[ CHALLENGE 5 ] SMART GOALS

Goals are essential because without a plan to put into action, your goal becomes an unattainable wish. How many times have you said, “I wish I was in better shape” or “I wish I could run a 5K like my friends.” Wishing will not make it so. You need to step into action! S.M.A.R.T. goals help by giving you an action plan that is achievable.

I had a client, Jane, who really wanted to get in great shape and to train for a half marathon. She printed our Mama Bootcamp half-marathon training plan and told her coach she was going to implement it into her schedule. A day went by and then a week and then months passed. The race came and went. Jane felt like a failure and beat herself up. She told me, “I don’t know why I even try. I will never be a runner.” She continued the negative self-talk and eventually stopped trying.

By not having a detailed plan that worked for her life and her schedule, she never implemented her training plan. It is so important to be specific on the steps you need to be successful. For Jane, she needed to commit to the days, times and places she was going to run and put them on her calendar. There was no detailed plan; no call to action.

Jane came back months later and decided to sit down with her coach and go over her calendar. We worked on time management and decided early morning runs were best. She asked her neighbor who had expressed an interested in also running a half marathon to train with her. They committed to each other to meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 5 am and run for thirty minutes. At the end of each run, Jane agreed to text me for accountability and progress reports. With her big goal and clear S.M.A.R.T. goals, Jane found the motivation and the accountability she needed to do the training and run in her first half-marathon! It was a huge confidence boost, too.

Remember, if your goal does not scare you a little, then it’s not a big enough goal. So, think big or even bigger. 

It may be time to fill out a new goal sheet. Here is one for you. Goal Setting Worksheet

Crockpot Beef + Sweet Potato Stew Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1.5 lbs. grass fed beef stew meat, cut into large bite-sized pieces 
• 3 Tbsp gluten free flour 
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano 
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 2 Tbsps avocado oil, or extra-virgin olive oil, divided 
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large bite-sized pieces 
• 1 pint fresh mushrooms, sliced 
• 3 celery stalks, sliced 
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced 
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2-3 fresh rosemary stalks 
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 (14.5 ounce) jar diced fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juice 
• 1 cup bone broth 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. In a small bowl whisk flour, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper salt, and black pepper. Dredge the beef cubes in the flour mixture.
2. Place half the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place half of the beef cubes into the skillet and cook on all sides, for about 30 seconds per side, or until golden. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the rest of the oil and repeat with the remaining beef.
4. Add meat pieces to the slow cooker. Add in sweet potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, mushrooms and rosemary.
5. Pour in bone broth, balsamic vinegar and diced tomatoes with juice.
6. Season with sea salt and pepper.
7. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours.
8. Stir and enjoy while hot!

Thank you Cleanfoodcrush.com

[ CHALLENGE 4 ] MIRROR WORK

The combination of mirror work with affirmations can be a very powerful tool creating a huge meta- morphous in a short period of time. This depends on how much there is to “dump” and “reload.” By this I mean, we all grow up with believing we are what our parents tell us we are. This can be great if you have healthy, loving parents or not so great if your parent are messed up themselves and live out their dysfunctions through you.

Two things cannot hold the same space at the same time, so dumping is a natural part of the process when you are reclaiming who you are. You came into this world perfect with natural inherent gifts that were meant to be shared. This is who you are. Growing up and being raised by parents who are critical and self-absorbed can cause you to feel unworthy and undeserving of life’s abundance.

Bigger issues may manifest in all sorts of ways such as loneliness, sadness, low self-esteem, feeling unloved, and may cause low grade depression and worst. You are definitely not able to live your best life with bad programming that happened when you were your most vulnerable.

This work was the beginning for me of unloading a painful, chaotic, and confusing childhood. Having an absent dad who was gone all the time “working” and an alcoholic mother who could slice you and dice you in one fell swoop with her tongue was not a happy place.

On top of that, my mother wanted to be the center of attention and the one all her children “adored.” In her misguided intent to do this, she would “pit” us against one another. My brother totally lost his way and gave up by falling head first into a battle with drugs which took him years to find his way out.

My sisters and I had no idea how to treat each other or how to have a loving relationship. We never saw it. The worst years were from age 10 to 16. I was a victim of molest, neglect, abandonment, betrayal and just felt like a foreigner in my own home. Our home was a scary, evil place. At 16 when I graduated from high school, I got the hell out and shared an apartment with a girlfriend. Looking back, I definitely was in survival mode and needed a safe place that I could claim as mine.

After suffering from a bout of depression, I knew I did not want to live with my childhood defining the rest of my life. One of the best tools I used to get back my life and reclaim my right to be happy was mirror work with affirma- tions.

There is so much power in looking into your own eyes (the gateway to the soul) and affirming who you are or want to be. This maybe a challenge you do for a whole month, year, or ongoing depending on what you need or want to work on 

Mini Superfood B-fast Pizza

Ingredients 

• 4 small sprouted wheat pita 
• 3 tsp organic unsweetened cacao powder 
• 8 Tbsps plain Greek yogurt 
• 3-4 Tbsp raw honey 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 small ripe banana, sliced 
• 1 cup fresh berries 
• 2 Tbsps chia seeds, or chopped nuts

Instructions

1. In a small bowl whisk together yogurt, cacao powder, honey and vanilla. 
2. Mix well to combine. 
3. Lay the pita on a plate, then spread the cacao yogurt evenly.
4. Add banana slices, then sprinkle with the berries and seeds/nuts. 
5. Slice into quarters, and enjoy!

Thank you Cleanfoodcrush.com

[ CHALLENGE 3 ] DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Whatever you focus on grows. What you “think about, comes about.” Living in thankfulness creates a wondrous sense of joy and a synergistic “give and take” with life. This challenge is about being grateful.

What you give out definitely comes back to you. I won’t lie, this is not the easiest of challenges. Some days are just HARD and the biggest thing to be thankful for may be that the day is over and you get to go to bed and “sleep it off.” When I was having one of these bad days that turned into a bad week and then a bad month, I thought, “What is going on? What have I done to deserve this?!”

I forced myself to look at people who had much worse circumstances than I. People who couldn’t go for a run to get rid of the stress or for whatever reason had no car to get to work. Not to relish in their misery, but to remind myself it could be worse.

Another way to be grateful is to help others who are down in their luck or to give back to others. You could pick up trash at a local park, work in a homeless shelter, volunteer at a hospital, or help a family in need. Doing something for others will move you through your temporary slump. 

For more fun challenges through out the year ...  purchase [FIND YOUR MOJO] 52 Weeks to Transformation, Inspiration and Fitness today! by Lorri Ann Code founder of Mama Bootcamp Inc.

Oven-Baked Chicken Fajita Bowls Meal Prep Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken breasts skinless, boneless, cut into thin strips
• 6 bell peppers red, yellow, green, cut into strips
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepepr
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin seed
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Optional toppings:

• lime wedges
• fresh cilantro chopped
• avocado slices
• shredded cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f.
2. Place peppers, onions and chicken on a large, flat, rimmed baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle cumin, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper on top and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Using tongs or your hands, toss well all ingredients on the pan to coat evenly.
5. Distribute ingredients evenly on baking sheet for even cooking.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until veggies soften and chicken is cooked through.
7. Remove from oven and squeeze optional fresh lime on top. Serve over brown rice with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
8. Keep refrigerated in air tight containers for 3-4 days, adding optional toppings right before serving.
9. I add a 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice to each meal prep container.

Thank you cleanfoodcrush.com