Aiming For Done

You’re going to want to listen to this. Especially if you’re a woman and especially if you’re a man. And if you’re thirsty for more, go check out the blog post about how I stopped wearing make-up: www.awe-inspireme.com

If you want to be your own before and after in a certain area of your life, you’re probably going to have to make some changes in how you see yourself and the world. Join me and my long lost brother, Ryan, as we chat about how to make small adjustments in order to change the way we see things, thereby changing everything!

FACES is a summer camp unlike any other. It’s the beautiful environment I get to work in once a year for twelve days... and today you’ll understand, from listening to these three fifteen-year-olds, why I can’t stop talking about it. And listen carefully, because each one of them shares something valuable that I’m incorporating into my life this week, and I hope those of you listening in can do the same!

In this episode, we dive into how to take what we learned during our 2 week experience at FACES this summer and make it real in our day to day lives.

I want be able to relax and recharge (with my family) without spending a million dollars doing it. Impossible or possible? I’m still navigating this one... but I have a few tips I’m trying to make happen this summer. Listen in to see if they might work for you too!

Opinions about sex from two very non-experts! Okay, so we actually have more questions than answers. But the thing is, sex within a marriage is something that is worth talking about. Marriage is, in our opinion, the very best place for sex, but we’ve also found that it seldom gets talked about in this context in a healthy and real way. Come listen in as my sister Beth and I do put our best efforts into navigating this topic!

Wouldn’t it be great if everything we invested energy into gave us great results? I’m not kidding, this could be your life! The only time we actually waste our time and energy is when we spend it outside of our sphere of control. Listen in to get pumped about how we can throw out the stuff we’re wasting our energy on!

The wind is seriously howling in this episode. I’m so sorry... but I promised myself I’d post this week! Some thoughts for you on giving life to your dreams, even when it means saying NO to yourself and other people you love.

Aiming for Done is back! ...And you’re going to love this week’s announcement (mostly because it’s going to help you become the person of your dreams).

Homeschool: As homeschooled child myself, this is topic that I’ve always been a mixture of excited and hesitant to talk about. Excited because of what that chance to learn at home, completely at my own pace, gave me... and hesitant because a lot of the staunchly held misconceptions around children who homeschool, and the mothers who educate them. I hope that if nothing else, my conversation with Ashley inspires you to live a life that works for you! (Throwing social pressures and expectations to the wind)

My aunt Marilyn is here on the podcast to talk about failures... and how they can be fuel for the fire of our greatest successes instead of the straws that break our backs. Or just the things that keep us down. Her experience fighting against the porn industry and educating parents on how to combat a sexually saturated media, make this an interesting conversation! Be prepared to re-examine the hard parts of your life and start seeing everything in a whole new light.

If you want to live a simple, beautiful life that focuses on the things that really matter to you, Robin is the girl who can help you get there. Listen in, to find out how looking for ways to work towards a more sustainable and ethical life isn’t something that works as a limiting factor for her and her family. Rather, for Robin, getting rid of certain habits in her life that have harsh effects on other people and the planet as a whole has caused her to gravitate towards a life that is so simple and intentional that it’s absolutely breathtaking! And the best part of all of it: You don’t have to wait until your kids are older or you start making more money to implement any of this. You can start making your life a little more sustainable this minute. Make sure you check out Robin’s Instagram feed (twentyventi) to experience the breathtaking-ness firsthand. And if you follow Robin, you’ll also get further insight into the steps she continues to take every day to move towards sustainability. Note: Robin wanted me to add that she and her family aren’t actually “fully vegan” anymore because they started wearing wool, and wearing secondhand leather because they have found them to be more sustainable options than synthetics.

Dreaming about the next big thing: a recipe for discontentment? We think not. Vicky and I argue, perhaps ironically, that the best way to stay grounded during the hard moments of your day job (whether you’re at home with little people, like us, or doing almost anything else) is to allow yourself free license to float into the clouds whenever your circumstances allow it. And the wonderful part is that this thing, this dream, can be just about anything, or any combination of things... as long as it gives you the fuel that you need to weather those extremely mundane or overwhelming moments. Creating something uniquely yours- that you find beautiful- whether it’s wrapped up in a simple daily task, or a business, isn’t something you can afford be ashamed of or shove to the back-burner, it should be the very centre of everything we do. Listen up, and hopefully, we’ll all come a little closer to those things that make our hearts sing- the things that transform the ordinary into absolute magic!

How great would it be to know that you- not the bank- actually own the home you’re living in; that the place you carefully tend and cultivate each day belongs 100% to you and your family? If you’re intrigued by the idea of paying down your mortgage (or anything else) quickly, here’s a look at my own poorly planned and hastily executed methods of getting on track with me goals.

Do you ever see things that you know are wrong but feel powerless to make change? If so, this podcast is for you. You guys are so lucky because my dreamy Social Studies teacher husband has finally agreed to do an episode, in which he teaches us how small incremental changes (like paying attention to where the apples you buy are coming from... or just buying less stuff) literally make a world of difference.

This podcast is all about having the gumption to shoot for the stars even when your face is stuck in the mud. It’s about showing up for ourselves and our dreams regardless of very well-founded feelings of inadequacy. It’s about being willing to fail over and over again. But what do you do when you feel like you can’t do anything? When you feel completely and utterly stuck? This is exactly where I was at right before I recorded this episode... so I came of with this 3 step method to help myself (and hopefully some of you) get the heck out of the mud.

Is it actually possible to love being at home with young children? With so many bodily fluids that, some days, you feel like you should be wearing a hazmat suit? With toddlers who scream right in your eardrum when you’re trying to comfort? With work days that are often 24 hours long? With no one to see your successes and share in your pride? In this episode, Elizabeth and I chat about proven strategies that we’ve used to allow ourselves to answer this question with a resounding YES! ... maybe not all of the time, but definitely more often than before. I hope there are some great tips in here for you even if parenting isn’t your full time job.

What if the things that make us truly great aren’t glimmer-y and shiny and perfect? What if they’re REAL. What if they are the very qualities that scare us the most? The same things that make us feel awkward and strange in social situations? Connected to the same moments that nauseate us to recall? Chelsea navigates this topic with the grace and wisdom of someone who commits herself daily to becoming her best self. My comment after recording with her was simply: “I feel more like myself.” I sincerely believe that, after listening to Chelsea, you will feel more at peace with who you are- and- ready to take on the world!

Do you ever dream about what life would look like without the financial burdens you are currently saddled with? Stop dreaming, and put your work boots on, sister! Whether you’re in high school, or nearing retirement, this the episode for you. Getting out of debt, establishing a solid rainy day fund, paying off a home... - it’s all hard work, but you don’t have to be rich to do any of it. Listen and learn, as we talk about fool-proof ways that will allow you feel proud of your financial situation.

Respect is earned. In this episode, I talk about some of the ways we (as women) can earn respect, and other ways that we sabotage ourselves in seeking it.

As Cristy and I chat, I start to think that maybe I can start writing down those big scary goals we’ve been talking about... and all of my fears start to make a little more sense in my head- and they start to feel okay, like they’re allowed to be there but I’m not going to let them control. It’s not about failure or success. It’s not about looking good. It’s about what you were born to do: and that, my dear listener is to grow, and stretch and bend and reach! But doing all of that is scary to say the least.

December was a whirlwind of amazing + crazy and now I’m staring 2019 in the face and thinking it looks big, and scary, and hard. Come listen, as I talk myself out of a place of feeling scared and not good enough and back into putting my work boots on and getting some things done.

How often do we look at someone else and wish we could change dramatically in a moment? How often does that work? In this episode, Jess and I discuss how to achieve change in a way that is completely and authentically you. Her beautiful voice will have you hanging on her every word!

Lauren and I discuss the concept that all humans do well... IF THEY CAN. This gave us a lot to consider about the expectations we have for people in our lives. It also made us both take a deep breath as we realized that we constantly beat ourselves up for, 1) Things we can’t control, and, 2) Circumstances that we simply don’t (currently) have the right tools to navigate effectively. The wisdom and power in Lauren’s words were a definite boon to my soul! I know that you’re going to love them too. We ended with a her Marathon Training tip: Try EASIER. This tip applies so beautifully to life. Isn’t this day-today existence just one big marathon anyways?

Learn strategies for staying on track with your goals even in the very hardest seasons of your life.

Learn about why you should beware of naps, and why healthy sleep habits can (and should) be something you look forward to.

Positive Talk will allow you to walk confidently towards your dreams. So come listen, and we’ll tell you how.

Episode Two is here and it was born from the fires of adversity. Ryan won't be here do to some technical difficulties but don't worry! Jen will be taking you on an exploration of the simple, the joyful, and the convenient. All ways to shape and discover your very best life.

In this, our very first episode, we hope you'll start to feel as pumped as we are about being brave enough to accomplish some of the things in life that we've always wanted to! Join us, as we chat about strategies for getting the most important things DONE every Wednesday.