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That title almost sounds like an overwhelming amount of work. But my free teleclass shows you step by step how to do it and its actually really easy! (If you want to join my free monthly teleclasses just go to my events page). We all know that we can benefit from lives that are less cluttered. We LOVE the topic of decluttering but often aren’t really sure why. In this article, I will share some of my thoughts and provide you with some steps to take for decluttering your life. Keep in mind that the process of decluttering is very personalized, so I will ask you to reflect on your own experiences as you move through these steps. The Natural Desire to Declutter One of my most popular free classes used to be called “21 Days to Declutter your Life,” and I believe that its popularity stems from us all having a subconscious desire to create a clutter-free life. A clutter-free life is […]

1. Are all multi-level marketing companies bad? When people hear about multi-level marketing (MLM) companies, they often think of notorious pyramid schemes. However, I actually learned a lot while working for a MLM company; when you locate and begin working for a company that aligns with what you love doing, you can find success and happiness much more easily than investing in a company that you ultimately aren’t passionate about. Sometimes a MLM company can also be used as a step toward another opportunity. For example, my friend Jennifer Hemphill is a natural networker. She began as an entrepreneur by selling greeting cards on SendOutCards. Because I used this company and her products in particular to stay in touch with clients, we developed a professional relationship. This initial connection allowed me to know, like, and trust her enough to refer other spouses to Jennifer’s company at jenhemphill.com where she helps spouses achieve financial freedom. This business clearly aligns with her values, skills, and interests, and this […]

This week I had some candid conversations with other Military spouse entrepreneurs and I wanted to share some tidbits from my discussions. I am also going to be doing a podcast (The Military Spouse Show) that I do with Wendy Poling where we go into more detail regarding some of what we discussed. The first “question” I got was more of a comment then a question and it was in the form of, “Yeah right, Krista!” “I HAD a career before I married into the military!” I even got a PM that I must have a live-in nanny to run a business and, sadly, I do not. I have actually locked myself in the bathroom just to make a work call and been caught screaming at my four kids to find their mittens faster on my way to give a “work life balance” speech to Fleet and Family. I am not a perfect professional or a perfect mom, just trying to share some coaching […]

Encouraging Military Spouses to Breathe on Their Paths to Success So many spouses struggle with taking enough me time as they are taking care of everyone else, but it’s so important. When my kids were little I used to just love a quiet shower where I could think and today I have learned to get over the guilt of leaving the kids an hour here and there to go workout or take a walk and just contemplate my goals and check in with myself. I notice that the more I carve out this free time, the more productive I am so its actually an investment versus a time waster and the more breaks I take, the further along I get in my career and my relationships. Try out some of my tips and let me know if you find any helpful. 1. Design Sacred Spaces That Inspire You Great environments energize us in different ways. […]

My sister was running a hang gliding business and said people asked her how to prepare and she laughed and said, “just take your earrings off and jump” and I instantly thought of how “this advice” could help me in my career and life. I started sharing the concept with my clients who were stuck and they would say, I need to let go of me fears, and just jump! And even if your “jump” is just a mental shift, have fun with the metaphor and use it to propel the baby steps you need to take towards success. I refer to this “jump” from where you are now to where you ideally want to be in life as the knowing/doing gap. You want a better relationship, increased health, and a new job but don’t know where to start and are often afraid to take the leap. I have also heard this called the “knowing/doing […]

Take a minute and think about how you wake up? Now take a minute and think about an “ideal morning routine” and then journal about the differences between what you want and what is happening now to give yourself something to strive for. My husband gets up at 5:00am (former Marine!) and read while calmly sipping his coffee while I hit snooze and then zoom around toasting waffles and looking for lost mittens as I get my four kids off to school but slowly I have found that getting up a few minutes before the kids and planning my day makes my whole week better so I decided to share a few tips that I am working on to make my morning routine more impactful. Let me know what works best for you. A morning routine is an important step towards success. How you wake up sets the tone for the day. Take a few minutes and write down your perfect morning routine and […]

WORDS ARE A POWERFUL STEP in Military Spouse Success Stories I’ve worked with hundreds of military spouses who were ready to begin their own paths to success, and I’ve found that many of these spouses develop the same skillsets. They engage in the art of positive self-talk, avoid gossip, maintain grateful attitudes, and seek out books, classes, and positive conversations to attract success effortlessly. You can do this too! The first step to self-fulfillment is becoming aware of the power of words, both those that we use and those that surround us. There is a strong connection between our inner thoughts and our spoken words and actions. Shield yourself from pessimists and seek out people who support your dreams. If you don’t like the language you are using or hearing, change your thinking. Your actions and success will follow. I recently learned that harnessing positive thought is a continuous learning process. It becomes fun, however, […]

We believe you CAN have it all and it doesn’t have to be hard work January is a great time of the year to take a deep breath and think about what you really want for 2016. However, after coaching clients for over a decade, I often see people beating themselves up when it comes to setting goals. I should really lose weight, or I wish I made more money, and the list goes on. So if you are one of those people who forces yourself to think of a list of resolutions and dusty goals, let’s spice things up and make it a lot more fun. Here are some tips and tricks that will put you in the right mood to attract success. Zap Those Little Frustrations.Ten years ago during my Coach University training, we wrote down our frustrations and distractions and then zapped them one by one. Toss the holey socks, put a basket of extra mittens in the kitchen for the […]

Each year, our family adopts a less-fortunate family for the holidays. I look forward to this tradition because not only are we helping others, but it helps us clean out  books and toys that the kids don’t play with anymore. I look through our closets, basement, and garage and set aside one bin of toys for this special family, then donate the rest. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo is a great book on decluttering. While I didn’t implement all the tips she shares in her book, I found them particularly useful when unpacking decorations and ornaments: I simply add any decorations that I no longer love to a Goodwill bin. I know that the more times spouses move, the less patient they are with packing and unpacking for each holiday, so it’s really important to purge and donate frequently. This helps immensely with keeping […]

Just about everybody knows how to write down their goals. You start with the big dreams: Where will you be in 10 years? How much money will you be making by then? What kinds of relationships will you have? You write it down in as much detail as possible, and get to work. But I find that even clients who wrote their goals in great detail have trouble reciting them. A vision board can serve as a much easier visual reminder of what you are after. All you need to do is get a poster board and some magazines and clip away, or find images that remind you of your big goals and post them on your poster board. I love lifestyle magazines, combined with blank checks and house plans – make it fun and, most of all, make it something that speaks to you! Don’t know where to start? My suggestion is to think […]

I had a great time visiting the Martha Stewart show with a group of military spouses from Groton CT. This was our second trip to NYC and we had a blast! I love when a group of military spouses can just get together, share stories, and just have some fun!