1-219-765-8600

carol@inkwellcoaching.com

Crown Point, IN

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March 14, 2024

10 Muscle Building Tips for Women

Most women I talk with would like to build more muscle and lose more fat. While strength or resistance training is a key component to building muscle,

March 7, 2024

A Taste of Spring

In case you’ve been missing out on some of the most delectable oranges, this is your friendly reminder that we are in the midst of SUMO season. This

February 29, 2024

10 Healthy Snacks for Busy People

My family loves snacks. I love snacks. Who doesn’t love a good snack? I believe snacking can be an important part of a healthy lifestyle. When you c

February 21, 2024

Saving Dough and a Surprise Cake from Mr. Non-Compliant

Some say it’s expensive to eat healthy. I believe it’s even more expensive, especially in the long run, to eat unhealthy. Today I present some tip

February 14, 2024

My Best Workout Tip for Top Results

Ever wonder how to get the most out of your run or walk or strength training workouts? It’s the same way you can feel the most productive about your

February 8, 2024

Celebrating the Birth Month Without FOGO

This year’s birth month is a rare one because I get to celebrate for 29 days. Those of you who get 30, or if you’re REALLY lucky, 31 days, may not

February 1, 2024

How to Stick with Exercise

Work is really busy. Or your kid is going through a “phase.” Or it’s chocolate season. Any number of obstacles, distractions, and competing dema

January 24, 2024

Find the Right Foods for You

You know what it’s like to create a pump-up playlist, right? You compile a list of songs that—when they come on—make you say: “Yes, I feel lik

January 18, 2024

Mastering a Dry or Damp January with Style

As the new year begins, many of us look for ways to reset and rejuvenate our bodies and minds. One popular approach is embarking on a ‘Dry Janua

January 11, 2024

Gluten-Free Substitutes for Healthier Baking

The world of gluten-free baking can be rather intimidating. Experimenting with various “other” flours and mixes can sometimes result in frustratin

How Great Can Today Get?

A colleague of mine made a post-it note to remind her to ask this important question each day. I like it.

“How great can today get?”

So, what about you? How great can YOUR today get?

It’s easy to allow complacency to set in. Making today great presents us with a challenge of stepping up in some way.

It may even bring about some discomfort, which is a good thing.

There are lots of choices, which makes it fun to think about.   

If you’re a life-long learner, you could find a book to read on a particular topic that interests you, or sign up for a course.

For music lovers, is there an instrument you’ve always wanted to learn to play? Or get reacquainted with an instrument you’ve set aside for a few (or more) years?

Maybe you’re making 2022 the year you focus on improving your health, but aren’t sure how to begin.

I can help with that.

A client told me, “After spending years counting points with my ‘diet’ plan, which didn’t work on a long-term basis, I now understand how to eat in a way that gives me a feeling of abundance, satisfaction, while meeting my health goals.”

That’s a great today.

Perhaps your day would be great if you knew how to make a vegetable tasty enough to enjoy it. 

Or if you felt it was within your control to kick your craving for sugar or caffeine.

A great today may be one that includes reaching out to a friend, feeling grateful for sunshine, getting a quality night’s sleep.

While everyone’s definition of a great day is different, I hope you explore the possibilities.

I’m making a post-it note to remind me.

Sending love,
Health Coach Carol

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Resolutions vs. Aspirations

Made any? Have any? What’s the difference and why am I even writing about this?

New Year’s resolutions are a thing. People make them. Most break them.

Statistics show that after 6 months, only 46% of people are successful at keeping a resolution.

By definition, a resolution is a decision to do something or behave in a certain manner.

An aspiration is a strong desire to achieve something high or great. 

Aspirations are the dreams you have for your life.

Making the resolution to hit the gym a few times a week sounds like a really good idea; until the alarm goes off and it’s cold, snowy, and the pillow is calling your name.

Aspiring to be a fit person who is living “fit person” ideals NOW, chooses to put on the gym clothes that were set out the night before. And then GO to the gym.

Both involve creating a different habit. Both take work. What differs is the identity behind the habit.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, refers to these as “identity-based habits.”

Rather than resolving to lose 10 pounds, think about the person you’d like to become and take on that identity.

What would a fit person do? What would a fit person choose to eat?

The focus is on living as that type of person, not getting a particular outcome.

Resolutions tend to be outcome or achievement driven: exercise more, write a novel, save more money, stop smoking.

A few other examples of identity-based habits:

  • When you say “thank you” each day, you take on the identity of a grateful person.
  • The goal is not to read one book, the goal is to become a reader.
  • If you want to be a musician, practice your instrument every day.

Once you determine the type of person you would like to be (your aspiration), break it down into small steps that you can slowly build upon.

Let’s say you aspire to be a healthy eater. You are a healthy eater when you include at least one piece of fruit or serving of vegetables in your day. When you master that, you can up it to two servings a day. 

Any bit of improvement over where you were is a win. Continue to build on other areas as each habit gets easy.

What are your aspirations? Live them today.

If you could use some help creating simple steps to achieve them, email me. I’d love to help you map out a plan to get started.

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance. If you got a dream, chase it, ’cause a dream won’t chase you back. If you’re gonna love somebody, hold ’em as long and as strong and as close as you can. ‘Til you can’t.”—Cody Johnson, “Til You Can’t”

What Color is Your Mood Ring?

I heard a song today that had a line that went something like, “She’s wearing her mood ring and it’s never the same.”

Remember the mood rings of the ‘70s? I had one and always wondered how they worked, and if they really reflected my mood.

The reason I bring it up is because I wondered what color mine would be today, post-Christmas festivities, with some cleanup left and a pretty lonely Christmas tree.

All the preparation and anticipation in the rearview mirror. Now what?

Guess it’s time for 2021 reflections and making plans for 2022.

Yawn. I think it’s time to hibernate instead.

Oh, wait. This message is supposed to INSPIRE you. Sorry. Maybe I’ll get there…

So, I think my mood ring color would be (drumroll please): YELLOW. And not because it’s sunny here. It’s been rather dreary for days, which could explain my desire to hibernate. 

Yellow may signify any of the following emotions: mild anxiety, nervousness, confusion, mixed feelings, creative energy, happiness, willing to take risks, good health.

Of course, the meanings for the colors depend on which site you read. This is the spectrum for yellow, and since the emotions are all over the place, I chose it.

Here are some other colors along with their meanings and you can decide what color you’d like to be today. Or, put on your ring and let it tell you.

Black: Stressed, worried, lost, and overwhelmed, OR your mood ring could be broken.

Gray: Beginning stages of worry, fear, sadness, grief, dread, and on the way to black.

Brown: Restless, anxious, impatiently waiting for something, confused.

Green: Calm, stable, relaxed, default color.

Red: Excited, passionate, anger, embarrassment.

Orange: Heightened emotions of yellow.

Blue: Calm, content, peaceful, relaxed, forgetting about all world stressors.

Violet: Enlightenment, balance, intense romantic feelings, clarity, deep purpose.

In case you’re wondering, mood rings change their color based on the changing temperature of the wearer’s body. It does this by making use of liquid crystals with thermotropic properties. Your mood can affect your body temperature.

Mood rings are still on the market, and there are more specific color guides that go along with each manufacturer’s ring. As you may have guessed, they’re not always accurate, and the life span of a mood ring is about 5 years. Toss out the one you have from the ‘70s.

Whatever color you’re feeling, now is probably a good time to think about (and maybe even create a list) of all the things that you’ve accomplished in 2021 that you’re happy about. 

What are you grateful for?

This may even lead you to consider some plans for the coming year.

Which reminds me—my word for 2022 is GRATITUDE. It’s a great word that is a great way to feel all the time. I’m going to focus on practicing more of that.

Since a majority of people begin the year with rather lofty health and fitness goals, I’ll offer some tips next week on how to stay the course with realistic expectations.

Thank you for reading my weekly blog posts and putting up with my many moods.

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, and blessed 2022! (And a blue colored mood ring.)

With love and gratitude,
Carol

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.”—Brad Paisley

The Case of the Missing Goat Milk

Last Saturday I made a special trip to the grocery store to purchase a can of evaporated goat milk. I needed it to make my nutroll.

Of course, I remembered to pick up a few other items while I was there. 

The next day, I gathered the necessary ingredients for my baking adventure.

I was all set, except for the goat milk. Typically, when I’m going to use an ingredient the day I come home with it or the next, I leave it on the counter.

No goat milk. I searched all the places where it could be and nothing.

I searched again.

Was I losing my mind? (No need to answer that.) How could I lose a can of goat milk in a span of 24 hours?

The item was on my receipt, and yet I didn’t remember taking it out of a bag once I was home.

After minutes of searching and feeling very frustrated, I headed over to the store’s service desk. Lo and behold, it was an item that had been left in a bag with the cashier and turned in.

The crazy thing was that I even asked the cashier if I had all my bags. Mistakes happen.

I got my goat milk, again, and went home to my baking.

I share this story for several reasons.

First, it’s that time of year when all kinds of goofy things happen. Too much going on, we get distracted, we forget. I think it comes with the season. If you’ve experienced some weird stuff, welcome to my world.

Second, if you ever do leave something at the store, take your receipt and go to the service desk. Although the items had been put away, there was a list in their system of all the items that had been returned to the shelves.

Third, I was grateful to know that I didn’t lose a can of goat milk in my house and that I haven’t quite lost my mind.

 I wish you and yours a beautiful Christmas.

Much love,
Carol

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”—Isaiah 9:6