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  • What’s Your Dosha?

    What's Your Dosha?According to Ayurveda, Yoga’s sister science, there are three Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each of us has our own unique combination of these three, usually with one being more dominant. Here’s what’s interesting though, we translate Dosha as type or constitution. But the word Dosha actually means that which can become out of balance. A Dosha, therefore, is a weakness or an Achilles heel. If you’re going to have an issue mentally, physically, or emotionally, it’s going to show up in your dominant Dosha.

     

     

    You have 2 types of Doshas!

    To make things more complicated, there are two types of Doshas you need to know: the one we’re born with that never changes called Prakruti (sometimes referred to as birth constitution) and the one that’s currently out of balance, called Vikruti. Those two may or may not be the same. You might be wondering how you could have a current Dosha that’s different from your birth Dosha. That happens because your energy is affected by everything: your age, the current season of the year, your diet, the exercise you do (or don’t do), the type of yoga and meditation you practice, the people you interact with, the media you consume, the hobbies you enjoy, where you live, your lifestyle, and your habits.

    When using Ayurvedic tools to improve health, longevity, and well-being, the first step is to address what’s currently out of balance (Vikruti). Once you’ve done that, the goal is to live in accordance with your birth Dosha (Prakruti). It’s also important to live in harmony with the seasons. These seasonal changes are called Ritucharya (seasonal routine).

    Understanding the two different types of Doshas is crucial if you’re taking a Dosha quiz to determine your constitution. You have to decided if you’re answering based on what’s true right now (current Dosha) or what’s typically true for you (birth constitution). Keep reading to learn a better way!

     

    What’s your Dosha? (Prakruti or birth constitution)

    Current Doshic imbalances are typically seen as health issues or mental/emotional changes, while your physical body type remains unchanged. Because of this, you can use your body type to determine your birth constitution. Here are physical descriptions for each Dosha.

    Vata

    Tend to be thin, hard-gainers, could be tall or short, long limbs, bony features, protruding joints, small eyes, thin lips, tend toward tight muscles, weak nails

    Pitta

    Medium or athletic build, good muscle definition, average height, good flexibility, can lose or gain weight with right effort, moles and freckles, healthy pink nails, medium sized eyes

    Kapha

    Broad frame, “big-boned,” could be short or tall, heavy, naturally strong, solid, sturdy, good balance, thick hair, thick neck, thick limbs, large round eyes, large features, big mouth, strong thick nails

     

    What’s your Dosha? (Vikruti or current constitution)

    Dosha quizes can be confusing (are you answering for right now or what’s typical and it’s difficult to be objective). Instead, make a list of your current complaints, health issues, or what you’d like to see improved. Then, look at signs of imbalances for each Dosha. If you see the majority of your issues fall under one Dosha, that’s your current Dosha. Here are some imbalances for each Dosha.

    Vata

    Arthritis, Low BP, joint pain, stiff muscles, lack of flexibility, insomnia, constipation, dizziness, ringing in the ears, gas and bloating, dry/flaky dandruff, chronic fatigue, low back pain, intolerance to cold, restlessness, overactive mind, anxiety, impulsive spending, spacey or zoned out, disorganized, poor planner, lack of confidence, procrastination, fast talker, breathlessness, impatient, ADHD/ADD, OCD

    Pitta

    Acid reflux, heart burn, ulcers, rashes, psoriasis, inflammation, redness, diarrhea, liver issues, canker sores, excessive thirst/hunger, dry/flaky dandruff, hemorrhoids, red eyes, infections, intolerance to heat/humidity, overly intense, overly competitive, stubborn, angry, jealous, materialistic, aggressive, controlling, manipulative, demeaning, critical, judgemental, egotistical, overbearing, suppression of emotion, likes to be center of attention, can become overzealous even in their self-healing

    Kapha

    Obesity, diabetes, colds/flu, yeast conditions, sinus issues, congestion, excessive phlegm/mucus, lymphatic issues, edema, water retention, excessive sleep, oily dandruff, asthma, low thyroid, intolerance to cold/dampness, greedy, hoarding, unchanging, set in ways, unable to say no, people-pleasing, gets easily attached to things/people, gets taken advantage of, takes on others’ problems, fearful of letting go, passive, lethargic, gives up easy, slow to understand/grasp concepts, depressed mood, introverted, compliant, difficulty expressing emotions/thoughts, unlikely to realize they have a problem

     

    Now that you’ve checked the physical descriptions and the signs of imbalance for each, what’s your Dosha, Prakruti (birth constitution) and Vikruti (current)?

     

    To learn more about Ayurveda, the Doshas, and how to heal naturally, check out Eat, Taste, Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living. While it calls itself a cookbook, it’s half recipes, half information. It’s a great resource!

     

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  • 6 Books Every Woman Over 40 Needs to Read

    6 Books Every Women Over 40 Needs to ReadI few years ago, I started to feel “not like myself.” I chalked it up to “stress.” I figured I was burnout from work. While I love the teaching, coaching, and training side of what I do, running a small business (during a pandemic no less) is tiring. Then I found myself asking questions like “what is the point of all this?”. Fortunately, I discovered some helpful resources that shed light on why I was feeling this way. Some of it was hormonal changes that happen to us women over 40. Some of it was baggage and stories I’ve been carrying. Some of it was misconceptions about what it means to be stressed and to feel happy. Some it was, well, the patriarchy. If you’re a woman over 40 and any of this resonates with you, read these 6 books.

     

    The Upside of Stress: Why Stress is Good for You and How to Get Good at It by Kelly McGonigal PhD

    While this book isn’t exclusively for women over 40, it will change the way you think about midlife stress. We’ve been told repeatedly that stress kills. This book, backed by solid research, tells a different story. Not all stress is harmful. And you’re not getting it wrong simply because you feel “stressed.” The goal is NOT to have a stress-free life because a meaningful life IS stressful.

     

    Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagowski PhD and Amelia Nagoski

    With concepts like “human givers” vs “human takers” (guess which one most women are) and “the bikni-industrial complex,” The Nagoski sisters illustrate how society (i.e. the patriarchy) is causing burnout in women. This book will inspire you to start a revolution in your own life by noticing when you are internalizing these messages and expectations and by prioritizing your own self-care.

     

    Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause by Stacy T. Sims PhD

    While this book was written for the over 40 endurance athlete, all active women (or women ready to start exercising in mid-life) need to read this book. You’ll understand the perimenopause transition, the how strength training can help you now, and what other tools are available. If you haven’t been listening to your trainer  (lift heavy, eat more protein, trade long cardio for short high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and stop skipping breakfast), this book will convince you!  The best reasons to read this book are that it affirms your experience, it reminds you you’re not alone, and it empowers you to make positive changes right now.

     

    Midlife: A Philosophical Guide by Kiernan Setiya

    Whether it’s age or hormonal changes (see the previous book), if you’re starting to question life, Setiya reassures you that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. This book is the Universe’s way of saying “Welcome, we’ve been waiting for you.” Setiya explains we feel so disappointed because obsessively crossing items off the to-do list only to rush to the next thing is no longer fulfilling. He offers some practical tips, like meditation and mindfulness and engaging in activities for their own intrinsic pleasure (rather than as a means to an end). You’ll feel reassured that life gets better again so no need to go into full crisis mode and burn it all to the ground.

     

    best casino in phoenix arizona by Byron Katie

    Your thoughts are not reality, but they will cause suffering. In this book, Katie will teach you the 4 questions and the turn-arounds, or what she calls “the work.” You’ll learn how to question the most difficult and distressing thoughts you have. It’s uncomfortable. But if you want relief from the stories you’ve been telling yourself your whole life, this is the way.

     

    casino slots bonus sure winnings by Emily Esfahani Smith

    I loved this book so much, I bought the hard copy after listening to the audio book so I could savor it. Smith shares touching stories to explain that meaning and happiness are not the same thing.

     

    Read or listen to these books to change your mindset and to learn how to better navigate this next phase of life. For women over 40, life is different, but it’s not over!

     

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  • 7 Stretches for Low Back Pain: Part 2

    Stretches for Low Back PainIf you have low back pain, welcome to the club! You are not alone. Millions of Americans have experienced or will experience low back pain. If you have it, you know it’s exhausting. But as you read in Part 1 (Self-Myofascial Release for LBP), the worst thing you can do is to stop moving.

    After you’ve released some tension with the foam roller and LAX ball in the muscles that attach to the pelvis, it’s time for 7 stretches for low back pain.

     

     

    Hamstring Stretch:

     

    Glute Stretch:

     

    Hip Flexor Stretch:

     

    Lat and Pec Stretch:

     

    Back Stretch (Twist):

     

    QL Stretch:

     

    Thoracic Spine Stretch:

    Hold each of theses stretches for low back pain for 30-60 seconds. Avoid pushing into pain and instead focus on relaxing with slow deep breaths in and out through the nose. You can do these static stretches anytime you need relief. Since they are relaxing, they work great post-workout or before bed. But you can also do them as part of your Functional Mobility Training, after SMR (part 1 in this blog series) and before corrective exercises (part 3 in this series).

     

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  • Low Back Pain: Part 1 (Self-Myofascial Release)

    Self-Myofascial Release for Low Back PainIf you’re like millions of Americans, you’ve experience low back pain at some point or even chronically. While you may feel like popping an Advil and curling up on the couch, that’s actually the worse thing you could do. Instead, focus on gentle movements like these when you’re in the early stages of feeling like you “pulled” something in your back, or as I like to say, when your back is really “angry.” When you can handle more movement, add low back specific mobility training.

    My Functional Mobility Training is a 3-part approach that incorporates Self-Myofascial Release, Stretching, and Corrective Exercise. In this 3-part blog series, you’ll learn how to use each of this techniques for relief from low back pain.

    Part one begins with self-myofascial release. Grab your foam roller, LAX ball, and a peanut to release muscular tension in the low back and surrounding muscles that can contribute to low back pain.

    Release the quadratus lumborum with a foam roller or a ball (and yoga block):

     

    Release the erectors with a peanut:

     

    Release the latissimus dorsi with foam roller:

     

    Release the pectoralis major and minor with 2 balls and 2 blocks:

     

    Release the hips and glutes with a LAX ball:

     

    Release hamstrings with LAX ball:

    These self-myofascial release techniques for low back pain can be done anytime; before and/or after a workout, as part of your mobility training (followed by stretches for low back pain and corrective exercises) one or more times per week, before bed to relax, in the morning to help get you moving, or anytime you need to release tension.

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  • 20 Healthy Travel Snacks

    healthy travel snacksHeading out on a road trip or have a long day away from home? Don’t forget healthy travel snacks!

    When you have healthy snacks on hand, you won’t find yourself skipping meals (and overeating when you finally get home) or eating whatever junk or fast food you can grab while on the road.

    Many of these can be found en route at convenience stores, but do your future self a favor and plan ahead. Pack a small insulated cooler or bag for the trip.

     

    1. Protein bar
    2. Shaker bottle with protein powder
    3. Protein shake
    4. Single-serving packets of nuts
    5. Single-serving packets of nut butter
    6. Single-serving packets of seed butter
    7. Hard boiled eggs
    8. Jerky
    9. Tuna packets
    10. Yogurt
    11. Granola
    12. Trail mix
    13. Beet chips
    14. Kale chips
    15. Raw veggies (baby carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, sliced cucumbers)
    16. Fruit (apples, grapes, bananas)
    17. Single-serving bean snacks
    18. Single-serving chips
    19. Single-serving crackers
    20. Single-serving popcorn

    Keep in mind, portion size is important even when eating healthy snacks. Prevent overeating with single-serving packs. You can either buy single-serving packs or portion snacks yourself ahead of time using small containers.

    Most importantly, stay hydrated! Many of these healthy travel snacks are very dry. Unlike whole and fresh foods, these processed foods (like jerky, kale/beet chips, dried fruit in trail mix) have very little water content. Plus, you already know drinking plenty of water is a strategy to prevent overeating.

    Stock up on non-perishable healthy travel snacks so you’ll have one less worry when heading out for a trip or a busy day of appointments or errands.

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  • The Most Important Thing in Life

    the most important thing in life
    US Institute of Peace 2016

    What do you think the most important thing in life is? Think about your answer before reading on!

     

     

     

     

     

    Maybe something like love came to mind. Let’s take love as an example. Yes, love is a feeling, an emotion. But I like the saying, Love is verb. If you’re familiar with The 5 Love Languages (Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Touch, Quality Time, and Gifts), you can see each one of these involves taking an action. You have to do something in order to show your partner they are loved.

     

    If you thought of something other than love, like relationships, family, contribution, health, or whatever, they all involve taking an action. Relationships take work to be successful. Family will keep you busier than ever. Contribution, even if you’re writing a check, that’s an action (plus you probably worked hard to earn the money to contribute). And for health, I think you know what I’m going to say!

     

    None of these are theoretical. Positive thoughts and good intentions alone won’t save the planet, bring you good health, or make you a good partner or parent. The most important things in life all have in common that they require action. Without action, they just don’t exist.

     

    That is why ACTION is the most important thing in life.

     

    What about faith or a higher power?

     

    A few years ago I was lucky enough to be invited by one of my clients to a private talk by the Dalai Lama at the Institute of Peace. His message to us that day was it’s not enough to pray – you also have to take action. He was telling us that if something has moved us enough to pray about it, we need to take action on it.

     

    What about in your own life? What do you value most? What are you praying for?

    It’s not enough to wish. You also have to work hard.

    It’s not enough to dream. You also have to be disciplined.

    It’s not enough to hope. You also have to hustle for what you want.

    You have to take action, because action is the most important thing in life.

     

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  • 5 Tips to Eat Healthier

    5 tips to eating healthierMost fitness goals are some form of looking good and/or feeling better. And you can’t accomplish either of those without focusing on your nutrition. Whether you made a resolution to eat healthier this year or if you have a fitness goal you’re chasing, nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated! Start by making small, sustainable changes and you will get results!

     

    Here are 5 tips to eat healthier.

     

    Tip 1 to Eat Healthier: Vegetables with Every Meal

    Eat vegetables with every meal, yes, even with breakfast (#stopeatingdessertforbreakfast)! You’ve heard the expression ‘eat the rainbow.’ Here’s how: add spinach, red pepper, and mushrooms (fresh or frozen) to eggs or tempeh scramble for breakfast; add canned pumpkin or beets to your protein smoothie; make a colorful salad with greens, tomatoes, and carrots; roast or stir fry veggies like asparagus, purple cabbage, yellow squash, and eggplant.

     

    Pro Tip: Keep lots of frozen vegetables on hand and buy pre-cut veggies for cooking and for salads. You’re a lot more likely to eat vegetables if they are ready to go!

     

    Tip 2 to Eat Healthier: Make Extra

    While preparing dinner, make more of what you’re already cooking. Double the recipe so you have at least one more meal with a full serving of protein and lots of vegetables for lunch the next day. Another option is to cook something else while you’re in the kitchen. Maybe throw some chicken, sweet potatoes, or more veggies in the oven so meal prep for the next day is already done!

     

    Tip 3 to Eat Healthier: Portions

    Have you looked at the serving size of your favorite food? If you’ve ever weighed a serving a peanut butter, you might be shocked and a little disappointed. Foods that are really easy to overeat (like nut butters, chips, or ice cream), are the ones you need to portion out in advance. The alternative is to buy single servings of these irresistible foods.

     

    Pro Tip: Buy reusable containers to portion out nut butters.

     

    Tip 4 to Eat Healthier: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

    You know those foods that have no “off switch” for you? Stop bringing them into the house. You can’t eat them if they’re not there. If there are other adults in the house who are buying these foods, ask them to put them on a high shelf in the pantry, in the back of the freezer, down low in the fridge, or in that little cabinet over the refrigerator you never open. This makes a difference! When you remove tempting foods from plain sight, like on the counter or in the front of the pantry or refrigerator, you’ll be a lot less likely to eat them.

     

    Tip 5 to Eat Healthier: Shop Online

    Avoid the in-store temptation of displays, endcaps, and samples. Instead, take advantage of the part of your brain that plans ahead and wants your future-self to eat healthy. Fill your online cart with healthy essentials and choose delivery or pick up.

     

    Of these 5 tips, which one(s) can you see yourself doing? That’s where you start.  Whether you want to lose weight, improve a health marker, or get off a medication this year, use these 5 tips to eat healthier so you can look good and feel better!

     

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  • 10 Tips for Recovering From Your Workouts

    recovering from your workoutsYou’re working out, training hard, and getting after it. Great job! But how’s your recovery? Recovery is as important to your goals as the other metrics you’re tracking, like your heart rate during cardio and your weights during strength training. If you want to reach your goals while avoiding burnout and potential injury, make sure you’re recovering from your workouts.

    Here’s how:

     

    1) Stay hydrated daily. Drink 100oz of water every day. If you’re sweating during your workouts or if you’re bored with plain water and you want some healthy minerals, add electrolytes like Ultima to your water.

     

    2) Have a post-workout meal with a full serving of protein and creatine. A supplement like Sunwarrior is a great way to get some quick protein. After a workout, your muscles are ready to soak up creatine so you’ll have energy to build muscle and strength in subsequent workouts!

     

    3) Spend 5-10 minutes cooling down after workouts with stretching and/or self-myofascial release with tools like the foam roller or a massage gun.

    Pro-Tip: Stretch after cardio when your muscles are warm and pliable. Do self-myofascial release after strength training to reduce tension.

     

    4) Get adequate sleep every night (7-9 hours). The harder your workouts, the more sleep you’ll need. A good night’s sleep starts in the morning. Wake up at the same time every day, get out in the sunlight first thing (ideally for a walk), keep meal and workout times consistent, and have a nighttime routine. The 3-2-1 rule at night is a great foundation: 3 hours before bed no food, 2 hours before bed no work (or anything possibly stress-inducing or stimulating), and 1 hour before bed no screens.

     

    5) For every 2 to 4 days of hard training, have 1 active recovery day (like Flow Yoga or Pilates).

    Suggested schedules: Day 1 Full Body Strength, Day 2 Cardio, Day 3 Yoga, Day 4 Full Body Strength, Day 5 Cardio, Day 6 Pilates, Day 7 Long walk and/or Mobility. OR Day 1 Lower Body Strength, Day 2 Upper Body Strength, Day 3 Cardio, Day 4 Pilates, Day 5 Full Body Strength, Day 6 Cardio, Day 7 Yoga.

     

    6) Don’t skip corrective exercise, mobility work, and/or therapy exercises you know you need to do to. If you have an issue (pain, past injury, misalignment, or muscular imbalance) and you’ve received suggestions for specific exercises you need (from a trainer, Physical Therapist, or Chiropractor), do them! Make them part of your warm-up, save time to do them at the end of a workout, or do them on lower-intensity mobility days.

     

    7) Indulge in the feel good stuff. If you love massage and bodywork, sauna or steam room, spa days, reading a book, or strolling on the beach, periodically enjoy these self-care treats!

    Pro Tip: A treat is different from a reward because you don’t have to earn it! Read more about treats vs rewards here.

     

    8) Decompress and manage stress with Restorative Yoga, meditation, breath work, and/or energy healing. These types of practices help us recover from, and better prepare for, life stressors. If you’re completely burnout from life, workouts are no longer a beneficial stressor on the body. Instead your workouts are like throwing gas on the fire. Turn down those flames with yin practices so your body can receive the benefits of training.

     

    9) Fill your cup with activities (and people) you enjoy: vacations, date nights, coffee with a friend, volunteering, gardening, hobbies, animals/pets, new adventures. After all, you’re not exercising to get good at exercise. You’re exercising so you can live the life you want. Remember your ‘why’ and make time for exercise but never let it take priority over what you value most.

     

    10) Always work on self-improvement and personal development with therapy or counseling, reflection, journaling, and reading. If you are attending to your whole-self, you’re a lot less likely to overdo it with fitness.

     

    What are you missing from this list? Come up with a plan for yourself that includes exercising and recovering.

    Remember – Train hard, recover harder!

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  • 5 Daily Habits to Start Right Now

    Daily HabitsIf you’re looking at add some keystone daily habits that will improve your life and health, I’ve got five for you.

     

    Daily Habit 1. Movement AND exercise.

    You need both an active lifestyle and deliberate exercise. Your daily step count is a great measurement of your activity. If you’re not already hitting 10-15K, start by adding 1-2K steps to you daily total. Once you’ve mastered hitting that new target (this may take a few days or a few weeks), add another 1,500-2,500 steps and repeat until you’ve worked up to your ultimate goal.

    In addition an active lifestyle, you need daily exercise. Prioritize frequency over duration and intensity. It’s better to start with 5 minutes every day than three 60-minute killer workouts. Vary your workouts to avoid boredom and burnout. Alternate between strength training, cardio, and active recovery sessions of Pilates and/or Yoga.

     

    Daily Habit 2. Drink 100oz water.

    How much water do you drink in a day? You’re first step is to measure and track. Then add 20oz to your current daily intake. When that’s as automatic as brushing your teeth, repeat the process and add another 20oz. Repeat until you get to your ultimate goal. Here are some tips to help you drink more water:

    • Start early. Start your day with a cup of warm lemon water. Or, if you’re a coffee drinker, fill your mug with water the night before. You’ll have to drink that 12oz of water before you can start drinking coffee.
    • Premeasure your water. When you know your daily target, you can fill either enough water bottles to equal your target or one giant pitcher that’s exactly your target.
    • Use a counting method. If you’d rather carry one water bottle, figure out how many of those you’d need to drink in a day to hit your target and place that many rubber bands around the bottle. Each time you finish a bottle slide the rubber band from the top to the bottom or vice versa. You can also log or track on paper (like in your daily planner if that’s with your every day) or in an app on your phone. Download a water tracking app or use the Notes app.

     

    Daily Habit 3. Eat defined meals at a designated place without multitasking.

    Rather than snacking or grazing throughout the day, eat defined meals. Instead of eating at your desk, in the car, on the couch, in bed, or while standing in the kitchen, have a place to sit down to eat (preferably at the table). If you tend to multitask, work, watch TV, or scroll while eating, focus on your food. Choose the number of meals and meal times that work best for your body and your schedule and stick to it 7 days a week.

     

    Daily Habit 4. Eat a full serving of protein with every meal.

    At each of those defined meals you sit down to enjoy, make sure you’re having a full serving of protein. Protein sources include animal (fish, chicken, meat, eggs, dairy) and plant-based. A full serving of protein is 25-40g. If you’re eating animal sources, aim toward the lower end of the range. If you’re eating plant-based, aim higher. If you’re young (in your 20’s) aim lower. As your age increases, so does your protein needs, so aim higher. Remember, if weight-loss (aka fat-loss) is your goal, you can eat 1g of protein per pound of body weight (or desired body weight if you have a lot of weight to lose). That means if you’re goal weight is 150lbs, you need 150g of protein (or 4 meals with 38g of protein) every day (even weekends).

     

    Daily Habit 5. Create intentional morning and nighttime routines.

    You have routines, they just might not be helpful routines that you’ve created on purpose. Start by making one change at a time to each. Here are some ideas:

    • In the morning, wake up to an alarm no later than 7a. Use a Zen alarm clock the mimics the sunrise and plays nature sounds.
    • The morning is a great time for meditation, journaling, and reviewing your planner for the day.
    • If your body need movement, like stretches or physical therapy exercises, do those.
    • Drink water or warm lemon water (before coffee).
    • Go for a walk without sunglasses to help set your internal clocks for the day. If walking isn’t an option, at least get outside while you journal and/or meditate.
    • Finish your morning routine with a high-protein, low-sugar breakfast.
    • In the evening, implement the “3-2-1 rule.” Stop eating 3 hours before bed. Stop working (or doing anything potentially stress-inducing) 2 hours before bed. And stop looking at screens 1 hour before bed.
    • When the sun goes down, wear blue-light blocking glasses.
    • Do some light stretching or self-myofascial release a.k.a. foam rolling.
    • Drink chamomile tea.
    • Have a gratitude practice (like writing 3-5 things in your journal that you’re grateful for today).
    • Read a book, an actually book with pages!
    • By in bed by 10pm.
    • Charge your phone in a different room and no screens in the bedroom.

     

    Whether your goal is to lose fat, to have less pain, or to feel more energized, driven, and happy all day long, incorporating these 5 daily habits will make a noticeable difference. When it comes to creating new habits, remember to start small. Build the foundation with tiny changes every day. And, yes, aim for every day. If you miss a day or two, no problem! Just try not to miss 2 days in row. When you fall off, get right back on it the next day. You are creating the momentum that will make these habits feel effortless! Remember to keep going. You got this!

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  • 10 Questions to Plan 2022

    10 Questions to Plan 2022It’s that time of year again! Time to reflect back on the past 12 months and plan for the year ahead. And you know what they say, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” To help you achieve success, here are 10 questions to plan 2022. Grab a pen and let’s dive in!

     

    The first 3 questions are reflections on the previous 12 months. To help you answer them, review your camera roll, social media feed, journal, calendar, and planner from the past year.

     

    Question 1.

    What were your big wins and accomplishments in 2021? Here are a few of mine!

     

    Question 2.

    What were some of your losses from 2021? Here are 3 of mine.

     

    Question 3.

    What were the big lessons your learned in 2021? Here’s mine!

     

    Time to look ahead to 2022.

     

    Question 4.

    What are your goals? What do you want to accomplish in 2022?

    For this question, consider having a goal for each domain of life. Here are my 10 life domains: physical health, emotional well-being, environment, Relationship (with partner), purpose/mission, career/business, rejuvenating activities/social, financial, spiritual/energetic, and intellectual. You can edit, delete, or change any of these to suit you.

     

    Question 5.

    What is your theme or word for 2022?

     

    Question 6a.

    Which habits do you need to cultivate this year in order to accomplish your goals?

     

    Question 6b.

    Which habits do you need to eliminate this year?

     

    Question 7.

    What are your “Big 5” for life (5 things you must accomplish in your lifetime)?

     

    Question 8.

    What’s one thing that MUST happen in 2022 (one personally and one professionally if applicable)?

     

    Question 9.

    What’s your big audacious goal? If it doesn’t scare you to put it in writing, think bigger!

     

    Question 10.

    Who do you need to connect with (or reconnect with) in 2022 to accomplish your goals?

     

    Once you’ve completed these 10 questions, use your answers to guide you to create monthly and quarterly plans for 2022. Review your plan often. Share it with someone who can hold you accountable, like your partner, a friend, or a coach. With a goal, a plan to get there, and accountability, your success is inevitable! Let’s make 2022 the best year yet!