Taking my own advice...

I spend a lot of time talking about sleep, stress and schedule fixes (subscribe to my newsletter if you want this content delivered directly to your inbox first thing Sunday mornings). But sometimes, I find myself struggling. It's a fact of life, something about the shoemaker's kids going barefoot I think. So in the spirit of sleep, stress and schedule fixes, here are my top sleep, stress and schedule struggles.

My biggest sleep struggle: Marie hasn't slept through the night in five years. I get up at midnight, at 3 o'clock and then 5. I've lived this way for a whileeeee. I decided last month that I wasn't getting up with her at midnight anymore. I needed a bit more consistent sleep. So I just did it. The first night, she jumped out of bed and I woke up. And laid there. She walked out to the kitchen (I know, close before you dose, but I also have two cats), waited for me, and after a few minutes jumped back in bed and went back to sleep. The second night was the same, she woke up, walked to the kitchen, took a drink of water and waited. After a few minutes, she came back to bed. The third night, she woke up and never left the bedroom, just jumped down and jumped back up when she realized that I wasn't moving. Fast forward to last night and were sleeping through the night. Just. Like. That.

Lesson #1: Justifcation kills goals. Hard stop.

Well, she's used to me working nights, she think she's supposed to get up at this time- I haven't worked nights in over a year.

Well, she needs fresh air- We walk daily, she get's plent of fresh air.

Well, I can pee too.- I don't need to go that bad I can't make it through the night.

Well, if I forget to start the dishwasher, I can do it then.- I can't even with this one. I was really putting the yoga to use and stretching for that one.

The sleep bandit herself

And I know justifcation kills goals. I hear it in coaching sessions all the time. Feeling guilty, peer pressure, habit or any of the other justifcations that we make up don't change the outcome. Your goals don't get accomplished through justification. It's a hard pill to swallow put it's the truth. Life comes, and barriers arise but we have to prioritize. We have to follow through with our plan to get to the results. It's one of those things that just is what it is. We can't change without changing.

Anyways, I wake up feeling better and perhaps it's the motivation I need to just start doing to other things; one good habit snowballs into another. I think Amy Poehler says it best in her book Yes Please: "You do it because the doing of it is the thing. The doing is the thing. The talking and worrying and thinking is not the thing."

My biggest stress struggle:

Rumination; letting small things fester. This morning I was heading out to the door and I dropped my laptop and my coffee on the way out the door. I spilled the coffee, all of it. Lid went flying. Laptop fell and somehow a box of cat food fell on top of it (side note: Why is my mudroom in shambles). It was too late for me to change and make a fresh cup and make it to my appointment. Laptop still works (Side note 2: I worked in Amazon Distribution for a long time, I've seen plenty of electronics PUNTED across the warehouses, dropping it once is a non-issue). But I got in the car and I was mad. Why? My clothes dried. Laptop works. The car dealership has free coffee. Literally no issue occurred. No problems. But I was annoyed.

Lesson #2: Let it go. Take a few deep breaths. It's a not a bad day; it's a rough moment. The hot coffee did not feel great. Damp jeans are 2/10 way to start the day. But like, so what? I'm dry and caffeinated and typing.

Breathwork. Meditation. Yoga. It's not for the mat or dark quiet rooms. It's for the rough moments. The mat is the training space. The guided meditation is the training space. The asanas are the training space. The proof is in the breaths in hard spots. The stillness in chaos is the result. Step back, take a look at the bigger picture. And move the fuck on.

Tree house yoga in Isla Mujeres

My biggest schedule struggle: My own movement practice, something about the shoemaker's kids going barefoot. I love yoga, I love Pilates, I love walking. I preach these constantly. Because I truly think it makes a difference. I've done yoga since highschool, and everything I get out of Shavasana I still think that was amazing. It changes my whole day if I practice midday, it changes my sleep if I practice in the evening and I notice a considerable difference in the days I have when I practice in the morning. I have bolsters, blocks, mats, a Pilates chair, a ladder barrel and a walking pad. IN MY HOUSE. There are two world-class parks within a five minute drive of my house. I have access to a reformer, and all the equipment I could possibly use at the studios that I teach at and that I am getting mentorship through (Thank you to Nicole, Tricia and Jordan for letting me have these opportunities). And yet, I don't practice daily. Because the time gets away from me. Because life gets busy and the laundry piles call to me like a siren song. Because there is no available pickup windows at Walmart and I need to actually go and do my own shopping. Because there's a plants to water and books to read and studying to do. The list goes on and on.

I applaud all of the people who make it to movement classes or any sort with any sort of consistency. Because it's fucking hard. You have to make the commitment and follow through.

If you like a customizable planner Colibri Paper makes a great one called The Works.

Lesson #3: Write it down. Use a planner, a post it note, write it on a mirror in dry erase marker, set a reminder in your phone, schedule it as a meeting in Outlook. In 2026, there are no excuses to not use one of the available tools that works best for you. I tend to hit ignore if it's a calendar notification on my phone. I like iCal for addresses and such, but I don't find it particularly motivating. I have a cheap wall calendar that stares at me on my kitchen wall. And that works for me. C'est la vie. Find what works for you. I also think that having it on the calendar on the wall keeps me accountable because Ben will ask me 'how was yoga?'. It's a good motivator. For some people that may not work. Saying in your head I'm gonna go to yoga twice this week is a wish. Book the class, put the credit card number in the deposit, that's a plan. Buy the planner if you know it works for you. There's an article on the Seana Method, that discusses visual reminders. Most people (65%) need a visual reminder. Find one that works for you, one that's annoying but encouraging. Some people need harassment (that's me). Some need gentle encouragement. It's one of those processes that requires trial and error, sometimes, a fair bit of error. It's a learning and growing process as much as learning the fundamentals of tracking macros and proper lifting form.

The truth is, we all need advice, coaching, and correction. It's not a bad thing, it's simply a thing. The basics are always the first to go; and those things make the biggest impact. I get questions about supplements, biohacking, and optimization in my DMs daily. But those things are not the end game solutions. It's the basics that will keep you healthy, strong and happy. It's all about the Practice you keep.