Monday Morning chat + Goals for the week

Hello everyone!

Breakfast this morning: Whole Wheat 'french bread', scrambled eggs with peppers & onions, cafe w/ soy milk.

[please pardon the dirty-looking coffee maker, I promise it'll get cleaned up today]

Woke up bright and early this morning and have been working non-stop. Decided to take a short break to say hello and apologize for not being able to post the "What I know for Sure Sunday" post yesterday. Ive been thinking of alternating the series to every other Sunday but still debating on that. What do your guys think? I already have an outline for this coming Sunday's post. So, stay tuned for that.

Anyways, how was your weekend? I have to say I had a very nice and productive weekend. On Saturday I went to the gym early in the morning and then hung out with Felix the rest of the day. We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant and indulged in yet another Kevin Hart movie, Get Hard. I cant ever tell you how many of his movies we have seen together. Dinner was delicious. I had sushi (again)- shrimp tempura and dragol roll.  Refrained from taking a picture due to the awkward looks I get from him when I do... :) #dontjudgeme

On Sunday I went to the gym with my bestie Christina, hit up Target for some things I needed and then hung out with my parents house for a bit.

In other news, I cannot believe that March ends tomorrow. I hate to think about how quick these months are going by. Besides work projects, I have some "fun" things I'd like to accomplish this week so I figure i'd share with you guys:

1. Complete 3 days of Jillian Michael 30 day shred work out

2. Share a recap of my March goals and whether or not I was able to tackle all of them (or most)

3. Find my nearest CVS or Target photo center and get all my Dominican Republic pictures in a CD or online so I can share with you guys ASAP (still trying to find the cable for my digital camera)

4. Complete 2-3 days of cardio (complement my strength training routines)

5. Hit up Trader Joes, if possible (finally get my hands on some quality crunchy almond butter)

I will leave it at that for now. Besides these goals I want to continue making a conscious effort to eat healthy, wholesome foods, continue working hard and succeeding with my work, have fun and spend time with loves ones.

How is your Monday going? any set plans or goals for this week?

Thanks for reading.

Love,

Mabelle

March Goals!

Hello my loves,

Happy Monday. Another month has begun.

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs, mini multigrain pancakes, cafe w/ soy milk. 

A new month represents a blank slate where absolutely anything can happen:

Besides my posts on 2015 objectives released back in January, I haven't really talked about month-to-month goals. However, I was inspired by other bloggers whom shared what they wish to accomplish in the next 31 days. So, here is my list:

1. Continue working out consistently and making a conscious effort to nourish my body with foods that are going to make me feel and be fabulous inside and out. Is totally okay to splurge from time to time but overall, I want to continue making good choices. 

2. Make a dentist appointment! and actually go in for a consultation. This is so long overdue I cant even begin to tell you.

3. Continue feeding my mind and "eyes" with inspirational podcast and TV/Online shows. I already have my 'set' shows but if you have any recommendations, please share.

4. Start decluttering my apartment one step at the time. Clean at least one of my closets and/or "messy drawers".

5. Continue my work in running and growing a profitable business, continue making time to do the things I love. Taking it one step at the time, one project at the time. 

Hope you all have a fabulous Monday! Lets do it. 

What are YOUR plans for this month? 

What I know for Sure Sundays III: Commitment & Consistency

Hello everyone!

Can you believe March is here? I realized it this morning when I took a quick glance at my Ipad and the date on the screen indicated the # "1"--  took me half a second to realize "its march 1st". This means spring is almost here. One of the things I am looking forward to is nicer weather so I can start running outside again, something I haven't done in quite some time. Mother nature has been a little tough on NYC this winter.

But anyways, here we are again with another edition of "What I Know For Sure Sundays". If you missed the other two posts, check them out here, #1 and here, #2.

Today I want to talk about the power of commitment and consistency. In all my life accomplishments there's always been a common theme. And this is what I know for sure:

"I've realized that when things get challenging as we work towards our goals; keeping a mentality of commitment & consistency is what allows us to keep going and push through".

We all face challenges in our lives when we are on our way to accomplishing our goals. Things may start out okay and easy to handle but many times they may start getting difficult and complicated. There will always be opportunities for us to get discouraged and take our eyes off the prize. However, if you make a deal with yourself from the very beginning to stay committed and consistent, you will get through the difficult times a lot easier than if you give yourself a chance to give up at the first sign of trouble.

From reaching my fitness goals, to passing super difficult classes in college and grad school, to accomplishing other life goals-  I've had many opportunities to throw in the towel either because I wouldn't see the results I wanted soon enough, or because I felt that despite my efforts I wasn't getting anywhere. In the times where I kept pushing through and remained committed and consistent despite my doubts, I eventually saw the light at the end of the tunnel and everything eventually fell in to place.

The mind is a powerful thing--- it can drag you to desperation and anxiety or it can motivate you to push through and thrive. So, during difficult times, I'd choose the latter and kept my eyes on the prize NO MATTER WHAT. Eventually, I'd see my way through.

Hence-- word to the wise: don't give yourself the opportunity to give up when things get difficult. Remember commitment and consistency are the key ingredients to get to where you want to go. It's worked for incredibly successful people in this world, its worked for me, and I'm sure it works for all human kind.

Tell me, do you have an example of a time in your life when it would have been easier to give up and you didn't? What did you learn from that experience?

Mid-Week Motivation 2: The power of writing things down!

Hi Lovelies,

Welcome to post #2 of my "mid week motivation" series. If you missed post #1 check it out here. I am working structuring my blog in a way that when you visit me, you find tons of motivation and inspiration to lead a better life. As a self-proclaimed 'health and fitness lifestyle blogger' I do enjoy sharing tips and idea on healthy living including yummy meals and workout ideas. However, I also want to take it a step further and share life advise. I am constantly learning and exploring (its an ongoing process!). What better way to make sure I am absorbing and applying what I learn than to share with others. We can all get better together.

So here we go...

Ever since I can remember I've always been a goal-oriented person. One of the things that keeps me the most motivated and excited about life and progression is to set goals for myself as well as set a plan to accomplish said goals. I used to be very 'general' with my goals but with time I have 'perfected my craft' by being more specific in regards to the things I want and how I will get there. One thing that I have noticed has worked tremendously for me is writing down the things I want out of life. And I dont mean typing things down on your computer screen. I mean the old school way of grabbing a pen and a journal.

I truly believe there is something 'magical' about putting pen to paper and letting the 'universe' know about your goals and dreams. I was going through a journal I had back in 2008 and was reading a list of goals I had written down in that journal. From getting my own apartment to finishing my MBA by the age of 30 and several things in between. Guess what-- about 99% of the goals I wrote down came to reality. I almost cried when I saw that. Then, I remembered that pretty much every single thing I have outlined in my life and have put pen to paper to has come true and continues to come true which is quite the magical and eye-opening realization. Is a habit I will continue to implement in my life for as long as I am in this wonderful earth.

Today i encourage you to take 10-15 minutes of your time, put pen to paper and map out your dreams. It doesn't matter how 'crazy' they may seem or how 'ridiculous' they may sound to you. As the sayings go: "Is not your job to figure out HOW things will happen. Your job is to know what you want and that it WILL happen".

Believe in that higher power, the universe, anything. Just Believe.

Thank you for reading.

Tell me, what is your 'goal-achieving' tool? Are you a fan of writing things down?

Love,
Mabelle

Do Your Part!

Sometimes we ask for things to happen in our lives. We pray, we hope, we day dream, we make plans, we even write out steps and then we wait.

 

Then, all of a sudden, God, the universe, a higher power (whatever you prefer to call it) presents us with an opportunity sometimes "in disguise". We may not realize it at the time and we may brush it off as it not being exactly what we were looking for. Meanwhile, if we make a decision to "dig deeper" we may find that a prayer, hope and/or dream has in fact been answered.

I am guilty of brushing off possible leads and opportunities while I wait for what I like to call "obvious answers". For example, if I am searching for a particular career I may be looking for the "obvious answer" which means meeting someone randomly who will offer me a full time position after a random 10 minute conversation. I am sure this is possible; however, what are the odds?

Meanwhile, I have been presented with opportunities (more than once) of people that work in a field I am interested in. I have met these people anywhere from formal events to volunteering outings to random parties. I have conversations with these people, I listen closely at what they do and I also share information about myself. At the end of the conversation the person is willing to exchange numbers and keep in touch. I am usually very excited but then… I do nothing.

 

And this doesn’t only happen with career-related scenarios. This can happen with pretty much any imaginable scenario from finding a mate to finding a place to live. Are you “digging” deep enough? Are you doing YOUR part?

I learned a long time ago that we do have to read between the lines and is probably a good idea to keep our eyes open for those kind of opportunities which, in all honesty, are likely the answers we've been looking for. Remember that taking action is what really makes the difference in our lives.

I vow to incorporate "action” in to my life more often in order to get to the next level of my goals and objectives and I encourage you to do the same!

This is my vow to God/world/the universe that I will DO MY PART and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to me. Care to join me?!

Before I go, I want to share a story with you (which you have probably read before as it is very well known) but I believe is worth reading again and again until we understand its true meaning and begin to apply it in our lives:

 

***

While out to sea, a large boat became shipwrecked and there was only a single survivor. This man prayed and asked God to save his life. Soon thereafter, another boat came by and offered the man some help.

"No thanks," he said. "I'm waiting for God to save me."

 

The men on the boat shrugged their shoulders and continued. As the man became more deeply concerned, another boat came by. Again, the people aboard offered this man some help, and again he politely decline. "I'm waiting for God to save me," he said again. After some time, the man began to lose his faith, and soon after that he died. Upon reaching Heaven, he had a chance to speak with God briefly.

"Why did you let me die? Why didn't you answer my prayers?"

"Dummy, I sent you two boats!"

 

***

And, don’t take this literally but u get the point:

 

Dont miss your next chance @ something great! Take chances, do your part.

Tell me, can you identify circumstances where you can do YOUR part to make your dreams come true?