Reaching Your Goals

Setting goals is the first step in achieving change and moving toward a better place.  I personally set goals for all areas of my life; school, family, health, and faith.  It is important that our goals are not fleeting but instead desires with a plan.

Here are 8 tips on making YOUR goals a reality:

1. Desired Outcome.  Its hard to have a goal without a vision.  Your goals should be specific, down to the last detail.  One of my goals is to succeed in Young Living.  I cannot just say that I want it without knowing what that means, for me I want to reach Platinum in two years.  I also have a very defined "why" for this goal.  Knowing why I want to reach this goal is important in understanding what the desired outcome will be.
2. SMART Goals: I learned this in school and thought it was a useful way of looking at a goal:  S-Specific, M- Measurable, A- Attainable, R- Relevant, T-Time-Bound.                                                                  
3. Write it Down: No matter how small our goals are we need to write them down. I love the idea of putting your goals in a place you will see them daily. A Post-it note on the bathroom mirror for example. This will help you set the intention for the day, everyday. 
4. Publicly Declare Your Goals: Tell people what your goals are.  When you tell someone you have a goal you are less likely to backtrack on that goal.  You can let people know that your are choosing to eat healthy, which in turn will provide a group to keep you accountable. I have several people in my life who know what my goals are.
5. Partner in Crime.  Finding someone with your common goal can also be a great way to stay on track! I have Christina who also has a goal of success with Young Living, and we hold each other accountable.  Partners are great to encourage you over the bumps and to praise you in moments of success. 
6. Baby Steps.  Most goals can be broken down into a serious of small goals.  My goal this month was to care call everyone in my downline. This can seem like an overwhelming goal, but I broke it down by week and then by day.  
7. Road Map.  If you can map out each step that you need to take to reach your goals then you will be more likely to get there.  When you don't know how to get somewhere you MapQuest it, you don't wonder around aimlessly hoping to stumble upon it. Goals are a location and to get there a map is needed.  Get out a piece of paper and write down you goal and every single small step you need to take to get there.  
8. Get Mentor.  The thing about goals, many people have been in your shoes and succeeded in reaching that same goal. You can help build your road map by following the path of others. The great part about my goal of success with Young Living is that many others have achieved the goal I want to achieve.  I have read books to help me zero in on my goal, and I have also received great guidance from my Young Living leadership.  Finding someone who reached the same goal you want to reach and emulating how they succeeded is another way of reaching your goals. 

Here are some tools to set, monitor, and reach your goals:

Daily Planner/Calendar- Whether you have a planner on your phone or a calendar on your wall this is a very important way of setting and tracking goals.  How do you set a goal without being able to schedule in and track those steps? I have both a large white board calendar and a planner.  I use a Passion Planner and love it, but get what works for you. 

Free Online Help- There are several apps that you can use to set goals and also to track your progress. Here is a great list of these apps or for more on line help check out this List. I do like the idea of finding what works best for you, not all of us are pen to paper people.

Journal/Blog- It is a great help to track your thoughts and ideas as you are reaching your goals. There maybe a day of what seems like failure and writing down your feeling can be a great help.  Sometimes you just need to get it off your chest and move on.  Keeping a journal can also be a great way of brainstorming and working past obstacles.

Vision or Dream Board- I love this idea and thanks to Pinterest it does not require cutting a pasting anymore. Create a board on Pinterest with what inspires you to reach your goals.  If you want to cut and paste an actual vision board go for it and keep it in a place that you can see it often.

Reward Yourself- Have a set of rewards for reaching milestones. This will not only inspire you along the way but is a great intensive to keep going! I love to gift myself a pair of new shoes or a mani/pedi when I completed one of my smaller steps toward my big goal.

No matter the goal, don't give up! 

Women's Health with Essential Oils -- Guest Blogger

Please welcome our guest blogger, Cherie Schnieders as she discusses some of her favorite Young Living products that support women's health.

Being a woman is fabulous! We get to wear as many hats as we want.  We are mommies, nurses, professionals, housekeepers, coaches, teachers, and pretty much anything else we want to be.  The one thing I was that I didn’t like was a fire-breathing dragon once a month.  See, our hormones can make us nice or make others want to run in the other direction.  Until I figured out how to properly support my endocrine system this was my reality and my family always knew when it was “that time.”  So, how can we take charge of our hormones and not let them control us?  

First, let’s understand the endocrine system.  It is the collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth & development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, mood, and many other important things.  So, that’s basically it does it all!  It is made up of your pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas, and ovaries.  What can negatively affect this system are unwanted endocrine “disruptors.” These can be everything from certain foods, plastics, perfumes, cleaning products, personal care products, and even your carpet and clothes contain them.  

Can we escape these? Not all of them.  BUT you can do your research and use chemical free products.  I choose Young Living because they have both supplements and essential oils that support the endocrine system as well as great alternatives to some of your traditional day to day products. Young Living sets themselves apart because of the Seed to Seal promise and because of this promise I know what I am getting.  What do I use daily to support my endocrine system? Let me talk about 5 of my favorite things that all women should have in their arsenal.

1. Thyromin:  This is a specially balanced formula that promotes healthy thyroid function.  Not only does it contain iodine which is crucial to proper thyroid function but it is infused with the oils peppermint, spearmint, myrtle and myrrh to enhance the assimilation and benefits of this supplement.
2. Endoflex: This blend can help you maintain overall vitality with a proprietary blend of essential oils that support the endocrine system.  It contains spearmint, sage, geranium, myrtle, German chamomile and nutmeg in a base of sesame oil.  I place a few drops in a gelatin capsule each day to make a dietary supplement.  
3. Super B:  Need energy? Feed those adrenals! What does that is your B vitamins. Super B contains eight essential B vitamins to increase energy levels and promote nervous and cardiovascular systems. We do not get enough B vitamins from our food sources so it is important to make sure we are on a quality supplement.  
4. Progessence Plus Serum: This essential oil blend is a blend of ingredients like frankincense, peppermint, and progesterone derived from wild yams that can support purity and harmony. I use this daily by placing 1-2 drops on my neck or forearms.  Progesterone is important for women especially as we age because our bodies product less of this natural hormone.
5. SclarEssence.  I love this little oil blend and it smells amazing! I use it internally to support and maintain a healthy reproductive system.  This essential oil combines the soothing effects of peppermint with the balancing power of fennel and the calming action of sage lavender to support normal glandular functions.  

Place a few drops as needed in a gelatin capsule to make an excellent dietary supplement.  

Try some of these and see how they work for you! Don’t ignore your own needs because we all know that when mommas are happy, everyone is happy. ☺

If you would like to learn more about these products and others join the Crossline Christinas at a Facebook class highlighting Women's Health. Comment below if you would like to be invited to this educational event.

Thank you Cherie!