SUCCESS STORY: Brenda Nelson, Shakopee, MN
Two years ago, I took a workshop from Dr. Christi during which I wrote a Life List (a.k.a., Bucket List). One of the many items I wrote was “Run a 5k,” since I had recently given up smoking and felt like I might actually be able to do that – someday – without dying. I didn’t plan on it anytime soon, though.
But just 4 months later, I saw an ad in my local paper for a group called Moms on the Run. I discovered that the group is coach-led, teaches people to start running in a 
safe manner, and the 18-week program ends with a 5k. Like I said, I hadn’t planned on checking the 5k off of my Life List so soon, but when I saw that the race took place in the town I grew up in, I knew it was destined to be… so I signed up.
Eighteen weeks later, I ran my first official 5k. I was elated.
This was not the end.
Just 9 months later, I had run seven 5ks. This was also not the end!
I decided to join the ASPIRE Success Club and declared my Bold Goal for the year to become a certified personal trainer (CPT). I completed the courses while working my beloved full-time job as an Executive Assistant. I reached my Bold Goal and officially became a CPT!
But this was not the end either.
One of my favorite running sayings is: Your legs are not giving out, your head is giving up. Keep going. This saying reminds me just how much depends on your mental attitude. With support from people like my ASPIRE friends, I knew I could do what I set out to do. Using tools from ASPIRE, I broke my large goal up into single steps and I chose to believe.
This story really has no end.
I was asked to coach for Moms on the Run, a position I happily accepted. To date I have run over 32 – 5ks, 6 – 10ks, 4 half-marathons and the Iron Girl. It’s crazy to think of the fun I have had, the friendships I have made, and the health benefits I have gained all from one little item on my life list and a Bold Goal.
I am thankful to Dr. Christi and the ASPIRE virtual group for all of the encouragement and support along the way. It really does take a village!
Way to go, Brenda! We’re honored to support your journey that has brought such vibrant energy into your career and life! Readers, join the success by clicking here! And tune in tomorrow for another success story that shows how passion, focus, and positivity can triumph even through the most difficult obstacles.
Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches professionals to get unstuck and reach Bold Goals with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.
Learn more at www.meaning-and-purpose.com and follow Dr. Christi on Facebook and Twitter.
Now enrolling for the 2014 ASPIRE Success Club! Click here for details.
In coaching with Christi, I rediscovered my passion for organizing. I love to organize and knew I had natural strengths in this area – I’d often help friends organize their kitchens or craft areas – but that’s as far as it went. I began researching, taking courses, and educating myself on the possibility of becoming a professional organizer, thinking this would be fun to do on the side.
SUCCESS STORY: Charlie Kiesling, Executive Director 
Long story short, we are now happily settled in our new stand-alone facility, which is centrally located within the community we serve, and we are able to focus our energy on helping those who come to us for support.
At the start of the year, Dr. Christi had us each set a Bold Goal that would likely take us the better part of the year to accomplish. “What would you like to say about yourself at the end of the year that you can’t say now?” she asked. I realized that I wanted to be able to say I was in a career that I was passionate about, that used my skills and strengths fully. I set that as my Bold Goal, not really knowing how it would play out.
Maybe you’ve heard the definition of fear as “False Evidence Appearing Real.” While the acronym helps, it doesn’t necessarily get us very far.
3. Champions focus on solutions. When something goes wrong, rather than complaining, whining, or blaming, champions look for ways to right the wrong and move forward.
Not every day is filled to the brim with blissful activities – even when you do what you love. But to succeed, both in work and in life, the majority of your days will ideally honor your values, priorities, and strengths.
We have a wealth of knowledge at our hands to help us be happy. Interestingly, for most of us, it always seems to point to one key thing:
4. Volunteer.
Have you ever been helped by a clerk who was obviously “checked out” of her job, simply punching the clock but wishing she were somewhere (anywhere) else?
First, to sell authentically and successfully, you must be 100% confident in the service or product you provide. You need to know with all your heart that what you offer will improve lives in a purposeful way.
Of course not. Knowing that you can help someone better her or his life in a meaningful way is at the heart of sales success. Sure, there are people selling less-than-stellar products just for the money, but don’t trouble yourself thinking about them. Their model is neither sustainable nor authentic.