SigmaU Blog

To change who we are, we need to change our identity.  If we don’t, we stay stuck in our past patterns and habits. 

New Name

Often, we must change our name. What does that mean? For some people who have always struggled with their weight, perhaps that's going from I'm a person who says, “I always needs to work out otherwise I will get fat.” Instead, they change their identity through their name, “I'm an athlete!” Shed any identity that doesn’t serve your future best self.

New Routine

If you previously struggled with your weight like I have and have decided to identify as an athlete, your actions follow your new identify. Your routine is that of an athlete. Do they laze around on the couch, eat Doritos, and binge tv all day? Absolutely not! An athlete has a routine which includes regularly scheduled fitness routines. They most likely get up early, work out to win the day, eat like an athlete, hydrate like an athlete and honour their body...

What if we looked at pain differently to take back our power?

Without going into details, I've been through some seriously painful life altering moments and stressful situations over the past 2 years. The body doesn't lie – you know you're experiencing high levels of stress when your resting heart rate is in the red while you're sleeping.

I recently had a friend ask how I was holding things together, I responded that it was my habits and reframing that was saving me.

Here's how you and I can look at pain in a new way:

P- PURPOSE 

 What if the challenge or crisis you're currently experiencing is a necessary part of the process. What if you must go through the storm to build the strength necessary for the next battle ahead or to appreciate the reward with deep reverence?

A- AWARENESS 

What if the pain you're experiencing is intended to create more awareness? Is your body telling you to slow down but you keep ignoring it? Is the challenge you're...

We’re near the end of the year and some of you are STOKED that you’ve reached or surpassed your goals – awesome! For others, you may feel frustrated that you’re off track and feeling in a bit of a funk.  Regardless of where you’re at, I want to encourage you today. You can reignite the fire with a few sparks!

First, revisit your north-star! What is your long-term goal?  Do you take on new things or develop daily habits that support your vision for the future. This also helps you eliminate the crap in your life that distracts you, like cat videos on social. Your north-star will keep petty things in perspective.  You’ll have to let some things go that aren’t worth your emotional, mental, or physical energy. Release and move on, if it’s out of alignment with future you!

Next, you want to revisit why your goal matters so much! What will you feel like once you’ve accomplished your goal? What do you wear? Where do you...

There’s an old expression, burn the boats, which refers to a leader charging ashore and telling his men to burn the boats. This meant of course that success was the only option; they would conquer the land and turning back was not happening.

How many times do we pursue a goal with this type of commitment? When was the last time you burned the boats to follow your dreams?

Here are some indicators that you’re fully invested in your goals to make them a reality…

No Back Up Plan

I hear too many people say things like, “I’m going to give this a try for a year and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll go back to my current job.” This is half committal and sets you up for failure. When you have a soft cushion to land on, the vigor in which you pursue something is lessened.

You and I must be “all in” on our goals. This keeps our focus on one clear path and we’re able to avoid distractions that could derail our success.

Financial/Time...

The good book says that “Iron Sharpens Iron”.  In this case, the message is touching on the importance of selecting associations and friendships wisely.  Hang around people who are sharpening their proverbial axe and they will naturally influence you to do the same.

Think of your iron as your mind and your habits. We have associations that sharpen our iron but we also have control over keeping ourselves sharp with self-discipline.

Some of the ways, in which, we keep sharp are…

• Reading inspirational books
• Listening to motivational podcasts
• Eating clean food and keeping hydrated
• Working out on a regular basis and getting great sleep
• Working on courses or projects that expand our mind and help us grow or skill up
• Associating with high achievers

Some of the ways we dull our mind or self discipline are…

• Excessive eating or drinking
• Consuming garbage food, scrolling social media or consuming the news
• Skipping workouts
• Working overtime and...

If you’ve never worked with a coach, I promise you, the return is tenfold! Coaching brings a new sense of self awareness.  A coach is an objective partner that will teach you the necessary skills to achieve self-mastery, and provide a gentle nudge of encouragement on your journey to success.  Here are some of the ways coaching has helped me recently…

1.  Stay on track with positive habits

Sometimes, we don’t realize that we’ve slipped up or fallen back in to old patterns until someone holds up a mirror for us. This happened recently while I was working with my coach. The topic we were covering that day was presence.  The deeper we got in to the conversation, the more I realized that I had completely slipped back in to an old pattern that wasn’t serving me! I was checking email first thing in the morning in bed, during lunch and after hours. I was back to having an umbilical cord relationship with my phone and I had stopped separating...

Life can pass us by so quickly! The days pass, the weeks and then ultimately the months. Unfortunately, most go through life at such a speed that things become a blur. 

I did this for years and then found I had a sense of discomfort. I was unfulfilled. While I had met several of my professional and personal goals, I felt something was missing.

Then I read "Do the Work" with Dr. Nicole LePera, who teaches journaling as part of the healing process.

Here's what simple, daily journaling did for me...

Slow Down

Taking the time to write out the answers to these questions posed by Dr. Nicole, I found myself slowing down to be present and really think through how I wanted my day to unfold.

Here are the questions I journal...

Today I am...

Today I am optimistic, confident, and kind.

I am grateful for...

I list all the amazing things about life.

Today I am practicing...

Today I am practicing fierce...

When I first started my career, I was told a lie. I was told that “no one does business in the summer!”. I bought in to that lie and I rested on my laurels during July and August while I thought that everyone was presumably away at their cottages or not interested in doing business.

It wasn’t until my business was barely able to cover payroll one summer that I decided to smarten up and change the narrative. It’s so interesting that when we change our lens on something, how drastically our world opens up!

Summer months are now typically the busiest of the year because we’re proactive with sales and marketing efforts. This got me thinking about personal development and our growth journeys. Are there certain times of the year where you’re fired up about your goals like New Years and then other times, not so much? Perhaps summer is that time for you? If that’s the case, I hope that this serves you and you see things from a new perspective.

Here...

There will be times in life when our backs are against the wall or we’re working towards a huge goal that requires next level grit and determination.  We will need to PUSH!

How do you muster up the energy and momentum to push when required?

P- Personal Development

Originally, I was going to write positivity as the first P.  However, in order to generate positivity, we need to fuel our bodies and minds with the right things.  Working on our body, focusing on our health, regaining a sense of accomplishment by moving our bodies in a way that nourishes and builds self confidence will be key for staying on track during a big challenge.  The second is feeding our minds! Don’t overlook this. Listening to positive podcasts, reading inspirational books and ditching mindless social media scrolling is critical to build a solid foundation and stay motivated as you press on. Zig Ziglar famously said “People say motivation doesn’t last.  Well,...

I failed miserably lately BUT, here are the lessons I learned...

Let me back up a bit.  Back in August 2021 I started a program called 75Hard and as you guessed, it’s damn hard y’all.  It’s a physical and mental program to condition you to become resilient and disciplined.  It took a lot of determination. I lost my dad on day 23 of the program and was hell bent on making it to day 75, and did.  I promptly cried like a baby once I had completed it because I felt so proud of how I showed up during one of the darkest periods of my life.

Compromise compounds quickly

Fast forward a few months later and I started compromising.  Instead of eating clean every day of the week, which is part of the program, I “cheated” on a Friday. Instead of working out twice a day each day I started skipping my second work out. It wasn’t anything big that happened at once, it was small little seemingly insignificant compromises that compounded...