Create Your Life Vision (Part 1)

by Lisa OberbichlerConfidence, Goals, Habits, Health & Fitness, MindsetPosted on No Comments

In today’s episode of the Inspiration2grow podcast we are going to talk about taking a look at where you are in life currently and considering your life’s aspirations or values.  Everyone has different priorities as well as milestones which they want to achieve.  We refer to these goals as our ‘pillars of life’.

Pillars of life can be thought of as foundations that both guide us and provide stability while giving us balance at the same time. In today’s show, I hope to help you identify your pillars and gain clarity around what you really, truly want within each area.  That is the essential first part of creating your life vision.

Imagine you’re going to meet your friends at an amazing Hawaiian resort.  Sounds beautiful, right?

You land safely at the airport, grab your luggage and jump into a rental car.  Then you type in the address into the car’s GPS.
You know exactly where you are going, so getting there is easy.
However, if you didn’t know the address (or at least the name of the resort), it would be a completely different story, because there are a LOT of resorts in Hawaii that you could potentially end up at.

Well, it’s the very same thing when it comes to reaching your big, audacious goals and dreams.
You need to know WHERE you’re going if you ever want to end up there.

How?  By creating a life vision for everything you want to achieve.  This doesn’t have to be complicated…

In fact, I’ll help you get started today with Part 1 of how to create a life vision.

Once you have yours in place, success will come faster and easier for you.  Why?  Because “wrong turns” will be a thing of the past and your internal GPS will know exactly where to lead you even if the journey doesn’t go as planned.

So, let’s dive right into the practical part of creating your life vision…

The biggest thing that prevents people from taking action on their future dreams and goals is not having clarity around what that future actually looks like for them.  When you have extreme clarity, whatever fears, obstacles or distractions arise on the journey, it will be hard for you NOT to keep moving in the right, desired direction.  It is this CLARITY that will help your overcome fears and obstacles, be your guiding North Star and provide the necessary strength and conviction to stay the course.

Clarity itself is one of the most powerful tools you can use to accomplish the life you want, the goals you desire to reach and the big accomplishments you set your mind to.

Part 1 on this process is by no means complex or complicated but it does require some thought and deeper consideration.

This exercise can be done at the onset of a new year, or even every six months or perhaps quarterly just to assess whether you are on track or not.  Your course might need a few adjustments and that’s perfectly okay.  You will need to revisit and tweak accordingly.

So, I want you to imagine 5 tall, strong pillars holding up the roof of a building.  I came across the exact structure I always imagine when I do this exercise on a trip to Puerto Rico.  It was an open structure in the middle of a grassy area surrounded by tall palm trees, with the most beautiful marble inlay floor, no doors, no windows, no walls – just the white pillars and the roof.

In this exercise, each of these pillars are going to represent an important area of your life.  And to be clear, everybody can decide on the number of pillars they will have – some will outline 4, others perhaps 7, but there is not right or wrong number of pillars for your life vision.

Here are some common pillars people what to focus on:  love, happiness, health/wellness/exercise & nutrition fall into this category as well, wealth/financial, relationships, personal development, career/business, spiritual, charitable/volunteering and giving back pillars.

Time to time, you might need to shift your focus to some areas more than others to maintain balance, but essentially, all the categories or pillars you choose will receive the necessary attention and work they need to stay on course.

Which ones are yours?  Which ones do YOU want to improve on, set goals for, make huge achievements in?

I know one person who chooses 5 pillars:  financial, career/business, relationships, health/wellness and personal development.  For him, it is like 5 spokes of a wheel.  And he maintains that all 5 spokes need to be moving forward (meaning: being worked on and improved) for the wheel to keep turning and to prevent a bumpy ride.  If all of his 5 areas are balanced, then the ride is smooth.

Another person I know well has only 4 categories or pillars:  love, happiness, health and wealth.

So, as you see, this is very individual, and YOU, only you can decide on which areas are most important for your ‘ideal’ life and vision.  You are on a unique journey, so remember that your pillars might look totally different from those of a good friend.

In order to create your life vision, the intentions and goals you have for each area, I need you to picture or imagine your IDEAL life.  The key word here is ideal.  We are not making a 5-, 10- or 20-year plan with this exercise, we are zeroing in on one year and more specifically, one ideal year.

At this point it is time to become curious, deeply curious about what you want in each area and how you want things to be.  You are going to dig deep and be extremely detailed with each pillar.  Write down 3 – 5 bullet points or boxes to be checked off once accomplished for each pillar.  Get specific and curious in terms of how you’d like your ideal life to look in each pillar. 

Let’s look at a few examples to show you what I mean:

Some bullet points under the pillar of health might be –

1.       Limit alcohol intake
2.       Never sacrifice sleep
3.       Drink tons of water
4.       Avoid sugar
5.       Only eat when hungry

Bullet points under the pillar of wealth could be –

1.       Invest in the long term
2.       Have an emergency fund
3.       Live below your means for an extended period of time
4.       Start and set a budget

Bullet point ideas for the pillar of love are:

1.       Love unconditionally
2.       Practice gratitude daily
3.       Love yourself before loving someone else
4.       Spend plenty of time with close friends and family who lift you up
5.       Learn to forgive and accept forgiveness

Bullet points for the category of happiness could be:

1.       Exercise
2.       Never stop learning
3.       Have an open mind
4.       Complete fulfilling tasks
5.       Avoid all sources of negativity
6.       Choose progress over perfection
7.       Protect your mental health at all costs

Bullet points for the pillar personal development could be:

1.       Read non-fiction books
2.       Journal daily
3.       Begin breathwork as a form of meditation
4.       Try new things each day or week or month
5.       View failure as a learning experience not a setback
6.       Become strong from the inside out

Remember, don’t be vague when listing 3 – 5 bullet points under your pillars.  For example, if you want to drink lots of water, then get specific such as:  I will drink 4 full water bottles each day.  Or, if you intend on expanding yourself and your horizon through personal development, you might list “never stop learning’.  Well, that is not detailed enough to follow through on or even keep track of your progress.  You should be listing something like:  I intend on reading one new book on mindset or personal development each month.  See, that’s something you can keep record of. 

The points mentioned are mere examples to get your own creative juices flowing and to, perhaps, spark an idea of how you could level up your life.  You and I both know that there are endless ideas, but you have to choose what is right for you, aligned with your life’s vision and things that will light you up inside creating the best version of YOU.

There’s one pillar I believe EVERYONE should include, and that is the Fun/Enthusiasm pillar.  Life is too short to live a mundane, boring, unfulfilled life.  So, I strongly encourage you to add in this category to your life vision to increase the fun-factor, inject some adventure, ramp up the excitement levels and simply enjoy life to the fullest.

The pillars of our life’s vision help us to achieve balance by providing us with anchors to grasp on to when the waves of life rock our boat.  These pillars can and should be continuously developed and solidified.  A roof cannot be held up and supported properly if one pillar falls short or crumbles or isn’t as tall as the others.
Our goal is to create sturdy pillars and a solid foundation for our life’s vision.

As mentioned earlier, your pillars will evolve as your circumstances change and that’s okay. It may even take a lifetime to perfect your pillars, but the act of creating a path you deeply desire will give you the necessary clarity and confidence to keep moving forward and stay the course.

Just a few closing thoughts on your vision because, I bet many of you haven’t really taken the time to consider what your vision is or laid out a strategic plan of how to fulfill this vision.

Your vision of where or what you want to be is the greatest asset you have.  This vision I keep referring to is the ability to see your purpose, your dreams, your desire and your tomorrow.   And, I will leave your with two quotes:

“Vision with action makes a powerful reality.” ~Ron Kaufman

“Make your vision so clear that your fears become irrelevant.” ~Kerwin Rae

Keep in mind – this is only part 1 or 3 in the exercises of creating your life vision. By the end of the pillar exercise in Part 1 you should have complete clarity on what your ideal life vision looks like, with your chosen pillars including 3 – 5 detailed and very specific bullet points under each of these pillars.

Parts 2 and 3 will be coming to my podcast soon.

I would like to invite you to become part of the Inspiration2grow community on Facebook.  The group name is: Inspiration2grow for Female Goal-getters.  It is meant to be a community of like-minded women who want to grow strong from the inside out.  There will be daily journalling prompts, nutrition and fitness tips, exercises to try, encouraging conversations among the community and lots more.  So, be sure to join this group for support, new ideas and the necessary rocket fuel to propel your health and wellness to new heights.

You owe it to yourself to take care of yourself, show up for yourself and become the best version of YOU.

In case you haven’t heard it yet today, let me be the first to tell you…
You are incredible, capable and your potential is limitless.  Never forget that and I believe in you 100%.  Now, go out there and show the world what you are truly made of.

I hope to have inspired you to grow.

Til next time,
Lisa
 
 
 
 
 






10 Empowering Messages You Need to Hear

by Lisa OberbichlerConfidence, Goals, Habits, Health & Fitness, Mindset, Self CarePosted on No Comments

In today’s episode of the Inspiration2grow podcast, I will be talking about some ideas worth considering to live your best life.

I try to keep all the information, ideas, tips and features on this podcast evergreen, which means they will always be relevant for my listeners and followers. So, I have to emphasize that even though I am referring to a new year full of possibilities to live your best life, your NEW YEAR could begin anytime, not just on January 1st.  That’s a myth that I would like to dispel here, that you can start to implement change anytime.  There is no pressure to start on any particular day.

These concepts, quotes, thoughts can be revisited time and time again.

1.       Show gratitude.  “If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more.  If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” ~Oprah Winfrey

What are you feeling grateful for today?
 
2.       Start a regular exercise routine.  Your body and mind will thank you for it.
 
Your muscles don’t know the date on your birth certificate.  They only know whether or not they’ve been exercised recently or not.
 
3.       Show yourself some self-love. Look deep inside and see your own beauty.  Know you are powerful beyond measure.  Go forth confidently and believe in yourself.  Shine where you stand.

“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” ~Khalil Gibran
 
4.       Just know that it’s never too late and you’re never too old to start something new. 
 
5.       A person’s most beautiful asset is not a head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen and a hand willing to help others.
 
6.       Slow and steady progress is still amazing progress.  No matter how slow you go, you’re still lapping everyone on the couch.
 
7.       Strive for 1% improvement over yesterday.  At the end of each day ask yourself what you can do or implement to create a small, yet over the long-term significant, improvement in comparison to the day before.
 
8.       Consistency is where it’s at.  In anything we do or want to achieve, consistency is the key word.  In terms of your fitness or workout routine, the best advice is to get it done in the early morning rather than “later” in the day because most times later doesn’t happen. 

Try to adjust your sleep routine to go to bed 30 – 60 minutes earlier to allow for an earlier wake up call. 

Getting your physical exercise early on in the day will set you up feeling more energized, productive, youthful, in control, and less overwhelmed about the day.

It truly is the puzzle piece to unlock something extraordinary in your body and life. And, you’ve heard me say this in previous episodes, but by taking care of yourself and putting attention and care into your body, you will reap the benefits like a domino effect through other aspects of your life.
 
How can you structure your day to show up for yourself, your body and mind in the early morning?
 
9.       Turn your dreams into goals and fiercely chase them down.

Dreams are nothing more than fantasy when they are not translated into goals.  It takes nothing to have a big vision, but, everything to make it a reality.

You can turn your dreams into goals and goals into reality as long as you truly work for them.  I am grateful for where I am today as it’s the fruit of my hard, determined work.  It’s the result of taking action when I didn’t always feel like it.

Reality check – If you have been dreaming of something for so long but feel like there’s no progress, look back.  Have you done what you’re supposed to do?  Or did you simple manifest your dreams with no action?

That leads to no where.  Dedicate yourself to achieving your desires and be ready to do anything for it.

Focus on doing the things necessary, taking intentional action and it will lead you to great results.

10.   About motivation…

Motivation is not something magical that suddenly appears from the sky and falls into your lap.  Motivation changes; it’s not constant.  And if you have it one day, you might not find it the next day.

If you only work hard on the days you’re motivated, then you will never achieve your goals, never!  Discipline trumps motivation.  Integrity trumps motivation.  Grit trumps motivation.

Discipline means showing up day in, day out because YOU set a goal for yourself.

Following through with the commitment or plan you made with/for yourself even when it gets tough is called: integrity.

Pushing your way through the resistance that comes up in your mind and body is called: grit.

So, instead of me saying, “Get motivated” or “Find your motivation”, I will say – work on your discipline, personal integrity and grit.

That’s a winning combination!  You’ve got this.

I truly hope to have inspired you to grow.

Til next time,

Lisa xoxo
 
 
 

2 Essential Tools You Need – Breath Work & Mental Imagery

by Lisa OberbichlerConfidence, Goals, Habits, Health & Fitness, Mindset, Self CarePosted on No Comments

In today’s episode of the Inspiration2grow podcast I am giving you a glimpse into how you can use breath work and visualization as methods of focus, meditation and relaxation in times of stress, anxiety and overwhelm or just because. 

It’s Tangible Tuesday so I want to provide you with some tools and tactics today that will help you in any number of situations.  In fact, the breath work I am going to walk you through today was very beneficial for the children and teenagers I used to work with.  Many of them told me they would implement the breathing technique right before starting a test to gain focus or in instances they felt a highly anxious at school and playing their sport.  They’re simple, yet highly effective.

How often are you breathing?  I mean, consciously breathing by taking deep, mindful, belly breaths that really oxygenate your entire body and mind.

Many of us go about our busy days and never take the time to truly BREATHE deeply and with intention.

Once you practice breathing techniques and truly harness the power of your breath, the results can be refreshingly awakening.

So, breathwork can best be described as an active breathing technique that focuses on our breathing patterns and creates a mind body connection that will improve our health on many levels – physically, emotionally as well as spiritually.

You’ll gain clarity and feel empowered. During breathwork you don’t need anything externally, so there is a feeling of inner empowerment that comes or arises from within.  It sounds a bit woowoo, but until you actually give it a try, you won’t understand what I mean here.  Your own breath can become a source of answers to questions, offer insights to challenges you are facing, provide a sense of freedom from feeling stuck and also gives you a glimpse of what’s next for your life and your work in the world.

Breathwork helps you put the brakes on an acute stress response and diverts the health problems associated with chronic stress, which we all know is quite detrimental to our health.  By activating the body’s relaxation response, deep abdominal breathing helps decrease blood pressure.

If I had to guess, I would wager a bet that many of you have never practiced breathwork before OR even considered it as a means of becoming mentally stronger.  But I am sure that you have heard the saying, “Take a deep breath,” when you found yourself in a stressful situation.
 
Feelings come and go like clouds on a windy day, but conscious breathing remains my anchor.  Conscious breathing is the best antidote to overcome moments of: overwhelm, anxiety, stress and feelings of being out of control.

Okay, let’s dive into the two breathwork techniques you can use anytime, anywhere.

The first technique is called the ‘6-2-8 Breath Triangle’.

This breathwork exercise is done with your eyes closed and the triangle part of it means you are going to focus on your nose leading to one edge of your mouth to the other edge and back to your nose.  So, let’s begin by closing our eyes and simply focusing on this triangle right below your eyes.

Good, now we are ready to add in the breathing component.  The 6-2-8 method means we will take a deep breath in for 6 seconds, hold it for 2 followed by a long, deep exhale for 8 seconds.  Let’s try it a few times.

Eyes closed focused on your triangle.  Start by breathing in for 6 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, then release a long exhale for 8 seconds.  And again.
And once again.

If you become distracted by anything (maybe a smell or sound), always bring it back to the triangle and focus on the invisible line connecting your nose to mouth to other edge of your gorgeous mouth and back up to your nose. 

You can do this exercise for as long as you want.  You should feel your belly moving in and out  – this means your breaths are deep and slow.  You find yourself relaxing and letting stress, worry and anxiety leaving your body.  Your shoulders start to drop with even more relaxation.  Your mind focuses better and better with each breath.

Breathwork helps you regain control of yourself and is a powerful tool to have in your arsenal.

The second breathing technique I will teach you today is called the ‘5 by 5 Box’.

So, begin by picturing a box with your eyes closed of course.  Our breathing and focus will be in line with this box.  Essentially, what we do is inhale for 5 seconds, hold it for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds, and hold again for 5 seconds.  So, we have 4 breath actions and each takes place along one side of the box.

Let’s give it a shot… Inhale for 5 seconds and let your mind imagine moving up one side of the box.  Hold this breath for 5 seconds while moving along the next side of the box.  Now, exhale for 5 seconds and again, move your mind along the third side.  Hold in the exhaled state for 5 seconds and you should be back to the beginning.  Once again,…

Remember, the #1 way to get in control of yourself is by breathing!  You can practice either of these techniques in an easy environment OR you can add stimulus in order to improve your focus.

If you have children or teens who could use a bit of focus or relief of tension and anxiety in their lives, introduce them to these methods.  You will be surprised at how well they work for people of any age.

Now, I am going to move onto visualization or mental imagery as a second tool to have in your tool box.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, the mental images you create and carry around, positive or negative, have a direct impact on our physical and mental performance.  When you begin to train your skills of mental imagery and meditation (this could be through breathwork), you will notice that you are better able to stay calm under pressure and you will experience improved focus on doing one task at a time.  You will be present in the moment rather than getting caught up in the past or future.

An added bonus … you will develop one of the best tools to increase your confidence.  This particular tool I am talking about is referred to with the acronym B.A.L.L. which is a 4-step mental imagery drill you can start implementing today.

B – stands for BREATHE using the 6-2-8 Breath Triangle Technique (we went through it earlier)
A – stands for AFFIRMATION.  Using self-talk training you say things to yourself with a strong, committed internal voice. 
L – stands for LOOK BACK at your previous success.  Remind yourself that you are a success and draw on these examples from previous experiences.
L – stands for LOOK FORWARD to your new day.  Get excited about what the new day has in store for you.  It’s loaded with opportunities to show up as your best, most confident self.

I want you to understand this…

-> Anxiety comes with an obsession over the future.
-> Depression comes from an obsession over the past that you can’t do anything about.  You can’t go back and re-write your history or change anything about it; you can only learn from it.)

Living your daily life optimally comes from being obsessed with the present – here and now.

Today’s the biggest day of your life.  Why?  Because you are living it!

So, make a conscious effort to be present TODAY.  Show up as you were meant to and make yourself so darn proud.

When your head hits the pillow each night, in your mind – replay all the positives that happened during the day. Replay your performance of the day.  Let go of any negative moments and reinforce the positive.  Tomorrow is a new day to shine.

If you’re wondering who even used mental imagery, let me provide a few examples…

The first time I saw it being implemented was in top athletes who use imagery extensively to build on their strengths and help eliminate their weaknesses.  It is a critical tool for them to compete more effectively.  You might have seen athletes before major sporting events with their headphones on, eyes closed, fully concentrated, tuning out everything else around them – they call it ‘getting in the zone’.  Imagery not only helps athletes regulate the levels of anxiety they are experiencing at that moment before or during competitions, but it also helps athletes remain calm, confident, focused and mentally tough.  In fact, research has shown that athletes are able to improve both physical as well as psychological reactions in certain situations with visualization.

Some practical examples:

* Emily Cook, of the USA freestyle ski team, visualizes each aerial jump as part of her training for the Olympic Games.  She broke it down and recorded her visualization technique as a script to go over again and again and it goes something like this:
‘I am standing on the top of the hill.  I can feel the wind on the back of my neck. I can hear the crowd. I turn down the in-run. I stand up. I engage my core. I look at the top of the jump.” She went through every step of how she wanted her jump to turn out.
 
* Billie Jean King, top seeded tennis player, was already using mental imagery to win matches back in the 1960’s.

* If you’ve ever watched an alpine ski race, you’ll often see the starters visualizing the run right before the buzzer rings and they are heading down the slope.  Skiers including Lindsey Vonn of the United States, would use their hands to simulate the path of her skis.

* Olympic swimmers such as Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky attribute part of their success in the pool to getting mentally prepared through visualization.
 
Visualization can also be coined “strategic daydreaming”.  It is like a dress rehearsal of what lies ahead.  It offers mental preparedness for the day.

So, for those of you who intend of using visualization in your every day life, here are some helpful tips:

The skill of visualization is fairly simple and straightforward in theory:  You find yourself a quiet, calm spot, then close your eyes, and roll the scene (as if a movie is playing out before your eyes) of your ideal day or you overcoming adversity of some kind or yourself at your next workout.

The goal, here, is to give yourself a series of WINS.  This provides you with a sense of “been there, done that.”  It gives you a ‘dry-run’ of the day so that when it happens for real, you won’t be overwhelmed or become buried by the pressure and the unexpected.

Mentally imagining the day or a particular scenario helps to decrease your overthinking which many of us get so caught up in that we can’t move forward at times.  Overthinking means you are thinking about what others are thinking, worrying about disappointing people, obsessing over things outside of your control and over-analyzing every little thing you are doing.  What visualization does is it helps keep you focused on the things that matter most.

Both breathwork AND visualization could become part of your morning routine setting you up for a successful day. Who doesn’t enjoy starting the day off in a relaxed state of mind feeling prepared for whatever the day may bring?

I sincerely hope you give these methods a try. 

Remember that daily practice will yield the best results and you will become fair more comfortable and train and tweak these skills to work best for your situation. 

I truly hope to have inspired you to grow with these ideas and methods of relaxation and focusing.

Til next time,

Lisa xoxo
 
 
 
 
 

Crush Your Comfort Zone with a Misogi Challenge

by Lisa OberbichlerConfidence, Goals, Habits, Health & Fitness, MindsetPosted on No Comments

In today’s episode of the Inspiration2Grow podcast, I would like to introduce you to the concept of the Misogi challenge Itzler style.

But first, let me ask you a question…

What’s one thing you did in 2022 that was memorable, life-changing perhaps and took you far out of your comfort zone?

Some of you may know Jesse Itzler and some may not.  I have been following him on IG now for a few years and this guy does some amazing things.  He is a prime example of living life to the fullest.  He lives and breathes wellness practices such as:  fruit til noon, sauna sessions followed by cold plunging, Wim Hof breathing, extreme athletic pursuits involving biking, running, and swimming.

Jesse also happens to be Sara Blakley’s husband.  But he doesn’t stand in the shadow of his ultra-successful wife.  He is a serial entrepreneur, highly sought-after speaker, former rapper, author of several books, coach and calendar creator.  You name it, Jesse has undoubtedly done it.

His resume of accomplishments is quite impressive and his vibrant personality is so infectious.  I think the two words – limitless & unstoppable – best describe Jesse’s attitude toward goals, both of a personal and professional nature.

So, I like to see what he is up to on IG from time to time.  A while back, I noticed he was talking about a thing called “the Misogi Challenge”.  I had never heard of this before so I started to look into it.  However, in fine Jesse-style, he adapted the original Japanese version to reflect a personal goal or challenge.

Basically, it goes like this…

If you commit to the Misogi challenge, you choose ONE big event or goal that you would like to achieve in the year.  And, by big, I really mean a big, audacious goal.  Jesse’s version is designed to help us uncover what we’re capable of as individuals and to tap into possibilities we don’t see in the moment.  Once we complete the challenge, it’s a reminder that we are stronger than we believe and that more is possible that we can imagine.

Jesse talks about the challenge as, “The notion around the misogi is you do something so hard one time a year that it has an impact the other 364 days of the year. Put one big thing on the calendar that scares you, that you never thought you could do, and go out and do it.”

In other words, once a year, do something memorable.  Create your own milestone events!

If you do some research on the concept of misogi, you’ll find out that it began as a yearly Japanese purification process for body and mind. However, Jess Itzler’s version is slightly different.  It’s not connected to a spiritual experience. 

Essentially, the Misogi challenge is meant for us to experience life-changing events that provide us with memories and meaning in our lives.  Something to look back on and remember. 

Another concept Jesse talks frequently talks about is the fact that ‘tomorrow’ is not promised.  So, instead of planning out lives 5, 10 or 20 years out from now, we should adopt the mentality that life is short and valuable.  It needs to be lived to the fullest now, not in 10 years down the road.

Personally, I haven’t nailed down my Misogi for 2023 yet, but I have some ideas for sure.  I hope you consider doing the Misogi challenge for yourself and I would like to give you some helpful tips on how to make your decision…

1.        Misogi should push your personal limits.  Your own Misogi goal should be designed for a 50/50 chance of success.  That means it shouldn’t be too easy!  There needs to be a sense of adventure and risk involved.  Keep in mind – you may not succeed.  The whole premise is to stretch yourself to tap into something you didn’t know you were even capable of.

2.       Misogi should scare you a bit.  Your misogi goal should create fear and discomfort for you, and it should rattle your nerves a bit.  A slight feeling of unease and anxiety needs to be present, otherwise you aren’t truly pushing your limits.

3.       Misogi is for YOU, not anyone else. The idea here is to learn something about yourself and your limits. That means it is your challenge, and the experience is very private regardless whether you do it alone or within a group setting.

The Takeaway –

Think back over your past 5 – 10 years.  What memories can you associate with specific years?  Were there moments when you pushed your limits?  Stretching yourself and allowing yourself to be uncomfortable is a great way to grow as a person.  Consider ONE thing you could do in the coming new year that would make it memorable.  Learn a new language, run a marathon, climb a mountain, write a book, start a business… Whatever it is that you choose, get ultra-focused on the goal and start planning the steps to completion. 

Take the risk and crush your comfort zone in 2023.

Thanks for listening and I hope to have inspired you to grow.

And, in case you haven’t heard it yet today, let me be the first to tell you…

You are an amazing human being with so much potential.  I believe in you.  Now, go out there and show the world what you are made of.

Til next time,
 
Xoxo Lisa
 
 
 
 

Developing Self-Awareness

by Lisa OberbichlerConfidence, Goals, Habits, MindsetPosted on No Comments

LISTEN TO PODCAST EPISODE HERE -> https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/RkyOLMmQvwb

In today’s episode of the Inspiration2Grow podcast I am going to talk about creating more self-awareness, an important skill that we can cultivate to help us progress on our personal development journey, and we could all use a little more of it sometimes.

This will be a slightly shorter episode but actionable and insightful as always, I hope.

Adam Grant, a leading authority on self-awareness, TED X speaker, NYT best-selling author or well-regarded psychologist wrote, “It’s a sign of wisdom to avoid believing every thought that enters your mind.  It’s a mark of emotional intelligence to avoid internalizing every feeling that enters your heart.”

Self-awareness is a rather abstract concept but yet everyone who hears the term would likely think is means to be aware … of yourself.

But what does it actually mean?

Self-awareness is a skill that all of us should work on and learn – not just children, but adults too.  It is the ability to tune in to your own feelings, thoughts and actions.  When people are self-aware, they understand their strengths as well as challenges, and they know what helps them thrive.

For many though, there is quite a bit of fear around becoming self-aware because they are afraid of being vulnerable.  They worry that others will judge or even reject them, which keeps them from exploring their feelings, thoughts and behaviours.

People can learn to practice more self-awareness by objectively observing their feelings, senses, desires and actions.  When negative emotions arise from the depths, notice them and learn from them, but don’t dwell on them.

Grant tweeted:  “To become more self-aware, don’t ask why you are the way you are because that often leads to rumination.  Instead, ask yourself what situations bring out the best and worst in you, and what you can do to improve.”

I love this way of looking at self-awareness because it has a strong element of growth mentality embedded in it.

So, ask yourself, what brings out the best and worst in you, and then think of ways to improve on those.

But going back to his quote, there are multiple lessons we can take from it.

1.        Wisdom = not believing every thought that enters your mind.
 
Every day, you are going to have a lot of thoughts (some studies suggest 6,000 plus)
 
BUT DID YOU KNOW…just because you think it, it doesn’t mean it has to be true?  Or that you have to act on it?
 
You might have heard me say this before in other episodes:  thoughts can just be thoughts.
 
A great way to start working on your self-awareness is to acknowledge your thoughts and understand where they come from (and why), but don’t let them run your life.
 
For example, you might think to yourself, “Ugh, why am I so bad at staying consistent with the gym and my workouts?”
 
A self-awareness PRO would recognize that this thought comes from a place of frustration and recent life stressors, validate the feelings, but also realize that thought doesn’t need to be true.  Then, work towards developing a more accurate depiction of that thought.
 
2.       Emotional Intelligence = avoiding the internalization of every feeling

Similar to your thoughts, just because you feel something, doesn’t mean it’s something to hold onto for the rest of your day (or life).

It’s okay to experience a feeling or emotional reaction without letting it bleed into everything else.

Self-awareness is the ability to monitor our inner and external world.  Our thoughts and feelings arise as signals.  Developing self-awareness allows us to keep from being swept away by those signals, and instead objectively and thoughtfully respond to them.

With some self-awareness superpower, you can feel it.  Sit with it. Unpack it. Then move on.

In my effort to keep each and every episode actionable, I’d like to end today’s talk with 3 ways to ramp up your self-awareness.

3 Pathways to becoming more self-aware:

a.       Start a ‘thought journal’ – increase your self-awareness by keeping track of thoughts that pop up in the form of an automatic reaction.  Make note of when it occurred, why or the underlying reasons and how it made you feel.  A common thread might be noticeable after a certain period of tracking.

b.       Start a mindfulness practice –  there are a variety of activities you can begin with, but be sure to choose ones you feel inspired by such as:  meditation or yoga.  When you practice mindfulness, you will see that your behaviour becomes more intentional and there will be an increase in self-awareness.

c.       Ask a good friend to clarify your strengths and weaknesses – having an outside perspective is helpful in gaining a clearer understanding of external self-awareness.
 
I hope consider putting some of these methods of gaining more self-awareness into practice. And, I truly hope to have inspired you to grow.

Til next time,

Lisa
xoxo
 
 
 
 

Are You Ready to Love Yourself?

by Lisa OberbichlerConfidence, Goals, Habits, MindsetPosted on No Comments

LISTEN TO PODCAST EPISODE HERE -> https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/boIp4v6Pvwb

In today’s episode of the Inspiration2Grow podcast I want to give you a reminder that you are loved, worthy and can your power back.
 
 
Have you ever wondered WHY some people can’t or won’t see your value?
 
Have you ever felt unseen or unheard in a relationship?
 
Or worried if you put your work out there other people won’t see your value either?
 
The pain and struggle in relationships happens as a reflection of the pain we avoid sitting with inside ourselves. 
 
We live in a reflectionary universe, which means the universe is your mirror. And one of the biggest illusions our minds play on us is that it tells us we are separate from everything else in the world.  That we are alone, that no one else is like us or could understand us. That there is something wrong with us. That we are not good enough.  BUT, none of these statements have much truth to them.  The truth is, you, me and everything out there in the universe are interconnected and acting together as one.
 
 
So the biggest most impactful work you can do is INSIDE with yourself and then watch that reflect outside for you. It’s not in the trying to coerce other people to love you or see your value. 
 
You are loved. Period. The end.
There’s nothing you have to do or prove or perform in order to be loved. You just are.
 
Your worth and inherent value has nothing to do with anyone outside of you validating or invalidating you.
The question is are YOU validating you?
 
Worthiness… it’s at the core wound of all the attachment work out there.
 
We look for it in other people to tell us we are worthy, ready, and deserving of ______ fill in the blank,… love, money, respect.
 
But that’s NOT how it works.
 
Time to take your power back now friends and discover how to LOVE yourself … it’s just a decision.
 
And you’re worth it.
You can continue giving your power away out there for someone to love you, or see you or value you. Or you can claim it and do the work yourself and then watch your reflections show up as this wholeness you seek outside yourself. 
 
I’m talking about this today in relation to your purpose because your purpose fulfilled will depend on your relationship with yourself.
 
Your confidence, your worth, how you FEEL about yourself and your work is all dependent on this.
 
That’s why I am always saying “bet on yourself, you are the lottery ticket”.
 
You can learn new skills, you can do hard things, and you can create transformation in any area of your life that YOU decide.
 
It all starts with a decision to take a radically honest look inside at the thoughts, stories, feelings being triggered, and then the willingness to take radical responsibility for what we find and finally have enough radical self love to do something different.
 
So, DSD – do something different.
 
I’m going to finish off today’s short episode with some wise words to live by:
 
·         Let it go – never ruin a good day by thinking about a bad yesterday.
·         Ignore them – don’t listen to other people, live a life that is empowering to you.
·         Give it time – time heals everything.  Remember that!
·         Don’t compare – the only person you should try to beat is the person you were yesterday.
·         Stay calm – it’s okay not to have everything figured out, just know that in time you’ll get there.
·         It’s on YOU – only YOU are in charge of your happiness and life
·         Smile – life is short! Enjoy it, embrace it and live it to the fullest while you have it.
·         Be kinder to yourself – give yourself grace in all situations.
·         Love yourself – start a love affair with yourself and begin to see what a wonderful, amazing person you really are. 

Once the internal shift happens, the rest of your world will notice too.

I truly hope to have inspired you to grow.

Til next time,

Lisa
xoxo
 

The 1% Improvement Mindset

by Lisa OberbichlerConfidence, Goals, Habits, MindsetPosted on No Comments

LISTEN TO PODCAST EPISODE HERE -> https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/TBOL76EPvwb

In today’s episode of the Inspiration2Grow podcast I invite you to join the 1% Club.  What’s that?  I am so glad you asked. 

Do you know what does not get stressed enough these days?  Tiny, incremental 1% improvements.

It must be because they are so small and mundane.  But I challenge you to rethink progress and shift your mindset from:  I don’t see any change -> I am 1% better than yesterday.

Gaining confidence won’t come overnight.  Success in anything we attempt doesn’t happen overnight.  Building a well-toned body certainly doesn’t happen overnight. 

Don’t be fooled by the 1%.  Just because the number seems small, doesn’t mean it is insignificant.

This paradigm shift will allow you to think bigger, feel more capable and be more consistent in whatever it is you choose to go after.

Let me outline the life cycle of change:

People want to change.  Then they hear an idea, tip or trick that resonates with them and will help them change.  Motivation is felt.  In the beginning, motivation leads to action.  This action is not leading to immediate change.  Due to lack of immediate change, the person quits.

Can you relate?  Hands up! 

This life cycle is evident in any field.

We live in a non-linear world.  In many things we do, massive changes are not guaranteed in the initial stages even though we are putting in a lot of effort yet not seeing much if any improvement.

But the real beauty of non-linear work is that over time… small efforts lead to exponential wins and gains.

So, how can we be consistent enough to experience the bright sides of non-linear effects?

Strive for 1% progress each day.

With 1% changes, you will not shock your subconscious mind.  It wants change, but it hates abrupt twists or pivots.

In the beginning, 1% changes are perfect for easing the subconscious mind into a new mode of being.

What’s a 1% change you can make in your day?

Let’s say you are trying to become a better writer.  Rather than writing a book all at once… try writing a paragraph.

Focus on the micro rather than the macro.

Let’s take changing your daily eating habits to reflect the new, healthy lifestyle you’d like to implement.

Rather than committing to a strict diet or intermittent fasting – as seen on TikTok, choose one small improvement such as increasing your water intake.

Your subconscious mind feels very scared of major adaptations to your life, but it will feel much better with tiny things you start to introduce.

Is 1% improvement fixed?

The 1% mentality gets the ball rolling.  I’d like you to picture a small snowball at the top of a snow-covered mountain.

Once you have the snowball rolling and momentum on your side, you can expand from there.

One thing leads to another, and you feel happy, pleased and proud of yourself.  Things take on a dimension of their own.  Why?

Because the brain has this think called the “Law of Closure” which means the brain loves to close gaps.  It pushes you to do more when action has been initiated.

With a 1% improvement mindset, you’re capable of getting the ball rolling and momentum on your side working for you.

Turn snowballs into avalanches!

Don’t underestimate the 1% improvement promise.  Tiny changes add up over time. And the 1% mentality can be applied to any field, whether it’s your personal life or professional life.

1% improvements lead to colossal changes.  They allow the easily rattled subconscious mind not to be rattled.

So, have I convinced you that even the smallest 1% changes and improvements over yesterday are game-changing for your success in whatever you are striving to achieve?

I truly hope so, and I hope to have inspired you to grow.

Til next time,

Lisa
xoxo
 
 
 

Take Your Power Back by Doing ‘The Work’

by Lisa OberbichlerConfidence, Goals, Habits, MindsetPosted on No Comments

LISTEN TO PODCAST EPISODE HERE -> https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/BJJ16epPvwb

In today’s episode of the Inspiration2Grow podcast we are going to get down to business and do the ‘work’. 

You might be asking what work are you talking about.  The ‘work’ I am referring to today is actually one of the most empowering, personal and revelatory experiences you can commit to doing.

By simply doing ‘the work’ for a few minutes each day, you’ll become a more powerful human being than you could have ever imagined.  Have I piqued your interest yet?  I sure hope so.

Do this and you’ll start to operate on a higher level, playing a much bigger game in life.

You’re just 7 steps away from achieving this.  If you take action on what I’m about to share, you’ll feel a monumental shift inside yourself.
So, in no particular order, I strongly encourage you to…

1.        Write a list of all the most important things you have been procrastinating and do them, ONE BY ONE. Break through your fears.
2.       Write a lit of all the things you have not been saying that you want to say.  Go say them.  Reclaim your power.
3.       Turn off the TV, phone and all other distractions, sit in silence and listen to the wisdom within every single day for at least 10 – 15 minutes (music is optional). Tune into your higher self.
4.       Write a list of all the people, things and circumstances you have been blaming, resenting or resisting, and let it all go.  If you need to be in communication about any of these to anyone, go and do that.  Discover who you really are.
5.       Write a list of all the things, people and circumstances you have been tolerating and speak your truth instead to yourself and to any others as is appropriate.  Wake yourself up.
6.       Write a list of all your attachments and begin a process of letting them go.  ALL OF THEM.  Trust your intuition.
7.       Contemplate the idea that you are exactly where you need to be; everything is perfect and unfolding exactly as it is meant to for your growth and evolution.
  The universe is conspiring in your favour whether you realize it or not.

These steps are not for everyone.  Nor are they a “one-and-done” exercise.

Think of it more like a checklist for a lifetime of evolution.

The more you refer back to it, the greater your results will be.

Committing to ‘the work’ takes immense courage, eternal patience, an open heart and trust.

Your reward, as I said before, is unlocking your full power, both internally and externally.

The magic is truly in doing ‘the work’.

But, regardless if you do these things or not…

Whether you’re ready or not, willing or not…

See yourself as capable or not…

Just know this:  Simply by reading/listening to this podcast, your world has already begun to shift.

I truly hope to have inspired you to grow.

Til next time,

Lisa
xoxo

Closing the Gap & Taking Massive Action

by Lisa OberbichlerConfidence, Goals, Habits, MindsetPosted on No Comments

LISTEN TO PODCAST EPISODE HERE -> https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/seQeMdCOvwb

Close the Gap From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Today I’d like to provide you with 4 major action steps to create a kind of ‘Success Code’ to help you reach your next level and bust through some limiting beliefs which are holding you back from achieving great things.

I am obsessed with gaps -> getting from point A to point B, reducing the distance between my goals, enjoying the process and rejoicing in the progress along the way.  And I constantly look for these gaps in my life and I hope you do too.

For example, the gap between having to retire early and starting my new life coaching business which I absolutely love.  The gap between wanting to get my message out into the world and actually becoming a podcaster with listeners from around the world.  The gap between poor health due to years of neglect and losing 10 + kilos (that’s only the beginning of my weight loss journey), regaining my mobility and significantly reducing my pain and daily amount of medication.
The gaps look different for everybody.  But we all have them to some degree.

Today’s 4 Step Success Code will help you go from your current situation to where you want to be, but…

Implementation is the key.  If you are not going to make an effort to change your situation by implementing the steps I am providing you with, then shut off this podcast right now.  You will only be wasting your time.  My aim is to help people go from ‘just getting by’ to awesome and thriving and that’s only going to happen if you sincerely take the time, put in the effort and follow these actionable items.  So, what are we waiting for?  Let’s dive right in.

Action Step #1 – Gain Clarity

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have absolute clarity on what you want.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it can evolve over time. So, get clear on WHAT you really want and WHERE you really are.  We all have a gap we want to close, maybe in our personal lives or a professional goal you want to achieve. 

Clarity is power! The clearer you are about what you want, the more rapidly you can achieve things. Think of ONE thing you’d like to achieve either as a personal goal or a professional goal. Be very specific when jotting this down.  This should be something you are committed to doing but have pushed aside and made up excuses why the time wasn’t right.  Focus on what it is you want and why you want to achieve this goal.  Of course, it should be one that is achievable AND will totally excite you once accomplished.

Is there perhaps a goal in your emotional life you’d like to reach?  For example, it might be waking up early and priming yourself to crush the day.

To help you gain the clarity, here are some questions you will have to ponder and write about:

1.       What precisely are you going to achieve?
2.       Why would it excite you?
3.       What would it mean to you?
4.       Why are you going to achieve it?
5.       When are you going to achieve it?
6.       How would it change the quality of your life and others?

Pro tip from a Mindset and Life Coach:  You need to establish a very strong set of why’s.  This will be your north star and you will refer back to it constantly.  These why’s should get you up and hit the ground running in the morning and keep you up at night – that’s how intense your why’s need to be.
 
Action Step #2 – Destroy and Replace any Story of Limitation

It is going to take some work to identify where the belief came from and developing strategies to counteract this belief and replace it with another.  Identifying and destroying beliefs is high level personal development, and can catapult you lightyears ahead in your own confidence and feelings of self-worth.

Now, I would like you to write down the limiting beliefs that might hinder you in achieving your goals.
 
I am going to give you five questions to help you do just this.  Be as honest as you can. 

1.       What are some stories that got in the way of achieving your goals?
2.       What is the new story you are telling yourself now?
3.       What is the old belief that got in the way?
4.       What is the new belief you need to adopt? 
5.       What is the old lie that held you back?

Own your truth.  Repeat your new belief 4 times.  Celebrate it like you just achieved it. Remember, whatever you repeat with enough intensity, you will believe.
There is a philosophy of stretching which goes like this:  If you can’t, you must!  I believe this is a quote/concept from Jim Rohn, which means if you say you can’t do something, then you must do it and without hesitancy.  Train yourself when limiting beliefs arise to just do the hard things.  Become a no-limit person.

For reference, I talked about crushing limiting beliefs in previous podcasts:

Episode #5 – Shift Your Mindset for Growth
Episode #6 – 8 Questions to Crush Limiting Beliefs
Episode #15 – Taking Charge of Your Belief System

I strongly suggest listening to these because they offer more suggestions, tips and tactics of how to overcome your limitations.

Action Step #3 – Monitor and Shift Your Language of Self-Talk
 
Whether you are conscious of it or not, we all have a rather sneaky inner voice that constantly comments on what we are doing.  Psychologists refer to this as self-talk.  This inner dialogue directs us and tells us what to do in certain situations.  Some examples when your self-talk actually supports you are when it says, “Look both ways before crossing the street” or “Stand up for yourself”.  This type of self-talk helps us succeed and keeps us safe.

On the flip side, negative self-talk can be very destructive. You might not even be aware that much of this negative self-talk consists of beliefs which were programmed into us in our childhood.  We heard them repeatedly and now we believe them and tell them to ourselves each time the same situation or event arises.

The problem comes when we accept this negative self-talk as the truth about us and our life.

·         I never have enough time.
·         There’s no use.  I won’t be able to do it.
·         I know it won’t work.
·         I’m not good enough.

While this programming happened to you in your younger years, there’s still a chance for you to change your programming.  And, you may discover hidden strengths where you previously had problems/struggles.  The bottom line is that you are not doomed to live with this negative self-talk forever.

So, I have a few exercises I’d like you to try.  Grab a notebook and start consciously paying attention to your self-talk.  Write down some of the attitudes expressed during self-talk.  What situation do you find yourself in? This is merely for more self-awareness.

According to the National Science Foundation the average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day.  Of those, 80% are negative and 95% are exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before and about 80% negative.

Gentle reminder:  Observe your inner voice and take note of exactly what you are whispering to yourself.  Then turn around and ask yourself, “Is this something I would say to a friend?”  If the answer is no, then be kinder to yourself. 

We are so harsh on ourselves most of the time.  We really need to stop, turn on the ‘positivity and love program’ in our heads and start showing up for ourselves in an encouraging way, a supportive way, a loving way and most importantly, in a positive light.  Release all self-judgement and embrace more self love.

There’s a little trick I heard about, and I thought it was pretty cool.  You can go ahead and try it if you like.  Place an elastic band on your left wrist (not one that will cut off your circulation!!) and when your sneaky inner voice says something negative to you.  Switch the elastic band to the other wrist on your right arm, snap it and reframe the negative thought to a positive one.

For example, if I am in a situation where I think, “I am so bad at technology.  I just can’t figure this out.” I would transfer the band to my other wrist, snap it and reframe my thought by stating, “Okay, I don’t know how to do it at the moment, but I am going to figure it out. I’ve got what it takes.”

Essentially, we are overwriting the negative program or thought and replacing it with a new program – to use a computer analogy.  It may sound easy, but, believe me that it does take a lot of hard work and conscious effort.

Moving forward, I want you to remember that the words you attach to your experience, become your experience.

This leads me to the second exercise I’d like you to try to break the patterns of negative self-talk.

For this assignment, make a list of some of the words you use when you’re really angry, emotional, sad, depressed.  Now, come up with 2 – 3 other words that will be humorous or will help break the pattern.

Be open to humor and give yourself permission to smile, chuckle or laugh during trying times.  Look for humor in everyday happenings too.  The minute your facial mimic changes to a smile and you can laugh at life, stress is released from your body.

Practicing any of these 3 activities should help break your state or pattern of negative emotion or self-talk.  Our aim is to re-wire it, replace it and be able to crush it when the problem arises again.  So, you’ve got some simple tools in your toolkit.

Action Step #4 – Take Massive Action Immediately

Taking massive action is the cure all!  Taking massive action is the cure all!  Taking massive action is the cure all to achieving your goals, closing the gap between where you find yourself now and where you actually want to be.  People who have succeeded at the highest levels, have taken massive action.

Sitting on your couch, thinking and dreaming about the life you want will get you no closer to your goals.

Mindlessly scrolling social media and comparing your life to those influencers or highly success people will get you no closer to your goals.

Making up excuses why you can’t move forward will get you no closer.

Nor will dwelling on your limiting beliefs and negative self-talk. 

The ultimate cure for all of these ‘states’ you may find yourself stuck in, is taking action.  Getting off the couch, shutting down social media, ditching the excuses and looking for ways to tackle the next step and by flipping the script on your limiting beliefs and shutting down or reframing your sneaky inner voice.

So, if you’re serious about closing the gap, I want you to take action NOW, lock it in your schedule. 

Write down 2 action steps that will lead you to your goals.  What are they going to be?  Get excited, get jazzed about them, get hyped up and ready to move!

What are TWO ACTIONS you can take today to commit and follow through with to kick-start the progress cycle?

Hard truth:  unless you have that sense of urgency, you will never succeed.  Don’t lose the momentum by putting off taking action until “some day”. 
The time is now, it’s time to press “go”.

Remember, it isn’t confidence or motivation that come first or get you started; it’s taking action that actually cultivates momentum so you can reap the benefits of: self-confidence and motivation.
 
I truly hope to have inspired you to grow.

Til next time,

Lisa
xoxo