Listen to the newest episode of my podcast, Entrepreneurs are Awesome: Let the Past Be the Past Because You’re Awesome!
It’s important to acknowledge that you cannot change the past. Embrace your experiences, learn from your mistakes and move forward with confidence in your abilities, you got this!👍😉
Listen to this episode of my podcast, Entrepreneurs are Awesome, Endless Possibilities!
This episode discusses the progression of African Americans going from restriction in America to having endless possibilities and taking advantage.
This is for everyone of all races but was inspired by a trip to the African American History Museum at the of Black History Month.
And of course, there’s a tip for all you Awesome Entrepreneurs out there!
Enjoy, Shante🌺
Hello again Loves ♥♥
Since one of my specialties is email marketing in this work from home journey of mine, I figured it was time to create a post about the importance of building your email list and how to go about it. I think some people don’t, because they don’t understand the importance of the strategy or simply don’t know how.
If you still need help getting your list building or funnel efforts off the ground, check out my services page and contact me for assistance where you need it 🙂
So let’s dive in…
I’m sure you’ve heard it over and over! You have to build your email list. This is absolutely correct! If you’re not collecting emails, you’re leaving money on the table, simple as that!
Having someone’s email address means having direct personal access to them. This in turn means that anytime you have a new product, service, course or event, you can directly let your audience know and give them a chance to support you.
Remember this though…
Don’t just sell! That’s not a good business practice to get used to and it’s not fair to your followers. They’ve joined your list because they felt some sort of connection to your content and what YOU CAN OFFER THEM not WHAT YOU CAN GET FOR YOURSELF.
Regardless of your intent, that was theirs!
If you have a list, you have a golden opportunity to establish real relationships and build trust! Take advantage of that. You know yourself, I’m sure you can think back to the last email that you received and actually opened.
If you read all the way through it, think about why you did. Are you familiar with the brand who sent it, do they usually appeal to your emotions, have you seen their dog or their kids or heard some inspirational story about their life?
I’m sure you probably have. Take that knowledge and implement it in your business. Strike an 80/20 balance when email marketing. 80% of your content should be you educating, informing and entertaining your audience, while only 20% should actually be sales content.
Give a little bit of information or a sneak peek inside your world, use humor and your genuine voice to appeal to your audience. I’m not telling you to go super-personal in your emails, but do you need to add a human touch.
Tell a story about your own journey (as it relates to your content), a story of triumph or even just share some fun facts.
I’m a fan of having an email series ready to welcome your new tribe. In this specific set of emails, consider the importance of building your bond. This is where you want to start making those connections.
Be strategic about all of it, this is is why I want to stress “as it relates to your content.” Try to get creative about working in a few personal tidbits to your overall content strategy. Once you’ve established some trust there, move on to establishing your expertise.
You want to educate to establish your expertise and authority in your field. Send content that teaches your audience about your business niche. Let them know why it’s important, let them know what it means, let them know why it’s beneficial to them.
Use statistics if it’s suitable. Provide resources. Provide other peoples’ content as it applies to the subject and do some fun things like contests. This is where you really want to add value to them for even giving you their email in the first place.
Then, and only after you’ve done these things, you can begin to sell. But even when you do this, be sure you’re selling a quality product that will still benefit and add value to their lives.
Now, how do you start actually building that list?
Well, first you need to choose an email provider. Some common ones may be MailChimp, MailerLite, GetResponse, InfusionSoft, ConvertKit, Constant Contact…just to name a few 🙂
Then you can create forms to capture the emails. Once you’ve done that, you need to add these forms to places your audience will be.
Here are some methods…
Add a subscriber form to your blog and your Facebook Business Page. You can have an embedded form that stays in place, like in a side widget or a footer, that’s always available to collect emails.
Add a pop-up form to your blog. You should also have a pop-up that will catch your readers attention, giving them an option to subscribe. There are various form options from banners to boxes and full page pop-ups. It all depends on your email provider and which options you choose.
Give something away. You can create a landing page offering to give away something for free in exchange for email addresses. This could be an ebook, PDF or graphics. Use your imagination but keep it relevant to your niche. If you’re unsure on how to build a landing page, let me know and I’ll create a resource for you on that too!
So now what?
If you have your list and you’re not sending emails, start now! Whether you have 5 followers or 500, start nurturing your list ASAP!
If you don’t have any ideas about what to send, check out this NEW FREE DOWNLOAD that I’ve created for youguys with 100 topic ideas to send out to your list! I’ve got something for everyone!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE LIST!
Whether your target audience is in personal finance, event planning, other bloggers, parenting and more, I’ve got you covered. I have something extra for people who target other bloggers!
Check it out and start benefiting from your list. If you have any input on this marketing strategy, feel free to comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts and everyone can benefit from all of our diverse insight!
Author: Shante is a homeschooling mother, solopreneur and health and fitness wannabe who’s building her agency through social media posting by day!
When you start your own business, of course you have a sense of ownership and protection over your work; as you should. However, if you’re doing something right and you’re maintaining a steady income, there may come a time when everything will become too much for one person to handle alone.
When you get to that stage in your business, that’s when it’s time to delegate. Delegating unnecessary tasks, or tasks that don’t need to be done by you, will highly increase your productivity.
Why? Because, this will allow you to spend more time on those jobs that require your expertise and skill.
How do you delegate your tasks? Because of the awesome technological advances we have at our disposal, you actually have a few options on how to go about this part.
One of the most common ways to do this today is to hire a virtual assistant. You’re definitely not obligated to hire someone that is remote, who you may never meet, but it is a very easily accessible option.
Depending on your trade, you can find a virtual assistant for just about any administrative task these days. Whether you need a bookkeeper, someone to update a website, take over your social media or write blogs for you to keep your site updated, you can find someone to fit your specific needs.
You can look for someone online via Craigslist, FIVERR, Upwork, various Facebook Groups. You can even ask around. You may have friends who know someone who is a virtual assistant.
If you’re more traditional and would prefer someone to physically help you out, or if that’s what your trade requires, you can scout out some local talent.
You could post openings on Craigslist, Facebook local job boards or even get really traditional and hang a sign in the window.
The point is not about where you find your help, just that when it’s time, you do it.
One thing to remember, as you’re working, create systems. I mean document them. It may seem tedious in the beginning but if you should ever need help, it’ll be a life saver.
You need to have documents of procedures in place to make for a smoother transition when you’re going to bring someone on board.
You want things to be clear across the board and make sure that everyone is on the same page. You’ll need everyone to be following the same rules and have clearly defined roles.
You don’t want to build this amazing empire and then watch it fall because you tried to do everything and be everywhere. You specialize in something so do that thing and do it well.
You can either do one thing really great or several things OK.
If you’ve got an overflow of work, get your productivity up by asking for help and start delegating.
Have a great, productive week guys!
Author: Shante is a homeschooling mother, solopreneur and health and fitness wannabe who’s building her agency through social media posting by day!
Hello Loves!
Have you ever decided to sit down to your computer and be productive and get lots and lots of work done? But then you sit down and you’re randomly checking social media accounts and post any old thing for your business accounts!
I think we can all agree that we have.
A few things to note here…
Regardless of your business, be it products that you’re selling or a service that you’re offering, marketing on social media IS in your best interest.
The issue that tends to surface lies in where to be on social media and what to post.
This is exactly why you need a content calendar. You will save time, money and your sanity. Once you have a proper calendar in place, you’ll see your productivity increase and hopefully your bottom line!
Once you have a content calendar in place you will:
Then all you have to do is pull it open, see what’s on your schedule for the day and bam, get to it!
How can you create one of these beauties for your company, keep reading my friends 🙂
I’m going to give you a rundown of how to create a calendar using Excel (Video coming soon ~ look out for it).
1 ~ First thing’s first, sit down and write down your company’s goals for being on social media. We’re going to tackle a great strategy first.
Is your goal to engage with more followers, gain more followers, establish yourself as an authority in your field, etc.
Once you have your list of goals, decide how you will go about achieving those goals, on which platforms. This is where you cut out the platforms that do not help with reaching the goals in your strategy.
For example: If your goal is to gain followers on Instagram, and this is your only goal, you have no reason to spend time on Pinterest right? Right.
If your goal is to engage with your followers and your following is on Facebook only, LinkedIn may not be a factor.
An important factor to consider here as well, is your audience. Know who your customer is and where they are on social media so that you can be there to greet them 🙂
If you find your goals will need for you to be on more than one platform, this is fine. Write it down.
2 ~ Now that you know which platforms you’ll be using, do some research to determine what the best time is for posting on those platforms.
Keep in mind that on some platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, it’s perfectly fine to post more than once in a day and may even be recommended.
Keep in mind that certain days may call for different times to post.
Once you know which times are best for each platform, write it down.
3 ~ At this point, I’d dive into Excel to create my skeleton of the plan.
Make a row (going across) with the names of each platform you will be on.
Then go one row down and create titles under the name of each platform, for DATE, TIME and CONTENT.
Now, in columns (going down) furthest left, begin to enter DATES for each day of the week, enter the day of the week in it’s column under the title and enter the time you will post on that day, in that platform.
4 ~ Now that you have your skeleton, you’re going to fill in what you will be posting specifically, on each date. (I highly recommend creating your calendar month-by-month to start out)
Do some research for post ideas. Pinterest is awesome. You can check out my Pinterest account under the Social Media Tips Board for some different ideas across different platforms. CLICK HERE!
Along with some ideas you find, decide which days you want to use for promoting your product or service, decide if you’ll be running a contest what content you’ll be posting on which days to prioritize that. Decide when you want to post something funny or an inspirational quote, etc.
Keep in mind, social media is for being social. Follow the 80/20 Rule to avoid spamming your followers.
80% of your content should educate, entertain or engage, 20% is for promoting your service or product.
Remember, this content should be aligned with your goals.
Back to our example of wanting to engage with followers more. You may want to say that on Wednesdays at 8am on Facebook I’m going to find 5 followers, go to their pages and like at least one of their photos and comment on at least 3 posts.
This is actively working to engage more.
5 ~ Clean up your spreadsheet and make it easy to read.
I’m big on color coding. Have your headers, titles, day of the weeks, time and content in different shades so that you can clearly glance at your calendar easily know your job for that day.
Check for typos, make sure everything makes sense and is cohesive across all channels.
That pretty much sums it up!
I know it seems tedious and it WILL be time-consuming but it will be well worth it in the end.
Once it’s done, it’s done and for future months, you can just start a new tab for the new month and then copy and paste your sheet but change the content and dates to fit your new month’s plans.
I’ll attach some photos of my calendar so that you can see my method in action.
If you feel like you definitely need a clear strategy and a great calendar for yourself, or even for your virtual assistant but you’re not up for creating it on your own, feel free to reach out to me.
I’m running a huge sale on creating content calendars for fellow entrepreneurs to get the ball rolling on clear marketing efforts!
I think I’ve rambled enough for one post, I hope you find this helpful. Feel free to comment below if you have any questions for me or if I’ve missed anything.
Happy planning guys!
Best to you, Shante ♥
Author: Shante is a homeschooling mother, solopreneur and health and fitness wannabe who’s building her agency through social media posting by day!
Whoa! What a ride!
Trying to start your own business, while trying to raise awesome and productive little people, while trying to maintain a home, while trying to maintain your sanity is literally just like a roller coaster ride! Getting dizzy just thinking about that blend.
You just kind of ride the waves and hope it ends up like you see it in your mind. This is kind of like homeschooling in general. You see it a certain way in your mind and then it plays out waaaaayyyy different! Lol! You gotta learn to laugh it off and keep moving.
Trying to start a business from home is similar. It’s like, in your mind, you have this picture of how it will play out and then it’s not quite like that in reality. You think, I’ll be independent, no boss, I can work from wherever I want to, whenever I want to, working in PJ’s, taking breaks when I feel like it, all that jazz.
While some of those things are reality, there is a bigger reality. There are so many more things you have to do on the back end before that little business of yours should see the light of day.
While not super painful, it’s time consuming. Then you have to create some sort of strategy because “just wingin’ it” doesn’t cut it. Trust me, I made that mistake, don’t do it!!!
Then you need a genius marketing plan, and then you actually have to implement it. Don’t skip that step, lol!
Don’t forget, you actually need clients, paying clients to help support that business and well, keep you in business.
You have to make announcements to family and friends that you’ve started a business. This step has proven to be a little harder for me. It’s not that I want it to be a secret, by any means, it’s just weird for me to talk about myself in that way.
A few days ago I was just talking to another homeschooling mom who is awesome and started a social media management business. She asked me how business is going and I told her “slow.” I was like, I know what I can do and I know that I can do it well, but I have a problem with actually talking about myself to other people and I think it’s holding me back.
In the midst of all of this, I have to stay on top of my twins about their lesson plans and oh yeah, actually teach them, lol! They’ve made some wonderful strides this year though so I feel like I’ve done something right, yay!
Even though, I’m on this constant roller coaster called my life, I’ll have to figure out how to overcome these little tibits of mind games that are holding me back. I know that I have something to offer that people need, and that some people don’t want to do on their own and that I can do well.
So, I need to keep moving and just like I said in this blog title “DON’T GIVE UP!!!” I’m speaking to myself first and anyone else who’s listening. If you have something awesome that you want to accomplish, don’t let doubt, fear or failure hold you back.
Fake it til you make it if you have to. Don’t start and then turn back because you’ve hit a road block that it seems like you can’t move. Don’t throw all of your hard work down the drain. There is a way through, just figure it out.
If you know how I can get through mine, please do share!!! Any mind tricks I can reverse for myself or anything that’s worked for you, I’d love to hear it, honestly.
Until we meet again, here it goes! This is me, not giving up! And you don’t give up either! Prayers guys 🙂
Best to you, Shante ♥
Author: Shante is a homeschooling mother, solopreneur and health and fitness wannabe who’s building her agency through social media posting by day!
Being pulled in 10 million different directions is the nature of the beast when it comes to mommy duties. But as my husband so kindly reminds, if you really want something, you’ll make time for it.
That being said, it’s easy to get caught up in excuses to not do something for ourselves as mothers, meanwhile we somehow manage to do for everyone else around us. I suppose I should say women in general. It’s our nature to nurture.
I’ve adopted some progressive health habits that include me working out almost every day. With two 9-year-old sassy ladies, homeschooling, a trucker husband and a house to run, I could come up with all the reasons in the world why I don’t have time to work-out.
And I have! I genuinely couldn’t figure out where to carve the time out, but I did and I’m making awesome gains as a result of finding me-time.
Honestly, I have a million other things that need to be done and because I’m a crazy lady I’m always thinking about those million things, even when I’m sitting still. Lol!
Enough about the excuses, here are some areas of our lives we can break down to find the time to spark up those happy endorphins!
I tried this method. I was able to get up a few times in the morning and it felt great being able to wake up and knock out that workout for the day.
If you’re an early riser or prepared to become one, this is a great option!
There’s something tranquil about the still of the morning in a quiet house and spending that time to yourself to prepare for the day.
My husband is ex-military and he’s very into working out and maintaining some of those old PT habits. He tells me that it may not be the best idea to workout right before bed because of that energy boost it gives you.
I felt inclined to offer that alternate way of thinking because this is actually my chosen method. I was not able to maintain morning workouts because of my morning homeschool routine with my daughters.
That being said, I opted to begin working out at the end of the day when they go to bed and it was a great fit for me!
My religion stresses that doing a small thing consistently is better for you. Because I found that I could be consistent with this routine and stuck with it, it’s working wonders for me.
Find your own happy place 🙂
If you can’t find one long stretch of time to workout at any given time of the day, try 10-minute intervals at various times throughout the day.
Maybe you have 10 minutes for biking/walking/elliptical, whatever you have at home. Take a walk outside or around your building at work while you’re on break.
If you don’t have any equipment, use your own body weight. Calisthenics are great for using your own body weight to build muscle and cut the cost of a gym membership.
YouTube and Pinterest are flooded with exercises you can do at home if you need some ideas.
Believe it or not, our children love to do anything with us. If you can’t sneak in a workout without them, have them join you.
You’ll instill some healthy habits in them and improve your own well-being.
Some nights me and my girls cruise YouTube and pick out random workouts to do. We don’t always keep up with the people on screen but we actually have fun trying.
We do anything from African dancing, kickboxing and walking to belly dancing. Lol!
Give it a try, you might be surprised by their reaction. Consider it bonding time.
The reason I listed this as a way to help you and break through the excuses, is because sometimes we don’t do something because we don’t know where to start.
If you don’t workout already, the thought of beginning can be somewhat intimidating. You don’t know what to do and you don’t know what to expect or if you’re doing it right.
As long as you’re moving, you’re doing something right! (Cardio-wise anyway … with equipment or calisthenics be sure your technique is correct so you don’t hurt yourself)
When I work-out, a huge portion of it is a set of movements I designed for myself based on where I want to improve in my body.
I had some assistance and I did some research online but I found something that works for me. Pinterest is also full of ideas for this very thing. They have some very creative workout routines.
A cute one I saw has a list of exercises for each letter of the alphabet. You spell your name and do each of the exercises for each letter and repeat the set 3 to 5 times.
When you know what you’re going to do, it’s easier to dive in, do it and get it done.
Well that’s it for now. I hope you can utilize some of these tips to find your workout groove and get moving to those results you’re striving for!
If you have tips you’d like to share, please tell us about it in the comments below.
Author: Shante is a homeschooling mother, solopreneur and health and fitness wannabe who’s building her agency through social media posting by day!
Establishing a healthy lifestyle can seem like a tough road. When we get stuck in our ways, breaking a routine can feel like the hardest thing ever. But it’s not!
With these simple steps you can involve everyone in your home to join you on your journey.
Having support when you venture into a new stage of your life is always awesome and can have a huge impact on the longevity of your goals.
Some things will apply to you, such as having a partner or children but other things may not. I believe that you can still gain some benefit from these tips no matter your situation in life.
First things first, you need to sit down and make a plan about what you’re trying to do. Knowing where you are and where you’re trying to go is crucial to the process.
Here are some ideas for going about planning:
Think about what you want to do and do it.
You can ravage some old magazines and prints laying around, purchase magazines just for this purpose, or even print some images from your computer.
Grab a poster board and some glue. Start cutting and pasting your vision into a reality.
Think about things such as fitness. Will you incorporate work outs, and if so, what kind?
Will you change your eating habits? If so, to what? Are you cutting things out of your diet or adding more of something that was missing?
Examples might be eliminating sodas and increasing water intake.
For example, in my house we have a fruit bowl. The kids know that any time of the day when they’re hungry they can grab whatever’s there and keep moving.
You may choose to always have some almonds for snacks or lean meat in the freezer so that you can always be prepared for a healthy dinner.
2.) GET ORGANIZED
We do make plans in life but sometimes life happens and plans fall through. However, having some organization can increase your likelihood of having successful plans.
This doesn’t have to be written in stone. Loosely create a plan for approximately when breakfast will take place, as well as lunch and dinner. Also plan for your snacks.
An example might look like this:
Breakfast: 8:00am Snack: 10:30am Lunch: 12:30pm Snack: 3:00pm Dinner: 6:00pm
Once you’ve established your meal times, establish a day to sit down and plan your meals ahead.
Some people choose to do this the night before, some choose weekly and some choose monthly. Whatever your preference, pick a day, sit down and go for it.
There are all types of planners online that you can download and print, you can use free apps on your phone or just a good old pen and pad. Record your ideas for what meals you will have and what ingredients you need to have.
If you choose the weekly route, you can create your plan and then go grocery shopping for that weeks’ worth of ingredients.
You can also choose to have a meal prep day where you actually cook some of those foods all in one day and freeze them until you’re ready for them.
Be sure to educate yourself on how long certain things can be refrigerated so that you can move them from the freezer to the fridge accordingly.
CLICK HERE for my FREE Meal Planner Template to get started!
Again, loosely decide what a good bedtime is for you, and everyone in your home.
If you have small children, this might mean coming up with a solid nap time to aim for.
For school aged children and yourself, create a time for bed that will allow you the maximum amount of sleep according to what time you need to wake up in the morning.
Sleep is vital to good health and should be incorporated into your routine.
If you’re married, speak to your spouse about what you’re trying to do and educate them on the benefits of the whole family being involved.
Then they know what you’re trying to do and can be a great support system for you.
If they choose not to get on-board, at the very least they have an idea about some changes that may begin to happen in the home.
Initially you may need to purge some things from your home. If you were a heavy snacker, you might still have some unhealthy things lying around.
Now generally speaking, I’m not one to waste food. But, if you’re going to take this change seriously, you have to clean house.
Having those things around will only give you an excuse to put off starting your transition or throw off your progress when you eat them.
Maybe you can think of a creative way to get rid of the junk without being wasteful. If so, go for it.
Once you’ve gotten rid of the bad choices, replace them with better choices. Again, have some healthy go-to snacks and staples for any day.
You may find that your favorite foods have some organic counter-parts with healthier ingredients.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and try some new things. You’re setting the scene for a healthier lifestyle so you have to find what will work for the long term.
It may take a lot of testing, trial and error but it’ll be well worth it in the end.
Explain to them what it means to your family and how that fits into your home. Prepare them for any changes as well.
Your children, depending on their age, may be able to sit down with you on meal planning days and add their input on meal and snack options.
They can also help you do the shopping when you head to the store.
This will help them to learn the importance of organization and planning, also sticking to a budget.
Again, depending on age, you can let your kids help you out in the kitchen. There are a number of safe things they can do.
They can gather tools like measuring cups, bowls, mixing tools or ingredients. They can pour in certain ingredients or help set the table. Get creative!
One thing my girls love is working out with me! If your children are old enough, have them get up and join you in your fitness efforts.
If you’re going for a walk, take them with you. If you’re going to watch a workout video, have them beside you.
If you’re doing random activities like basketball, tennis or some other sport, then teach them and then allow them to play the game with you.
There you have it. If you’re ready to jump on this new life of healthy habits, there’s nothing left to do except get started.
If I’ve missed anything, please share tips that have worked for you below. Until next time, I’m wishing you all the success in your journey.
Best to you, Shante ♥
Author: Shante is a homeschooling mother, solopreneur and health and fitness wannabe who’s building her agency through social media posting by day!
Let’s get real about weight loss. Of course your main reason for wanting to lose weight should be to improve your health and longevity. And for most of you, I’m sure it is.
Even though we know there will be huge benefits waiting on the other end of that sweet success, it can be hard to stay the course.
Especially when you don’t know where to start, it can be hard to see the finish line. There are so many fad diets, online fitness trainers, shakes and the list goes on and on.
Regretfully speaking, I’ve tried too many of those quick fix ways to get the ball rolling. And when it’s all said and done, adapting to an overall healthy lifestyle is the route I chose to take.
I have to watch what I’m eating, watch my portion sizes and I recently joined a gym with my husband that I absolutely love!
Even knowing that I will be better off once I reach my actual weight loss goals, it can still be difficult at times to maintain the guidelines I’ve set out for myself. So, we’re in this together.
Here are some tips that keep me motivated and keep my mind on track when I’m losing focus:
I saw a doctor who very clearly spelled out all of the diseases that the stomach is a breeding ground for. Especially if you carry most of your weight in your stomach, you are at risk for various types of disease and cancers. Losing that weight and getting that extra fat out of there will improve your health drastically.
This is not about vanity! You’re working hard for that body you want, own it. Use the power of visualization to work in your favor. Seriously, think of the body you will have at the end of the road.
Give yourself about 60 seconds a day to just sit, close your eyes and imagine yourself in that body. In shaa Allah (God willing) that will come to fruition for you!
When we look better, naturally we feel better. Please don’t think that you cannot have confidence in yourself right now. You most definitely should! Living in the body you desire will only increase your self-esteem.
Just the fact that you will have completed this journey successfully, will give you all the confidence in the world that you can do whatever you put your mind to. This happens anytime we complete a huge goal that we set out to accomplish and then accomplish it.
Having the extra weight off your body will allow you to move around more with ease. If you have children, you will be able to run and play with them without getting winded. Stairs will not be an issue and you can explore the world around you effortlessly.
Please go explore! Me and my girls love it. When you lose weight, naturally your health improves (if you do it the right way). Because of that boost in your health improvement you will feel better.
Again, if you’ve done this the right way and increased your intake of healthy fruits and vegetables, you’ll literally be wearing the benefits. Especially with drinking your daily recommendation of water (at least 8 cups).
You will see clearer skin, healthier hair and stronger nails. I mean if you think about it, vitamins that are supposed to help with these issues are packed with fruits and veggies. Get it straight from the source.
If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight, your clothes probably won’t fit. I think that calls for a shopping spree.
Fun Idea: For every pound you lose put away a certain amount of money. It can be in the bank or a jar, get creative and make it look cool. Once you’ve reached your goal weight, take the money and go buy some new clothes. You may not get an entire wardrobe but something to make you feel the change.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to go about weight loss in the safest way possible. Don’t get caught up in gimmicks and scams. I recommend doing it naturally. Change your lifestyle. Eat better, move more and keep a positive mindset.
Develop healthy habits for a lifetime and you’ll never have to diet again. Do you have any motivational tips you’d like to share that I didn’t? Comment below. I’m rooting for you on your journey.
Best to you, Shante ♥
Author: Shante is a homeschooling mother, solopreneur and health and fitness wannabe who’s building her agency through social media posting by day!
Are you lacking energy, always finding yourself at the doctor or feel like your quality of life is slipping away? If so, it’s time for a fresh start to healthy living!
Transforming your health will lead to a stronger, alert, more confident, beautiful you. Yes, we have doctors and professionals who are “in charge” of our health. But are they really? Do they really have our best interest at heart? Ok, some do.
I’m not telling you to ditch your doctor. But I am telling you that your health is your own responsibility. They can guide you, but ultimately you need to know your body and be aware of what’s best for you.
It can seem difficult if you’ve never been conscious of this before, but it’s not impossible. You can start today.
Don’t wait until the morning or next week on Monday, start right now! You can make small adjustments that will lead to major habits and transform your life.
I’ve been where you might be. I’ve been careless about my health and allowed myself to depend on “professionals” to advise me and make recommendations for me.
But I decided to educate myself, and incorporate natural, organic habits. I benefit more, my children benefit more and my family benefits more. Win, win, win.
Ok, I have a lot to say here guys. Here are my top 10 tips to help you get going today!
Get your affairs in order and be conscious of staying in good graces. At the very least, try to be a good, moral person.
There is a lot of peace in knowing you’re doing the right thing, knowing you’re helping someone, and knowing that your presence brings positivity and benefit to the world.
Make small changes daily. They will lead to long-term habits and right into your new lifestyle.
Don’t become overwhelmed thinking you have to know everything or do everything just right or it won’t work. That’s just not the case.
You only need consistency and determination. You have to want this, and you have to see it through. This is for life. Create, nurture and grow good habits.
Let’s face it, we know a lot of what we drink is packed with sugar and a bunch of other ingredients we can’t even pronounce and know they’re not good for us.
Drinking water has lots of health benefits.
This will allow you to increase your water intake and decrease the junk. Most physicians will tell you to drink at least 8 cups a day, so work up to that.
Green tea is an ancient gem of healthy goodness. It’s packed with antioxidants which aid you when you’re sick, it speeds up your metabolism and gets your bowels moving.
If you’re looking for an added drink to your new lifestyle, alternate between water and green tea. Even expand into different flavors of tea, pretty much every blend has different sets of health benefits.
Common Green Tea Benefits – See Healthline Newsletter for more:
Have a cup in the morning with breakfast, or at your meals throughout the day to replace sodas and juices. My kids love it!
Whether you choose to just walk for about 20-30 minutes a day, your health and your body will see massive improvements. Walking for just 30 minutes a day can improve your mood and endurance.
If you want to scale things up a bit, try a few of these ideas:
What you put into your body plays a huge role in how you feel and your overall health.
Ok, some may oppose this, and some may love it. I get that no one wants to count calories because it can seem very tedious. Even if you don’t track your calories, jot down what you eat and drink.
If you’re aware of what you’re eating and how much, you can easily see where you can make improvements and find patterns to cut off.
My little portion size horror shock came the first day I started tracking. I’d had dinner at iHop. Once I entered in the meal I had eaten, it was like over 1,000 calories by itself!
Once I looked at my total from the day, it was somewhere around 3,000 easy. It was an eye opener for me. Seeing portions for what they really are can make a huge difference in trying to get to your optimal health. This brings me to my next tip.
Like I just mentioned, it’s easy to go overboard when you’re eating something good. Just controlling your portion size can make a drastic difference in the way that you feel and look.
Here are a few ways you can try to avoid eating too much.
Try to focus on eating food as close to its natural state as possible.
Again, start small. Take baby steps to add these tips into your routine.
Living a life of chaos is toxic for your mental health. We cannot plan for everything in life, but things we can plan for, plan for them. Be as organized as you can, in your space and in your daily activities.
Understand that your body needs the recovery that only sleep provides. You must get in a sufficient amount of sleep if you want to function at your best potential.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends ranges between 7-9 hours a night depending on age. Try these tips to help you sleep better.
As you can see, living a healthy lifestyle includes everything from your spiritual and mental health to physical well-being. You will need to make adjustments over time to cater to all of these aspects of your life.
Accept that this will be a journey and a lifestyle change. It’s going to take discipline and consistency but if you achieve the goal of making the full transition, you will be so happy with yourself!
You’ll have all of the natural benefits that come along with living a healthy lifestyle. You will have more energy and clarity and be prepared for all that life has to throw at you.
Stay the course. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. You owe it to yourself and I’m rooting for you!
Go start now! Go drink a bottle of water, have a cup of tea, go to bed on time tonight, go for a walk, make your next snack a good one and make your next trip to the grocery store a health food shopping binge. Start right now!
Have you recently adopted any habits that improved your quality of life? Share with us, comment below.
Best to you, Shante ♥
Author: Shante is a homeschooling mother, solopreneur and health and fitness wannabe who’s building her agency through social media posting by day!
