Creating Space For Both Wins AND Challenges

Christi Hegstad November 25th, 2019

ASPIRE ENROLLMENT CLOSES SATURDAY. CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

Dr. Megan Ries entered the chiropractic field to make a difference in others’ lives. “A person’s health impacts what they are able to do each and every day,” Megan shared recently. “How they’re able to care for kids, interact with friends and coworkers, and even achieve the goals they’re moving towards.” Having significantly benefited from chiropractic in her own health journey, Megan has embraced the field wholeheartedly.

After opening Keystone Chiropractic in 2016, Megan quickly discovered the need to market the business, build relationships, and continue her own development – which is partly what led her to the ASPIRE Success Club this year. “Small business ownership can sometimes be isolating, even with being involved in other traditional networking,” she offered. “ASPIRE is much different. In traditional networking, it’s easy to stay on a surface level, pretending everything is great even when it may not be. In ASPIRE, however, I hear others’ challenges and how they’re working to overcome them, and the environment allows me to feel comfortable sharing my challenges and struggles as well.”

We have all benefited from Megan’s thoughtful perspectives, personal examples, and even the tips and apps she has shared in our ASPIRE private discussion forum! Her desire to help others be their best is as clear in ASPIRE as it is in her business.

Come join Megan and other inspirational women in the 2020 ASPIRE Success Club! Enrollment ENDS THIS WEEK so join today at https://christihegstad.com/products/aspire-success-club/

One final note from Megan, whom you can also learn more about at KeystoneChiroDSM.com: “Don’t worry if you don’t know anyone in ASPIRE. Everyone is incredibly friendly, and the monthly meetings help keep you focused and motivated during the year after the freshness of the New Year wears off. Give it a go!”

Enrollment to the ASPIRE Success Club occurs once a year – and it’s happening now! Visit the ASPIRE website for details and to join.

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

Saying Yes + Following Through

Christi Hegstad November 24th, 2019

ASPIRE ENROLLMENT CLOSES SATURDAY. CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

“I love being involved, learning, and trying new things,” Brenda Nelson shared with me at a Starbucks in Minneapolis earlier this month. “But I can actually feel in my body if there’s something I’m *truly* meant to say YES to.”

Brenda, a long-time and long-distance ASPIRE Success Club member, is a brilliant example of someone who not only has beautiful dreams and ideas but actually sees them through to completion. Her YESes and Bold Goals over the years have included earning her personal trainer certification, becoming a runner & coaching Girls On The Run and Moms On The Run, becoming a certified life coach, speaking in front of audiences, and serving as a crisis counselor with the crisis text line, among others.

Brenda has intentionally *not* set a Bold Goal some years as well, choosing instead to focus on becoming more mindful and in the present moment, for example, or on embracing more adventure in her life.

Her smile brightens our videoconference ASPIRE meetings each month (she dials in from Minnesota) and she never fails to enlighten and inspire us with her ideas, perspectives, experiences, and latest learnings!

“Through ASPIRE I have achieved countless Bold Goals, established lifelong friendships, and connected with a long-term accountability partner,” Brenda said. “I look forward to the monthly meetings, where I always come away with inspiration and momentum to continue striving to be my best self. My life wouldn’t be the same without ASPIRE!”

Learn more about Brenda’s work at BrendaLeeNelson.com. And learn directly from her, and the other inspiring women who make up the ASPIRE Success Club, by joining us at https://christihegstad.com/products/aspire-success-club/ . Enrollment closes THIS WEEK – enroll today!

Enrollment to the ASPIRE Success Club occurs once a year – and it’s happening now! Visit the ASPIRE website for details and to join.

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

Are You Shrinking Back Or Growing Forward?

Christi Hegstad November 24th, 2019

ASPIRE ENROLLMENT CLOSES SATURDAY.

CLICK HERE TODAY TO JOIN!

How are you ‘shrinking back’?

Maybe you have a bold idea but dismiss it because you don’t know where to start.

Perhaps you’re giving up on a 2019 goal because “it’s too late” or “everyone is already checked out for the holidays.”

You might be comparing yourself to someone else, undervaluing your skill set, or letting fear dictate your decisions.

This week, take an action toward your future.

Stop getting lost in details, procrastinating, or letting thoughts of ‘what if’ rule the day.

Instead, make one phone call. Take one step.

Reach out to people, like those in the ASPIRE Success Club, who want to see you succeed. (If you’re not in ASPIRE, click here and join before Saturday.)

Savor this miracle of life. Live up to your absolute fullest potential. Move forward with strength, positivity, and a healthy dose of grace.

No more shrinking back – you are too important!

Enrollment to the ASPIRE Success Club occurs once a year – and it’s happening now! Visit the ASPIRE website for details and to join.

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

Assume You Can – And Figure The Rest Out Later

Christi Hegstad November 23rd, 2019

“I just don’t let myself think, ‘That will never work.’ Instead, I think, ‘I’m going to try it!’ Not knowing the ‘how’ right away does not hold me back.”

These words from longtime ASPIRE member Mary Knight of San Diego, CA sum up her approach to Bold Goals – and to life – beautifully. And this mindset has served her well! Over the years, she has traveled the world extensively, owned a natural pet food store, published her travel/food writing + photography, served meaningful nonprofits, imported and sold Italian olive oil through her online business, lectured across Australia, and is currently preparing to teach ESL courses. “I make time and save money to do the things that feed my soul,” she told me recently.

When I asked what keeps her coming back to ASPIRE each year – and often bringing others along! – two reasons rose to the surface:

1. Personal growth. “The discussions with other women are so enlightening and always give me new perspectives. ASPIRE really helps me step out of my comfort zone.”

2. Structure. “I am a free spirit with lots of ideas. ASPIRE offers the accountability, tools, and structure to help me actually turn those dreams into plans that I can achieve!”

Mary radiates enthusiasm and joy via the internet in our videoconference meetings, and this summer I had the pleasure of experiencing this in-person too when we met for coffee in her hometown of San Diego!

You can learn more about Mary at SpoonAndSuitcase.com. And if you’d like to turn *your* dreams into plans like Mary, join us in the 2020 ASPIRE Success Club! Enroll at https://christihegstad.com/products/aspire-success-club/ TODAY – enrollment closes one week from today!

Enrollment to the ASPIRE Success Club occurs once a year – and it’s happening now! Visit the ASPIRE website for details and to join.

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

Bringing Peace Into Work, Business Ownership, and Life

Christi Hegstad November 23rd, 2019

Stephanie Majeran has achieved a number of goals throughout her life: degrees, marathons, business ownership, CPA licensure, and beyond. When she attended our ASPIRE Bold Goal training at the start of the year, however, Stephanie was ready for a change.

“I had done so much goal-setting and checked so many boxes already,” she shared. “Something had been building up in me for a while, and I knew I wanted to do things differently.”

So instead of a specific, measurable Bold Goal, Stephanie opted for our alternative route of a Bold Intention. She declared 2019 her year of PEACE.

In our monthly meetings and our ASPIRE discussion forum, Stephanie has shared her experiments and experiences along the way. Her peace-cultivating practices have included consciously slowing down, making intentional mindset shifts, gaining greater self-acceptance, saying ‘no’ more, engaging in yoga and meditation, reading daily devotionals, and tracking her peaceful habits.

She has taken an eagle-eye view of her business to discern how to invite more peace into her professional life.

She even embarked on a personal retreat to Florida for a few days after tax season – not necessarily an easy feat for a business owner, active community member, wife, and mom of a preschooler – but she knew she would benefit from the clarity, spaciousness, and insights it would provide, so she made it happen.

Stephanie credits the accountability of our monthly ASPIRE meetings and the diverse, supportive women in the group for much of her peaceful growth this year, and is already enrolled for 2020. “I honestly feel like a fog has lifted,” she told me recently, “like a weight has been removed from my shoulders.”

Come join Stephanie and other inspiring women in the ASPIRE Success Club! Enrollment is open until Nov 30 at ChristiHegstad.com/products/aspire-success-club

What is one quality *you* would like to cultivate more of in your own work or life?

Enrollment to the ASPIRE Success Club occurs once a year – and it’s happening now! Visit the ASPIRE website for details and to join.

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

Making Your Vision A Reality

Christi Hegstad November 23rd, 2019

Sara Hanley and I met 20 years ago at a mom-and-baby class when our oldest daughters were just a few months old. Over the years, I have marveled at how beautifully Sara lives her life: an incredible mom to 5 kiddos, a marathoner and triathlete, a dedicated volunteer in her community, and a true (and very dear-to-my-heart) friend. And this just scratches the surface!

In 2019 Sara decided to join the ASPIRE Success Club and, just a few months in, made another important decision: To become a massage therapist! She lights up when talking about how her client experiences transform *her* just as much as she transforms their lives and healing.

“I have gained so much from ASPIRE that I wouldn’t even know where to begin!” Sara recently shared. “Your prompt for us to look at our lives 5-10 years from now opened my eyes to what the future might hold, leading me to massage therapy – which I am loving!!! My Bold Goal got me reading more books, listening to podcasts, and truly helped me through a very stressful experience earlier this year – as well as made me feel comfortable enough to start asking for help instead of always trying to make it on my own. Thank you for following your dreams and continuing to work hard to help others do the same!”

You can book a massage with Sara through the Body Wisdom Massage School. And you can join us in the 2020 ASPIRE Success Club by visiting https://christihegstad.com/products/aspire-success-club/ and enrolling before Nov 30!

And an additional prompt for you, friends: What’s something you’d love to say about your work or life next year at this time? What’s one thing you could do TODAY to set that in motion?

Enrollment to the ASPIRE Success Club occurs once a year – and it’s happening now! Visit the ASPIRE website for details and to join.

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

Make A Difference Connecting Passion + Purpose

Christi Hegstad November 19th, 2019

Have you ever helped a child learn to read? Little compares to watching them light up when they can sound out words on their own, or seeing their independence grow right along with their reading proficiency. Hearing them read an entire book all by themselves is like witnessing someone’s confidence grow right before your very eyes!

It warms my heart just thinking about it, but supporting literacy does much more than that: People with proficient reading skills are more likely to be employed and contributing to our economic development, and less likely to be in jail or on welfare.* Reading is a fundamental skill that truly changes lives.

I am thrilled that a portion of the proceeds from each Iowa 2020 ASPIRE Success Club enrollment will support Everybody Wins! Iowa (EWI), an organization with a mission to “increase children’s success in school and life through one-to-one reading and mentoring experiences with caring volunteers.” I recently met with executive director Karen Ligas (pictured with me here) who shared story after story of such life-changing experiences – for both kiddos *and* mentors! During FY19, EWI served nearly 1,000 students, helping them grow – as readers and in other ways, too – through positive, consistent partnerships.

ASPIRE members are passionate about growth and helping others grow, plus reading is part of our curriculum, so this is a beautifully aligned connection! And for our members joining outside of Iowa, a portion of proceeds from your enrollments will support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, another phenomenal literacy organization.

If you’d like to enroll in the ASPIRE Success Club, visit ChristiHegstad.com/products/aspire-success-club today – enrollment closes on November 30! And if you’d like to learn more about EWI, including volunteer opportunities and other ways to support their literacy efforts, visit EverybodyWinsIowa.org.
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* Sources: EWI website and literature, some of which also cites the National Center for Educational Statistics.

Enrollment to the ASPIRE Success Club occurs once a year – and it’s happening now! Visit the ASPIRE website for details and to join.

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

Make Yourself A Champion

Christi Hegstad November 18th, 2019

ENROLLMENT TO THE 2020 ASPIRE SUCCESS CLUB CLOSES IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. CLICK HERE TODAY TO JOIN!

“When it comes to our time, we should stop worrying

about the outcomes we can’t control and instead focus on the inputs we can.”

Nir Eyal

It probably comes as no surprise that I am a big fan of goals. By envisioning what could be, connecting with our purpose, and creating a plan for achievement, we focus our energy more directly on what matters to us.

One of the trickiest balancing acts with goals, however, is envisioning the ideal outcome – but not clinging to it.

Last week, many of our ASPIRE Success Club members shared the status of their 2019 Bold Goal, which they each set at the start of the year. This is honestly one of my favorite times of the year, hearing how their consistent actions and healthy risks and ‘seed planting’ throughout the year has led them to their goal – or something better / different / delightfully surprising!

This week, focus on doing the work.

We have 6 weeks remaining in 2019. Instead of expending a bunch of energy worrying if you will reach your year-end goals, focus that energy on taking the daily actions – the ‘inputs,’ as Eyal calls them.

You might also choose to upgrade those actions – reaching out to ten people each day instead of five, or writing 1,000 words per day rather than 500, for example.

As they say, the champion isn’t made on game day – she or he is made in the trainings, practices, and dedicated actions leading up to that grand finale. Hold your vision high, and then focus on what you can control: Taking the consistent, focused, results-oriented actions that will move you forward!

Enrollment to the ASPIRE Success Club occurs once a year – and it’s happening now! Visit the ASPIRE website for details and to join.

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

Two Unexpected Ways To Leverage Your HABITS

Christi Hegstad November 12th, 2019

Imagine if every time you got in the car, you had to pause and decide whether or not to buckle your seatbelt.

Or if every morning before work, you had to stop for a few moments and debate with yourself whether or not to brush your teeth.

Thank goodness for helpful habits, otherwise our brains would be exhausted by 8am!

Habits serve a powerful purpose in our lives. “A daily routine built on good habits and disciplines,” Darren Hardy claims, “separates the most successful among us from everyone else.”

On the flip side, unhelpful habits can derail us like nothing else.

Due to your requests, I promised to focus this month’s newsletter on habits. We could go any number of directions with this expansive topic: how to break bad habits, how to build and sustain purposeful new ones, how long it actually takes to form a habit, what role if any willpower plays, and on and on.

In an effort to keep this article under 80,000 words, however, I will focus on two fundamental aspects that could completely change your relationship with habits going forward.

(Plus, we’ll be focusing on all those other aspects in the 2020 ASPIRE Success Club, so be sure to join us if you haven’t already!)

#1: THE FOUNDATION

One obstacle I often personally encounter when attempting to develop a habit is an inherent sense of overwhelm. If I strive to become healthier, for example, I can easily create a laundry list of habits from exercise to nutrition to sleep to water consumption to stress management to …

Whew, my energy feels depleted just writing about it!

And with my all-or-nothing tendencies, I can easily veer toward ‘nothing’ in an instance like this. Anyone else?

Fortunately, there’s a middle ground: The keystone habit.

“Keystone habits say that success doesn’t depend on getting every single thing right,” Charles Duhigg writes in The Power of Habit, “but instead relies on identifying a few key priorities and fashioning them into powerful levers.”

Think of this like a ripple effect for habits: Focus on one that, when implemented, positively impacts others at the same time, often seemingly without any additional effort on your part.

Let’s go back to my health example for a moment. Instead of trying to develop new habits in all of those different areas, exercise might become my keystone habit. When I exercise regularly, I tend to sleep better, make higher-quality food choices, and drink more water, for instance. Focusing on one such habit can simplify my actions and compound my results.

What area of your work or life are you looking to elevate? What could serve as your keystone habit?

#2: THE HIDDEN FACTOR

Another element in successful habit development is one you may not think about but could truly make the difference:

The element of belief.

You need to believe you can sustain a habit in order for that to actually occur.

“For a habit to stay changed,” Duhigg explains, “people must believe change is possible. And most often, that belief only emerges with the help of a group.”

I have seen evidence of this time and time again in the ASPIRE Success Club: Whether reporting back to the group or with their one-on-one accountability partner, members frequently share how they have attempted unsuccessfully for years to stick with a habit – then, a few months into ASPIRE, they’ve made it happen.

Surrounding yourself with those who support you, want you to succeed, and believe in you – sometimes even more than you believe in yourself – changes everything.

What group will support you in sustaining your new habit?

YOUR NEXT INSPIRED ACTION

How will you take this article and apply it to your work and/or life? A few ideas:

1. Uncover your keystone habit and begin there.

2. Look to past habits you have successfully developed to remind you that you can do the same here, too. (Believe!)

3. Enlist the support of a group.

Feel free to share your next action step on Instagram or Facebook! I am rooting for you and your positive, purposeful habits!

Enrollment to the ASPIRE Success Club occurs once a year – and it’s happening now! Visit the ASPIRE website for details and to join.

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

What To Do TODAY To Build A Brilliant TOMORROW

Christi Hegstad November 10th, 2019

If I waved a magic wand over you that made the next year go beautifully, what would be different for you a year from now?

What could you do now that would begin to ensure that outcome?

I used to wait until the start of a new week to begin an exercise program, or until the start of a new month to make changes to my budget. What I’ve learned, however, is that is like waiting until the announcer yells “GO!” before stepping up to the starting line.

Always starting just a smidge behind.

This week, build your ideal future by beginning today.

Start mapping out your 2020 goals today, rather than waiting until the end of the year.

Start lining up your personal and professional development for next year today, rather than waiting until programs are full or coaches no longer have space for new clients. (Check out the ASPIRE Success Club before enrollment closes on Nov 30!)

Start exercising today, or changing your budget today, or taking steps in the direction of your dream today, rather than waiting until that elusive ‘perfect time.’

Your future self will thank you!

Enrollment in the 2020 ASPIRE Success Club IS NOW OPEN! Click here for the details and enroll today!

Christi Hegstad, PhD, PCC is the Certified Executive + Personal Coach for difference-making achievers! Clarify your vision, free up time, and confidently reach bold, compelling goals that matter! Contact us today for coaching, speaking, and Mastermind opportunities, or click here and fill in the blue box to join our email community.

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