A big hello!

Happy Monday, beautiful friends. 

In a recent post, I discussed how leveraging the algorithm can accelerate achieving your goals, as seeing content related to your ambitions helps your brain accept these desires as the norm. This strategy works, but it isn't always easy. We're human, and that means sometimes experiencing uncomfortable feelings like jealousy.

This is entirely normal. In fact, when I shared my Instagram hack with an old friend last year, she immediately rejected the idea. Her concern was that seeing others with what she wants would make her feel bad and jealous.

I understand completely. A few weeks after that conversation, I experienced it myself.  Years of following women I admire, whose programs fueled a quantum leap in my career and personal life, suddenly left me irritated by their reels showcasing new programs and exciting lifestyle updates.  Despite all my self-work, my first instinct was, "Maybe it's time to unfollow." But something...

 Last week I showed up at my gym for a 9:15 class and was confused – for a time that's usually packed, attendance was down by about two-thirds. Our trainer explained that people often avoid benchmark days when results are recorded for comparisons over time.

I get it. I've been going to this gym for nearly 9 years and at some point in the middle of that tenure this was me. Most of the time I avoided the class or if I was (accidentally) there I or would brush off the results and tell them not to bother writing it in my file. 

I behaved this way because I was intimidated by the data points. Instead of accepting my current fitness level, I was subconsciously holding myself to the standards of the collegiate athlete I used to be over a decade and a half prior. As a working professional striving for a full life, the expectation that I should still be training at an elite level was setting me up for constant disappointment.

To minimize the frustration and pain of not...

The words weren't planned. I had no notes, and it wasn't even a conscious thought when I was asked to share my story. But the moment I said it, everything changed. 

I spoke the words during the closing moments of an interview on the "Achieve with Me" podcast, hosted by Rachel Gilfrin. Our meeting was serendipitous – as I navigated a massive career change, I faced the daunting task of deciding my salary for a brand-new role in an industry known to be financially rewarding with generous compensation packages. Haunted by the knowledge that women often undersell themselves, I was determined to get this right.  Seeking guidance, I turned to a personal development community I had recently joined, and Rachel answered the call. (More on that career leap later – spoiler alert, it all worked out perfectly).

On the podcast, I shared my approach to work and life: actively deciding on my values and desired experiences. As I shared with her, about 6 years before the COVID-19...