Are you pleased with your level of fitness? Can you work on a few things?

Sit down tonight with your favorite INEXPENSIVE bottle of wine (insert beverage of choice) and go over your finances. Friday is the perfect day because any information learned during your power session will help you kickstart the weekend. You will have a clear snapshot of where you stand financially.

No big splurges, no ridiculous spending and no blowing the budget at Target. Once you assess your level of financial fitness, can you send additional money towards a debt? If so, do it! Once it clears the account, you’ll start your Monday feeling awesome. Can you pump up your savings? Do that too!! Try not to spend any money this weekend unless it’s for mandatory household items. Make a list and check it twice. Can you do some spring cleaning on the budget? De-clutter your finances and feel the burden begin to lift.

When you have those moments comparable to a runner’s high, the last thing you want to do is spend money on a Friday night out, Saturday shopping, or Sunday Funday. What’s the return on that meaningless investment? You wasted time and hard-earned cash.

It’s the end of the first quarter. You might not have been fiscally prudent or a sound steward of your money but it’s not too late for a paradigm shift. Are you taking care of your financial health? What can you do today to lose the weight of debt and build the savings muscle? Be realistic – it’s like cellulite and muffin tops – your debt won’t melt away unless you take action! Approach it with the mindset to win and you will be better off in 2014 than ever before.

Now that’s dripping sexy…

As we bring the last weekend of 2013 to a close, take some time to think about what it is that you want to manifest this upcoming year.  Let’s engage a different approach – instead of making resolutions, focus on creating a happy life.

Over the past two years, I have neglected many things that brought me joy. Dancing and reading are instant mental vacations for me and I put both on a backburner. There’s nothing like taking the hand of a strong lead and being twirled around the dance floor or curling up for hours, uninterrupted, and getting lost in the pages of a juicy novel. Housed in my gym bag is a book that I’ve been trying to finish for weeks and while sweating on the stairclimber this morning, I managed to resume my doggie-eared page with excitement. As I flipped through Onward by Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, the noise of the mindless chatter and equipment came to a still and my legs were on autopilot. It was serendipity!! Schultz was speaking my language – okay, granted I am not about to open a coffee house or become a barista any time soon but the strategic plans on leadership and reinventing Starbucks was something that could be applied to my lifestyle.

I had to close the book for a while and think about the pillars that have been the blueprint to my success over the years. Physical fitness has kept me youthful and trim but it has also been a source of combating stress. Although I consistently maintain my fitness schedule, I allowed a life draining stress to take a vice grip of my days and remove me from course. I became tired and worn out, almost unable to face each day. The stress greeted me daily and as I closed my eyes each night, it loudly hummed in my ears. It was unbearable. I knew I needed to take a step toward restoration. My life depended on it.

I’m a planner and once something is set in motion, the whip get cracked until the task is complete. There is joy in accomplishments and deliverables, whether for self or others. Have you neglected handling tasks in your life due to a lack of time management? Is your life cluttered? Think of ways that you can remove the debris and clear the path. Tossing out emotional clutter is much harder but it has to be done. Do an assessment and evaluate. Immediately discard anything and anyone that may be preventing you from moving onward.

Are you being nourished by your relationships? I’ve been a loner for as long as I can remember. My mantra was always, ‘there is strength in solitude.’ Perhaps it was by default from having a mother that didn’t hug and refused to demonstrate love…who knows?  Or maybe it’s the result of being thrown out of the house as a young girl one time too many. Unfortunately that was the rocky foundation set and I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. Lately, I’ve been watching Dr. Brene Brown discuss shame, fear and vulnerability. These topics aren’t taught in college and grad school and they certainly aren’t dominant characteristics of alpha people. But I must say, she has given me much to consider as I forge ahead into this new year.  Two quotes resonated with me during one of Dr. Brown’s talks on the Oprah Network. She said, “If we share our shame story with the wrong person, they can easily become one more piece of flying debris in an already dangerous storm,” and “Our stories are not meant for everyone. Hearing them is a privilege, and we should always ask ourselves this before we share: “Who has earned the right to hear my story?” If we have one or two people in our lives who can sit with us and hold space for our shame stories, and love us for our strengths and struggles, we are incredibly lucky. If we have a group of friends, or family who embrace our imperfections, vulnerabilities, and power, and fills us with a sense of belonging, we are incredibly lucky.” Pretty powerful stuff.

Take some time to reflect. The cover of Onward reads,  “How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul”. What will you do in 2014 to fight for your life? Stop living in fear and embrace this moment. Your past is inescapable, your future in unavoidable but the present is YOURS!

The holidays are soon approaching and there is no better time to make changes to your lifestyle. Creating healthy habits prior to the temptations of freshly baked pies and heavy meals will prevent you from gaining any excess pounds and suffering from the “I’m such a fatty” blues.  Once Thanksgiving passes, you will be toasting the New Year and making resolutions that will hopefully lead to a brand new you. But how long do these false promises last? The gym tries to lure you in with amazing specials, Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers provide offers you can’t refuse and the market becomes saturated with supplements claiming to melt the pounds without any exercise. Who are these companies kidding?  If transforming your life is what you desire, why wait? Think of a few goals, create a timetable, enlist help, if needed, and begin today!

I recently met new members to the fitness family (I love when people take charge of their weight and unhealthy eating habits). Ego Fitness Studios kickstarted the holiday madness by offering the 21 Day Turkey Challenge. This began on November 1st and encourages participants to lose weight and inches during a specified time frame. By teaching the core principles of clean eating and daily exercise, the owner, Alfred Malone, hopes that lifelong changes will be learned. A former NFL player and now a gym owner, Alfred has made it his mission to change one life at a time by offering classes such as Zumba, pole dance, cardio and strength training sessions, and CrossFit coupled with guidance to those seeking to empower themselves with knowledge.

During the initial weigh-in period, a few of the participants enthusiastically shared their goals. I spoke with Candance Grace, who stated that she “wants to lose 8 pounds and shed 12 inches.” After watching her aggressively pound on the punching bag, I have no doubt that she will meet this and exceed it. Two other challengers, Heidy and Erika, both agreed that an overall reduction in weight and inches was a healthy approach to the competition. Did I mention that money is involved? Whoever loses the most weight could win up to $1000!! What a perfect way to begin the New Year…a chunk of money to help reduce debt and a few dollars to purchase a cute Lululemon outfit to show off the new and lean you.

Time management and careful planning are key when making the investment in your improved lifestyle. Yes, most people are busy and swamped with a chaotic list of to-do’s but we make time for the agenda items that are important, right? Isn’t your health a priority? Maybe you won’t be able to volunteer at every church or school function and that’s ok. Find a few activities that will fit your schedule or wake up earlier and hit the gym at 5:00 a.m. Even if the approach is to baby step your way into the world of wellness, easy changes can be made at home. Swapping soda for carbonated water with fresh lemon or unsweetened green tea would yield a huge reduction in empty calories. Try including whole wheat pasta in lieu of white pasta and brown rice instead of white. Use 99% lean turkey meat in pasta sauce and chili and start reducing your family’s intake of red meats. Check each product for hidden hurdles to a svelte body such as high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, lard, and all the other things we can’t even pronounce. The key is to keep it simple. The fewer things included, the better. Have you really looked at what is included in bread on the shelf? The paragraph is ridiculously long. I always purchase fresh bread from Central Market and freeze it. What about snacks for the kids? Are you peeking at the list of what makes everything taste so good? Once you become aware of how the body responds to high quality foods, you will lose the desire for sludge.

Are you willing to try during the holidays?  Make it your mission to be in tune and connected with your body. Don’t be one of the unfortunate guests who falls asleep in front of the tele after consuming a plate full of heavy carbs and fattening proteins. Keep in mind that it’s the combinations of the foods that tax your body too. Your engine is working overtime to digest the artery clogging meal you just inhaled and it’s trying to decide what is fuel and what will be stored as fat. On Thanksgiving morning, my daughter and I will be participating in the 21st Annual TXU Energy Turkey Trot. It’s a tradition that we’ve done for quite some time…even when she was being pushed in the running buggy. Instead of lounging around the house and focusing on food, get up and get moving. Push out a quick 6.2 miles, no matter if you walk or run.

Let’s work on this…be mindful of what you eat. Slow down and enjoy each bite, include fresh food choices and savour the flavors. Be creative with combining veggies and instead of chips or fries, add slices of cucumbers and red peppers to a sandwich for the added crunch. Substitute hummus or avocado as the condiment on whole wheat bread and skip the mayo. Look at the ingredients in mustard – it usually lists sugar so try the spicy mustard with horseradish instead. Your sinuses will clear immediately. Make each meal a presentation. Don’t save any fine tableware for a special occasion; use it all the time. Granted, I have done this since my children were very young and I wound up replacing glasses and plates over the years but I’d rather that than cabinets full of restaurant take home cups, plastic straws and paper plates.

There is nothing holding you back. Eliminate the excuses and find the time to take care of self. You won’t regret it. Now that’s dripping sexy…