routine, versus thinking about all the things you gotta take away, because as humans, it's just harder.
• 41:04
  Speaker 2: We have a sense of rebellion, naturally, whether we wanna admit or not, when we're told we can't have something.
• 41:09
  Speaker 2: So when we think about adding water, for example, you should absolutely have water first thing in the morning.
• 41:15
  Speaker 2: Okay, like our body, when you're sleeping seven, eight hours, it is dehydrated.
• 41:19
  Speaker 2: So having less of a water, how would I have you build?
• 41:22
  Speaker 2: Your routine Is A.
• 41:24
  Speaker 2: You can consider what that routine looks like for you.
• 41:28
  Speaker 2: I know for me personally, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna fill up my water the night before and put it on my nightstand, because I know a habit that I have is hitting my alarm clock.
• 41:38
  Speaker 2: I wake up, I sit up on my bed.
• 41:40
  Speaker 2: I might have my moment of my Woosa meditation.
• 41:43
  Speaker 2: Water's right there, so I'm gonna be adding it to an existing routine so it doesn't seem like it's way off.
• 41:49
  Speaker 2: So that's the key you wanna add a healthy habit to something that you're already doing regularly, that you don't even need to think about doing.
• 41:56
  Speaker 2: And how you make that a routine is finding ways to naturally include it, and the reward is, in this case, is like being hydrated, feeling good, not feeling parched and being able to go about your day and maybe have that coffee next or do your workout.
• 42:12
  Speaker 2: But that was an example.
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: So I think it's important for people to realize too, like it doesn't mean stopping something.
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: It just may be replacing a habit.
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: So when people say I need to stop doing that or stop doing this, your brain's gonna look for something.
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: So if it's looking for sugar in the afternoon, or if it's you're drinking coffee in the morning as your first thing, or a soda versus actual water, your body's gonna still wanna be hydrated.
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: You'll want to keep drinking something.
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: And why not replace your second coffee with the water?
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: And you can have a second coffee after that if you want, but just thinking about how to replace it.
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: So I think that's important fact that you just kind of talk through.
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: It's not always ending something and it's adding it to what you already do, so it doesn't feel like this huge step to make it happen.
• 42:55
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 42:55
  Speaker 2: And then the other thing I wanna mention is I know we brought up kind of emotional eating.
• 42:59
  Speaker 2: Is the thing right?
• 42:59
  Speaker 2: We have our moments where we're stressed, we're gonna go.
• 43:02
  Speaker 2: Some of us may go for the sweet, some of us may go for the salty or dot dot dot, whatever in between or both.
• 43:08
  Speaker 1: Or both right.
• 43:09
  Speaker 2: Or both, but in this case it's really important.
• 43:12
  Speaker 2: This is where a level of self-awareness is really important, right?
• 43:15
  Speaker 2: So it's thinking about what feelings are surrounding that.
• 43:18
  Speaker 2: I know for me, when I I'm definitely emotional eater, I'll go for the gummies and they're things I've had to put in place to.
• 43:25
  Speaker 2: You said it best replace it.
• 43:28
  Speaker 2: But the only way that I can replace it is being aware of the feelings that surround it.
• 43:32
  Speaker 2: Where I'm like, oh man, when I'm stressed, I choose to do this.
• 43:35
  Speaker 2: Or if I'm anxious, I may do this.
• 43:38
  Speaker 2: And first identifying what those emotions are is gonna be the first step to figuring out what you can possibly replace it with, and that replacement will look like, okay, well, what can fill that gap for stress?
• 43:49
  Speaker 2: Do I need to go for like a five minute walk and so I'm not distracted in just going to the cabinet?
• 43:54
  Speaker 2: Why, if I'm feeling anxious, do I need to maybe put on music that can be calming for me versus going to the cabinet?
• 44:00
  Speaker 2: So, thinking about what those things could be for replacement that can just help you just build healthier habits overall.
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, one of the key things just for me, it's our simple one is don't buy it, don't buy it.
• 44:11
  Speaker 2: And I'm like don't buy those.
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: Skittles.
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: Don't buy those Swedish fish, just don't buy the things that you know.
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: For me like a vice is Coca-Cola like I have drank a Coke in the morning since I was in high school, and so not a great habit, and I guess it was my coffee in high school and then it just kind of, you know, just became something and obviously it's not good for you for many, many reasons, but it became a really bad habit.
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: But if I don't buy it, I can't drink it, so that's just something as simple as out there.
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: And then it isn't in the cabinet and like doing a purge of your cabinet is probably a really good thing to think about too, as we kind of get into the latter part of this year and we're kicking off all these things that we want to do or want to achieve.
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: You don't have to wait till the end of the year to do these things, and doing a purge of your cabinet is like why is that in there?
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: Cause it's not going to support my goals of what I want to do when it comes to my health and wellness.
• 45:04
  Speaker 2: I totally agree, and this is where, envisioning what you always, let me say, and I refer to it, the 2.0 version.
• 45:09
  Speaker 2: So, even when folks are thinking about the life they want to have in 2024, I liked, I'm big on the visual reminder of what that can look like, right, or even just thinking of what your life will be.
• 45:22
  Speaker 2: So when you open those cabinets, is what in your cabinet a reflection of how you want to feel, how you want to look in 2024, and always think of it that way, because right now it may very well not be, but if you know that you want to feel energized, if you want to reduce the brain fog that you may be feeling, if you want to be more confident inside and outside your body, those things may not be a reflection of it, and the reality is it probably has got to go.
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's got to go All right.
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: I love ending on that Such a fun conversation.
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: All the information about Ariel and her work and Jim Hokey.
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: Please check it out in the episode notes and follow her and learn more about her journey as well as how she can help yours.
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: Thank you for being on the Bold Lounge.
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: Thank you for having me.
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to the Bold Lounge podcast.
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: Through the continuum of bold stories vulnerability to taking a leap you will meet more extraordinary people making a positive impact for others through their unique and important story.
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: By highlighting these stories, we hope to inspire others and share the journey of those with a bold mindset.
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: We hope you've enjoyed this podcast and look forward to sharing the next bold journey with you.