motivation

New Year, Same Challenges: The Key to Showing Up for Yourself

As we close out 2024 and head into 2025, it’s natural to feel the pull of a fresh start—the allure of the “new year, new me” mindset. Many set ambitious resolutions, brimming with hope for change, only to see those goals quietly slip away by March. It’s a cycle I’ve seen often, especially as moms approach me with a common plea: “Can you be my trainer? I need you to motivate me!”

The truth is, I’m not a trainer. I’m a mom, just like them, navigating the chaos of life. But what I’ve learned—what truly makes the difference—is this: motivation isn’t a crutch you can lean on. It’s fleeting, inconsistent, and unreliable. What keeps me going isn’t motivation—it’s discipline and a deeply rooted personal “why.”

Luna always getting in the middle of my warmup.

Making Your Goals Non-Negotiable

For me, working out isn’t something I squeeze in when life permits. It’s a non-negotiable, like brushing my teeth or taking a shower. It’s a promise I keep to myself. And let’s be honest: it’s easy to show up for everyone else—for our kids, our partners, our jobs. But if we don’t start with ourselves, there won’t be much left of us to give.

That’s why I plan my workouts like I plan anything else in life. If I know the weekend will be packed or something might derail my usual routine, I work around it. I adjust my day to fit in the workout instead of leaving it to chance.

Grace, Not Guilt

Of course, life happens. There are days when the workout is just impossible. On those days, I give myself grace. I don’t beat myself up or punish myself by overdoing it the next day. I simply start again. The key isn’t perfection—it’s consistency.

This mindset keeps me going, even when things get hard. I’ve let go of the idea that missing a day means failure, and instead, I focus on showing up the next day.

Finding Your Why

When someone asks how I stay disciplined, I ask them this: What’s your why? Why does this matter to you? Your why needs to be bigger than the excuses that inevitably come up. For me, my why is about health, energy, and being the best version of myself for my family and, more importantly, for me.

As we step into the new year, let’s leave behind the pressure of fleeting motivation and embrace the steady strength of discipline and purpose. Show up for yourself. Keep the promises you make to yourself. And when life happens? Give yourself grace and keep going.

What’s your “why” for 2025? I’d love to hear how you’re planning to show up for yourself in the new year. Share in the comments—I’m cheering you on.

Laying the Next Brick

It’s been a while since I last wrote. Life happened, as it always does. And in the whirlwind of “to-dos” and “what ifs,” I let this space collect dust. But today, I’m ready to pick up where I left off—still asking questions about legacy but with a new perspective and a new challenge ahead.

Legacy is a funny thing. Last time, I talked about it in terms of what we leave behind for others. But lately, I’ve been thinking about what we leave behind for ourselves. The stories we tell ourselves. The proof we give ourselves that we did the thing—that we showed up, took a chance, lived intentionally. That we didn’t let fear or time or excuses win.

I’ve set a goal that feels impossible right now: to qualify and run the NYC Marathon the year I turn 50. That’s 26.2 miles of sheer determination. I’ve never run a marathon before, though I came close once. I was training for the Disney Marathon in 2020, but a foot injury stopped me cold after I hit 19 miles. It crushed me at the time. I let it linger as another story of unfinished business.

Not anymore.

This time, I’m writing a new story—and this one ends with me crossing that finish line. I have a plan. In 2025, I’ll tackle 5Ks, 10Ks, and a half marathon. In 2026, I’ll push further, with more half marathons as I continue to focus on strength and mobility. But the goal isn’t just the NYC Marathon in 2027; it’s what this journey will teach me—and my kids—about living with intention.

Because isn’t that what legacy really is? It’s the life we live now, the example we set. It’s deciding, every day, to take one more step, to embrace the struggle, to be scared but go anyway. My kids won’t care about the finish time; they’ll remember that I didn’t give up, even when it was hard.

This blog is part of that journey too. Sharing the wins, the setbacks, the lessons—because legacy isn’t a destination, it’s the path we choose to walk every day.

So here’s to starting again. To laying the next brick. To writing our legacy one bold, messy, beautiful step at a time.

What’s the next brick you’re laying?

2017: Kicked out of the “Comfort Zone”

Uncomfortable. 

Yes…at a quick glance, “uncomfortable” is the word that sums up my 2017. I mean I freakin turned 40, I lost my job and found myself unemployed for 3 months, I didn’t get the original role I interviewed for when I finally found employment, we have a toddler, a high school kid and a college kid and did I mention I turned 40?!? And I am trying to help others take control of their health…oh…and get this blog thing going.

So why uncomfortable?

Because to start, I had a hard time facing the fact that I turned 40 (if you haven’t figured that out yet and I will be 41 a month from tomorrow). Why did it bother me, because I came in believing that I had nothing to show for it, that I should be somewhere else in my life at this point, that I should be more “successful”, have a “bigger title” in my career, that I should be BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH! Yep, that was my first lesson this year! And then it hit me…”BITCH! You ARE 40 and SO WHAT!” First and foremost my 3 kids, hubby and I are healthy! I have a wonderful husband that puts up with my crazy and supports my ideas and indecisions. We have a beautiful home and though they may be few…I have quality friendships. Oh yeah, and I rocked out a 40th birthday photo session with the one and only Photos by Lulu!

Then, as previously mentioned in my blogs, I lost my job. I had NEVER been unemployed in 23 years! I had to take my son out of daycare, I couldn’t help my husband with our bills, I sent out resumes and completed endless applications and NOTHING for 3 months! Despite my years of experience, I couldn’t get the roles I longed for…but God has a funny way of doing things and after finally becoming employed I realized that title was NOT everything and that the title should not determine the quality of my work or the effort I put into everything I do. I can make a difference no matter the title on my business card…

And yes, our 3 kids are our hearts…and are represented in every gray hair that has entered and reentered my scalp this year, but I wouldn’t change a thing…ok, I’m lying I might change one or two things, lol…but I would still keep all 3.

This year has taught me how to “grow and learn” in that uncomfortable space. It taught me that I can overcome hard times, that when I put my heart in it I can do hard things, it taught me to overcome self doubt and just put myself out there (as I do in my blogs), it’s taught me to own my faults (but yes hubby, I am still learning to master this one) and it’s taught me to believe in myself even when the results are not immediate and take time.

This year I freakin turned 40, started a new blog, started my new IG and Facebook page for my fitness journey, started a new job, kept all 3 of my kids alive and well, celebrated another wedding anniversary and started to believe in me. Yes many uncomfortable moments and maybe in the scheme of things, it doesn’t look like much success but I do believe that 2017 has set me up to KICK ASS in 2018. So if you had too many IF ONLY…THEN moments in 2017….recognize it, let it go and let’s get this 2018 PARTY STARTED!!!! It’s either “one day or DAY ONE!” What will you choose?

 

 

 

The Overlooked Transformation

On November 8th I posted my first video on my public fitness focused IG page called Sneakers.Sweat.Sacrifice. I was so scared. I may have taken about 4, 5 (or 500 but who is counting) videos prior to posting the one I did. I mean what if they saw my fat, was my acne flaring, did the move look too easy, what if no one watches, what if no one follows…so many negative “what if’s”, not one “what if” that sounded like “what if I inspire someone?”.  So despite the voices in my head telling me “you don’t have a story to tell”, “there are so many Beach Body coaches out there better than you”, “you don’t have a following”… Yes despite those voices I put myself out there. Sure my husband was the only one following me at first and no, I don’t have hundreds of people YET…but hell, it’s just been over a month, I am not giving into those voices.

You see, I DO have a story to tell. As I look back on my life, I realize that I have ALWAYS loved fitness. My fitness love began with dance. Play me a beat and my feet start moving, my hips start interpreting the sounds and my heart begins to soar. Growing up I would dance in my room, make up dances, spend hours daydreaming I was on a dance show…just enjoying the moments where I felt in control of my life. Dance kept me in “shape” growing up and as I got older I started going to the gym, but it was rarely consistent (unless I was paying a trainer, lol). As life happened, consistency would happen in spurts, I allowed outside factors to determine my fitness journey and I started making EXCUSES as to why I was not reaching my fitness goals.

As I have mentioned before in a previous blog, 2 years ago I made the decision to STOP making excuses and START moving towards my fitness goals. Fast forward to today…although I am far from the physical goals I wish to achieve, I have transformed something much greater!! My mindset. Yes, those nasty voices still try to take over my thoughts, hopes and desires…but I made the decision to ignore those voices and focus on what I can control…my health journey. I no longer feel guilty taking 30 to 60 minutes to be selfish and take care of myself because ultimately that helps me be a better Mom to my kids and wife to my husband.

My videos are far from perfect and yes you will catch the rolls in my belly, the bags under my eyes and the snap chat filter required morning face BUT that is ME (well, almost all me unless I have the snap chat filters, lol)…I am a 40 year old (almost 41) Mom, wife, full time Corporate Trainer that has chaos and toy cars in every nook and cranny of my home…but if my being real can inspire someone to change their mindset and start their health journey then let the rolls show and the filters flow! SHUT DOWN those voices and realize that YOU CAN achieve what you may deem impossible, because YOU deserve it!