7 Ways to Make Goals Stick

by Mona Raglow

Geez. We make goals, we forget goals. We create goals out of guilt, because we think we should. We create goals to lose weight, make more money, find the right partner, and buy organic produce. And then we give up. And start over. Or not.

So, why do we fail? Here are my top 7 ways to make goals stick.

1. Make it mean something to you.

OWN your goal. Decide WHY you want to (fill in the blank), and then ask yourself why you are doing it. And then ask why again. And Again. AND AGAIN. Until you get to the emotion of it. That’s when you know you’re there.

2. Modify as needed.

Hey, when you set your goal, you thought you nailed it. But situations change, players change, motivations change, and we become more grounded. I’m not saying to give up on your goal…just modify it to make it realistic.

3. Tell others.

On a flight from Grand Rapids to Kansas City a gazillion years ago, I had been thinking about my career, and a promotion I had been offered. I was sitting next to a man named Mark, (who I actually ended up hiring as a consultant to the company I was working for), and I told him my dilemma. He counseled me, asking me some tough questions, which helped me decide to take the promotion.

4. Believe you can do it.

Our minds can play tricks on us. A LOT. Our minds can talk us out of things (or into bad things) at the blink of an eye. If your goal is to reduce your sugar intake, and you tell yourself, “oh, I have NO willpower when I drive by the local ice cream store”, then guess what? You’ll soon be consuming a large salted caramel milkshake, and telling yourself “I’m right, I have no willpower.”

5. Don’t take on too much at once.

If you want to make some lasting changes, remember, willpower is a limited resource. Researchers call it a “cognitive load”, when we have too much on our plate. (I call it STRESS). Here’s a great research study that confirms that we should not attempt to change too many things at once.

6. Have a way to track your progress.

This sounds obvious, but it isn’t. No matter what your goal is, track it either on paper or electronically. Trust me, just when you think “oh, I’ll remember that”, something else will come along and use up some brain space, and you’ll forget what you wanted to remember.

7. Be kind to yourself.

Finally, remember that you’re human. Remember that we all make mistakes, fall off the wagon, have temporary amnesia, (well, maybe not that one). But you get the point. Just because you get off track, doesn’t mean you give up. If you do give up, then re-evaluate point #1. Ask Why again, and again, and again, until the emotion comes up. That’s when change starts to happen.

Love Music? 5 Ways It Can Benefit Your Life

by AnaLeyah North

Music to a wonderful tool to support us in finding balance and harmony in our lives.   It is really just energy, and it works on the mental, emotional and physical areas of our body, mind and spirit.   What is it about music that soothes your soul?

Here are 5 ways that music can benefit your life:

1. Music shifts energy:

Have you ever walked into a room and soft energy is playing and you feel your body relax? Or perhaps the opposite happens when you hear hard-rock music blasting from the car next to you at a red light. The music shifts the energy in the environment and we respond to it. So when the energy in your home feels stuck and stagnant, play some music.  Put on high vibrational music (such as classical, religious or chants) when you leave your home.  Check in and see if you feel the difference when you return.

2. Music quiets the mind:

When my mind gets busy and on overwhelm, I start playing music, or even better I sing along. The more I sing the better I feel.  If you can’t sing (or don’t want to) just listening to music will support you. One way to experience the  difference is to check in with your body; are you feeling relaxed or constricted? Is your breath long and deep or short and shallow?  You may even want close your eyes, relax your body and take some deep breaths as you listen.

3. Music calms the body:

There have been studies that support how music can reduce blood pressure, anxiety and even depression. It can also help with reducing pain.  Have you ever heard a particular song and instantly started feeling good?  It might bring back a happy memory, connect with a loved one or simply ‘feel right’.  It doesn’t matter, just be aware and say ‘thank you’ to the universe for creating this healing opportunity.

4. Music motivates:

We always see people walking on a treadmill wearing earphones, and perhaps you have done it yourself.  I know I have. Remember how the music keeps your feet moving and you mind focused?  Or maybe you play your favorite playlist while cleaning your house.  When the music moves the energy, it also moves us!

5. Music connects us with our emotions:

Connecting with our emotions and expressing them is one key to happiness and harmony. I’ve had times when I have used sad, mournful music to help me release grief and loss. Likewise, I’ve used happy, upbeat music to elevate my mood. Sometimes a particular song will be a message from a departed loved-one.  It is all good; music gives us the opportunity to laugh, smile, cry, or connect with another time and place.   When that happens, take the opportunity to feel and be with the experience.

Music can have a tremendous impact on our body, mind and emotions.   Let’s use it to our advantage.   

One good way to do this is to listen to music with intention.  When we turn on the radio or listen to our favorite song album, connect with the universe and ask for relaxation, healing, support, love, courage...what ever comes to mind.  It will serve you well!  

Courageous, crazy or just adventurous?

by Mona Raglow

Our pals at Merriam-Webster define Courage as “The Ability to do something you know is difficult or dangerous.”

The Free Dictionary says: “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger,fear, or vicissitudes with self possession, confidence, and resolution; braver.”

Cambridge Dictionary defines courage as: “The ability to control fear and to be willing to deal with something that is dangerous, difficult or unpleasant.”

Here are my thoughts on Courage. So much of what we define as fear, or danger or difficult is all in our head. We create our own internal drama, and most of it never, ever happens!

How many times have you talked yourself into doing something that scared the bejesus out of you, but when you were done, you thought it was a piece of cake. A bunch, I bet, if you’re being honest with yourself.

Sometimes what we call difficult is just something that we haven’t learned yet. We haven’t stepped outside of our comfort zone to say “heck, I can do that”. Hopefully, we’ve grown past the point of caring what people would say if we failed, or even caring what they think.



I remember when I was 18, I decided to go skydiving with some friends. Did it scare me? Sure!! Was I nervous? Petrified would be a better description. Did I love it? ABSOLUTELY! Did it take some courage? Maybe.

Thinking back, the training was worse than the actual jump. We had to learn to land properly, and I remember climbing up a platform, that if my memory serves me right was about 37 stories tall. Ok, maybe I’m not remembering everything exactly right, but it was tall. We then had to jump, tuck, lean and roll, which would (supposedly) mimic a fall from a plane wearing a parachute. I don’t think so. I think I had to muster up much more courage to jump off a platform than jump out of an airplane. Really I did. You see, I knew from experience how much it could hurt jumping off a platform. Yes, I was a kid once and I’m sure I did some courageous stupid things. And they hurt.

But, I didn’t have any experience jumping out of a plane. Back then, I had never heard of a skydiving accident (this was way before the internet and cell phones), but I don’t think I was being courageous. Adventurous yes. Courageous, no maybe.

One of the things I ask myself, when faced with a situation I don’t know how to deal with is “What’s the worst thing that could happen? And if it does happen, will I be OK with it?” Those 2 questions have helped me in countless situations over the last many decades.

Courage is all about looking past self-limiting belief systems. It’s about recognizing that it’s OK to fail sometimes.

As Tom Kelley, GM of Ideo says “Fail often to succeed sooner”.

So, put your courageous face on, and ask yourself, those 2 questions.

1. What’s the worst thing that could happen? 
2. And if it does happen, will I be OK with it? 

Life Unmasked: It’s OK to be you!

by AnaLeyah North

 So what does ‘Living Authentically’ really mean?  Most likely everyone will have a different twist on it, but for me it means:

• Be authentic in my thinking
• Know my mind and speak my truth
• Live from my heart
• Follow my intuition

Let's explore these topics in more detail:

Be authentic in my thinking:

It all begins with our thoughts.  The big word for me here is EXCUSES.  How often do I make excuses to cover myself from the truth?  Taking responsibility for our thoughts, actions and deeds is part of authenticity; it is the first place to start.

I am a master of making up stories in my head and I know that my negative mind is stronger than my positive mind so I am constantly questioning my negative thoughts. My favorite question to ask myself is ‘Is this true?’  Most of the time the answer is “No”; then I have the opportunity to change the script that is playing out in my head.

Know my mind and speak my truth:

I first need to know my mind before I can speak my truth; it is a two-step process.  The first step is be honest with yourself.  How many times has someone asked “How are you?” and you automatically say “I’m fine” or “I’m good” when you really aren’t fine or good?  I know I used to do it a lot.  Now I make every effort to be honest with my answer.  It doesn’t mean that I get into the ‘poor me’ mode (more negative thinking), but I can say, “I’m feeling okay but I’ve had better days”. 

Speaking our truth is also about setting clear boundaries; saying ‘No” gracefully and giving options for the other person to implement.  You may recall Cynthia Kyriazis sharing on this in Lesson #1 of Creating Balance 101. If you haven’t had a chance, go to www.balancetosucceed.com to sign up for a free lesson.

Live from my heart:

So what does living from the heart mean? Follow your passion, follow your dreams, follow your bliss. Check in and see, feel or sense what is right FOR YOU. If you have a dream it has to come to you because it is part of your life path while you are here on Earth. It is important to follow this guidance and to go for it!

We can also live from the heart with small things, like connecting with someone you are thinking about, or taking a class. It can be an "inner knowing" that calls you to action. Trust it and act on it!

Following my intuition:

We all have the ability to be intuitive and to know, feel or sense what is right for us.  Again, it takes practice.  Some people get their intuition from dreams, others get an inner ‘knowing’ and feel compelled to act on it; your intuition may come from an entirely different place. The key for me has been to learn to TRUST my inner guidance.  When I trust it (and act accordingly), I find that it supports me to be more intuitive. 

So what are the results of being authentic? Overall, I have found that when I am coming from the place of authenticity the magic happens!  

Here is more food for thought on being authentic:

It is important to do what is right for YOU; ultimately it will be right for the people around you as well. This seems to be an universal law, even though it may be hard to believe.  Try it and see for yourself!

When we are in your authentic place, the movement of spirit will come through with grace flow and ease.

Authentic energy is expansive; it creates more and more...and more.

W​hen we are creating from an authentic place who we really are shows up.  People know and sense this and it affects the outcome.