In This Issue

Greetings
Decluttering Is Hot!
Winter Wednesdays
Intuitive Eating Sets You Free
Starting Anew

Greetings!

I hope that this finds you rested and renewed following the often hectic holiday season.  One thing I have learned over the years is that it is as hectic as we allow it to be.  This year in my annual vow to stay within my holiday budget, as well as to be a good role model as a Decluttering Instructor, (see article below) I used this strategy: to look for gifts in my own home to give away instead of buying them.  The best gift turned out to be a beautiful Swedish Ivy that I planted from tiny slips last May.  Over the summer and fall, it grew into a gigantic and beautiful plant and struck me as the perfect gift for my older sister who hosted my family in Minneapolis during the holidays.  Other gifts that I found right under my own nose included books I have read, board games my kids have outgrown, nice clothes that no longer fit me, and some toys and other cool digs I found at rummage sales.  Re-gifting (as Elaine from Seinfeld calls it)  has always been socially acceptable in my family, but this past year I spread that wealth to more people than normal, and was pleasantly surprised at how well they were received.

Are you a person who makes New Year’s Resolutions?  Here are some thoughts I heard recently: 

1. One writer stated “New Year’s Resolutions are just excuses for not doing the right thing TODAY.”  That struck me as pretty profound.  How often do we do that… wait until a significant day to get started on something we could be doing all along?   We say “I’ll start exercising on January 1” or “Starting Monday, I’m giving up sweets” or “I’m going to lose 20# before my daughter’s wedding.”  Then there’s the “Yeah, I know I should quit smoking… I’ll quit when the stress in my life settles down…”  You get the point.  The problem is that we are off the hook today and when “Monday” rolls around, we are no stronger than today because nothing happened between today and Monday to change our internal motivation. 
2. A radio announcer stated that only about 12% of people accomplish their New Year’s Resolutions.  That is a pretty grim statistic, especially when you add in the factor that this doesn’t mean that this doesn’t mean they maintained their goal for more than a year! 

So why bother, you might ask?  My recommendation is to re-think how you have set resolutions in the past and consider trying a life and wellness coach to assist you in reaching your goals.  I would help you dig deep and find the motivation within to find the best path to your goal – and help you to break down the barriers that have sabotaged you in the past.  I would also assist you in being realistic about goals; I recommend working on no more than 3 at a time and I like you to create “how to” goals, not “outcome goals.” A how-to goal breaks down your plan into tiny, measurable steps.  An outcome goal is more like a wish, such as “I will weigh 15# less in 6 months.” It sounds nice, but there’s no plan to get there, so it is doomed.

Curious about life and wellness coaching?  Call me to set up a free consultation and sample coaching session!  There’s no obligation, just the cost of a phone call!  Email me today at bev@mycoachbev.com or call me at 701-610-9529 and let’s make 2010 the year you reach the goals that have alluded you in the past!

Decluttering Is Hot!

What do you want?  Stuff, activities habits OR space and freedom in your life? If you chose the latter, you may be ready for a Decluttering Class!

According to Julie Morgenstern, author of several organizing, time management and decluttering books, if we want to live full, intentional lives, we have to SHED our stuff and our energy-draining habits in order to truly live the life we want.

If you are interested in taking Decluttering: More than Cleaning Out Closets – It’s Making Space for YOU! please see check out my in-person class schedule or contact me about upcoming virtual (by phone) classes.  If you have a group of friends interested, I can run a class customized just for your group.  I have run 4 classes so far, and have gotten rave reviews.  One of the best parts of the class is the amazing audience interaction and how the group members support and hold each other accountable for achieving their decluttering goals.

Here are some of the comments from past participants:

• “Bev does a great job of making it non-threatening and open for participants.”
• “I’ve made great progress in decluttering my house and have also examined myself considerably.  I’m happier and feel more in control now.”
• “Bev is very versatile, humorous and makes common sense.”
• “I love the spirit of our class.  It was always positive.” 

Class sizes are limited to 12, so sign up today!

WINTER WEDNESDAYS in East Grand Forks

The weather in North Dakota and Minnesota has been frigid lately.  After getting 25+ inches dumped on us over the Christmas holidays, I decided that we need some meaningful indoor activities.Thus began the birth of Winter Wednesdays at the East Grand Forks Public Library.  Here are the group coaching classes I am offering at the cozy library meeting room through March 17:

Decluttering: It’s More than Cleaning Out Closets – It’s Making Room for YOU!

Intuitive Eating

Rescripting Your Life: Turning Your Dreams into Reality

If interested, complete the registation form and e-mail to bev@mycoachbev.com. For more info, contact me at bev@mycoachbev.com or at 701-610-9529.

NOTE: Virtual classes on these topics and more will be starting up this winter also. If you want to put a group of people together to have your own class (this is popular with friends and family members, especially the Decluttering class!) I will give YOU a 20% discount on your fee just for lining up the paying participants! Just email me at bev@mycoachbev.com or call me at 701-610-9529 to discuss when you would like to have your class conducted and we will get started!

Intuitive Eating Sets You Free

Of all the weight management books I have read in my 23 years as a dietitian, the book Intuitive Eating by Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole is clearly my favorite.

Why?  Because it sets you free from the diet mentality, guilt from “blowing your diet” and from being focused on food.  It teaches you to become a “normal eater” instead of a weight-phobic roller-coaster dieter.  It helps you make peace with food and move on with your life.

The first step is understanding what type of eater you are.  As a dietitian, I find many people I have worked with are emotional  eaters who use food for comfort.  This is not unusual, since food is often associated with comfort.  As a child were you ever consoled with an ice cream cone or a cookie?   Were you ever rewarded with food?  It’s no wonder that as adults we turn to food when we want comfort or recognition!  The Intuitive Eating program teaches you to understand your eating and dieting history, your food cues and how to break free from the diet mentality and replace it with a healthy and honoring relationship with food.

Classes on Intuitive Eating are starting in-person in East Grand Forks on January 13. I am running classes separate classes for adults and teens.   For more info,

Starting Anew

The New Year is a great time to start anew.  If you don’t know where to begin or if you have too many goals and aren’t even sure which one to tackle, consider a life and wellness coach.  I would love to help you clarify your vision and start to make progress toward the life you want to lead.   I will leave you with a quote by H. Jackson Brown, the author of Life’s Little Instruction Book: “Rule #1: Take one more step.  Rule #2: When you can’t take one more step, refer to Rule #1.” 

Cheers … to YOUR dreams!

If you would no longer like to receive this e-letter, please send an email to bev@mycoachbev.com with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line and you will be removed from the mailing list.  Your name is kept confidential and will never be given or sold to other organizations or individuals.