Today, we’re diving into motivation...and I'm not just talking about the quick-fix, caffeine-and-panic kind, but the deep, sustainable motivation that actually sticks. And who better to guide us than Dr. Rebecca Block, the former professor, parent of two lively sons, and all-around motivation expert?

Rebecca’s here to break down the four essentials of motivation—her ABCDs—which are all about feeling "A" Able, finding "B" Belonging, being given "C" Choices, and, yes, even getting a "D" Dopamine boost. This framework is profound because we can start to recognize that when one of these is off, our motivation tanks. The real kicker is that Midlife hits us with new challenges everyday like menopause, sleep disruptions, and juggling way too many “shoulds"! So, ladies, getting our ABCDs in order can be a lifesaver.

In today’s chat, Rebecca gives us tools to recalibrate our motivation when life feels off-track. She’s got tips for avoiding those sneaky dopamine-sucking apps, reframing the “have-to’s” (like dinner duty) into “choose-to’s,” and recognizing what’s sapping our energy. Plus, she’ll let us in on what motivated her to tackle this topic after years of seeing teens *and* adults wrestle with it alike.

So whether you’re trying to motivate yourself, your kids, or your team at work, this episode is for you. Get ready to drop the guilt, harness your energy, and get a fresh take on motivation—let’s dive into the ABCDs with Dr. Rebecca Block!

In this episode, Rebecca teaches us:

1. There are 4 things that must be present to attain sustainable motivation. Becca calls these the "ABCDs" of motivation: a. Ability: you feel as if you have the skills and capabilities to be successful, b. Belonging: sense of belonging and support, c. choices: I was able to choose this path, d. dopamine: live a healthy lifestyle to maintain a base-level of dopamine
2. When you know these 4 requirements, when you lack motivation, then you can reflect and evaluate which of these things is missing and make small course corrections. OR you can create an environment in which these things are present so you can increase the likelihood that your children, partner, or employees will be motivated.
3. One of the first steps we can take to regulate is to get more sleep. Most women in menopause are severely sleep deprived especially because hormone shifts are disrupting our sleep and circadian rhythm. In this space we just feel exhausted and. motivation is hard to achieve in this state.
4. Evaluate how much time you're spending in the apps on your phone. Most of these apps are programed to stimulate very fast dopamine release cycles, which depletes your energy.
5. Reframe the things you feel like you "have" to do by examining why you choose to do it. If you know you HAVE make dinner for your family, flip the narrative and ask "why" you choose to make dinner...I choose to make dinner because I want my children to be expose to healthy foods, I want to eat healthy foods, and I prefer to reserve our money for other choices and, therefore, chose to eat at home. This helps provide a greater sense of control over your choices.
6. Sustained motivation comes in a space with a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. When some of the ABCDs are present AND you're focused on an external goal you know that what you're doing is moving you closer towards that goal, this creates a perfect environment for long-term motivation.

To find more of Rebecca:

Website | canyouhelpmegivea.com

LinkedIn | Rebecca-block

We were amazed by this episode! So many revelations...because, we know women in...

What IF you could wave a magic wand and gain clarity on who you are and what you know you do best so that you could harness these qualities and characteristics to live a life with purpose and intention.

We know you're thinking "that would be some magic wand!" But, we our guest today, Mikkel Leslie does just that for her clients. But, there is no magic wand just the magic of a little tool called "Human Design"

Human Design is a holistic system that uses a person's birth date, time, and place to reveal their unique energetic makeup and life purpose. Human design is based on the idea that people can detach from societal expectations and re-establish their individuality. Human Design won't tell you what you should or shouldn't do, but it guides you towards the things you are most suited to and helps you do "life" in a way that capitalizes on your strengths and feels good!

What?!?...letting go of societal expectations?? Think you could do that? Let's face it! As women, many of us have lived life being the "good girl" and fulfilling ALL of the societal expectations and then some. We "should" yourselves all day long! I should make a gourmet meal tonight, should be Supermom, should get up at the crack of dawn to squeeze in just a little more work....should do all the things.

We need to step back and evaluate what is most important to us. Cut out the noise and focus on what we each, individually, do best and let life do the rest! Mikkel is a champion, author, coach and business manager for those ready to live their own lives. She has coached hundreds of individuals awakening them to their potential. Before coaching, Mikkel went through her own journey of self exploration, moving from what she was supposed to do, to what she is passionate about.

We're getting to that point where we are SOO burned out! We're ready to throw the "shoulds" out the window and just take a breath. Let go...and lean into the things we love. Mikkel is here to help us to screw the societal BS that has held so many of us back and guide us to step into our own true selves. Her genius comes in two parts. The first providing inspiration, clarity, and motivation for people ready for their next level to get after it. The second is providing tools, tips, and techniques to help people break through the doubts, fears, and apprehensions about living their truest, best life.

This episode is packed with human design a touch of sass, and a sprinkle of F-bombs, it’s all about breaking free from guilt, people-pleasing, and perfectionism.

Today, Mikkel teaches us:

1. To let go of the "should" and false expectations, we first have to start by recognizing that they exist. If your day isn't lighting you up
2. Take stock in all of the things that you do in a day. Evaluate your list and acknowledge that you are choosing to do these things. The more you recognize the decisions you ARE making every day, the more you realize you can control the daily decisions of your life.
3. Start small when letting go of the things that don't light you up and/or try to let it go and see what happens. Does the world fall apart if you say "no" to organizing your child's class holiday party?
4. Human Design is a holistic system that uses a person's birth date, time, and place to create a bodygraph that reveals their unique energetic makeup and life purpose. Human Design is based on the idea that people can detach from societal expectations and re-establish their individuality. It combines ancient and modern disciplines and when you understand YOUR human design, it can help you live life with purpose and intention.
5. Human design isn't going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, it is there to provide guidance as to...

In our pre-chat with every guest we have on our show we share a disclaimer with them...Trinity says she's a cusser, and Shelby claims she's a crier. (Though, Shelby often cusses as much as Trinity and Trinity is trying to stop!) The irony of these acknowledgements is that Shelby realized in this conversation with our guest, Tamar Gersh, that she may actually have a hard time CONSCIOUSLY feeling her emotions. The reality is that she can't control the tears sometimes. That is her normal reaction to so many thing...things that are sad, things that make her happy, things that make her upset. However, she's been shamed about these tears her whole life. People tease her that she's "too emotional". So, she's learned to quickly turn off the tears and push her emotions away. Whether she's watching a movie with her kids, in a heartfelt conversation with a friend, or in the middle of an interview with a podcast guest, the shame she experiences when expressing her emotions has taught her to suck it up and move on. Now, she doesn't often give herself permission to feel sad because she doesn't want to dwell in these, perceivably, negative emotions. But, what our guest pointed out today is that, when Shelby denies her feelings and moves through the emotions too quickly, she may be depriving herself of experiencing the truest joy!!

Trinity, on the other hand, NEVER lets herself feel ANY negative emotions. Perhaps, it is because she PRIDES herself in being the strong one. She's always HAD to be the strong one ever since she was a little girl and to fix all the problems around her. She doesn't have time for negative emotions or sadness. She's got shit to do and problems to solve and she can't do that if she's overwhelmed with emotions.

The bottom line is that we've both been programmed to deny our emotions and to quickly bury them and get on with life. However, when that happens, Tamar says instead, we need to slow down and get curious...ask ourselves why we're rushing past a feeling or emotion. What are we afraid of feeling? She reminds us that there is value if we become more aware of our emotions, dig deeper, allow our emotions to move through us and surrender to that. And, ladies, surrendering doesn't mean sitting in the emotion forever...which I think is maybe what we're both afraid of. I think we believe that staying in the headspace of negativity or sadness for too long will hold us back from accomplishing what we want to.

However, by rushing past the negative emotions and never actually allowing ourselves to feel them or know the depths of sadness or despair or frustration, we are preventing ourselves from, consequently, feeling ultimate joy. Because, just like that old song, "joy and pain, like sunshine and rain." You can NOT have one without experiencing the other.

Tamar touts herself as the queen of joyful living and says she's an unconventional Life and Business coach and a master of self-discipline. She leverages a variety of tools to lead her clients, who are typically the creatives and healers of the world, to plug back into their own genius so that they can stop showing up to their business like a weirdo and start showing up as their 150% authentic selves.

In this episode, Tamar Teaches us:

1. In order to live a joyful life we have to be willing to experience ALL emotions, especially pain. We can never know or appreciate the greatest joy without experiencing pain.
2. When you bring awareness to the thing you are trying to "conquer", whether it is breaking a habit that no longer serves you or navigating your emotions, one approach is to bring awareness into the space and to welcome it in (vs. trying to avoid), name it, feel it, notice the thoughts, feelings, sensations, and slow things down and experience it all. When doing so, you are then better able to manage through it.
3. Stop...