About Progress

Take a moment, just in your mind, and think of your priorities. Include all the things to which you are regularly giving all of your time. I'm sure this list includes people, maybe some places, and likely some things. So, do you have your list? What number are you on that list? I get it, you have so much going on and you are the sun in your little universe (if you don't get that reference you need to listen here!). All those things on your list of priorities are good things! But you simply cannot continue to pour from an empty cup. And when you procrastinate your happiness you are hurting yourself and, as a result, those priorities. In this bite-sized episode, known as a 'Growth Spurt' around here, I am giving you permission to change your priorities. I hope you feel inspired to figure out what's holding you back and I may even have some helpful resources for you. If you think happiness is a destination, something that you can achieve enough of to last you a lifetime, I'm not sorry to say that you're wrong. Fortunately, happiness is something to continually develop and this month you're getting allll the resources and ideas to do exactly that. SHOW NOTES Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 10! Register for Rediscover You Workshop FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you listened to last week's episode you know that the theme this month is all about how to be happy. Easier said than done? Not around here. This week you will learn three things you can change to be happy. Without even knowing it, you are probably holding on to some lies you think are making you happy. And while the specifics may be personal, they likely fall into one of three categories. New York Times bestselling author Richard Eyre delves into those three categories in this episode: control, ownership, and independence. He also explains how to shift your mindset towards what REALLY makes you happy. The Harvard business grad, now happiness guru, teaches what to look for and how to change your thinking. Richard has even written a book on this topic, titled "The Happiness Paradox." If you are struggling to understand the how's and why's of happiness then this is an amazing resource for you. Right now, the About Progress community can purchase this book HERE and receive half off, plus free shipping, with code MONICAFRIEND. After listening in you will be sure to have actionable takeaways for what you can change to be happy. As you take them to heart and make your own happiness progress, would you consider sharing them with all of us?? Your voice is so valuable, learn how you can be on the show! SHOW NOTES Richard's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Get "The Happiness Paradox" here for half off plus free shipping with code MONICAFRIEND Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 10! Register for Rediscover You Workshop FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the one thing that unifies alllll of humanity? The desire to be HAPPY. And maybe also the overcomplicated routes we take to find how to be happy. So let's spend some time this month figuring it out together. Remember to tune in each week to learn more on this important topic. Why are we struggling so much with happiness? Perhaps we don't know what it really looks like and we are searching for it in the wrong places. In fact, last year thousands of you tuned in to these episodes on happiness and joy. Because of that this whole month will be spent diving deeper into a topic that is nothing new, but still matters so much. This month's intro. episode shares more about April's theme and walks you through what happiness actually looks like for you. It also gets a little bit personal, sharing the two CRAZY things that happened to me one year ago. So if you're feeling like happiness is out of reach, you are not alone and we can change that for you. After you tune in, stay accountable! You can get this month's Progress Plan and other FREE printables here! These are simple worksheets you can print out or complete from your phone. And this community would love to hear how this goes for you this month. If you didn't already know, the last episode of each month consists of listener submissions (listen to last month's here!) that you can just record on your phone and send in to [email protected]. SHOW NOTES FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for May!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Changes,” and “Golden Alley” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What a month! Did you work on one or two habits this month? I hope that everything we learned inspired you to narrow in your focus on one area of your life that needs some major help. Three experts in their fields gave real life tips on how to do this. As you know, for me that started with sleep. Our sleep episodes with Chrissy Lawler (here and here) triggered so many people into realizing how much they needed to shift their sleep habits. As a result, hundreds of you joined (and are still joining) our FREE 5 Day Sleep Makeover! Next, we considered what your motivational style might be (thank you Dr. Adam Moore) and how figuring that out will help propel you forward to better shifting your habits. And then a question that hits home for all of us, is time management a huuuuuuge struggle for you? If so, you need to let things go. Dr. Jen Riday gave thousands of you some lightbulb moments as you listened in about her own experience. For example, she discussed taking more time for herself--both for self-care and planning--as well as letting go of things that didn't line up with her greater priorities. Personal stories of growth from me and you! And don't forget about our growth spurt episodes! In these bite-sized episodes I got personal about my experience as an underachieving perfectionists and how to get out of your comfort zones. Today, we released our Dear Progressor episode. You get to hear a follow-up from a former voice bite with an update, how one mom learned to get herself to sleep, an unsolicited testimonial of the Progress Program, a mom who realized the life she was living was THE dream-life she had had for herself 10 years prior, and what one busy mama of five has done to calm her busy-mind. I also share where I'm at with my Do Something List and some final thoughts I have about habit-formation and how that relates to our themes. And remember, it's not too late if you haven't started yours yet--just go for it! This has definitely been a month of growth and I'm so grateful you were a part of it by showing up here and sharing what you learned with others, both publicly and privately. Thank you SOOO much for supporting me and the members of this community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you wearing your 'busyness' as a badge of honor? How about seeking self worth from the exhaustion of trying to do it all? To put it bluntly, you need to stop. Because doing more does not mean you are doing better. As a mother of 3 with multiple jobs, Jeanteil Livingston was overthinking and over-planning everything. Can you relate?! Good news - through her own journey (which she shares!) she learned that busy is not best. And her advice? Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Even more simply put, to be human. But how? Ask "Who do I want to be in one year?" Then simplify your habits and live like that person now. Jeanteil even reveals the 3-word excuse she used to use before that change in perspective changed her. Odds are, you've probably said it, too. If you want to hear what real life progress looks like, then listen in. Want to take things one step further? If you are ready to spend less time being busy and more time being you, there are a few spots left in the Progress Program for April. SHOW NOTES Jeanteil's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Register for Rediscover You Workshop Join the FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for April!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Changes,” and “Golden Alley” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you find yourself using your comfort zone as an excuse, you are not alone. My comfort zone used to be my excuse to not push myself where it matters most. In this bite-sized episode I tell you what your comfort zone really is and give specific examples about pushing yourself. Here's a hint: my laundry piles up just like yours! It isn't too late to change your habits. If it looks messy, you're doing it right. SHOW NOTES Register for Rediscover You Workshop Join the FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for April!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Changes,” and “Golden Alley” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has your own life become out of your control? You CAN get it back and it can start with one small word, "No." Here is the permission to let go, prioritize, and put yourself first in order to better manage all the other balls you are juggling. A working mom of 6, Dr. Jen Riday of the Vibrant Happy Women Podcast lives true to her mission to help women get back their lives. After sharing a vivid personal memory of one of her lowest points she offers detailed instruction on how to find YOU in your time again. As you listen, and especially if you desperately need this, remind yourself that your commitment will help carry you through. Start with the actionable tips discussed and begin to create space for what really matters. SHOW NOTES Jen's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Register for Rediscover You Workshop Join the FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for April!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Changes,” and “Golden Alley” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have been where you are - afraid to fail and hating myself into growth. There's a name for it, underachieving perfectionism, and a way to change for the better. If you feel STUCK and crippled by the thought of setting even day-to-day goals, this is me calling to you from the other side of that. Your worth is not determined by the perfect ability to do anything. I hope that after listening in you know you CAN grow imperfectly because you are worth while. SHOW NOTES Register for Rediscover You Workshop Join the FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for April!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Changes,” and “Golden Alley” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you having trouble changing your habits and reaching your goals because you're lazy? No! You just haven't found your motivational style. Explaining his carrot-dangling-free approach, therapist Adam Moorepresents three motivational styles to help you better understand yourself AND others. Here's a spoiler: find what makes you feel effective. After listening to actual examples, you'll be equipped to find your motivational style and make a breakthrough on your habits, giving you the power to shift your life! If you you need somewhere to start, here's a FREE 5 Day Sleep Makeover. Use what you learn about yourself from this episode and get started on changing your habits today. SHOW NOTES Adam's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Adam's book recommendations: Drive and Beyond Pleasure and Pain Register for Rediscover You Workshop Join the FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for April!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Changes,” and “Golden Alley” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've heard the science and read all the tips, but what does sleep training look like in real life? This bonus episode provides a glimpse into just that. Tune in while Christine Lawler actually analyzes host Monica's sleep habits and maps out an achievable plan of action. Follow along and begin training yourself TONIGHT. If you've listened to this conversation and signed up for the FREE 5 Day Sleep Makeover then here is just one more tool to help your sleep habits. No more excuses, it's time to get that life changing sleep you need! P.S. Tickets for the Rediscover You Workshop are now available! Use code 'FINDME' for $30 off through 3/11. SHOW NOTES Christine's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Register for Rediscover You Workshop (use code “FINDME” to get $30 off until March 11th) Join the FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for April!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Changes,” and “Golden Alley” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maybe you never thought you'd say this as an adult, but it's time to be sleep trained! Improving this ONE habit will change your life, and you aren't alone in needing help. With over 10 years of experience, therapist Christine Lawler dives into the why and the how of sleep training. From serious mental health reasons, to just general self care, the time is now to get better sleep. Exhaustion does not have to be your badge of honor! Tune in, and maybe grab a note pad, because you'll leave this conversation with 3 rules for better sleep. And as a bonus, here is a FREE 5 Day Sleep Makeover created to help you help your habits. SHOW NOTESChristine's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Register for Rediscover You Workshop (use code “FINDME” to get $30 off until March 11th) Join the FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for April!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Changes,” and “Golden Alley” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us start the New Year with a whole list of habits we are CERTAIN we will immediately transform. But then March comes and we're mostly same-old, same-old. It's because we are going about changing our habits all wrong. Listen to hear more about this month's theme and how in order to successfully shift your habits you need to start where it realllllllly matters to you! (Pssst: Don't forget the HUGE announcement! Come join us in Utah for a great Workshop in May.) Show Notes Register for Rediscover You Workshop (use code "FINDME" to get $30 off until March 11th) FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Join the FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover Take part of the FREE Social Media Challenge Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for April!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a community, not a fan club. We learn from and inspire each other. This new monthly series is where members of the About Progress Community write in to share notes with their fellow “Progressors.” Listen in to hear how Progressors have grown, their experiences, their stories, and their wisdom on this month’s theme: New Year, New You. SHOW NOTESFREE Printables, including this month’s Progress PlanLend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HEREJoin the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for March!)Join Monica on Facebook and InstagramSongs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-love is all the rage, but is it worth the hype? If you are looking to find out who you truly are, there is something else that may serve you better: self compassion. Self compassion is being fully KIND to yourself by no longer buying into shame cycles. You can allow things to get messy on the pursuit of growth, while keeping your self-worth intact. Including matters of faith, family, and his future, Josh Searlediscusses this and how he learned to "fail forward" on his journey of growing into his true self. Don't let self-esteem govern your worth; instead come to know your inherent worth and give yourself permission to figure things out, and allow others in on your journey. SHOW NOTES Josh's Website, Instagram, and Facebook FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for March!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you be true to yourself if you feel so very complicated? Being complex is totally OK. In fact, it's who you are made to be. Figuring out how to get in tune with how your complicated personality is in fact a strength will help you make more of your life. Amy Webb is a self-described contradictory person who would love to help you learn how to own your own messy personality. Doing so for her has led to empowerment and fulfillment, including for her daughter with special needs. Listen to hear how she learned to accept her full self, and how you can do the same. SHOW NOTES Amy's Website, Instagram, and Facebook and PRE-ORDER her book! FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for March!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Changes,” and “Golden Alley” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I share 10 things you don't know about me. Don't worry, there IS a point beyond navel-gazing:) My goal is for you to then go on and create your own list of things people don't know about you and to see how this helps you cue in to who you are and what matters to you. Because when you know the SMALL things that make you "you," it's easier to own the bigger things, too. SHOW NOTES: FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for March!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit:Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you get stuck thinking you need to be an "expert" in one finite field in order to matter? Pish-posh! It's more than OK to be a "Jane of all trades." In fact, doing all the things will help you figure out better who you are than pigeon-holing yourself into one "admirable" standard of achievement. Miranda Anderson of Live Free Creative Co. is a testament to how much joy, fun, creativity, and challenge you can bring into your life by daring to try new things. She does ALL the things, because she enjoys the process more than the outcome. Listen in to hear how you can better own who you are by exploring where the wind (ie. your interests, gifts, hobbies, etc.) takes you. And how one failed sewing experiment launched Miranda into years of personal-growth and more. Show Notes Miranda's Website, Instagram, and Facebook FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for February!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you want to change your life? Including your relationships? Work? Parenting? Fitness? Spirituality? And more? You need to start by knowing who you are. And that entails working on your personal development. Many women have lost touch with their inner selves--what makes them light up, including their natural interests, passions, hobbies, and gifts. They somehow have received the message that working on their own growth is selfish and will take away from what matters most in their lives. The opposite is true. Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is a leading expert on marriage, relationships, and sexuality. The foundation to everything she does involves guiding women back to the root of who they truly are. She teaches that a woman who brings her full, developed self to the table will advance everything else--and everyone--that matters in her life. Listen in to hear why knowing who you are is vital for growth and happiness, and how to start working on finding yourself again. Show Notes Jennifer's Website and 20% Valentine's Day Sale !!!!! Past Episodes with Jennifer here FREE Printables, including this month's Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for February!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In order to fully step into who you ARE, you need to look back at who you WERE. Last month we talked about ch-ch-changing! This month, we are focusing on being true to your real self. The one that you have still deep down inside you with interests, gifts, and passions put on the back burner. How can you rediscover your self? Go back to who you were as a kid. And consider which labels you have adopted that are getting in the way of you exploring others. CLICK HERE TO GET THIS MONTH'S FREE PRINTABLES, INCLUDING THE PROGRESS PLAN! Show Notes FREE Printables, including this month's Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for February!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a community, not a fan club. We learn from and inspire each other. This new monthly series is where members of the About Progress Community write in to share notes with their fellow "Progressors." Listen in to hear how Progressors have grown, their experiences, their stories, and their wisdom on this month's theme. Show Notes FREE Printables, including this month's Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for February!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: "Drive," by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine having THE "ideal body" everyone is after these days. Imagine your arms being commented on by strangers at the grocery store, thousands of social media likes and comments daily about how inspired people are by your hard work and dedication to body-building, and creating an entire family-led business off of helping others do the same. Then imagine leaving alllllll the glory and admiration behind because you learned first hand that having the "ideal body" didn't correlate to having an "ideal life." That's Cori Baker. A year ago she went through a massive transformation. One that entailed a huge departure from the old transformation photos she used to share; this one being about the inside. Cori left behind a life on the extreme end on health in pursuit of a truer health--one still focused on mindfulness, nutrition, and exercise, but in a way that created far more room for an actual LIFE in between it all. Listen to learn how Cori knew it was time to shift her focus, what hard things she saw in herself she determined to change, and what she did to do just that. Show Notes Cori's InstagramFREE Printables, including this month's Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for February!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: "Drive," "Changes," and "Golden Alley" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's Growth Spurt, Monica shares how she has translated this month's theme into her own life: learning what she needs to change this year. Monica shares three ways she wants to grow and how they relate back to better knowing who she wants to become. The three areas are: 1) Money 2) Marriage 3) Friendship Listen in to hear why she wants to make shifts in these areas and how you can also can figure out where you need to change the most, too. SHOW NOTES: FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for February!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Spheres” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mindset is everything. So what do you do if the only way you learned how to change in the past was by hating yourself into it? Shifting your life by being motivated with guilt, shame, and "shoulds" is no way to grow. Tony Overbay is here to share how as a therapist he guides his clients (and himself!) to better catch negative self-talk and move into progressive change. Listen in to learn how you learning to like yourself (via your thoughts!) will help you better change into the person you want to become. Show Notes Tony's website, podcast, and Instagram + Value Model referencedFREE Printables, including this month's Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for February!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: "Drive," "Changes," and "Golden Alley" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People adore the "self-love" movement happening these days, and I'm alllll about it! Unless that acceptance-of-self translates more to someone excusing themselves from seeing where they need to change. Fully loving yourself entails being willing to see the good AND the bad in yourself. But your motivation is different--it's because you love the whole picture, and want to progress in ways that truly matter. Listen in to hear more! This is our first "Growth Spurt," which will be a continuing series of short episodes that are designed to help give you a little push to grow! Show Notes FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for January!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: “Drive,” “Flower Garden,” “Changes,” “Back In School” and “Warm Lights” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're telling yourself that it's already the second week in January and it's too late for you to get serious about goal-making, you're wrong. And if you're already feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or even under-challenged as one who strives to love goal-making, you're just doing it wrong. That's forceful to say--sure--but this interview with Lara Casey Isaacson is sure to help empower you to make goals that ACTUALLY work, and with progress--not perfection--in mind. Lara herself says that she is not naturally a "Goal Person." But, how she grew to successfully implement goal-making as an integral part to who she is, and then create a whole company devoted to helping others do the same was like this: LITTLE BY LITTLE. Listen in to hear how this happened for Lara and what you can do to become a "Goal Person," too. Show Notes Lara's website, Instagram, Facebook, and personal Instagram FREE Printables, including this month's Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for February!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: "Drive," and “Warm Lights” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you feel stuck in the same patterns? Are you looking at the new year with equal parts hope AND fear? Wondering if you reallyhave it in you to make real, lasting change? You actually CAN change. Forget goal-making (that will come later), forget looking side-to-side to see what your internet friends or IRL loved ones are telling you you "SHOULD" be doing. Before anything else you need to hone into who you want to be, what change that requires from you, and WHY you want to change. Once you can do that (use our free printables here!), then you can go and DO SOMETHING about it. Listen in to hear how to start honing into who YOU want to become and how to make the kind of change that actually sticks around. Show NotesFREE Printables, including this month's Progress PlanLend your voice and experience +be featured on the show HEREJoin the free and private FB groupJoin the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for January!)Join Monica on Facebook and InstagramSongs Credit: "Drive," "Flower Garden," "Changes," "Back In School" and “Warm Lights” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather NEVER planned on living abroad--she was happy with her suburban Utah life. But when an unexpected job opportunity for her spouse showed up and with it a relocation to Japan, Heather found herself agreeing to move away from all she knew and loved. She expected it to be incredibly difficult. But what did she discover? Herself! Listen in to hear how this move exposed Heather to new sides of herself, added to her family's culture, and expanded their capabilities! Show Notes Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for January!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code “PROGRESS” for $5) Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress Coaching Join Monica on Facebookand Instagram Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever thought about trying something new but get caught up in the "how?" You just need to go for it. The "HOW" will come with time, even in the least ideal of circumstances. Lysha Smith is on the show to share how you can better go for the things that are going to add to your life. She starts by encouraging you to imagine yourself at 80 and look back on how you spent your time on earth. Doing this helped Lysha navigate her husband's cancer, their shared losses, and beyond. Lysha talks about how the lessons from the hardest time of her life have now translated to how she now navigates the "normal" hard days. Through it all, Lysha learned how trying to focus on the good AND trying new things is what can bring light to her hard (and good) times. Bring on the healing AND the the hope! Show Notes Lysha's Website and Instagram Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for January!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code “PROGRESS” for $5) Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress Coaching Join Monica on Facebookand Instagram Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh how we WISH each baby came with a manual specific to only them! Well, today's episode is the next best thing. Dina Alexander from the non-profit Educate and Empower Kids is here to go through your toughest parenting questions. From how to handle technology with kids, talking about their maturing bodies, boosting troubled self-esteem, and so much more. Show Notes Educate and Empower Kids' website, Instagram, and Facebook Past episodes with Dina on Technology, Body Image, and Pornography Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for January!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code “PROGRESS” for $5) Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress Coaching Join Monica on Facebookand Instagram Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us suffer from a runaway train-brain. We have good intentions to work on our thoughts and mindset, but it can be so difficult to break long-practiced patterns and start anew. Nancy Jane Smith is a certified counselor or expert on how to shift your inner critic (she nicknamed it, "the monger") into your "biggest fan." Where she wants you to start? By acknowledging and actually feeling our emotions. This is the key to everything! Nancy explain why and how you can do this to move forward to a much happier version of your life. Show Notes Nancy's website, book, and podcast Join the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for January!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code “PROGRESS” for $5) Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress Coaching Join Monica on Facebookand Instagram Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Ellyse Harris quit her beloved job as a teacher to stay home with her newborn son, she found she needed something to remind herself of who she was. So she started to sew dolls of beautiful animals. And then those dolls became something people wanted to buy, and soon without even intending to, Ellyse found herself the founder of a small, but thriving, business. Ellyse is on the show to share how doing something small--creating again for her mental health--lead to so much more. She also shares how being the recipient of the High Five Grant(see this past episodefor more details on that--another round is coming up in January!) is going to go towards pushing her little business to the next level. Show Notes Ellyse's websiteand Instagram Mama Ladder's upcoming High Five Grant Join my Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for January!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code “PROGRESS” for $5) Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress Coaching Join Monica on Facebookand Instagram Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some days (weeks, and months) are just plain hard. There's no way around it. Except . . . . maybe we can laugh about it? Granted, those laughs might not be appropriate or helpful during all hard trials, but at very least finding ways to see the light even in the hard can miraculously change our perspective. Mandi Winkelmanis on the show to share how her own choice to see the light AND the humor in her dark times has lightened things and changed her views of her own suffering. Show Notes Mandi's websiteand Instagram Join my Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (you can apply now to reserve your slot for January!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code “PROGRESS” for $5) Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress Coaching Join Monica on Facebookand Instagram Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you know that children's negative actions (anger, lashing out, tantrums, wailing, etc.) are often just the misplacement of their true emotions? (Think: exhaustion, frustration, disappointment.) It's true! Kids who are reacting in negative ways actually need guidance to understand what is really happening within themselves and, in turn, better cope with what life throws at them. This is called "emotional responsibility," where one truly recognizes their emotions, takes charge of them, and cares for them. Mindful Art Company's founders, Candace Little and Becky Farley, are on the show to teach us how to engage with ourselves (this is essential) and our children in a powerful way so they better learn how to do just that. Want to transform your family culture? I can guarantee that this will do just that. Show Notes Mindful Art Co's websiteand Instagram (get 50% off their digital products with the code "PROGRESS") Join my Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (doors for December's admittance are closed, but you can apply now to reserve your slot for January!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code “PROGRESS” for $5) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's hard to stay centered within our social media word as it is, but throw yourself into the middle of the holiday season and you'll easily find yourself spinning out of control. Courtney Casper wants to help you hit pause and reset your life based off of what reallymatters. For her, this includes a life of spirituality, choice, and intention. Listen to learn how to navigate difficult spiritual feelings, pressure to conform to and get caught up in the pulls of social media, and how to make the most of the smaller moments of our day, and the miracle of those small moments amounting to big investments in yourself. Show Notes Courtney's Websiteand Instagram Join my Progress Program: LAST few days to join my SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (doors for acceptance are open next week, but you can apply now to reserve your slot for the group meeting time you want!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code “PROGRESS” for $5) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WE are celebrating TWO YEARS of the podcast! And I mean "we," because About Progress would be nothing without the listeners and the community we have created together. Today, I'm sharing four big lessons this little podcast taught me the past two years, including: Do it for you Consistency trumps everything Progress is messy (embrace the "messy middle") "Done" is better than perfect Additionally, I'm giving a sneak peek to how the show will change next year. The BEST (and scariest) change is that we will literally be hearing more from YOU the listeners. Listen in to hear how! Show Notes My Interview on Jealousy with Rachel Neilson of 3in30 podcast Join my Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (doors for acceptance are open next week, but you can apply now to reserve your slot for the group meeting time you want!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code “PROGRESS” for $5) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Body positivity AND swimwear? Yes, both!! Mother-daughter duo Kristie Kemp and June Blackhurst weren't out to create a company when Kristie wanted to simply sew a swimsuit she felt confident in postpartum--but that's what happened! What sets June Loop apart? Instead of buying into having a one-size-only model approach (like most swimwear companies) June Loop strives to show that ALL women belong in beautiful suits and to feel confident about their unique bodies. From having "normal" ladies of all shapes and sizes model and do "try-ons" for their suits, to constantly delivering body positive messages, the ladies of June Loop have a mission to stand out in the fashion business. They deliver by guiding women to FEEL happy, stop worrying over their looks, and instead act fully present in their strong (swim)suit. Show Notes June Loop's website(use code "holiday30" to get 30% off from November 20-26th!) June Loop's Instagramand Facebook Join my Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (doors for acceptance are open next week, but you can apply now to reserve your slot for the group meeting time you want!) My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code "PROGRESS" for $5) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How would you respond to your spouse, friend, or sibling who express serious doubts about their faith? Brad Packer--Monica's husband--is on the show today to share what this was like for him. He answers: How he knew something was wrong. What he felt about Monica's struggles. How he supported her. Why he sticks with his faith. Additionally, Monica and Brad go through some Q&A submitted by the listeners, including how they are raising their children in the LDS faith, what resources have been helpful, what other issues are part of Monica's faith crises struggle, and more. If you like the show please share it, subscribe, and leave a review!! Show Notes Prior posts on my faith: here, here, and here All the Books that have helped me Instagram, Facebook group, and websitementioned that were helpful resources and support Join my Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women My new Work in Progress T-shirt!!(Use code "PROGRESS" for $5) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if we changed the way we looked at doubts and times where we face great spiritual darkness? What if we decided instead that this WAS what faith is supposed to look like: a series of spiritual growing pains? Paul Cardall faced a deep spiritual crisis after surviving a heart transplant. Instead of joy, he felt consumed by trying to live up to the great blessing that it was to live. Everything in his life fell a part, and he couldn't understand why God had let him live and not the friends and children with the same congenital heart problems he had. Paul freely shares what faith looks like for him, how he's navigated his own series of darkness and questions, and what we can individually do to move through our own times of doubt and GROW! If you like the show please share it, subscribe, and leave a review!! Show Notes: Paul's Website, new Christmas CD, and his recent Worth of Souls Project Past episodes with Paul: hereand here Progress Program!!! SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress Coaching Songs Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If I can experience a major faith crisis, anyone can. Over the last 12+ years, I've been through an ongoing series of my own struggles with my faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today's episode is an honest share of how this came about for me, what issues I have struggled with and why, what I've done about them, and why I ultimately chose to stick with my LDS faith for life. Below in the show notes, I've included the past posts I've written on this topic if you'd like to read more about my experience. I've also included resources that have helped me tremendously. If you know someone who struggles or who is in a leadership position, please share this with them. My hope is to peel back the shame that many who doubt suffer behind, to show leaders of my church how good and obedient members can still struggle with their faith, and how they can better love and help them through it. Thank you for your support! Show Notes Prior posts on my faith: here, here, and here LDS website and LDS articles on women giving blessings here and here All the Books that have helped me Lamb of God and Rob Gardner's website Paul Cardall's website Carol Lynn Pearson's website Join my Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women My new Work in Progress T-shirt!! (Use code "PROGRESS" for $5) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Positive parenting is all the rage, and for good reason. But what if praising the good and ignoring the bad behavior isn't working for your spirited, willful child? What if another's special needs or incredible gifts demand a far more unique approach than what worked with other kids in your family? Wendy Bertagnole loves to guide parents through these exceptional parenting moments--because she has had to navigate them herself with her own three children, each with their own challenges that had to be addressed differently. On this episode, Wendy teaches to first ACCEPT your children and then move forward in better addressing what the ROOTS are to their unique needs and challenges. Show Notes: Wendy's Podcast Website, Instagram, Online Workshop for Parenting Kids with Sensory Need,, and Books Progress Program!!! Doors for application are open for just two more days! Contact Monica for podcast consulting and Progress CoachingSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter how you crack it, life is plain hard. To endure it well, learn to laugh alongside the tears! Shaun and Nicole Johnson have inspired thousands of people to find the silver lining in their struggles because they've done the same for themselves. Their Instagram pageis full of posts of lip synching and hilarious skits that have inspired so much fun and laughter. But the greater purpose behind sharing them? Shaun and Nicole are seeking the humor through the trials they face as a married couple, including years of infertility, and they hope to inspire others to find that light for themselves, too. Listen in to hear how CHOICE and OPENNESS have both been important threads to the Johnson's unity throughout their difficulties, and why humor has been a wonderful method to unifying them. Learn how they are just a normal couple doing their best (read: don't compare yourself or your marriage to them!), why you need to feel the hard emotions in order to move forward, and what this can look like for you. Show Notes: The Johnson's Instagramand Website Progress Program!!! Doors for application are open for just another week! Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress CoachingSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Life is noisy, and crazy, and disruptive." Amen, sister! So how can we find hints from our Creator that we aren't here alone amidst all the distractions? Especially when we are facing trials we never expected to? Heidi Tucker was a brand new empty-nester looking for her place. After hitting a series of dead-ends and an early return of her missionary son, Heidi wondered how God was possibly involved in her life. But the hope came. And it came in ways that took time and practice for Heidi to recognize. Heidi is on the show to share how you can see the signs of God's involvement in your life--especially if you're someone like me who struggles to recognize that. If you have a hard time figuring out how to connect with your higher power and are in desperate need of hope, this episode is a MUST-LISTEN and will give you real steps to find it in your own life! Show Notes: Heidi's website and books: Finding Hope in the Journey, and Servie's Song Progress Program!!! Doors for application are open for just a few more weeks Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress CoachingSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many of us, we suffer in silence due to shame. For others, it's because our struggles are connected to someone else's choices that we can't publicly share. For all of us, there are still ways to cope better with the quiet trials we face. Erin Shepard of Yarrow Therapyhas faced silent suffering in her own life due to chronic illness, and she often counsels people who do, too. In this episode, hear how to better cope with your trials, overcome shame where needed, and seek confidential guidance and support even when you can't have your trials be so publicly known. Erin also speaks to the importance of self-care, setting limits, giving yourself small things to aspire to, and establishing gratitude in place of bitterness. Show Notes: Erin's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Last weeks' episodes with on How to Be Healthy for the Right Reasons,and our Do Something Highlight Progress Program!!! Doors for application are open for just a few more weeks Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress CoachingSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carina Heilner was held back by her intense perfectionism for decades: with eating disorders, a big-time running obsession, and a overall focus on her appearing and looking the part. But she's a fighter and now talks back to the negative voices in her head that used to drive her. Carina learned that she needed to voice how a trauma from her childhood affected her view of herself, and that the best way she could show herself she mattered was by allowing more room for compassionate imperfection. Now, Carina's way to move forward is learning that PROGRESS is the way to personal freedom, not perfection. You can listen the interview below, or on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Pocketcasts, Googleplay, or search for “About Progress” wherever you get your podcasts. If you like the show please share it, subscribe, and leave a review!! Show Notes: Progress Program!!! Doors for application are open for just a few more weeksContact Monica for podcast consulting and Progress Coaching Song Credit: “Sweet Promise” and “Warm Lights” by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Accepting and loving yourself does not mean you stop trying where it counts. In fact, it's quite the opposite. This is the same where your health is concerned. There is a big difference between trying to get healthier due to aesthetics and self-loathing, vs. working on your health because you want to show yourself and your body a truer love. Charity Lighten is a nutritionist who believes there is power behind loving yourself enough to make some changes when you need them. She encourages people to not define their worth by the scale or their pant size, but she also knows the importance of treating your body well. Charity personally experienced the difference between being motivated by self-love vs. self-hatred and shares how that played out in her life, what her husband's cancer has taught her about what REALLY matters, and how she strives for improvement where it counts for her. Listen in to hear how this can look for you, too! Show Notes: Charity's Instagram and Website; Silver Fern Brand's website and Instagram Last week's episode on Mindfulness with Andy Proctor Progress Program!!! Doors for application are open for just a few more weeks Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress CoachingSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen, we all know that practicing more mindfulness is life-changing. We know this because it's all over the internet, newspapers, and even via our nosy neighbor who is working on it, too. So why is it so hard to actually implement? That's because mindfulness is another muscle that needs to simply be trained. And training that mindfulness muscle? Anyone can do it. Andy Proctor--a happiness advocate and educator--is going to show you how. And that it can start by simply being more fully "present" with the day-to-day moments of your life. You want to finally get a handle of the runaway train that is your mind? Take heart! Just listen to this and start simple. Because we know you are no dummy! Show Notes: Andy's website, courses, podcast, and new Instagram course Resources Andy mentioned: Flow, Self-Compassion, Positivity Ratio Monica's Facebook and Instagram Contact Monica for podcast consultingand Progress CoachingSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are a LOT of things that get in the way of our productivity. Because LIFE HAPPENS!! And life includes a whole lot of good that deserves our attention. It's not all bad! However, it's time to end the frustration of our to-do lists and get in some real, practical ways to transform how we choose to devote our time. Tonya Dalton of inkWELL Press is a productivity expert who is allllll about boosting your productivity in ways that are lasting (and DOABLE!). She's a believer in "a time and a season," prioritizing what REALLY matters (not what your mom thinks should matter), and working on small ways to make big shifts in your life. End the "to-do" struggle! Tonya will point the way. Show Notes: inkWELL's website, Instagram, and Tonya's Productivity Paradox Podcast Last week's interviews with Ashton Barrett and Melissa Lewis Monica's Facebook and Instagram Contact Monica for podcast consulting and Progress Coaching More Podcasts from About Progress Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A good marriage takes work, that we know. But when mental health struggles come up for one or both spouses, it can try the most important relationship of our lives in very unique ways. Matt and Celeste Davis believe that facing these struggles together can instead make a marriage even better. Both have taken turns struggling with depression (see their past solo episodes with me here and here!), so they know first-hand how to guide a spouse through a very difficult time. The Davis family thrives off of openness, communication, vulnerability, and strength--both independently AND together. Listen in to hear their tips for helping a spouse through a dark time, how you need to be a care-giver, not a savior, and that talking, talking, talking is the best thing you can do for your marriage. Show Notes: Matt's past interview Celeste's past interview Last week's interviews with Ashton Barrett and Melissa Lewis Monica's Facebook and Instagram Contact Monica for podcast consulting and Progress Coaching More Podcasts from About Progress Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's "Do Something Highlight" is with Melissa Lewis. After moving and facing huge trials, Melissa found herself again by making her own bucket list. Doing these small, fun, and challenging things helped Melissa get out of a dark place and helped her remember who she is. Listen in to hear what this looked like for Melissa and how you can do it, too! Show Notes Melissa's Instagram Monica's Facebook and Instagram Contact Monica for podcast consulting and Progress Coaching More Podcasts from About Progress Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's easy to dismiss someone else's success. "They have such good genetics!" "Amazing that their dad got them their first big break." "Wish I had that talent!" The truth is, progress is HARD. For everyone, regardless for how "blessed" they are. Ashton Barrett is on the podcast today to share how improving oneself is both messy and magical. As a crossfit junkie, macro coach, and nutrition specialist, Ashton has walked herself and others through the roller coaster of progress. She understands the highs and lows, and wants to help you know how to better navigate it yourself--with plenty of grace and little of comparing yourself to others. Listen in to hear how progress has looked for Ashton, and what she does to push herself through the hard and the stressful by challenging herself with the mantra, "Just one more." She also teaches how you can push yourself BECAUSE you love yourself, and what the growth mindset has to do with all things self-improvement. Show Notes: Ashton's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Last week's episodes with Jody Moore and Natasha Grasso Monica's Facebook and Instagram Contact Monica for podcast consulting and Progress Coaching More Podcasts from About Progress Song Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Warm Lights" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices