Written by: Sabrina Ridaura, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I recently coached a client who is a business owner, athlete, and parent. During the week, she puts 100 to 150 km. on her bike and practices other sports depending on the season. Her body composition was what we call in the industry an ectomorph: lean, long extremities. When we spoke about her eating habits, she told me she was eating mostly healthy foods, except for weekly social outings with her other half and friends. Overall, she seemed quite healthy. However, she revealed that she had been living with pain, tightness, and weakness, especially in her extremities. I began a three-step process to understand how her diet might be contributing to her pain and how to create a plan that would get her feeling better and performing at an optimal level. First, I identified if there were any nutritional deficiencies. There is often a misconception between what being healthy and eating nutritiously really means. A lot of amateur athletes have big careers and families, so sometimes they make choices they deem to be more healthy. My client stopped eating a lot of nutrient-dense foods and most proteins. So we realised a major cause of her pain was in her nutrition. Second, we adjusted the food amount and food type. It’s really hard to get all the essential vitamins and minerals we need from food alone. In fact, there is a lack of nutrients in general among athletes, especially iodine, vitamin B7, vitamin D, calcium, protein, magnesium, and fibre. We started by adjusting my client’s food quantities and adding some other foods that would provide nutrients she was missing. By doing this, we were tackling the main issues: soreness and tiredness. Then I recommended some omegas-3 and multivitamins to start, as well as different protein sources to add to every meal. She doesn’t have time to count calories all day, so I gave her the best calorie count tool there is: her hand. By using her hand as a measuring tool, she had all she needed to know she was eating enough. I also took into account her body type: ectomorph. I recommended more healthy carbs and less fat with a moderate amount of protein. It looked something like this: 1 palm-sized portion of protein-dense foods at each meal; 1 fist-sized portion of vegetables at each meal; 2 cupped handfuls of carb-dense foods at each meal; 1 thumb of fat-dense foods at each meal. An important factor to consider for her diet was her energy expenditure, to make sure she was eating enough for the sports she was doing. So, we set some guidelines for what to eat before, during, and after long rides or during races. Third, we tweaked and improved our plan. A few weeks after she began the plan we created, she mentioned that it was like seeing the light—her constant soreness disappeared, her legs were feeling normal, and she was able to finish a race. In her own words, it was like life came back, and she was enjoying doing the things she loved while feeling 100 times better. We adjusted a few bits to maintain her caloric intake, and on the harder days of training, we added a few extra carbs to maintain her energy needs without her body resorting to using muscle or energies that are needed for the brain (to keep her sharp-minded and in a good mood). If you’re an amateur athlete, then you’re also going to be looking at extra energy expenditure, like my client. No matter if your goal is to lose weight, improve performance, or just train for fun, your body will be: Using your energy from anywhere it can find it. So, make sure to eat enough of the right nutrients to keep up with your requirements. Needing nutrients to function properly to avoid deficiencies that will affect your energy levels, mood, performance, and wellbeing. By adding more nutrient-dense food and including some sport nutrition strategies on long training days, my client saw a positive shift in energy and performance in general. A reminder for all athletes, a healthy lifestyle is about how all the components come together: exercising regularly and in a way appropriate for your body, eating well, and stretching and resting the body so it can recharge for your next training. Sabrina is a health coach and sports nutrition specialist. She helps busy parents improve their energy and performance. If you’re interested in having a session to talk about how you can improve your energy levels, performance depending on your unique needs and body type, reach out to Sabrina. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Sabrina Ridaura, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sabrina Ridaura is a recognized L1 Precision Nutrition Coach, a NASM certified personal trainer, a soccer nutrition specialist from Barcelona’s famed Barça Hub, and she holds a postgraduate degree in Sports Nutrition from the Universidad de Barcelona. Her focus is on helping the so-called household superheroes—parents that are busy juggling work and family life, maintaining the demanding schedule of the young athletes of the house, and figuring out where to carve out some time for themselves—achieve balance in their life while hitting all of their fitness and nutrition goals.

Written by: Hanna Hanula, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It all seems so easy. Just grab a bite, and your body will do its job. It will push the food from the esophagus all the way down to your stomach, where chemical digestion will take place, and then further down to your intestines for absorption and excretion. So easy, yet so many things can go wrong along the way. You may have a low stomach acid, not enough digestive enzymes, a leaky gut allowing food particles to escape into the bloodstream and causing an auto-immune reaction. Maybe you suffer from gut dysbiosis that enables pathogens to thrive on certain foods like refined sugars. Perhaps it's slow gut motility that makes the food stay longer in the intestines, causing you bloating, constipation, and more. Why are these issues happening? Your gut is an enteric nervous system with its 500 neurons only secondary to the brain. That means that whatever is going on with you physically, emotionally or mentally, has a profound impact on your gut. The gut is proven to create a mirror image of your feelings. For example, have you ever had a 'gut-wrenching' experience or 'a knot in your stomach'? Perhaps you felt 'butterflies in your belly? It might not entirely be your heart that rules over your emotions like a passionate mastermind, but actually your gut! Because of these nerve cells sitting in your bowels, your gastrointestinal area is sensitive to your feelings. Anxiety, joy, anger, sadness, worries, happiness, you name it – all trigger the gut symptoms through neuronal connections managed by your psychobiotic bacteria. The same happens when you experience acute or prolonged stress. Then, your body overproduces the stress hormone cortisol that can put your gut into a threat mode. That means that your digestion isn't a priority as your body prepares for a flight or fight. Unfortunately, digestion isn't an essential function for survival and your body secrets less stomach acid and digestive enzymes. In addition, the excessive presence of cortisol can harm the gut microflora and even sterilize it, causing gut bacteria to be out of balance. But what causes you stress? Is it really a life-threatening situation or rather a busy work schedule? If that's work-related, ask yourself these questions: Do you often second-guess yourself? Do you look to others for validation? Does having everything under control make you feel safe? If stress is relationship-related, check if: Am I being fully seen and heard? Do I truly feel safe being who I am? Am I more preoccupied with the feelings of my partner than my own? Am I afraid of being abandoned or rejected? Your gut can be in a threat mode due to old emotional wounds that make you feel unsafe or repress your feelings daily as you are too busy to deal with your own needs. The body keeps the score. So let's try to decode some of your symptoms. Bloating often happens when you are attached to a person or situation you are afraid of letting go of. This person or a situation can be very important to you and you feel anxious about losing them/ it. The loss can be emotional, spiritual, intellectual, or material. As a result, you feel insecure, and this emotion is basically fermenting inside of you. Intestinal pain or bowels prone to spasm may occur when you swallow something 'hard to digest' like a nasty comment, a critic, a conflict, especially coming from a family member or a partner. Intestines are the center of absorption and assimilation of nutrients and your reality. But, unfortunately, they don't distinguish between real (e.g. rotten salad) and imagined ( e.g. shame, confusion, insult). So if someone makes you feel worried, hurt, ashamed, guilty, anxious, it may cause your intestines to suffer as it is a situation that is difficult to digest. Constipation is associated with a diet lacking in fiber. That may also indicate that you have an excessive need to control every aspect of your life—this need for control results in internal insecurities. For example, you may be the person that is dependent on the opinions of others and that you are a people pleaser. You also like to hold onto people or things as this retention gives you an illusion of having control, hence a sense of security. Unfortunately, no diet or pill alone will heal your digestive issues. The holistic approach is the only way to find long-term relief and that is why I created my method G.E.M that consists of gut healing, emotional release, and mindset—an all-in-one solution to your digestive health. If you have tried doctors and dietitians and still experience unpleasant GI symptoms, you may want to get in touch with me. For more info, follow Hanna on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit her website! Read more from Hanna! Hanna Hanula, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Hanna Hanula is a leading nutritionist, naturopath, and mindset coach specializing in the gut and mental health. She is a former sufferer of high functioning anxiety, ADHD, social anxiety, and several digestive issues (mainly IBS, Candida, Sibo, and food intolerances) who healed herself by working holistically on the gut-brain axis. She then developed her own unique method called GEM based on gut healing (G), energy medicine (E), and mindset (M). She became passionate about helping others understand the importance of the influence of food on our mood. She is a founder of Souliciously Hanna, a coaching practice through which she runs group programs called Holistic Anxiety Reset and coaches private clients. She is also the author of Stress & Anxiety - the ultimate remedies guide. Her motto is that if you really want to heal your anxiety and feel comfortable in your body, then you need to address your emotional center - your gut.

Written by: David Kegley, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What Ever Happened to the Energy? Your career ship was once sailing at full speed and you were undaunted in your ambition. You were sharp, nimble, and clear-minded. But you’ve taken stock recently and it’s as if you entered the doldrums. Your sails are slack, the things that usually felt stimulating and energizing no longer perk you up. In sum, you’ve lost a connection to your motivations. To be fair, this set of symptoms could be a multitude of things. You could be depressed. You could have health and fitness-related symptoms and should consider ruling out these things by having a routine checkup with your healthcare provider. If you are suspicious that your energy lag could be due to a health concern, please do that before proceeding. If it turns out that you cannot blame your predicament on anything health-related, what then? This may be more along the lines of a motivational issue. You could be out of touch with your reason for being, your mission, and your vision for your work on the planet. You may need to dig deep into the reason you are here, what you most love doing and what the world needs most from you. These Questions Are Not for the Faint of Heart Whenever I ask my clients to begin this process of digging deep into their personal and professional mission statement, I warn them: This is a challenging process. You may feel some resistance going into it, but the rewards occur as you finish and begin to experience new motivations. Are you ready for this challenge? Most assure me that this is right where they need to be and they really want to work through creating their statements. Usually, each client experiences some resistance. But when they push through their threshold of change, whole new worlds begin to unlock. I recommend developing a set of Guiding Principles, Mission, and Vision Statements that serve to reconnect you with the core of your purpose. In her book Extraordinary Leadership: Thinking Systems, Making a Difference, Roberta Gilbert wrote about developing a set of Guiding Principles, Mission and Vision statements. (Leading System Press. Falls Church, Virginia, 2006 pp. 121-132.) Guiding Principles are one’s own personal proverbs, like: “I never make a crucial decision without consulting three of my most trusted advisors.” Or “Simple and elegant wins over complex and lumbering every time.” Or “My most brilliant insights occur after some good exercise and some good laughter with a trusted friend.” Of course, they must be your own, true guiding principles, the ones that will serve you when you need to make important decisions or summon your creative spirit. I suggest that people create a small handful of the most relevant and informative Guiding Principles. Maybe five or six of them at first and then gradually add to them. Their purpose is to be there when you get a little stuck and are wondering what to do next. A Mission Statement tells why you are here and what you currently do best right now. It’s usually best told in 1-3 sentences that you can, eventually, say back from memory. A Vision Statement is your best dream of where you hope to go in the future—again, 1-3 sentences that can be said from memory. Since you’re going to be saying these from memory, have these statements be as fun as possible to say. You’ll be saying them a lot to yourself. Occasionally—when someone’s curious and when it fits the occasion—you may want to say them to others. Knowing Your Mission and Vision Sets You Apart The truth is that not many people work out their own Guiding Principles, Mission, and Vision. It can be difficult to articulate what you want in life and to have the courage to dream about where you want to go to fulfill your potential: to live intentionally. It takes real, imaginative, visionary and creative work to do so. It also takes some linguistic handiwork! Please don’t underestimate how hard this may be for you. For some, it may come naturally but for most, it will require several dedicated weekends or a study leave. It may take a coach’s structured encouragement over several sessions to get you to a place where you are satisfied with a final, working product. The result will be a working document that energizes you, leads you to create weekly, quarterly and annual goals that are custom-made for you and are a portable, memorable sense of what you are up to with your life. Most importantly, when done carefully, this document will be a direct line to your motivational core. Keep the Long-Term in View This type of work is not in the realm of the quick fix. Do not look for your life to turn around in one day, one week or anytime soon. You may be pleasantly surprised at first but pay no attention to anything that happens quickly. That’s not your real concern. What you are looking for is your evolution over time. You may not even be able to perceive it at first. Focus instead on the things that will cause change: your own response to your Guiding Principles, Mission and Vision. What do you do, given that you believe in these things? What are your immediate and long-term goals, given that you are now governed by these brilliant insights? Set these goals and monitor your progress. As the months come and go, you may even want to add new Guiding Principles and/or tweak your Mission and Vision Statements to better match your sense of your evolving self. What’s Different Over Time? First, the opportunity for saying “no” and saying “yes” may present itself more clearly to you. Look for this and anticipate it. Look especially for the very special opportunity to say “no.” This may feel unnatural to you. So, you should plan for it, rehearse it and strategize for it because it is very important and it will elevate your career. For many, it may seem counterintuitive that saying “no” should elevate one’s career. And, of course, turning down requests from your superiors can be tricky and is sometimes a fine art that involves diplomacy and social grace. Ultimately it signals to everyone involved that you have clear boundaries and are determined to excel along a trajectory that you have identified and one that reflects your highest values. You may want to selectively share your statement with a few others over time. But I usually advise that it is more important that you live out your statements: that people begin to see the difference and are provoked to ask you what has made the difference. This is where the whole enterprise expands… exponentially! Did I forget to mention that you are doing systems work here? The technical term is “Self-Differentiation,” and it happens when you can define yourself calmly at the moment, within your work system. One of the things that enable you to do so is having done the hard work of developing a set of Guiding Principles, Mission, and Vision Statements. When you have done it for yourself, you will be one of the few who stand head and shoulders above others. Test this. Do the hard work it takes. Dig deep. See if you find the wind in your sails again, the motivation that fuels your very best going forward. See if when you define yourself within your organization, people take notice and begin seeking you out. See if they begin defining themselves and if perhaps your whole organization may indeed follow suit. You may be asked to help your organization to define itself and you may be the one who leads the way! Want David to help you with developing your Mission Statement? You can reach him at: drkegley.com or LinkedIn Read more from David! David Kegley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Kegley specializes in coaching well-educated, progressive leaders and executives who have been stopped in their tracks due to health setbacks. His doctorate is in theology and preaching. His first 25-year career was in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., where he was a Pastor and Head of Staff. But, after getting nearly burned out, getting diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, and going through cancer treatment, he emerged as a credentialed coach. Now he Coaches in the areas where he experienced his own humility and growth: Health and Wellness, The Cancer Journey, Burnout Recovery, and Leadership and Executive.

Written by: Anna Filatova, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Starting a coaching business is exciting but it can also be scary and not as easy as it seems. Building a business doesn’t happen overnight and it takes a lot of time and energy. Unfortunately, many coaches don’t make it pass the first year because of a lack of business knowledge and understanding of the market. The coaching industry is saturated and to be successful you can’t afford to do the same as other coaches. However, running a coaching business doesn’t have to be hard. If you can avoid the most common mistakes that coaches make at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey, you’ll be able to build a successful coaching business. Here are 7 of the most common mistakes that new coaches make: They think that a coaching business is about coaching. Coaching is a service that you provide to your clients, however, coaching as a business is not at all about coaching. Coaching is a skill and it’s not what sells. People want an outcome, the end result that you can help them to achieve through coaching. You need to use all your story, other skills, expertise and experience to drive your business forward. They try to help everyone. When you’re trying to help everyone, you’re helping no one. This is why having a well-defined niche and understanding your ideal client and target market is essential. Everything in your business including your message, marketing efforts and strategies are based on this information and if you’re targeting everyone, your message and other efforts aren’t clear enough to attract the right people. Be an expert in one field, not a generalist. They sell features and not the outcome. People want to know the solution to their problem or what transformation your services can provide. So instead of selling your services, focus on your client’s needs and wants. If you do it right, nothing will hold them back from buying from you, not even the price. They spend too much time getting ready. Many coaches spend all their time preparing themselves instead of getting out there and coaching. They think that they need to have everything in place before they can run a business but the only way to learn how to run a business is to do so. There are always going to be things that you need to do for your business but it’s something that you can do while you’re coaching and earning money. They think that they don’t need a coach and can figure it all out themselves. Coaching is an incredible tool and there is a reason why you became a coach. You know what value and results it can bring but it doesn’t mean that you don’t need a coach yourself. I can’t tell you how many times I've heard new coaches say that they won't invest any money into themselves and their business until they make money, or that they can learn how to build a business from Google. Business coaches and mentors can help you to move forward faster and in a more efficient way, and they’ll keep you focused and accountable during your entrepreneurial journey. They see collaborations as competition. Collaboration is the key to success. You might think that all other coaches are your competitors but the reality is that many coaches do things differently and by working together you can create new opportunities and help each other grow. They sit and wait for their clients to come. No one knows about you yet so sitting around and waiting for your clients to come won’t help your business. You have to go out there and find your clients. There’s a huge amount of marketing strategies that you could use to create awareness, be visible and tell people about your incredible offers. Don’t be afraid to talk to people, tell your story and share your gift with others. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Anna! Anna Filatova, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anna is the founder of Dreams and Beyond Coaching Ltd, a coaching and mentoring firm that was founded in March 2020. The company is LGBTQ+ friendly and it offers a variety of services including 1:1 coaching and mentoring, half day intensives, group programs, courses and DISC personality profiling. The services are available internationally as most of the work is done online. From a young age, Anna has been curious about learning and development and areas such as personal fulfilment, potential and success. She has always believed that people have hidden potential and by believing in them, challenging and mentoring them, she has helped a large number of individuals to thrive and achieve high results in their careers and lives. Anna earned an Honours BA Degree in Business Studies in International Hotel Management from National University of Ireland Galway in 2011 and a MBA for Executives with Global Perspective from London School of Commerce in 2015. She has been awarded the Brainz CREA Global Award 2021 in recognition for her creative and innovative ideas, and adaptability in business, and selected as one of the top 10 Business Coaches by Entrepreneur Mogul. Before becoming a certified coach, Anna spent 9 years in Hotel Management and 6 years in Investment Banking. When she was 25, she had burnout that made her realize that health, well-being and work-life balance are more important than killing herself for a fast career progression. As a Business and Success Coach, Anna helps entrepreneurs and business owners to strive for success in business and their personal lives without feeling stuck, overwhelmed and burned out. She ensures that they have all essential tools and resources for development, growth and success.

Written by: Andrew Cowie, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. YES, it's that time of year again, so dust off your broomstick, carve out a pumpkin and select a suitably ghoulish costume to celebrate all things dark, ghostly and macabre. From spooky decorations around the neighbourhood, to carved pumpkins adorning front porches and giant bags of sweets piled high in supermarket aisles, it’s impossible to ignore the seasonal festivities which culminate in Halloween this weekend. The origins of this festival date back centuries to the customs of pagan and Celtic folk living in Britain and ancient Ireland prior to the spread of Christianity. In Celtic tradition, 31st October marks a holiday known as “Samhain.” Celebrating the end of the harvest season and the onset of the dark portion of the year, Samhain was ushered in with giant feasts and bonfires that burned late into the night. It also represented a time when the doors between the human world and the spirit world were thought to be the most open. As Christianity became the dominant religion in the area, Samhain and its Celtic observers were increasingly pushed into the shadows. Since then, Halloween has evolved into the event we recognize today – a largely secular holiday that has become highly commercialised. Far from its spiritual roots, Halloween is now primarily a light-hearted affair full of fun costumes, tasty treats, and spooky decorations. Few festivals in the calendar divide public opinion so much as this one. To some Halloween is a piece of harmless fun and a chance to indulge their innate love of horror. To others it's a serious pagan rite marking the end of summer and the transition into the months of darkness. Others dread the prospect of having masked strangers lurking on their doorsteps on a dark October night like something out of The Purge movie franchise, while many even view Halloween as something distinctly sinister with roots in occultism and devil-worship. I'll happily put my hand up and declare that I adore Halloween. I have a lifelong affinity with dark autumn nights, bonfires, Gothic horror and dressing up. I love witches, wizards, vampires, magic and mysticism. One of the joys of Halloween for me is that it provides a welcome opportunity for us to embrace those hidden aspects of our own nature which are usually suppressed by the restraints of society's expectations. Wearing a mask provides a layer of anonymity in which we are free to release our inhibitions without fear of judgment. Such a release can be a powerful therapeutic tool. We all have aspects of ourselves that we keep hidden due to peer group pressure or the risk of ridicule. Suppressing these traits is psychologically unhealthy. Our “dark” sides are yearning for acknowledgment and the more we try to deny and stifle them, the more strongly they will fight back. What we resist persists. Obviously, I’m not condoning bad behaviour but simply suggesting that we occasionally allow those darker aspects of our nature free artistic expression through safe outlets such as role-playing and theatre so that they don't continue to bubble away beneath the surface of our conscious awareness like a volcano waiting to blow its lid. Life is about finding the perfect balance between light and shade and this concept is one of the cornerstones to the therapeutic approach we use at Phoenix Coaching & Therapy where we actively encourage clients to explore those aspects of their personalities which have previously been denied expression. It doesn't matter whether you choose to express it through song, artwork, acting or writing, so long as you let it out and give it a voice. Halloween provides a perfect opportunity to do so. It's a day when you can dress up outlandishly, don make-up, role-play and walk brazenly down your local high street in fancy dress without anybody batting an eyelid. You can allow your inner child to sing freely. As children, we dress up and play roles all the time, whether that be superheroes or doctors and nurses, but as adults, we tend to have this natural creativity knocked out of us by the pressure to conform. This is extremely limiting and denies us the chance to explore and indulge all the multifarious aspects of our glorious personalities. We lose that connection with our inner child and much of the joy of life along with it. Halloween is a night when the normal rules of society are temporarily suspended and we can become whoever or whatever we want to be – whether that be witch, wizard, vampire, superhero, or Jedi. So, regardless of your personal views on Halloween, take a moment this weekend to consider whether there are any aspects of your personality that you’ve been keeping hidden away like a guilty secret. Take the opportunity to acknowledge those traits, to welcome them as authentic parts of your greater whole, and above all, seize the chance to unleash your inner child. In the words of the old pagan mantra "Do as thou wilt, as long as it harms no one". Happy Halloween! For more info, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Andrew! Andrew Cowie, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Andrew Cowie is a transformational life coach, psychotherapist, and author dedicated to helping people overcome adversity and achieve their full potential. He came to the world of therapy after a 20-year career in newspaper journalism was brought to an abrupt end by severe burnout. In the course of his own recovery, he was introduced to meditation, mindfulness, hypnotherapy, yoga, martial arts, and NLP. He went on to retrain under some of the world's leading spiritual and personal development teachers to become an expert in these fields. Andrew has since dedicated his life to passing on this knowledge, synthesizing the various disciplines into one overarching system blending ancient spiritual practices with the latest cutting-edge techniques from the field of modern psychology. He is the owner of Phoenix Coaching & Therapy and the founder of its associated 'magical training school' The Ancient and Mystical Hermetic Order of the Phoenix (AMHOP). His debut book Rise Like a Phoenix was published in 2021 and is described as a manual for personal regeneration. Andrew works with clients worldwide and is passionate about mental health and exploring the latent potential of the human mind.

Written by: Tania Friedlander, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. History of Servant Leadership Servant leadership is a term that has been especially prevalent in leadership development in the last 50 years but is a concept which has existed as far back as humans have organized in tribes and societies. Robert K. Greenleaf published an essay in 1970 titled The Servant as Leader, in which he wrote: “The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature. “The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“ While this is the earliest known appearance of the term in Western literature, servant leadership can be considered something of a universal concept, because it has roots in both Eastern and Western cultures, researchers say. In the East, ancient Chinese philosophers such as Lao Tzu believed that when the best leaders finished their work, their people would say “we did it ourselves.” While the concept of servant leadership has existed for a long time, it is now more thoroughly defined, and it’s clearer how it differs from traditional leadership. Traditional vs Servant Leadership Traditional leadership encourages people to fulfill the responsibilities of their jobs and provides them with guidance, direction, and motivation to that end. The goal of traditional leadership is to improve the position of the company in stature and finances. Servant leadership is when the primary orientation, goal, and responsibility of the leader is to provide service by concentrating on employees. This helps shift productivity into high gear, inspires better results, fosters a fulfilling work environment, and generates team satisfaction on a job well done. Outcomes: Which is Better? Ultimately, servant leadership fulfills the goal which traditional leadership also aspires to: to improve the stature and profitability of the company. Employees in a servant leadership environment are more likely to feel that their voice is heard, which in turn makes them 4.6 times more likely to work to the best of their abilities. While traditional leadership is built for fulfilling the transactional aspects of management in a hierarchical, profit-driven structure, servant leadership moves beyond that and seeks to align employee purpose with company mission. This is accomplished through focusing on the growth and well-being of people and communities. While traditional leadership is geared toward putting one at the “top of the pyramid”, servant leadership is often depicted with an inverse pyramid — where the leader sits at the bottom and puts the development and performance of their people first. You may have heard Simon Sinek’s famous TED Talk: “Start with Why”. The idea behind this is that having a “why” is a far greater motivator for people than the “how” or the “what”. When people have a why they can align with the mission and work far better rowing in the same direction. It takes a servant leader to unlock these capabilities. Techniques of Servant Leadership Asking the right questions Listening to understand Empathy Persuasion Conceptualization Strategy & Foresight Stewardship People development Community-building Reflection Questions What are your thoughts on these different types of leadership approaches? Have you ever been at work, and someone in leadership leaves and suddenly everything changes? The work environment feels completely different, work is longer, and you don't feel like your needs matter? How could servant leadership help your team be more successful? Connect with me on LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Tania! Tania Friedlander, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tania is an attorney by training and a former champion athlete. She has trained at world-leading coaching institutions. She is an International Coach Federation Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and a Certified Gallup Global Strengths Coach. She is driven by her passion for helping individuals break through their challenges, whether professional or personal. She has the privilege of working with executives and emerging leaders from global Fortune 500 companies using evidence-based coaching assessments, frameworks, and tools. Her approach is designed to increase connectivity, awareness, and accountability to elevate the internal dynamic, increase morale, and enhance workplace culture. She is also on the executive team at SteerUs, the world's first soft skills academy, and has led many workshops and seminars on leveraging strengths.

Written by: Joi Brown, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Wow, where has 2021 gone? We are in the fourth quarter of 2021. It’s time for a 2021 check-in. Reflect on the following questions: Describe in three words how your 2021 has been for you? What were your goals and aspirations for this year? What things are hindering you from finishing strong in 2021? The familiar quote, "Life is a marathon, not a sprint” comes to mind when I think of finishing strong. Marathons take longer to complete and require preparation and training to endure longer than sprints, which are shorter. Life is truly a marathon and requires you to endure to the end and finish strong. Guess what, there is still time in 2021 to finish strong. The year is not over. The game is not over. If you have fallen, get back up. If you are stuck, get moving. There is still time, it’s not over. To finish strong, become doers of the Triple AAA and apply them to life’s marathon: Assess Doing a self-assessment or check-in to evaluate where you are in terms of goals, aspirations, actions, to-do lists, etc. is a requirement. Are you the type of person that just goes and goes without taking time to assess where you are or what you have done? If so, it’s time for a check-in. When you assess your life, you celebrate successes. Remember, small wins count. Identify new goals and aspirations that you would like to accomplish or point out challenges and/or barriers. Check out the sample self-assessment questions. When answered, they should provide good insight and clarity on the next steps: Describe the goal(s) that you would like to achieve? What are your immediate priorities to accomplish the goal(s)? Why is the goal(s) important to you? What does success look like? How would achieving this goal(s) benefit you? Attain Knowing what specific resources you will need is key to attaining the desired goal. Resources can be physical, human, or financial, and even time. If your goal is to start your own business, your resources may include a physical resource such as a location, start-up funds for the business, and even human resources such as an assistant. A good practice is to create a list and brainstorm all things needed to achieve the goal. In this process, write down the first things that come to mind. Below are suggestions to assist you to attain: Seek a coach, mentor, or accountability partner Attend a training course, webinar, or conference Watch a podcast, Ted Talks, or a video Expand professional network or connection with industry experts Identify stretch opportunities that increase skills and competencies Action It’s time to work the plan and finish strong. Goals have been assessed Resources have been identified You are ready to work the plan and do the specific actions/behaviors needed to achieve the goal and finish. Actions should address what you plan to do (behaviors) and how you plan to achieve the goal. Include timeframes to help you measure the process. Here is how you can apply the Triple AAA to your life in this self-care goal example: Assess: Increase self-care and have more of a balance and plan to do at least 30 minutes of self-care. Attain: Identify the following resources: devotional books, soft music, or schedule a massage, etc. Action: Wake up at least 30 minutes earlier for devotional time before work on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays It’s never too late for the Triple AAA method in your life. Assess-what are the current or desired goals Attain-what resources will be required Action-what specific behaviors or actions are needed “Life is truly a marathon, not a sprint,” and it requires you to assess, attain, and act on goals and aspirations. When life throws you a curveball or knocks you out, get back up and continue to press forward. You can do it. Don’t give up. No matter how long it takes, you finish…There is still time… Finish Strong! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Joi! Joi Brown, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Joi Brown is the Chief Executive Officer of 3EEE Consulting, where she educates, equips, and empowers people through coaching, conversations, and workshops. Her expertise is in career and entrepreneur development, conflict resolution, goal setting, health and wellness, leadership and team development, and personal and professional branding. Joi is truly walking in her purpose helping to educate, equip, and empower people to unlock their passion, purpose, and potential.

Written by: Jean Fleming, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Success means different things to different people. Some deem success to be living a healthy and balanced life. Some believe it is about how much you earn or how senior in the hierarchy you climb. Some believe it is about saving the planet and some simply believe it is about being kind. 1. Define success The first step to being successful is being clear on what your own definition of success is. People spend their lifetime trying to achieve others’ versions of success. Becoming a lawyer or doctor because it is what your parents expected but all you want to do is make music. Living to other people’s expectations will never make you feel successful. You may feel like you have achieved but it will feel inauthentic and unfulfilling. To feel truly successful, you need to fulfil your own version of success. 2. Be clear about your purpose. What are you here to do? What do you want your legacy to be? At the end of your life what would you like to be able to reflect on and smile about? What would a good life look like to you? 3. Know your core values. Being clear about what is important to you will help to guide you in your decisions, your career and your relationships. 4. Know your strengths. Once you know your strengths you can optimise them to your advantage. Playing to your strengths will help you achieve your success so much easier. How can you tap into your strengths more than you are right now? 5. Have a vision. A person with a clear vision is more likely to achieve their version of success. Do a vision board. Write your vision. Whatever works for you but have it visible as a reminder of what you are aiming for. 6. Set some Goals Think about how you will achieve that vision. What are the steps that will get you there? Break it down into small, manageable steps so you can track and monitor your progress. 7. Consider the Obstacles What is likely to get in your way? What can you do about that? If you can pre-empt any obstacles and put in place actions, a plan, a strategy to overcome them then when they present themselves you are already able to work through them. 8. Self-care What can you do along the way to keep yourself strong, energised, resilient? What nutrition do you want to fuel you? What exercise to build your physical strength? What activities to build your mental strength? What will you need to overcome any setbacks? 9. Ask for help Who can help you achieve this? Don’t feel that you must do it alone. Who is in your support team? Friends, family or maybe a coach. 10. Celebrate Celebrate small wins along the way. Remind yourself of the progress you have made. Celebrate your brilliance, your determination, and your achievements. Each win is a success! If you would like some support or guidance through this process, I coach professional women to be their version of success. You can contact me at hello@jeanfleming.com. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Raed more from Jean! Jean Fleming, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jean Fleming is an Empowerment and Leadership Coach helping women to create the life they want. With over 30 years of business experience, Jean was the first woman to join the Board of a global company – a role she still fulfills 12 years later. Jean is an experienced ICF accredited Coach, a DiSC Profiler, an Emotional Intelligence EQi-2.0 Assessor, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Jean uses her extensive range of skills and experience to bring a dynamic and supportive service to her clients to help them identify and create the life they want.

Written by: Peter Paul Parker, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Revealing the secrets of the chakras for better willpower. My own personal willpower has been relatively average for me all throughout my life. When I was really passionate about something, I would just get on and do it. When it was something I enjoyed but was causing me harm and I needed to give it up, that was a different story altogether. It took me ages to give up smoking. Even though I knew it was wrong and causing harm to my health. I loved the whole ritual. I used to roll my own cigarettes and used filters thinking this was the healthiest way to smoke. I was looking at myself with a foggy energy system, but I did not realise that at the time. I was also deluding myself into thinking that even the better option of a bad choice, was ok. No, it is still a bad choice. Everything changed when I started learning about my energy system and realised when certain energy areas of the body were blocked, that would manifest into the real world. Does that sound a little far-fetched to you? Let me explain a little more. When we look at our physical body, we accept the eyes are for seeing. We accept the nose is for breathing, filtering and smelling. We accept what roles the heart, the lungs and the immune system perform, and so the list goes on. These are all facts, as far as we know today, in this ever-changing world we live in. When it comes to energy, and how that can be broken down to certain areas of the body, people find that harder to understand and accept. We now know that energy came before matter. If energy did not exist, there would be no matter. Looking through the Hubble telescope and seeing nebulas, galaxies and star systems forming, we see a really slow process of formation. We can also witness that an old galaxy looks completely different to a new galaxy being formed, because of the amount of energy that has been through the older galaxy. The older galaxies are foggy in appearance. The same can be said about our energy body. When we cleanse our energy body on a regular basis, we can actually feel and sense the difference inside of ourselves. When we leave old undealt with energy in our energy system, we will be coming from a foggy place and sense the difference. This is why many people hold onto stress, anxiety, and even trauma like I did because we do not know how to get rid of this negative energy attaching itself to us. We get addicted to the cortisol in the stress and this makes us search out the next dopamine hit, like that feeling we get for a like on social media, the next piece of praise from our partner or boss, or the next word of recognition coming from something you have completed. This is how many people operate today. But what they are missing out on is, that we do actually create our own happiness inside of ourselves. When we take back control of our energy system and let it flow with energy in the way that nature intended, life looks and feels completely different. In case you don’t know, the word chakra comes from Sanskrit and means spinning wheel. These are the spinning wheels of the main stations of the energy body. We have meridian lines, which have been scientifically proven to exist, that transports the energy around the body, and the acupressure points that are like little energy points all across the body. We know that blood can carry pathogens, carcinogens and other unwanted particles around the body. Again, we find it a leap of faith to realise that our energy body does this also. We can have blocked energy centres, sending our foggy energy, which will cause us to underperform, and not in the way nature intended our bodies to work. The solar plexus chakra is all about willpower. It is about your sense of self. How you feel about yourself, and where you fit in this world. Many people suffer from low self-esteem, not feeling worthy and not feeling listened to. I would say your solar plexus chakra would definitely be blocked. Giving up smoking was a problem for me. So was becoming a vegetarian. These were long-drawn-out processes that took me time to keep convincing myself that I had to do this for health reasons. But things changed after I had worked on my solar plexus chakra. After practicing Ki Gong for about five years, I decided to go vegan. This started slowly as my wife and I were working on a vegetarian cookbook, and nearly all the recipes had cheese in them. After taking a Ki Gong workshop to find my true self, and opening the blockages of my solar plexus chakra to enter into my heart, becoming vegan was so incredibly easy. I think about how I used to drag my feet at such pledges to myself to break bad habits, and how long they used to take, and laugh now. I was definitely looking at myself through a foggy, unclear lens. I was not working with the energy of my solar plexus chakra to give me the willpower to do whatever I wanted to do. Here is an exert from my upcoming book on the chakra system all about the solar plexus chakra. When the solar plexus chakra is working properly you will feel a strong sense of self and have good willpower. You will feel deeply dynamic, being able to accept change easily. This chakra will guide you to what you really want in your life. You will feel the ambition inside of you with what you want to achieve. You will have rugged determination. You will have confidence and love your independence. You will be resilient and own your self-dignity. If this chakra is not working properly, you will have a deep sense of fearing failure. You will not want to push your boundaries and come out of your comfort zone. You will have a social resistance inside of you and not like or trust authority. You will experience the pressures of today’s world intensely and fear rejection also. When the two lower chakras are in alignment, we will be able to answer the question honestly of who am I as a person and what do I want? The solar plexus chakra enables us to use the power for change and self-transformation. It is the seat of what some call the ego. The ego or sense of self is important to drive us to the position we want to be in while considering our environment and the living entities in it. Working on the solar plexus chakra is easy, but can be painful. I have a couple of Ki Gong exercises that will help you see what condition your solar plexus chakra is in. The first exercise would be tapping. Make two gentle fists and tap your solar plexus area gently at first. I remember this was really sore for me when I first started. Now I can tap quite hard and not feel that soreness. The soreness has cleared. Be gentle and do not harm yourself here. A dull feeling is a blocked chakra, if you have sharp pains, stop immediately, and consult a doctor or health care professional. The second way is less direct and may be preferred by some people. Stand up straight with your feet together. Push your left hip forward as far as you can, while pushing your right shoulder forward. Have your fists next to your rib cage. Twist the body quickly alternating the hips and shoulders. See how long it takes before a stitch occurs. If the stitch happens quite quickly, then you need to do more work on the solar plexus chakra. Try both or either of these exercises for 21 days. Keep a journal and try to really notice how you are changing over that period. The powers of the chakra system and meridian lines are awesome when you really dive deep into them. You can change your energy quickly once you start to recognise the signs and your willpower becomes strong, your focus becomes laser-like, and your passion for life increases. If you would like to learn more about the chakra system and the meridians, I am running Ki Gong classes online at the Bright Beings Academy. Membership is very reduced at the moment, and you can find my offer at the bottom of the page linked below. Click the link and see what Ki Gong can do for you, and how you can transform your energy from foggy to clear. I look forward to welcoming you to one of the Academies group calls. Let me know you came from seeing me in Brainz magazine. That would be truly awesome. Want to learn more from Peter? Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit his website. Read more from Peter! Peter Paul Parker, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Peter Paul Parker is an expert in the mind-body connection, a sound healer, and working with both the energy body and the physical body. Peter is a Ki Gong champion, having entered a competition with the British Team in Korea in 2016, winning the International competition. Peter has run a successful coaching business for many years and has particularly done some amazing work with the elderly. He has set up a charity called Brighter Living to help the elderly with their health and well-being using Ki Gong and meditation. Peter has also worked with schools in his local area, helping people connect with themselves, from grandchild to grandparents. Peter has launched the Bright Beings Academy, which is his online business, which incorporates everything that he does to empower people to reach their full potential as human beings. Peter's motto is "If you don't own your future self, somebody else will!"

Written by: Elisia Keown, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. There's only one thing that's certain about returning to the office: there will be more uncertainty. Your company may or may not have taken a stance on returning to the office yet. But, regardless of if you're remote, hybrid, or going back in full time, the landscape of work has shifted. You, your team, your clients, and your vendors will all be working differently. Some people are eager to return to the office. Some are neutral. Some are dreading it. And you've probably got your own opinions and emotions on the matter as well. Having the conversation about the return to the office with employees calls for a different approach. Are you dreading the conversations that you anticipate having with your employees about returning to the office? Or maybe you're already back in the office and you need to tell a team member that the agreed-upon approach isn't working. When you're prepping for a conversation about returning to the office, a few best practices are to know the company's stance and the non-negotiables of the policy, don't get wrapped up in trying to make everyone happy, and know that different roles require different needs and the location of where the employee works can be one of them. There are plenty of articles, podcasts, and books on how to prep on these basics. However, there is very little advice out there on how to prep your mindset. When you're getting ready to have a tough conversation, the most important prep you can do is to know how YOU want to show up in the conversation. What do I mean by that? Let's start off with your thoughts and feelings about having a specific conversation. You may be thinking: They're going to be mad. They're going to quit. They're going to be upset. They're going to hate me. After thinking these thoughts, some feelings might be fear, anxiety, nervousness, dread. This is normal. Why? Our primal instinct is to avoid this conversation at all costs to stay "safe with the herd". You're in a position to take action that separates you from the group. You must be a leader and disseminate information that employees may not want to hear. However, your logical part of your brain also knows that this is a conversation that you want to have with your employees. If you feel fear or another one of those emotions going into the conversation, you might act in a way that shows up as not being direct, you may try people-pleasing and backing down from the points that you want to make in the conversation. The result may be that the conversation ends up being confusing because you weren't direct, and the company stance and policy aren't being upheld because you aren't firm in conveying the guidelines. So as an alternative, think about how you'd like to show up in the conversation. How would you like to feel? Perhaps calm, steady, and empathetic could be options. If you choose to be calm, ask yourself, what do I need to think in order to be calm? Instead of thinking the thought, "They're going to be mad", you could choose to think, "They may get upset and that's ok. I can still be clear with my communication and be empathetic to their feelings". By anticipating some of the situations in advance, you can choose your reaction ahead of time, for example: if they react in a certain way, then how do I want to react in response? What do I want to think? How do I want to feel? What do I want to do? If they get mad (or sad, fearful, upset, etc.), that's ok. Humans are allowed to think, feel, and react in whatever way they want (of course it doesn't mean there aren't consequences to actions). However, we don't have to mirror their emotions or change our own reactions based on how they react. You can ask yourself if they get mad, do I want to get mad too? Or do I want to stay calm? What do I need to think about their reaction in order to stay calm? Know that you have the power to stay calm, stay curious, and stay compassionate. It's all up to you and how you choose to think as you move through the conversation. Yes, this takes practice. And no, you won't be perfect at it all the time. But the ability to be a leader and have crucial conversations while staying calm, steady, and compassionate is a skill worth learning and developing so you can be the type of leader that others want to work for. Want more support with how to do this? Let's discuss how to create a simple plan for the return-to-work conversations you need to have with your team members. CLICK HERE to schedule a free, 30-minute session to discuss your challenges. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Elisia! Elisia Keown, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Elisia has 21 years of experience and a passion for coaching leaders, which makes her uniquely qualified to be the perfect coach for you. She's managed multiple geographically dispersed retail locations and led teams of employees numbering in the hundreds. She knows the importance of delegation, clear communication, and the power of direct feedback for development. She can help you organize yourself, your time, and your team to focus on the right priorities to drive results. She's led Talent Acquisition teams and has global recruiting experience. She learned quickly how hiring and retaining the right talent in a business truly impacts results. She can help you decipher if you have the right team in place to support you and what to do if you don't. She's supported multiple leaders of large teams (some managing up to 30,000+ employees) with all aspects of Human Resources. She's coached leaders to manage the performance of their teams, including having the most difficult and emotional conversations. She's helped leaders navigate through internal politics and helped them learn how to have a productive working relationship with their boss. She can support you with all of this and more.

Written by: Krystal Matocha, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Now and then someone asks me if I can “make them” change a behavior. Since I’m a certified hypnotherapist, being asked if I can make someone do something is a less strange request than if I had some other profession, like a real estate agent. However, it’s based on a misunderstanding and usually revolves around a habit… a habit a person knows they “should” change, or have been told to change, but they lack the willpower or motivation to follow through. They might say, “Can you make me eat vegetables” or “Can you make me stop smoking.” It’s an interesting choice of words because subconsciously it communicates a desire not to change, hoping I can force them through mental power. In case you are wondering, hypnosis cannot force you to do something you do not want to do because your subconscious only accepts suggestions that are in line with your values, ethics, and process. So even with the advantage of subconscious learning, a person must have a genuine desire for change for hypnosis (or any other self-growth tool) to be successful. The reality is that willpower waxes and wanes daily. Willpower is a control mechanism, often (not always) associated with forcing ourselves to do things we don’t want to do. For example, wanting to eat that piece of chocolate or have that cigarette, but forcing ourselves to go without. There can be a sense of deprivation, resistance, or punishment with this type of thinking. This approach, consciously or subconsciously, begins as an inner battle. It’s easy to imagine how one part of this person wants one outcome, where another part of this person seeks a different result, and how can this create instability from the start. Intentionally complicating matters further, I wonder if you’ve heard the phrase, “Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security” - John Allen Paulo We all have days that seem to float by effortlessly, joyfully. We all have days that are harder, busier, or more challenging than others. Sometimes those tougher periods seem to last longer than others, so when the willpower starts to fade under the tensions of daily life, it becomes easy to fall on old habits. Those thoughts, feelings, and actions that feel comfortable, even if in discomfort. You can see how that inner voice could sway, “Go ahead, have that piece of chocolate or cigarette. I’m too tired to put in the extra effort and the day is ruined anyway. I’ll start over tomorrow.” Does tomorrow ever come? One key solution for fading willpower is motivation. Sometimes I refer to motivation as Your True North, or Personal Real Motivation, because when motivation is personal and real you will naturally, find it requires less energy and effort to stay your course. Instead of fighting deprivation, resistance, or punishment, you can allow your naturalness to carry you. It’s a simple, effective method that’s often overlooked. It’s also a major turning point. So how do you find Your True North - your personal real motivation? Step 1: Know your top 3 priorities in life. What is so valuable or important to you that it always comes first in your life? What you intrinsically value is what you naturally prioritize, and if you don’t already, then you may be delighted by what happens when you start. As an example, my top 3 values are: Loving and caring for the significant people in my life Experiencing and witnessing the “impossible” becoming possible Independence and freedom to live my life on my terms Yours might be different, and that’s alright. This is an exercise in discovering where your motivation already exists. Your top 3 priorities clue you into Your True North - your primary motivation. It can change over time, so look at what’s most important for you now. Interest and values are different, so look for what has had long-term staying power. Step 2: What is a change that you want to make in your life, but you are having difficulty following through on? Common responses include eating healthier, stopping smoking, developing a more positive attitude, getting more rest, writing more often, feeling more confident, and feeling happier. The easiest way to discover where you want to learn or grow is to reflect on what currently is a source of pain (emotional, physical, mental, spiritual). Then reverse the pain into what you want instead. For example, if sleep deprivation is a source of pain, then feeling rejuvenated and refreshed might be what you want in its place. Switch from focusing on the problem to the solution. Step 3: How does your goal fit into your primary motivation? Just to be clear, the primary motivation is probably not: looking great in a bathing suit following your doctor's orders because they said so sleeping exactly 7.5 hours because you read in a book that your chronotype needs 7.5 hours to operate at peak performance having loads of cash Those are surface interests, but we are looking for your Personal Real Motivation because it’s stronger. When willpower fades, we need something that lights us up from the inside. If you’re not sure how your goal fits into your motivation yet, that’s alright. You can start brain-storming with this formula: If I ________, then I can ___________. Here are some real-world examples: If I eat more vegetables, then I can enjoy more quality years caring for my family in a more meaningful way. If I eat smaller portions, then with time and patience, I can finally walk with my family and sight-see with them on vacation. Something I’ve missed out on for years If I stop smoking, then I can breathe better, save my teeth, and enjoy more of my life on my terms. Step 4: Remember your primary motivation by reminding yourself every day. The more you remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing and the more it fits into Your True North, the more passion you’ll have to continue forward. Even if you happen to have a hard day. Step 5: Apply and practice if you want to understand this simple power. Set aside 20 minutes to reflect truthfully and completely on each question. Most people will discover one of two things. Either what you thought you wanted isn’t what you really wanted or you will realize there is a deeper desire you are yearning to fulfill. You may surprise yourself and discover something unexpected. It’s simple to get started. Today in just 15-20 minutes, you can go beyond willpower into Personal Real Motivation. What have you got to lose, besides some old unwanted habit? Visit my website for more info! Krystal Matocha, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Krystal Matocha does more than help you mend your mindset. After struggling with disordered eating, boundary issues, anxiety, poor body image, and an overall dissatisfaction with life, Krystal learned to connect with her subconscious mind for guidance and healing. Since then, she has committed herself to helping you discover the most effective, efficient, and empowering methods for emotional and behavioral change. Krystal is the Founder of The Whole Measure, a holistic wellness center providing online hypnotherapy sessions to men and women across the U.S. Her mission is to make change so simple you wonder why you couldn’t do it before.

Written by: Miriam Freeman, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. If you are like me in love with lists, then you have at least one to-do list. You may have a to-do list for daily tasks at work, project-specific to-do lists, meeting specific to-do lists, once a monthly tasks to-do list, once a quarter task to-do list, daily family/home to-do list, dinner parties to-do list, birthday party to-do list and the list goes on. Now, if you pay close attention to your day-to-day home or work to-do lists, you will see that some of those items, irrespective of their importance or urgency, keep staying on waiting to get that checkmark for days. You may end up completing those tasks at the last minute, when things get too close to the deadline or when the pressure is on. In the worst case, you may eventually totally drop the ball. The fact is you are not the only one struggling with occasional procrastination mood. I’m not saying this to make you feel better, although I hope it did make you feel better. But my point is that procrastination in moderation (emphasis on moderation) is not an alarming sign for you to sign up for psych evaluation. Even though few studies have looked at the positive side of procrastination , yet it is a very common source of frustration for many of us. I know we have a lot on our to-do lists already and we don’t want to add more to it, so let’s see what small changes we implement to defeat the procrastination and get our to-dos in order. 1. Tiny is mighty. Start breaking your task into specific, small steps. The vaguer your to-do list, the less likely you will do them. Being specific in your steps will break a big task into manageable steps so that it won’t be intimidating. Let’s say you want to call your doctor’s office to book a blood work appointment. Instead of having “book your blood work” on your to-do, write: Item 1 – Write down the doctor’s phone number on a sticky note. Item 2- Write down your health card number or specific dates you are available on that same sticky note. Item 3- Call the doctor. 2. Use The 5-minute rule. Sometimes when the task ahead of us is just too emotionally overwhelming. In these situations allow yourself to complete the task in a few 5-minute intervals. Set your timer for 5 minutes and then start working on the task. You can stop or continue when the alarm goes off. Totally up to you. Depending on the task, you can work on it, another 5 minutes the day after or after a few hours. Always starting something is the hardest step, but knowing that it’s only 5 minutes, you will be emotionally more ready to start. In many cases, the task will be done in 5 minutes, or that you will be ok with continuing longer till the task is complete. Another positive effect of the 5-minute rule is that when you are giving yourself only 5 minutes, your brain will be on fire to help you meet the deadline and you may actually accomplish a lot more than if you had given yourself 10 or 15 minutes. 3. Delegate or Decline. Generally speaking, when you have been dragging your feet on something for a very long time, it may be a good time to think a bit more strategically, like a project manager. Ask yourself: Isn’t someone else responsible to do this task? Is this task something that someone else could be doing better/faster? If yes, then maybe it’s time to delegate or say “no”. Another good option is “Task Swap”. This is when you and another person such as your colleague spouse, kids, friends, etc. swap tasks with you in a win-win situation. 4. Put blinders on! Block off any distraction by turning your cell phone to airplane mode, ignoring incoming emails, closing the door of your office, booking yourself a meeting room, and taking your laptop in that meeting room for working (but please be courteous to others and don’t do this at peak meeting times), putting those Beats on and listening to nature’s sound if you are in an open work environment. Now you are mentally ready for a deep-dive working period, go ahead and jump right in! 5. Tips or Tricks Sometimes though, the reason we put things off is that we don’t know where to start. The task seems too complex in our minds. In these cases, remind yourself that you are not alone. Ask for help or share your struggles with someone who has done the same task before. Ask them how they felt during that task and what they learned. You may realize that the task you were dreading, wasn’t that complicated, or you may learn a few shortcuts that expedite the process. Not only, these conversations will get you mentally ready for the action but will also give you the opportunity to pass on these tips and tricks to other people. Just remember that the point of these talks is not just complaining and spreading negative feelings around, rather a search to find tools and resources that can help you with the task at hand. Follow Miriam on her Faceboo k , Instagram , Linkedin and visit her website for more information. Miriam Freeman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Miriam is a Career-Mindset Strategist and a certified coach. With more than two decades of professional experience in critical and leadership roles in some of Canada’s largest corporations and has been a committee member of the board of directors for a leading organization in Toronto. Continual learning and personal development have always been core principles in her life and work. After graduating from an MBA, she pursued additional studies in Law, Taxations, Positive Psychology and Tiny Habits. She has worked, lived and studied in different countries, learned to adapt to different cultures of the East and the West. Her life experiences in addition to her positive attitude helped her expand her appreciation for mindfulness, honesty and focus on heart and mind at the same time. Miriam helps her clients pivot their mindset, create winning habits, change the trajectory and build the career they desire while enjoying a meaningful life.