Getting IN THE FLOW!

This has been a BIG message for me lately and one that’s been coming up a lot with my coaches and clients.

I've learned over the past few years that there is a clear distinction for me between times when I feel "in the flow" and times when I don't. I've also learned that life *in the flow* is WAY better and fun and free. When I'm in the flow, I feel connected to my purpose and my higher self, I feel grateful that I get to serve, I feel energized and excited, and I feel like majority of my energy and intention is connected to a greater purpose.

The good news is that I've been able to identify the little shifts that can get me back in the flow at times when I'm not feeling it so much. When it comes to my health and energy, adding some extra greens and doing SOMETHING everyday to move my body is all it takes to start to get me back in the flow. When there is stress I'm dealing with, even 5 minutes a day of journaling my thoughts can help me shift. I detailed more of these tips during a huge phase of overwhelm during the holidays last year: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2014/12/holiday-stress-and-overwhelm.html. When it comes to my Beachbody business, I know if I'm running challenge groups and helping people regularly in terms of dealing with any stress or struggles they may be facing and helping them make baby steps to get them back on the right track, I feel REALLY good no matter what else is going on in my business. In terms of my general life purpose, if I'm writing and creating content that feels like it may be helping even just one person out there, then that makes me happy. In terms of relationships, if I'm surrounding myself with people that lift me up and challenge me in expansive ways and raise my energy, we're good there. I make sure I have business and accountability partners for support to help keep me on track! For example, this summer I partnered up with my friend, Meredith, who is also in the wellness industry. We meet once a week for *inspire sessions* to help each other brainstorm for future goals. I am super grateful for her partnership and ideas and working relationship!

I also recently wrote about making peace with ourselves and the things we deal with regularly, including our exercise and work. It’s hard to be in the flow if we’re letting things like this overwhelm or frustrate us! Turning “should dos” into “get to dos” makes a big difference in getting back into the flow! I describe some easy shifts to do this here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/world-peace-day-make-peace-with.html.

It's been a BUSY couple of weeks but I have never felt better! It's one of those days where I'm truly feeling like the sky is the limit! And the ceiling at the Beehive is matching my attitude ;)

So I'm curious- how much attention do you pay to those times where you feel in the flow? Is it something you consciously have to pay attention to and work towards? What things set your soul on fire and make you feel most in the flow??

Football or holiday party tips

For me, when I walk into a party and food is EVERYWHERE, that is the toughest situation for me. I easily get caught up in picking at things and going back and forth between salty and sweet (I can literally FEEL dopamine and other brain chemicals kicking in)! It's REALLY tough to maintain will power if the food is going to be out for an extended period of time. These are what I call "high risk situations". I still haven't mastered them but I have learned some tricks that have helped me in these situations:

1. Bring something healthy to the party (at least you know you'll have one healthy option!)

2. Sip on some coffee or tea- it keeps your mouth occupied

3. If I know I have a party like this coming up, I make SURE to do as much as I can around it to stay on track. I eat EXTRA healthy a few days leading up to it, I get my workout in that day so I go into it feeling good, and I have a plan in place to make sure I eat well in the days following (stocked up on healthy food, healthy meals already prepared, schedule a yoga class or other workout meet-up with a friend for the day after)

4. I use my client accountability groups (on facebook) to encourage me and help me devise a plan! Knowing I have to report back to them keeps me on track!

5. I find an accountability partner- preferably someone AT the party, but it also works to have someone on hand that I can text (I've even posted in my facebook groups FROM the party to ask for extra encouragement).

6. Wait as long as possible to eat. The later you start, the more will already be eaten and the less time overall you'll have to maintain your good decisions. Try eating something healthy before the party to keep you full and satisfied for as long as possible before digging in

7. I remind myself that I don't need to try EVERYTHING. Find the indulgences that look the most "worth it". There's nothing worse than eating junk and realizing it wasn't even that good. And by all means, throw away anything you take that ends up not being "worth it"! We don't need to go for clean plate club here.

8. Position myself as far away as possible from the food (preferably in another room)

9. Instead of focusing on what I'm missing out on, I focus on the good, non-food aspects of the party! Here's a perfect chance to get to know your friends and family on a deeper level! When was the last time you asked a relative what were some of their biggest lessons they've learned in life? When was the last time you got down on the floor to be in awe of a cardboard box with your little niece? I had a FANTASTIC business discussion with my mom's cousin's husband at our family reunion recently. Sometimes when you're around people from the time you're little, you forget that they have other interests and skills outside of the family. We both learned a lot from each other and it kept me engaged and not thinking about food the whole time we were talking!

10. Good or bad, don't beat yourself up for anything that happened haha. Guilt will only add to the stress that can trigger us to continue on an unhealthy track. Tomorrow is a fresh start. Get back on the wagon!

Any other tips to add?? I'd love to hear them!

World peace day: make peace with OURSELVES

Yesterday was World Peace Day and it got me thinking about how we could apply this also to our health and well-being. The question from the official video (link at bottom of blog), “who will you make peace with?” triggered the immediate intuitive response inside of me saying, “ourselves.” How much of our day to day conflict is self-imposed? What can we do right in the here-and-now to create more peace in the world by making our OWN energy more peaceful? Here were some thoughts that came to mind:

The scale. That number has the power to elicit an emotional response in us. Why not try this week to make peace with whatever number shows up, reminding yourself that that number also contains the weight of your heart pumping your blood; the lungs breathing the oxygen you are currently inhaling; the weight of your eyes that allow you to see your child or a flower or a beautiful sunset; the weight of your arms that can embrace someone you love; the weight of your hands able to grasp another in a sign of respect, high-five a friend, or create beautiful works of art.

Food. So often we associate food with guilt or deprivation but it is something to be cherished for the nutrients it provides our body! This week, practice mindfulness with your food. There is a type of zen that comes with eating leafy greens or a juicy piece of fresh fruit :)

Workouts. This is not punishment. This is training your body to be more efficient and getting you to a healthier state! This is a chance to appreciate moving your body and all that it can do! Your body is in it’s highest glory when it is moving joyfully!!

Our bodies. How much are you appreciating your body and truly loving yourself? I wrote a blog on this recently to explain how much of a critical role this plays in our journey and progress:

http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/love-yourself-to-where-you-want-to-be.html

Work. Make peace with looking at how we get to SERVE. If you’re someone who desires to help people, you can do this no matter what your job is. Here are some ways I have trained myself to APPRECIATE what I GET to do rather than viewing it as a “should do” or a “have to do” dreaded obligation (this applies to workouts too):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJb-OAJSjE8&list=PLXiky4MOw2FjF0FZLuTXQeT__IwOADo3n&index=15

Other people. Sometimes this may be an apology or a conversation to work things out. Sometimes this may be setting boundaries or expectations. Sometimes it may be letting go of relationships that no longer serve us or being more intentional with who we spend our time around. It can also be making peace with other people in our own soul. If the other person is not ready or willing, a conversation or resolution may not be possible. But hanging on to resentment, uneasiness, unforgiveness, guilt, hard feelings, or general bad vibes does not serve us. It causes stress and reinforcement of the negative patterns and contributes to the overall negativity in the world. Working on forgiving the other person and ourselves for any wrongdoing, having compassion for how the other person might be feeling, recognizing that we don’t know their full story or what pain and fear might have been driving them to act the way they did, recognizing that any wrongdoing to us has nothing to do with us and everything to do with their pain, accepting and forgiving ourselves for any hurt we may have caused and learning from it moving forward, mentally releasing toxic energy, and sending love and blessings to that person can literally CHANGE YOUR LIFE!! We cannot control other people, but we do have power over our own thoughts, emotions, actions and reactions as well as the energy that surrounds the situation. Instead of feeding the situation onward with negative energy, let it resolve with your own peace and love about it. Say a prayer of gratitude for any tough situations like this, recognizing that even seemingly unwanted situations like this are all for our greater good, growth, and expansion.

Gratitude for the tough stuff: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/gratitude-for-tough-stuff.html

Our time. Let’s make peace with time knowing we only have so much time in a day and be gentle with ourselves, doing what we can, surrendering to the universe what we can’t. Let’s ease our minds with the mantra: time expands, life is long.

Our life. This has a LOT to do with what I described in the video above: accepting what is and recognizing that the “wanted” stuff and the “unwanted” is all working for our greater good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsur7nrcsxc

Not to mention, we have a TON of things in our lives to be grateful for! No matter how bad things might be right now, I know you have at least SOME things to be grateful for! For example, right now, I know you have fresh air to breath, you woke up this morning, you have electricity and internet access, and you have at least one person who cares about you and your happiness and is rooting for you (me!). Start with those little things if that’s all you can muster! And build up to the AMAZING things that completely surround us with beauty and wonder in this world!!

How to create a gratitude practice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa0oqC1aCzw

Ourselves. What are you not forgiving yourself for? What resistance could you let go of? In what ways could you be a little more gentle with yourself? In what ways could you be a little more accepting of yourself, flaws and all? In what ways could you take a little more of a chance on yourself? We can at times be our own worst enemy and critic. Make the world a little more peaceful by starting with yourself!! In doing this, you also give others permission to the same!! How can you be a little more authentically YOU today??

World peace day official video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3_dl-yl74s

We are all each other's teachers

Got this message from a client-turned-coach, a wonderful mom and role model, an amazing friend, and an absolute inspiration. I'm sitting here tearing up in a "this is why I do what I do" moment. She first texted me to tell me how excited she was about a new dress she fit into and how great she physically feels (which I am incredibly happy about), but then this message... wow... really got me. I am completely humbled. Completely touched. And completely grateful for all of my hardest experiences in life, for those were the situations that taught me what I am now able to pass on to others. But I've had teachers too. They have come in the form of good friends and family support and incredible parents. They have come in the form of heartbreak. They have come in the form of authors whose books I dove into in times of on-the-floor-in-a-ball-hysterical-crying desperation. They have come in the form of people who on the surface we don't see eye to eye, who have been challenges in my life and I in theirs, but deep down share the same essence and the same oneness. They have come in the form of soul sisters and people who I consider in my "spiritual tribe". They have come in the form of seemingly miraculous coincidences revealed to be divinely orchestrated destiny. They have come in the form of clients and of course has come in the form of the same person who wrote this message to me.

Think of the kind of world this could be if we could recognize clearly how similar we all are... If we could have compassion for the struggles we all are going through... If we could all be reassured with true faith that the work we are doing through the challenges is worth it... If we could all cooperate and strengthen each other and lift each other up, knowing that we live in a universe of abundance and there is enough for all if we are just willing to share and see... If we could recognize that even the toughest of situations are a benefit to us, aiding in our learning, growth, and expansion... If we could use those lessons to help each other... If we all could lend a few more helping hands knowing that there will always be hands there to help us. That IS the world we live in. We need only awaken and SEE it.

Today, lend a few more helping hands. We are all each other's teachers.

Gratitude for the tough stuff

There is always room for improvement, but I have to say I am proud of the point I’m at in my own growth. Instead of being impulsive and reactionary in tough situations, I can handle them with peace and grace. I mean this relatively because I am far from perfect in this regard, but I can FEEL my own progress. And that feels good :)

One practice that has helped me develop this and keep the big picture in mind when handling, processing, or reacting to any tough/sad/disappointing/frustrating situation is to be grateful for the tough stuff that comes along. It instantly pulls me out of fear and reminds me that these labels (“tough,” “sad,” “disappointing,” “frustrating,” “bad,” etc) are only the meaning I’m giving to it by thinking the situation *should* have unfolded in a different way. When I can pull myself out of the emotion of it and into observer mode through this gratitude practice, I am able to remember that EVERYTHING is happening for my greater good and expansion. If it’s happening, it’s because on a soul level, I needed it to happen.

While it is often initially difficult to utter the words, “Thank you for [insert difficult situation/person/outcome],” the resistance seems to fade almost immediately once the full thought is expressed and given a voice and it is replaced with a peace and awareness and understanding and calmness once the bigger picture is allowed to come into sight. I sometimes can even start to feel the tingly excitement of my energy and vibration raising as I do this. I urge you to give it a try too!!

Here is a video where I explain more. I also included some pictures below of the lake I was at when I recorded this. They instantly make me feel peaceful :)

Having gratitude for the tough stuff

Pictures from the lake- enjoy!

Deep questions to ask in a work/professional situation

This may seem a little off subject from my normal posts, but I think relationships are ESSENTIAL to our growth and expansion. While surface level conversations are fine, I always feel like I get the most benefit out of a conversation where I really get to know the truth of who a person is. I often find that the more open and vulnerable I am willing to be, the more that is reciprocated. I try to be as open as I can with my clients about anything I am struggling with, what got me through tough times, and anything else I might be dealing with. I often find that the relationships that are built because of this mutual openness are some of the most fulfilling and supportive relationships I have. I end up learning just as much (or more!) from them as they do from me!

Where this can get tricky are situations that are assumed to be more professional upfront. I do think it is possible to get to know a person on a deeper level in ANY situation but I find that in certain settings, it's important to be more tactful about what we're asking and how.

A good starting point is to ask questions about life outside of work to find some common ground or interests to build upon. Here are some ideas for questions to ask to facilitate getting to know someone in a professional setting:

1. What is the most impactful lesson you have learned in your career thus far?

2. What is your favorite part of what you get to do (and why)?

3. What has been the most trying time in your career and what did you do to get through it?

4. What is the most important people skill or relationship building skill that you value most in the people you deal with in your work?

5. What do you think my biggest strengths are?

6. What do you think my biggest weaknesses are?

7. What are some of your biggest goals? What is your next step?

8. What brings the most fulfillment to your life?

And of course these questions can be modified to facilitate relationship building or deepening in non-professional settings as well. I'd love to hear ideas for further thoughts or probing questions!

A follow-up about self-love and weight loss

As a follow-up to my post the other day about loving yourself to where you want to be rather than guilting/shaming/self-hating your way there (full post here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/love-yourself-to-where-you-want-to-be.html), I wanted to add some additional questions/ideas that will hopefully provoke some good thoughts and allow you to solidify for yourself why it is so important to try to be a little more self-loving. A HUGE thank you goes out to my friend, Evonne. A lot of these points came from an awesome conversation with her and I want to give her due credit.

She pointed out how often we link happiness to the weight we were at during a certain great period of life while completely neglecting that there were probably a whole bunch of other reasons that were much more the ACTUAL cause of our happiness! Wow, what a great point. There have been times when I was at the lower end of my normal weight range but my relationships, career, faith, etc were not aligned and I was completely miserable (another fantastic Evonne-ism, “Standing alone and thin is no fun”). Then there were other times when I was on the upper end of my weight range but life was stellar and I was living up every moment of it (see picture)! True freedom is learning how to love yourself and appreciate life and enjoy what you’ve got no matter what the external circumstances are!!

As Evonne so brilliantly put it, “I didn’t get thin and get happy, it was the other way around.” How true is that?? Often times they go hand in hand. As we eat better, the healthier food improves our mood (I also now NOTICEABLY recognize not-so-healthy food negatively effecting my mood). As we workout more, we feel stronger, we feel more vitality, and the endorphins boost our mood as well. We also typically feel more in alignment of what we WANT for our lives. But there are also other ways to lose weight in the short-term that don’t necessarily involve these healthy methods and certainly don’t produce these feel-good effects. More often than not, as we FEEL GOOD about ourselves, LOVE ourselves as I spoke of the other day, and find appreciation for what we have in the here and now, that is NATURALLY going to translate to our physical appearance. Think of the GLOW that radiates from someone who is really excited about life! In those states of flow, it is much easier for those healthier habits to fall into place rather than being stressed, frustrated with life, and putting pressure on ourselves to lose 5 pounds because we are unhappy with our lives and we think that will make us feel better. Truth is, it might. Temporarily. But it’s not going to fix the bigger issues that can ONLY come with a lot of internal work on ourselves and on our outlook on life. What we resist, persists. And whether that be resisting self-acceptance and self-love because we are 10 pounds heavier than where we want to be or resisting doing the TRUE work that we know we need to do on ourselves (internally- mentally, emotionally, spiritual), those circumstances will persist on. It’s only when we enter a state of acceptance do we release the blocks and pressure that have been holding us back and enter into a state of allowance. EVERYTHING happens more easily there because it happens from a place of love. It is the changes we make on the INSIDE that show up in our external world.

Finally, I would like to offer you a chance to take the next couple minutes to pause and meditate on how it would really FEEL to not care about your weight. Some of you may think that you would let yourself eat whatever you want and end up gaining weight. Well, that would be based on the assumption that it is only your pressure, guilt, and shame that will help you lose the weight you desire. I beg to differ. I have seen countless people attack weight loss with such pressure and rigidity that they end up quitting altogether. I have also seen people take the slow and steady route, allow themselves indulgences along the way, and still get to where they wanted to be. Think of how you would feel if the pressure was finally off. If you weren’t worried about how people would judge you. If you could solely base your decisions on your own happiness and love for yourself. Where would that lead you? ** Picture the difference in the energy if I locked you in room with a canvas, some paints, and a Da Vinci painting and told you that you had to recreate it PERFECTLY to the exact specifications. Now picture walking through a garden on a beautiful day and stumbling upon a blank canvas, a glorious selection of colorful paints, a variety of intriguing brushes, and flowers all around you for inspiration. Which situation do you think would create the better work? Take the pressure off. You are still YOU even without the weight pressure. You will still WANT to do what’s healthy for yourself… probably more so without the pressure of the results and instead a focus on what feels good and what is most loving for yourself. Sometimes that may be the salad, sometimes that may be a delicious cup of ice cream (which I promise will be way more satisfying when it isn’t followed by guilt and regret). It doesn’t matter. Live with love and let your heart guide you to your best. **Create a masterpiece today**


More about making peace with our selves, our lives, and each area of it: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/world-peace-day-make-peace-with.html

LOVE YOURSELF to where you want to be!!!

I’ve got an IMPORTANT message- this has been coming up A LOT lately.

**I cannot stress enough how important it is to LOVE yourself to where you want to be rather than self-hating/shaming/guilting yourself to where you want to be!** I can PROMISE you that the added stress and pressure and negative emotions that the latter thought process causes is counterproductive to your health and happiness. Loving yourself right where you are does not mean you are throwing in the towel on the healthy changes you want to make- what it DOES mean is that you constantly shower yourself with love and acceptance while still evaluating how you can be kinder to yourself and create healthier habits. The THOUGHT PROCESS must be healthy too in order for it to show up in the physical form! And isn’t it wonderful to know that there’s someone that will ALWAYS be there for you and ALWAYS have your back 100% and will ALWAYS love and accept you know matter what?? Yep, and that person is YOU!! While it’s WONDERFUL to have a loving support system, it is also IMPERATIVE to work on loving and accepting yourself exactly the way you are, right now, at this very minute. Take a moment to APPRECIATE all that your body is doing for you! No matter what you do to it or what you put into it, it is digesting, breathing, keeping your heart beating, moving your eyeballs right now as you read this, and YES, your body is your biggest cheerleader!! LOVE IT BACK!!

Admittedly, this has not been my best summer for healthy habits. Between my birthday, several trips, and normal summer busyness, I’ve indulged quite a bit. But just because I’m working towards getting stronger, improving my endurance, and feeling more health and vitality, does not mean I can’t appreciate this awesome life and self I have right in the here and now!! If you’re struggling with this, think of someone less fortunate than you in their health or life circumstances that would give anything to be where you are. If that helps, start by appreciating your self and your life and your body for them first THEN slowly, over time, move into loving you for your own sake!!

If you base your self-love on how you look or a number on the scale, then your happiness at any given point in time will always be dependent on whether you are or are not at that point. So make the decision NOW that you will love yourself and have your back no matter what!!! It is truly as simple as that… just DECIDE!!! Throw out your cares of what anyone else might think (because anyone who does not love you unconditionally is not worth it anyway!) and know that no matter what, YOU have your back!! YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!!

I did a follow-up to this post that can be found here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-follow-up-about-self-love-and-weight.html

Healthy systems are more effective than willpower

In my world, willpower alone is not enough (not NEARLY enough) to make healthy choices regularly. My workout motivation has centered around years of gratitude practice for what my body is capable of (literally take a second to picture all the complex mechanisms that are involved in just getting one finger to move!!) and I've created systems to get me moving and keep me accountable (thank you, online challenge groups with my clients). My nutrition is the same way. Relying on willpower alone to make healthy choices or avoid the junk would be setting myself up for failure (that's why I don't do so great at parties or cookouts where the junk food is a temptation for hours on end)! But at home, I have great systems. I literally won't let myself buy junk at the grocery store and I make sure to keep my fridge PACKED with the healthy stuff. So for example, one aspect of this system is to make sure I never miss a farmer's market! So at least I know that every single Tuesday, my fridge is getting restocked with lots of fresh produce. I don't crave junk when I have all this delicious, healthy food keeping me well nourished!

What are some of your systems for good health??

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Might as well do what sets your soul on fire!!

Every profession in the world gets judged:

If you are a teacher, you will inevitably be judged for being too strict, or not strict enough or giving too many tests

If you are a doctor, you will be judged by the patient who is in denial about the weight they need to lose, or you will be judged because you can't save every person

If you are a healer or meditation guru, you get judged for being hokey or "too positive"

If you are successful in business, you will be judged for being too greedy

If you are professional athlete, you get judged for making too much money or for dropping the ball

If you are a celebrity, you will be judged by your appearance or who you are dating or the awards you failed to take home

If you are the president, you get judged for... everything

If you are a yoga teacher, you will be judged for not having a "real job"

If you are an author, you will be judged for that book that flopped

I could go on and on. Every profession will be judged at some point or another by people who are unhappy with their own circumstances or simply because as humans, we all have our own unique set of values and experiences and opinions! But instead of fearing judgement, focus on doing what you love and serving the world! If you're going to be judged regardless, might as well get it for doing something that sets your soul on fire!!!

Now and Then: Slow and Steady LIFESTYLE Changes

I was talking to a super sweet friend of mine yesterday who is looking to make some healthy changes in her life. A lot of what she was saying she struggles with is exactly where I was just a few short years ago. I’ve shared a lot of before and after pics of programs I’ve done but I don’t think I’ve ever done a big picture comparison between what my life was like 3 years ago and what it’s like now. Throwback Thursday seemed like the perfect occasion! :)  It’s been a series of slow, steady, SUSTAINABLE lifestyle changes. A few steps forward, a step back. My healthy habits are not perfect or 100% foolproof but I’ve come along way and I’m very proud of that. My health has always been important to me, but the biggest difference between then and now is that my day to day decisions now are actually aligning with that. Even accounting for the imperfections, occasional missed workouts or overindulgences, or times when I’m off track, the big picture is is a healthy and happy one :) And I FEEL aligned with where and who I want to be.

So in honor of throwback Thursday (and my awesome friend and our great conversation), I thought I’d post some pictures of me from back in 2009-2012ish when I was at my highest weight. I never stressed too much about my weight but I DID feel badly that I wasn’t making time to workout. I felt badly that I was putting some not-so-great things in my body (eating poorly and drinking frequently). I didn’t feel physically at my best either- I was tired frequently, bloated, sluggish. I often felt uncomfortable in clothes- like LITERALLY I could feel pants that I used to wear with no problem now digging into my waist when I sat down (and I’d have to yank them up when I stood up). I switched to flowy shirts and often tried to cover my stomach. I enjoyed running but I could feel soreness way more easily, especially tightness in my knees, because of the extra weight I was carrying and my legs felt like logs. I came down with colds or sore throats multiple times each year. In general, it made it hard to be fully engaged in loving life...

Fast forward to the summer of 2012 when I discovered Beachbody programs. I now had an actual PLAN for my workouts, I learned about strength training through Chalean Extreme, I started eating MUCH cleaner, I started drinking Shakeology daily (which PACKED my system with the nutrients I needed), and I had an AWESOME Facebook-based online accountability group of other women working towards the same goals. I fell in love with it and decided to become a coach. I was far from where I am now, but being a coach and taking others on this journey with me forced me to stay engaged. We had FUN experimenting with recipes, finding ways to motivate ourselves, and encouraging each other to stick with it. I always tell my clients that I rely on THEM as much as they rely on me! Now I have a whole team of coaches to keep me going strong!!

Now I have so much more energy, muscle tone that I had never had in my life, a HUGE tool chest of tips and tricks to stay motivated, and AWESOME support from my clients and fellow coaches. I haven’t been sick ONCE in over 3 years, I feel super fit and strong, I love the way my clothes fit, I feel lean and healthy, and I’m EXCITED ABOUT LIFE!

It’s not about being perfect or reaching some arbitrary “ideal weight” at ALL. My weight still fluctuates and I still have times when I get off track (like this summer, for example). But the difference is, the times that I’m off track are much shorter and much less “severe” haha. I KNOW how to get back on track and I can get back on track easily and quickly with the help and support of my Beachbody friends. I am mindful of what I eat. I keep my health as my main priority and I make sure my choices align with that. I look for other ways to take care of myself like doing my best to keep stress low. I have found ways to LOVE working out! Healthy cooking is my form of zen :)  I’ve made it a LIFESTYLE. It wasn’t overnight. It did take work. But I PROMISE YOU, it’s WORTH IT!!!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

I need to take a second to brag about YOU!!

On social media these days, I see a LOT of people posting about haters. My heart goes out to them. It really does. NOBODY should ever be made to feel like less than the awesomeness that each and every person inherently is and I commend them for standing strong despite any negative feedback. But I must say that the other thing that comes to mind when I see these types of posts is how GRATEFUL I am to have such incredible friends, family, social media friends, and networks who have been nothing but supportive- not just with my coaching journey but who have supported me my whole life. I’m not just talking about close friends and family, I’m literally talking about EVERY SINGLE ONE of you on here. If you’re reading this, I’m talking to YOU! And I thank you.

I’m not saying that every person has to like me or agree with me- we all have our own opinions on lots of different topics and I LOVE that! That’s what makes us UNIQUE! But can I just pause for a second and say how incredible you all are for doing what you do?! I literally don’t know that I’ve EVER gotten any kind of “hater” message before (I did get one really bizarre comment on one of my youtube videos once from a stranger but literally before I could even report it to Youtube, other complete strangers had stepped up and were sticking up for me all through the comment thread on the video, which I actually thought was really cool that I got to see and experience… “look for the helpers,” Mr. Rogers says). I respect all of your opinions but you’re all either super supportive or kind/polite enough to at least not talk down on anything I’m doing. And that’s why I love you all! You’re all too busy rocking your own awesome stuff in life to bother with nay-saying anyone else!!!

So to literally EVERY SINGLE PERSON reading this- my friends, my family, my beachbody supporters, and my peeps that NEVER WANT TO HEAR THE WORD BEACHBODY AGAIN haha- I LOVE YOU ALL TO PIECES!! And I appreciate each and every single one of you for being kind, classy, compassionate, supportive, encouraging, incredible souls!!! All ships rise with the tide and you all sure know how to make the tide rise! Keep on rocking with all the awesome stuff that YOU all are doing too!!

CHEERS TO YOU ALL!!!



Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach. 

Goal setting, dream making, vision boarding, clarifying!

If you all don't know I'm crazy, now you know haha! Clearly there was a part of me that was really yearning to clarify some big life goals! I've really been putting my heart and soul into this assignment from our challenge group and even pulled out old goals, vision boards, and inspiring books to help me clarify. I'm using Chalene Johnson's PUSH to clarify my top priority statement and push goal. I did this back in 2013 and it was sooo useful but I'm a different person now with bigger dreams so it definitely needs an update!! The first 4 days REALLY help with the clarification process. I highly recommend it! If anyone would like to do it with me, you can either get the book or do it for free at 30daypush.com! I might even continue on through all 30 days (which I've never actually done before)!

Personal development: you are WORTH it!!

I get a lot of really sweet compliments about my positive outlook on life, which I definitely appreciate, but in trying to always be open and transparent, I'd like to remind you all that it is a constant practice. I spend an average of 2-3 hours a day on personal development (I did this even when working full time). I listen to podcasts, motivational youtube videos, and audiobooks while driving, working out, getting ready, and during my walks each day. I read everyday. It has been a process. I don't seek perfection; I seek growth, expansion, increased awareness, progress, new knowledge, and higher energy and vibration. I am grateful to have this much time to put into this (I am borderline obsessive about it and make it a huge priority), but I also firmly believe that even 10-20 min/day can make a WORLD of difference in your life. It is all about seeing what you connect with, seeing what you can put into practice in your life, trying it out, evaluating, incorporating, and then seeking more.

I also don't think it matters where you start. For me it was Tony Robbins and Wayne Dyer because their work was what I was resonating with at that point in my life and journey. That then led to me finding other high-performance coaches, discovering other Hay House authors, going to conferences that exposed me to more concepts that I wanted to learn more about, and took me all the way to some of my current favorite people to follow like Teal Swan who has a seemingly endless wealth of incredible online content. But no matter where you start, you will naturally discover more people and concepts that you resonate with. It's more important that you just start somewhere with a little time each day. YOU and your LIFE are WORTH IT!!!!

COACHING, FINANCIALS, VIABILITY, QUESTIONS, FEARS AND MORE all addressed here!

I get a TON of questions about the viability of Beachbody coaching so for those of you who have ever wondered any of the following, such as,

1.  “Aren’t there already a lot of coaches? What would make people want to coach under me?”

2.  “What happens when the Beachbody trend is over? Is the company really viable?”

3.  “Isn’t it too late to join as a coach? What if it doesn’t work out for me?”

I’m going to address them right here for you!

1. First off, ANYBODY can coach! People relate to YOU uniquely! So no matter how many coaches are already out there, people are going to want you as a coach because they relate to YOU.

My customers and coaches relate to me because I try to keep things light-hearted and fun. I focus on working on people’s fears and blocks first, then we deal with BELIEF, THEN we work on addressing health-related habits. I’m goofy and weird and I like to be VERY real and open with my struggles.

People might relate to you because you are a master at healthy cooking, or you are able to inspire people into doing really tough workouts, or you’re a mom and share similar struggles with other moms trying to be healthy, or because they like your sassy attitude about workouts, or because you have a drill-sergeant style for people who want that tough love, or because they have the same interests or values as you, or a whole number of other things!!

2. *Viability* I think it’s kind of funny when people ask me about the viability of Beachbody. I never got asked this question as an engineer and THAT was the job I lost haha!

Our execs and trainers at Beachbody make quality their TOP PRIORITY. It truly is a mission to end the trend of obesity. That means they are constantly staying on top of health trends, creating innovative new products, constantly tweaking based on coach and customer feedback, and looking for new ways to best serve the health and fulfillment of our customers!!

Some of the incredible Beachbody trainers

This company is still a baby. If you could see some of the things that are in the works for the future behind the scenes, you would know what an amazing growth opportunity this still is.

Beachbody CEO, Carl Daikeler

*Financials* When I lost my full-time job as an engineer over a year ago, I made the decision not to look for another job but instead to coach full-time. A lot of people questioned me on that. I don’t talk about money a lot but I can promise you that this was a well-thought-out, over-analyzed, deeply researched decision (not to mention there was a lot of soul searching that went into it). By the time that I became a coach full-time, I was making roughly the same amount of money as I had been as an engineer. I had saved up a lot of money during the time I knew I might be losing my job so I knew I’d have a cushion but I also didn’t want to have to tap into that. And to take it one step farther, I wanted to be able to maintain the same level of investing that I had been doing while working at my old job once I was a coach full-time. So I assure you that my standards are pretty high in terms of what I wanted to still be able to do financially as a coach and I have been able to meet all of those goals.

*Value* One last thing about viability and the financials of it. Money aside, there is also a ton of VALUE in the time and freedom I currently have. I can spend all day doing personal development and learning any skill that I want. This also makes me a better coach in the process because I can pass on what I’m learning to my customers and coaches. But additionally, for anyone who worries about money, career, or the future, just remember that you can lose EVERYTHING but the one thing that nobody can take away from you is what you’ve learned along the way. Our own personal growth and expansion is the most valuable thing we will ever have (not to mention having the time and freedom to make great memories with the people we love and doing what’s most important to us)!!

If anything ever changes, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. It’s not worth any of my energy to worry about it in the meantime. SO MUCH of what we worry about never ends up happening. And at the end of the day, it’s something I love doing so I plan on doing it as long as possible. I love this quote from Jim Carrey from a commencement speech last year. It pretty much sums up my feelings on this topic:

“So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality…. you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

3. This kind of expands on what I said above about value. None of these questions/fears/concerns really matter because the biggest thing I’ve taken away from this is my own personal growth. This is a challenging business and the biggest challenge is talking yourself through all these doubts and fears that come up (“maybe I’m not cut out for this”, “nobody is interested in working with me”, “I hit a plateau,  I knew this wouldn’t work out,” “It’s been a slow month, this is probably the beginning of the end”). It’s ok to feel those fears but the challenge comes in continuing on despite them! Only then do you begin to see that none of those fears were real. There IS another side to each challenge. In doing this, your OWN PERSONAL BELIEF about what’s possible for your LIFE changes!!! THAT is where the true personal growth takes place!! It’s a lesson in persistence and of surpassing our own limits we place on ourselves and getting out of our own way!!! And once you start to do this, you’ll see that it begins to affect all other areas of your life!! You learn that the only real way to not succeed is to stop trying altogether. That first comes in seeing changes in your workouts or your eating, then your business, then, eventually, ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE that you put your mind to!!

In the process, you also happen to be surrounded by some of the most open, supportive, caring, generous, motivated, positive, inspiring people in the world to encourage you! Your health will be better than ever because you’re on a TEAM! Honestly, I rely on other customers just as much for motivation as they do on me!!

Our incredible team!

This business lights a fire in me. It’s honestly one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things I’ve ever done and I love being able to help people in some small way every.single.day. :) :) :)

We can NEVER have enough coaches to fight for health and to teach people how to BELIEVE in themselves!!! If there is ever a time where that need no longer exists, what a WONDERFUL WORLD this will be!!!

You are worth taking the chance on your own GREATNESS (whatever that may be for you)!!! So if you have been thinking about taking a chance on this crazy, awesome business, please ask yourself, what's the worst that could happen?? You grow as a person, increase your own health and well-being, and help and inspire a few people along the way :)  The BEST thing that can happen is that you CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND CHANGE THE WORLD!!!!!!

**Please don’t hesitate to ask me more!!  I absolutely love talking to people about this business but I NEVER pressure anyone into anything they may not be ready for, so please don’t be scared to talk to me if you’re curious!! This could be your calling :) :) :)

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.