om monday: set down your goals

on friday i sat down and worked on my business goals for 2012.  last week i came across a great outline to follow, which gave me a lot of guidance and much-needed clarity.  because, you have to admit, though goal-setting often starts as an uplifting, motivating activity, it can often descend into overwhelming drudgery quite quickly.  so, with the outline as my guide, i set forth to set down in writing my lofty (but not completely ridiculous) biz goals for 2012. 

there's something about putting your aspirations on paper that makes them feel instantly more real & attainable.  and, not only did i set down my goals, which is all well and good, but i also listed step-by-step ways to go about achieving them.  i think that's the step that i often miss.  i love thinking, dreaming and fantasizing about my goals and how wonderful it will be when i reach them, but then i float onward without real direction.  often getting led (slightly) astray.

the new year is just over 2 weeks away.  instead of hurriedly thinking about your goals (i.e. resolutions) on new year's day, take this time to mull it over.  with all the hustle and bustle these next few weeks, take a few quiet moments to contemplate and set down the things that you would most like to achieve this year.  what would bring you true happiness?

and, whether it's a business idea, a health makeover or a new skill you wish to acquire, think about the necessary steps to make it happen.  it will be what you make it.

what's in store?

2011 is here.  can you believe it?  another new year filled with countless possibilities & endless opportunities lies before us.  with every new year, i find myself asking what i want from this new year, this fresh start.  i feel overwhelmed (in a good way) with the unknowns that lie before me and sense that i'm on the cusp of something fresh, new and magical.

what will 2011 bring me?  i know a few of the wonderful things that are in store already: a trip to california with friends to visit another friend, a dear friend's wedding, a cousins' vacation to north carolina, our wedding & honeymoon, to name just a few.  for my business?  a recently acquired staff writer job at a marketing firm, finishing and hopefully publishing my next book, new clients.

my new book, the champagne season

i'm not a huge proponent of "new year's resolutions" in the traditional sense.  though i revel in the fresh start and naturally feel an urge to revamp and refocus, i think that hard-and-fast resolutions often set us up for disappointment.  instead, i like to focus on what is already good in my life (that i want to continue doing or enjoying) and what i could include (or change) to bring me more true happiness.


if the act of making resolutions has failed you in the past, perhaps the only "resolution" you need is to be resolute (adjective. admirably purposeful, determined and unwavering).

picture credit {here}

to help you focus for 2011:


1. be grateful for what is already good in your life
2. aim for small changes that are sustainable (and enjoyable)
3. write down your wishes or create a vision board to visually remind you of your hopes & aspirations
4. be true to yourself


happy wonderfully fabulous new year : )  what's in store for you?

Staying Motivated

Since it's over a week into 2009, I figured it was the perfect time to discuss motivation. I imagine many of you began your resolutions at the turn of the new year, and since it's already been 10 days, you may have started to feel less enthusiastic about the promises you made to yourself (and others) a week and a half ago. Since your motivation might be waning, and it's been proven to take about 30 days to successfully form a new habit, it's key that you stick to your resolutions for the next few weeks if you want them to be smoothly incorporated into your lifestyle.

Before you began your resolutions you probably thought about them intently and got yourself all geared up and ready to start. What many of us fail to do is actively work on our enthusiasm for our resolutions much beyond January 1st. We psych ourselves up for them and then neglect to continue to foster that energy and commitment that we felt early on (or even before beginning). Below are some tips and techniques for maintaining your motivation so that when you look back over this year, you can feel that you truly did your best to reach your goals!

1. Start Slowly. Even though you may have been gunning to start, it's important to make manageable changes. If you set your goal to work out 30 minutes, 5 days a week and are finding that difficult to stick to, rewind and take baby steps. Start with just 5 minutes, 5 days a week. You'll get used to setting aside the time, and you can gradually build to your goal, instead of giving up 2 weeks in.

2. Put it on Paper. If you haven't already done so, write your resolutions down. Sometimes the simple act of transferring your thoughts onto paper makes you feel more driven. List the reasons why you chose to make each resolution. When you're feeling like giving up, reread what you wrote and remind yourself of why you wanted to make these changes in the first place.

3. Recruit Support. If you feel accountable to someone else, you're more likely to stick to your goals. Share your resolutions with a loved one and even ask them to "check up" on you each day, week, month, etc. It's one thing to let yourself down, but it's another when you feel like you'll disappoint somebody else with your (lack of) actions.

4. Keep Track. Record your progress. Journaling about the headway you're making with regard to your resolutions will reaffirm why you made them in the first place. Also, when you're feeling frustrated, you can look back and see how far you've come!

Best of luck with your resolutions! Let me know how you're doing so far.

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

New Year, New You

Happy New Year! I can't believe that Christmas and New Year's Eve are already behind us, and the New Year has officially begun. 2008 was a particularly challenging year for many, and I'm sure many of you are looking forward to a fresh start and more prosperous times this coming year. That being said, I wanted to share with you some of my personal goals for this year in hopes of inspiring you to reflect upon your own or create some resolutions if you have not already done so.

Though I firmly believe that you can (and should) set goals throughout the year to continually challenge and improve yourself, the New Year is a wonderful time to lay out some aspirations for the next 12 months. But first, before you make a whole list of new resolutions, take some time to look back over the last year and reflect upon how you did with last year's goals. Did you meet your expectations? Surpass them? Forget them?

As for me, one of my personal goals was to lay the initial ground work for my business, Cailen Ascher Design, advertise, and get clients. I'm proud to say that I was able to reach all of these, and it feels great. Fulfilling a goal is very gratifying and a wonderful way to motivate you to keep on improving yourself, your business, your relationship, etc. At the beginning of 2008, I also vowed to incorporate more strength training into my workouts. This resolution I was also able to accomplish, and I now strength train twice a week and have experienced some great results from my commitment to this.

It feels great to look back and have a sense of accomplishment. The key is to set goals that are ambitious but not outrageous, challenging but not "painful". If you're looking at your 2008 resolutions and realizing that you did not meet them as you would have liked, don't just roll them over and make them your resolutions again for this year. If they didn't work for you then, they probably won't work now. Take the time to really brainstorm and prioritize. Make a list, share it with friends and family. Refine and revise it. If you really want to stick to your goals for this year, you have to create goals that excite you, inspire you, and perhaps even scare you a little bit.

For this year, I want to continue to build my business and seek out more, unique advertising venues. I'm going to set aside time over the next few days to evaluate my desired income for 2009 and then work backwards from there to establish how many clients I wish to have and how much I hope to average on each design job. When creating goals, it's really important to think them through and do your research so that you make informed resolutions that are well-designed for you.

As for my wellness goal, I've vowed to work with my mom and my dad on lifestyle designs, another aspect of my business, and follow "The Flat Belly Diet". This diet, created by Prevention Magazine, is based on the incorporation of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) into your diet. MUFA decrease visceral fat between organs which lowers your risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and decreases blood pressure. The eating recommendations sound very interesting (and delicious...nuts & seeds, olives, healthy oils, avocado, and dark chocolate all contain MUFA!!!). It seems like a great way to remake your nutrition regimen, improve your health, and feel and look better.

When creating your resolutions be positive. Wanting to lose 20 pounds because you look "fat and disgusting" might motivate you for a week or two, but your steam will quickly run out. Even if you feel frustrated with your current reality, stay focused on the future. If you want to lose 20 pounds, make your motivation something positive - to feel healthier, live longer, gain self-confidence, but whatever it is, be kind to yourself. If you want your resolutions to stick, you have to work with yourself, not against. Once you've selected your chosen resolutions, write them down and pick a start day, preferably at least 3 days away. Give yourself time to look forward to beginning your new lifestyle and then when you do begin, you'll do so with enthusiasm that will carry you through.

Keep your resolutions handy and reread them when you feel you're losing focus. I would also recommend journaling throughout the year to keep yourself committed to change!

Good luck and Happy New Year!

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Ever since childhood, we are told by friends, family, and the media that there are "good" foods and "bad" foods. We're told "don't eat that...that's bad for you!" But unfortunately, everyone's good intentions turn us into a food-fearing culture. Diets put food in strict categories: healthy, unhealthy, good, bad, fatty, low-cal, light, fat-free, diet...the list goes on and on. But, as you may have realized by now, life is never that black and white. That's why it's so important to cultivate a healthy relationship with ALL foods. Yes, that's right....All foods.

Labeling food is dangerous because it puts too many restrictions on living. As you may have realized, when you have too many rules for yourself and consistently deprive your body, you usually wind up overeating and therefore feeling fat, ugly, and like a failure (not a great place to be when you're trying to maintain a balanced, healthy life). But cookies, cake, chocolate, cheese, cocktails, and carbs (and all other "bad" foods) can be incorporated into even the healthiest of nutrition regimens. The key is moderation. If you allow yourself small indulgences, you're much less likely to go completely overboard because you've limited yourself too much.

If you work towards listening to your authentic stomach hunger (not irrational cravings) and feed yourself what you truly desire, you're much less likely to feel like the victim of a strict, unrealistic diet. Depriving yourself sets you up for failure. It's human nature to crave what you "cannot" have. So, if you decide that you're going to give up sweets in an attempt to be "healthier", you'll probably find that you begin to crave sweets even more!

With the New Year approaching, many people are probably brainstorming what resolutions they wish to make for 2009. Instead of making your resolution to "lose 20 pounds" or "drop 2 dress sizes", consider striving for a healthier relationship with food and your body. If you attempt to cultivate an understanding of your body and its needs, instead of restricting and punishing it, your quality of life will greatly increase, and I can almost guarantee your pants size will decrease!
Happy New Year!

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

Changing for the Better

Did you ever hear the saying "if you wanna keep on getting what you're getting, keep on doing what you doing"? Though it's not the most poetic of quotations, it makes a whole lot of sense! Think about it - if you don't make a change (such as working out more, eating healthier, or stopping negative self-talk) there's no feasible or logical way for your current reality to shift for the better.

You're never going to lose weight simply by dwelling on it, no matter how much you criticize yourself. The only way to get fitter and feel better is to get physical, move your body, and commit to change.

With the new year fast approaching, everyone is thinking about what resolutions to make this year. Though it's convenient and a tradition to make resolutions at the start of each new year, I firmly believe that positive change can begin any month of the year, any day of the week. The only thing necessary is your commitment to yourself.

Don't feel like you have to shoot for the moon and set difficult, super-challenging goals (that may set you up for failure). Start small. If you want to begin an exercise regimen, start with setting aside just five minutes a day, Monday through Friday. This may sound silly, but it gets you in the habit of setting aside time for yourself (which a lot of people are not in the habit of doing). Each week, add a few minutes and before you know it, you'll be accustomed to setting aside a 1/2 hour for your workout!

Remember any day can be the first day of a positive, life-altering change!

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit www.CailenAscher.bravehost.com or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.