Smart_Healthy_Women__January_2018

S 

Smart Healthy Women Magazine was 

created for smart women everywhere 

who want the latest strategies for living a 

life of health, wellbeing and happiness. 

© 2013-2017 Smart Healthy Women Magazine. 

All rights reserved. 

SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE - PAGE 1

CONTENTS 

06 

06Welcome to Smart Healthy Women 

FROM THE 

EDITOR'S DESK 

Magazine - in this issue we look at 

how to make a new start for the new 

year. 

FROM THE 

EDITOR'S DESK 

07 

OUR 

Welcome to CONTRIBUTORS 

Smart Healthy Women 

Magazine - in this issue we look at 

how to make a new start for the new 

year. 

Our experts love contributing their tips 

and strategies to help you make your life 

even more awesome. See what they have 

in store for your in this month's issue! 

10 

10 

PLAN FOR SUCCESS 

by Nichole Compton 

All resolutions made require one 

common ingredient to succeed - and 

that's to get organized! 

18 

A NEW START 

by Caroline Silk 



If your resolutions this year are doomed to 

fail, why not consider how you approach 

changes in your life and routine? 

All resolutions made require one 

common ingredient to succeed - and 

that's to get organized! 

07 

OUR 

CONTRIBUTORS 

18 

A NEW START 


Our experts love contributing their tips 

and strategies to help you make your life 

even more awesome. See what they have 

in store for your in this month's issue! 

If your resolutions this year are doomed to 

fail, why not consider how you approach 

changes in your life and routine? 

- PAGE 2 - SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE

27 

MANIFESTING YOUR 

MOST POWERFUL 

INTENTIONS 

by Mandy Gibbons 

When it comes to manifesting your 

intentions, it's easy to get stuck in the 

"fluffiness' of it all. Here's what to do 

instead. 

36 

AN EXTRAORDINARY 

NEW YEAR 

52 

WHY SELF-CARE 

SHOULD BE NON- 

NEGOTIABLE 

by Amanda Sterczyk 

If you're like many women, you put 

your needs second to everyone else's. 

Here's how you change that. 

58 

5 STEPS TO REAL & 

LASTING CHANGE 

by Suzanne Duncan 

5 simple steps that you can follow to 

esnure your new year is extraordinary. 

by Darleen Barton 

5 steps to create enduring change and 

hit your goals every time. 

43 

BRANDING THE NEW 

YOU 

64 

STEP INTO THE REAL 

YOU 

by Jon Michail 

Why not start the new year by 

recreating your personal brand to 

ensure the utmost success? 

by Rachel Allan 

It's essential when you set goals that 

you think about how they will affect all 

areas of your life to ensure success. 


70 

LIFE AFTER 40 IS PRETTY 

PEACHY 

by Susanne McAllister 

Turning 40 is not a life stage to be 

dreaded, here's how you can embrace 

it instead and come out on top. 

84 

DIET RESOURCES YOU'LL 

KEEP FOR LIFE 

by Michele Connolly 

Here are five science based hacks to 

ensure you stick to your weight loss 

goals and achieve them. 

76 

LIVE YOUR POTENTIAL 

by Gavin Aquilina 

A strong purpose and a will to succeed 

will have a positive effect on your 

emotional health. 

90 

12 SIGNS OF RESOLVE 

by Estelle Williams 

Being able to make a declaration for 

the year’s intentions or setting solid 

goals differs vastly according to your 

Sun Sign. 

SUBSCRIBE TO 

OUR PODCAST 



Hello from 

Smart Healthy Women Magazine! 

January is the time of year when many 

of us like to set our sights on our hopes, 

wishes, goals and dreams for the coming 

year. 

The year that’s passed is history and 

yet we can still pay heed to the lessons 

learned, the triumphs gained and the 

goals in our lives that need upleveling 

or else letting go. 

Perhaps it’s in the realm of health, 

wealth, happiness or love? What do you 

wish for your work, business, creativity, 

self-development? 

Our experts this month have stepped up 

to inspire you to create the best year yet, 

so read on and do take notes! 

In love and light, 

For me, it’s always an exciting time, filled 

with possibilities - what challenges can 

I set for myself and what delights can 

I look forward to as the year rolls on? 

What is it that you are looking forward 

to? 

Estelle Williams 

Editor-in-Chief 


CONTRIBUTORS 

Caroline Silk is a Mindset Nutritionist who can’t stand fad diets or quick fixes and 

who knows diets don’t work! She can tell you what to eat and how to move your 

body but if your head isn’t in the right place you’re not going to get the results you 

truly desire. Releasing your weight is about the whole of you – your mind and 

your body. The way you think and how you feel plays an integral role in your 

relationship with food. She’ll help you identify and change unwanted associations, 

thought processes, your mindset, habits, cravings and your negative emotions 

linked to food, eating and your body image. Her mission is to educate, encourage 

and empower you so that you shed weight easily and effortlessly. 

Mandy Gibbons… is a Mind and Transformation Coach for Soul Driven 6 & 7 

Figure Influencers, Visionary Leaders and Changemakers…Renowned for her 

“Lead with Love”, down-to-earth, compassionate ability to create unstoppable 

success mindsets within her clients for their business, money, bodies and lives… 

Going BEYOND MINDSET…Coaching clients to dig deep, to accelerate their 

impact on the world, with a new level and frequency… quantum leaping with 

their income, message, legacy, vision and giving back. 

From teen mom to attorney, judicial candidate, published author, and a television 

personality/legal analyst of a popular TV show, Nichole Compton maintains her 

law practice and owns other successful venture, with her newest being Ace’s Place 

Supervised Visitation and Exchange Center. Nichole enjoys mentoring at-risk 

youth, coaching other business owners and traveling internationally as a motivational 

speaker. She has written numerous books and continuously launches programs 

geared to developing successful business owners, and helping audiences 

overcome life obstacles. Nichole holds a Bachelor of Science from Berea College, 

an MBA focused in Entrepreneurship and a Juris Doctor. 

Amanda Sterczyk, MA (Psych), CPT (ACSM), is a mobile and online personal 

trainer and Creator of The Move More Institute, an initiative to promote 

healthy active living by adding more movement to individuals’ daily lives. She 

is based in Ottawa, Canada. 

Rachel Allan has been a business owner for 13 years, and a mum for 6½ years. 

On her business-and-baby journey she has learned a lot about life, business, and 

herself. She shares her discoveries (and the wisdom of other parents and experts) 

with you in her new book, When Business Meets Baby. Rachel is honoured to 

be Sophie’s mum, and she is also an author, integrated marketer, entrepreneur, 

and property investor. From 2007 she has shared her journey with her business 

and life partner Craig. If you would like to discover more about Rachel and the 

services she offers, visit her at www.rachelallan.com.au 


CONTRIBUTORS 

Darleen Barton is Australia’s leading ‘relationship whisperer’, Business coach, 

Counsellor and Mediator, “ Performance Practitioner” across business and life as 

well as a best-selling author. Starting her own business at the age of 25, Darleen 

has continuously strived to achieve every goal she has set out for herself as well 

as encouraging those around her to do the same. Over 25 years she has worked 

for many Blue Chip companies and SMEs nationally and internationally. She is 

a mother of three, grandmother of two, a wife, a daughter, as well as a successful 

business owner at DIPAC & Associates. 

Suzanne Duncan operates a coaching consultancy, called Discovery Within, and 

she is the author of the upcoming book “All by Myself & Rocking It!: How to 

Be Successful at Single Parenting.” She helps clients rediscover their potential, 

embrace their learning opportunities, and to generate positive relationships. 

Her inspiration to help others, especially single parents, comes from her own 

very personal awareness of the challenges facing all parents today. For more 

information visit: http://discoverywithin.com.au/. 

PT Operations Manager at Vision Personal Training, Gavin Aquilina holds a 

Masters in Human Nutrition and Bachelor in Sports Science. Gavin commenced 

his career in the health and wellness industry in 1990 and is a pioneer of 

mainstream personal training and trainer education in Australia. He has worked 

with a range of clients from young to old, able bodied to paraplegics. Gavin 

presents at international health and fitness expos and trains thousands of trainers 

in over 40 countries around the globe. He is a leading Australian trainer, with 

experience as a personal trainer, gym owner and personal trainer educator and 

coach. 

Jon Michail and his team at Image Group International partner with their clients 

to achieve breakthrough results with contrarian and disruptive ways to grow and 

monetise their personal and business brands. A veteran, multi-award winning 

coach and author with a Who’s Who clientele, Jon is the CEO and Founder 

of Image Group International, an Australian-based corporate and personal 

brand image advisory and coaching organisation that conducts transformational 

seminars, workshops and one-on-one coaching in over four continents. He is 

recognised as Australasia’s No. 1 Image Coach. 

Susanne McAllister works especially with women who have children in high 

school, that feel stressed out and are ready to get their health, weight and wellness 

back on track and “re-invent” themselves for the next exciting phase in their life. 

She is a Health and Wellness Coach, Mentor, Nia Dance Teacher and author, 

who once learned about cold therapy and sat in an ice bath whilst training 

with Wim Hof the Iceman. Susanne has been published regularly in Holistic 

Bliss Magazine and has written several books. Her newest book “Stop Chasing 

Shadows – With The Power of Inner Connection” is scheduled to be published 

by the Beacon Group in March 2019. 


CONTRIBUTORS 

Michele Connolly has a Bachelor of Psychology and has written a thesis on 

personality and happiness. She is the author of How to Be Thin in a World of 

Chocolate. Find her at MicheleConnolly.com 

Estelle is the Founder & Editor of Smart Healthy Women Mag. She is an expert 

Coach, Author and Speaker, who has also studied Humanistic Astrology over the 

last 25 years. She is passionate about providing her clientele and readers with 

successful strategies for realising a life of purpose, meaning and fulfilment using 

the best in change tools, and believes that by reaching their potential, everyone can 

make the world a better place. She loves to share strategies to enhance the many 

facets of the busy woman’s life, and has also been seen on the Huffington Post and 

SheSavvy sharing her insights. 


HOW TO 




Almost everyone makes New 

Year’s resolutions. 

Sadly, even the best fizzle. 

Most quickly end with the 

fate of those designer heels 

you just HAD to purchase. 

You know, “drop dead” gorgeous, 

but punish your tootsies, 

then wind up under the bed 

or returned for comfy flats and a 

brownie from the mall food court. 

Shamefully, resolutions made 

with the sincerest intentions are 

abandoned. 

And again another year has begun. 

Make any resolutions? 

Get fit. Get out of debt. Get a better job. Get serious about fully living life. 

Get rich, get a pink, glittery airplane and a pilot’s 

license. 

Okay, maybe those last are just mine. 

Nevertheless, the usual suspects in 

the resolutions line-up require one 

common resolution to succeed: 

Get 

organized! 


Resolutions don’t have to explode in flames and smoke, nor should 

they wither away and die on the vine. 

The answer? 

A good planner!! 

You say you tried that? Well, this is where I come in with my pink, glittery 

airplane….or just these helpful tips. 


0 Rely on a planner more than a 

calendar. Planners are blueprints to 

track tasks, keep your schedule and 

well…help PLAN every facet life, 

including projects, business/career 

goals, health/fitness, mindfulness 

exercises and more. Pick pages and 

topics based on your personal needs. 

0 Choose which type best suits 

you - generalized or specifically 

themed, commercial or homemade. 

Creating your own handwritten 

ones, printing free or low-cost 

downloaded pages online or 

designing pages with MSWord are 

all easy to do. 

0 Grab a binder or pocket 

folder with clasps, a hole punch, 

stapler and markers. I formerly 

preferred smaller sizes, thinking 

smaller meant easier to tote. My 

preference has since grown with my 

responsibilities. 8.5”x11” pages are 

more comfortable to write on, yet 

still portable. 

SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE - PAGE 13 

0 Your planner should be 

everything you need, all in one place 

– your mission control dashboard. 

Carefully organize and choose 

pages that will help complete goals 

you set and stay focused.

0 Have fun! I doodle in mine and love adding pizzazz….Yep! You 

guessed it. Decorative sparkles, stickers, glitter, puff paints and appliques 

make mine pretty and unique. Your planner is YOURS! So make it yours. 

As an attorney, my surroundings are traditional, uptight and well… boring. 

But my planner? It’s my creative playground. Planners should visually 

entice…making you want to use it. 

0 Good tools to use include dividers, tabs, highlighters, sticky notes, 

colored pens and markers. A friend prints her pages on colored paper, 

designating sections by colors. Whatever works, do it. 

0 Fill every page, even if in random order. Don’t wait for genius moments. 

Brain dumps are okay. Include spaces to jot thoughts and ideas. I included 

my bucket list and even my checklist for my prince charming, who is 

obviously not using his planner correctly. (Hmmm…Maybe he should add 

a map to me.) Don’t be afraid of being messy or scribbling everywhere. 


0 Reserve a few minutes each morning 

to write in your planner, as part of your 

daily ritual, referring back and checking it 

frequently throughout the day. Strategically 

keep it handy, like your cellphone, in your 

purse or close at all times. 

0 Place it by your bedside nightly. My 

bed is that magical place where my brain 

suddenly recalls all the things I meant to, 

need to or forgot to do during the day. Before 

sleeping, I brain dump and solidify next 

day events. I loathe mornings, so nightly 

planning helps greatly. And when awakened 

by great ideas, my planner is handy. 

0 Take your planner everywhere you go 

and check it often. Make your routine before 

leaving anywhere: Purse, Keys, Phone, and 

Planner. 

0 Periodically, review goals and tasks. 

Notice any progress made (or lack thereof). 

Inventorying successes gives you gain a 

sense of fulfillment, and measuring your 

progress creates excitement. 

0 You can begin a planner anytime, so 

start anew every 3 to 6 months or once 

major goals are complete. Similar to 

spring cleaning or making resolutions, the 

fresh start will rejuvenate your energy and 

optimism. 


USE IT!!! For goodness sake! The best planner is ineffective if 

unused! 

A good planner is your bestie, your lifeline and personal assistant. Mine 

is cherished and highly utilized - tattered corners, peeling glitter paints, 

sticky notes and all. 

Get 

a planner, 

successfully 

achieve your 

resolutions and live 

that awesome and 

organized life. 

aaa 



―

Have you made your New 

Year’s resolutions? 

Is your intention this year to become 

a better version of you? 

Healthier… 

Fitter… 

Smarter… 

Wealthier… 

Stronger… 

Compassionate.. 

Kinder... 

Happier… 

A NEW 

START 

The list could go on 

and on and on. 



Each year, millions of people 

formulate their resolutions of how 

they’re going to do it better in the 

New Year. 

Each year thousands upon millions of 

people give up on their resolutions within 

days, weeks of the New Year starting. 

In fact, it is only 8-10% of people that are 

successful in attaining their resolutions. 

Yes, there is research on this! 

But such statistics are not a reason to 

give up hope and abandon your attempts 

before you even start. 

Perhaps you need to reconsider how you 

approach change. 

Many people commit to resolutions that 

are nearly impossible to achieve. 

They’re just too big, requiring too much 

change, and the end result is they end up 

not reaching their goals. 

Wanting to improve and change your life 

is easy… 

Sticking with it is a different result. 

Please don’t give up because it can be 

done… 


You can be successful with a different approach. 

Your brain likes to grow, it loves learning.In fact your brain wants nothing 

more than to master a skill just beyond your current horizon. So when you 

set yourself a task that is right on the border of success and failure, it’s 

incredibly motivating to the human brain. 

If you want to stay motivated for good, then start with a challenge that 

is just manageable. You can see that it’s doable rather than feeling it’s 

impossible. 

Thinking it is doable will help you achieve your goal. 

Using my expertise on weightloss as an example, let me share with you 6 

simple steps that will help you keep your resolutions this year 


1 

Write your 

resolution/goal down 

Actually put pen to paper or fingers 

to keyboard! 

Taking your goal from thought, out 

of your head, to something tangible 

is your first step. 

When you write your goal, write it ‘as 

if now’. What does this mean? Write 

it as if you have already achieved it. 

eg. 

“It’s October 1, 2018 and I 

am 8kgs lighter. I‘m feeling 

fabulous and I have so 

much more energy now that 

I jump out of bed and I’m 

excited about my day.” 

I’m no longer a victim of self-sabotage. 

I have quieted all that negative 

mean talk that went on it my head. 

I’m kinder to me. 


I eat mindfully 90% of the time; I 

move my body more and lean in to 

healthy everyday.

2Create a picture 

of the new you 

If you are to maintain your course 

and motivation, your brain needs to 

visualise your end goal. 

If you cannot see in your mind’s eye 

where and who you want to be i.e. 

slimmer, healthier, fitter, then your 

brain will be not able to take you 

get there. 

So take the time after to really 

visualise the new you. 

See that person, what are you 

wearing, how do you look? 

Really feel the feelings of what it’s 

like being healthier, lighter, and 

stronger. 

Are there feelings of excitement, 

happiness, pride? 

The more powerful you can make 

this visualization, the easier it will 

be for you to achieve. 


3Take the time each 

and everyday to step 

into the new you 

Whether it is in the morning, nighttime 

or throughout your day, take time 

to picture the new you and feel those 

feelings. 

Work it like a muscle. Make that 

visualisation bigger and stronger. 

4 

Choose 

a way to 

measure your 

progress. 

Whether you choose your dress size, 

the way you feel in your body, scales, 

a measuring tape or looking at yourself 

in the mirror. 

Choose one that works for you. 

Seeing yourself make progress in the 

moment is incredibly motivating and 

helps ensure you remain on the right 

path! 


5 

Be 

patient and kind with your self 

If doubt, fear or negativity enters your head, understand this is very normal. 

Our negative thoughts outnumber our positive ones. 

I often say to clients the way we speak to ourselves is more often than not 

so unkind. 

We would not speak to our best friends like that so why do we do it to 

ourselves? 

So acknowledge those negative thoughts, and then push them aside. Take 

a deep breath or ten, and return your focus to your goal. Keep your focus 

on your goal and stay positive. 


6 

There 

is no failure, only feedback 

If for whatever reason you reach a roadblock or you fall off the wagon, 

don’t despair. Guess what? That does not give you permission to give up 

and bring an end to your journey. 

It’s not permission to say this is too hard, I can’t do this or any other excuse 

that may enter your head. 

Instead acknowledge what you did, what may have been the contributing 

factors that took you down that path and decide how you can do it differently 

next time. 

How can you do it better? Learn from it and move on. 

It is with this learning that you can move forward stronger and smarter. 

Understand this, successful people start before they feel ready. 

You are ready. 

Know that you have everything you need within you to start right now. 

Decide. 

Commit. 

Take action. 

And remember to enjoy your journey. 


Aim higher in case 

you fall short. 

― 


6 STEPS TO CREATING & 

MANIFESTING 

YOUR MOST 

POWERFUL 

INTENTIONS 

EVER! 

by Mandy Gibbons 

L 

et’s be honest - for the most part, when it comes to manifesting what 

you want, it’s easy to get stuck in the “fluffiness” of it all. 

If I told you that you could create really powerful soul soaring intentions 

that help you quantum leap with your goals and vision for this year… 

Would you actually be willing to “go there”? 

I say this out of love, of course… 

Because most people won’t… and don’t. 

If you know in your heart and soul that this year, enough is enough and 

you’re ready for liberation… 

Then let’s go… 


STEP 1: YOUR INTENTIONS 

If you’re not intentional about what you want to “call in”, 

then you’re leaving it up to your unconscious default. 

We all have a standard of what we tolerate within 

ourselves. So if you’re not moving forward with what 

you’re wanting to achieve. Have blocks around it and are 

holding onto that belief that this all you can accomplish 

or deserve… You’re going to keep hitting walls. 

So how prepared are you to go to that place of 

where intentions excite the hell out of you? 


STEP 2: SETTING 

YOUR 

INTENTIONS WITH 

NO LIMITS 

If there were no rules, no limits, if 

nothing could get in your way…What 

would your vision look like? 

Coming from a place of filling your 

soul, your very “being” with what rocks 

your world. 

I’m talking exhilaration, what you 

brings you pleasure on a whole other 

level that you’ve never considered 

before. 

We’re programmed through family, 

relationships, childhood, the news… 

that in life, in order to experience 

rewards and high standing, that we have 

to suffer. I’m suggesting you “let that 

go” when setting powerful intentions. 

Just write whatever flows through you 

and see the awesomeness that appears 

before you. 


STEP 3: INTENTION BLOCKS 

...CALL BACK YOUR POWER! 

Once you’ve written them down. 

Go through this list, write down what’s holding you back from doing any, 

or all, of these things. 

There’s no right or wrong. Be honest, specific, even if it feels painful. 

Then call back your power! 

Love on yourself, forgive, no judgement, choose to let go of right now… 

So you can fully step into this new YOU. 


STEP 4: YOUR 

NEW ‘NO LIMITS!’ 

PERSONALITY 

What would you need to believe to 

step into that higher version of you? 

Remember… this is YOU. You’re 

not pretending to be anyone else. 

If you’re dreaming, feeling all this 

incredibleness… then it’s part of you. 

How are you thinking? What are you 

believing about yourself? What are 

you doing every day? Who are you 

hanging out with? 

No limits. 

Here’s the magic of your mind, 

You can train your mind to believe 

whatever you want it to. 

If you’re clear on what you’re 

believing about yourself each day, and 

envisioning this, you’ll start taking 

action from this place. 

It’ll blow your mind how quickly you 

can manifest the things you want. 


STEP 5: TRACKING YOUR 

INTENTIONS & LOADING THEM 

WITH GRATITUDE 

Write down where you want to be 3, 6, 9, 12 months from 

now. And track it. 

If you know where you want to be at, at each stage of the 

year… You can reverse engineer it. 

“ok… if I want to be here in 12 months time… what do I 

need to start doing now over the next 3 months to make 

this happen”. 

Come from a place of it already being done and 

gratefulness. “I am so excited and grateful for this new 

opportunity of…” This makes it clear to the Universe, that 

this is your intention. And you’re considering it as “done”. 

Release control of it happening in a certain way, or you 

might miss something that crosses your path because 

you’ve got your blinders on. 

Z Z Z

STEP 6: THE ENERGY 

YOU BRING - 

RADICAL SELF- 

LOVE 

This is HUGE!!! 

If you’re doubting yourself, running 

around people-pleasing, trying to 

pretend that you have to be like someone 

else to manifest what you want… 

Then know the most powerful gift you 

can give to yourself is to fill your cup 

with love for YOU. 

Then share love with others from the 

overflow (your saucer) of your own self 

love. That way you’re not tapping into 

your own love and burning out. 

If you’re emanating love from this place, 

you’ll be vibrating at a frequency that 

makes it flow for you to call in what you 

want. 


THESE STEPS, MY 

BEAUTIFUL, WILL HELP 

YOU SET AND BRING 

ABOUT YOUR MOST 

POWERFUL INTENTIONS 

EVER. 

L ove you, 

Mandy xo 



Every December, we start to think about the next year and what we’re 

going to be doing, and how we’re going to achieve what we want. 

Before looking at next year, you can take a moment to reflect back on the 

year that was and celebrate all that you have achieved. 

There are 5 simple steps that you can follow to esnure your new year is 

extraordinary. And by extraordinary, I mean doing something that you 

wouldn’t ordinarily do. 

To me, that doesn’t mean being a superwoman, it simply means putting a 

process in place that takes you out of your ‘ordinary’ into your ‘extraordinary’ 

so that you are moving towards achieving your goals in the coming year. 

5 SIMPLE STEPS TO CREATE 

AN 

EXTRAORDINARY 

NEW YEAR 

by Suzanne Duncan

You can trust in the process, and 

you can use it in all areas of your 

life from your career to your 

relationships. 

1 Outcome 

First, know your outcome. What have you 

always wanted to do but keeps putting it 

off until later? And later becomes never. 

Life is too short for later. 

So what is your big goal? What do you 

want to do? Who do you need to be? What 

do you need to have around you in order 

to achieve what you’ve always wanted? 

And you can think about that, can’t you? 

It might be something that is a whisper 

inside you, it might be some emotion 

(such as anger or hurt) that you want to 

release and that is holding you back from 

being limitless to live your life fully, or it 

might be that you want to enhance your 

relationships; with yourself, with your 

partner, or with your children. 

Whatever it is, know your outcome. 

What goal are you striving for? 


2 

Action 

Once you know your outcome, you know where you want to go. The next 

step is to take action. Every journey begins with a single step and a determined 

decision to take it. 

I love this quote by Tony Robbins, “Do what you’ve always done, and 

you’ll get what you’ve always gotten”. Change only comes when we step 

out of our comfort zone and embrace uncertainty. 

We can go through life on autopilot, doing the same old stuff, day after 

day, year after year. If you want to make changes, it’s going to take action. 


3 Sensory 

Acuity 

The third step is having sensory acuity 

which means you want to feel, to see, 

to hear your outcome. 

You want to have a clear understanding 

of where you’re heading and how 

you’re going to get there. 

Your outcome has to be enticing enough 

that it pulls you towards achieving it. 

When all your senses are engaged, 

then you can move towards your goal 

with your eyes wide open. 

It’s about being real, about being truthful 

and asking yourself: 

“What would happen 

if I stay the same and 

what wouldn’t happen 

if I stayed the same?” 


That’s a mind twister, but it gives you 

something to think about.

4 Behavioural 

Flexibility. 

The fourth step is to have behavioral 

flexibility Life happens, things can 

go off track. 

Think about a baby beginning to 

walk. 

They’re on a mission and nothing 

will prevent them from taking their 

first teetering steps across the floor. 

They’ll fall down and get right back 

up again, won’t they? 

So as you venture onwards, things 

around you will change, people 

around you will change and you’ll 

be able to adapt. 

Some things you try will work out, 

and others won’t. 

Behavioural flexibility is about 

viewing failure as feedback 

and modifying your behavior 

accordingly. 


5 Excellence 

The final step is to operate from a state of excellence. Your mind and your 

body are linked and closely entwined. It is necessary to be aware of your 

psychology, your physiology, and your emotions. 

This quote from Henry Ford is perfect, “Whether you think you can, or 

you think you can’t – you’re right”. 

Your thinking has a direct impact on your emotions and feelings which 

govern your actions and behavior. Remember, you are not superwoman 

and operating in a state of excellence every day is unrealistic. Embrace 

your ‘human-ness’ and have compassion for where you are. 

You can be the change. You can be extraordinary. Ask yourself, if not now, 

then when? If not you, then who? You can achieve your goals and make 

next year your best year yet. Enjoy the journey and along the way, celebrate 

all that makes you whole and unique. 


― 


BRANDING 

THE 

NEW YOU 

by Jon Michail 

H aving an authentic personal brand is about delivering on your 

promises. 

It’s about consistency. It means that people who deal with you know what 

they are getting. 

Whatever your line of work, you want the people you work with to know 

that they can trust and rely on you. 

I work closely with my clients, we have a confidante relationship and I 

know from experience that people respond positively to that. 


Developing an authentic personal brand means learning some tips 

and tricks from the advertising world and the branding of products 

and then applying it to people without being superficial. 

Yes, personal branding takes image into account, but good personal branding 

cannot be just a surface treatment - your image must have depth, it must 

stand for something. 

So, if you’re thinking that taking a look at your personal brand sounds like 

a cool idea, here are some thoughts to get you going. 

“It’s definitely not just a superficial, 

you know, ‘we’re working on your 

brand’ type relationship.” - Groundbreaking 

artist Deborah Halpern

The National Gallery of Victoria 

(NGV) commissioned Deborah 

Halpern’s famous sculpture 

Angel, which stood in front of 

the NGV for 17 years. Angel was 

created to Melbourne’s “wild, 

whimsical and colourful” 

identity and now lives in 

Birrarung Marr in Melbourne’s 

CBD. 

Developing an authentic personal brand means learning some tips 

and tricks from the advertising world and the branding of products 

and then applying it to people without being superficial. 

Yes, personal branding takes image into account, but good personal branding 

cannot be just a surface treatment - your image must have depth, it must 

stand for something. 

So, if you’re thinking that taking a look at your personal brand sounds like 

a cool idea, here are some thoughts to get you going. 


1. BRANDING IS A 

PROMISE 

Sometimes it is the very idea of a promise that brings about longedfor 

improvement. Our shiny new wearable tech turns our focus to 

fitness, lending us a determination to achieve our goals that justifies the 

purchase. Brands are made up of tangible and intangible components, 

and the promise of a brand is one intangible that can lead to real results. 

Of course, brands don’t always live up to their promises, but we should. 

If your brand is built on your authentic self, on the things you truly value 

and believe in then living up to your promises becomes easy. 


2. CLEVER BRANDS STAY 

UP WITH THE PLAY 

Brands that stay up with the play see opportunities where others see 

threats. 

Many brick-and-mortar retail stores were terrified when Amazon 

announced its entry into their market. 

Others had long ago seen the opportunities that our global digital 

world offers and weren’t so worried as they were too busy 

making the most of it. 


3. THE BEST BRANDS ARE 

PROFITABLE 

Most of us dream of making a living from doing something 

we love. 

The tricky part is making a living rather than learning to 

simply subsist. 

If you want your personal brand to attract strong 

investment, you have to look as though you’re the kind of 

person who will make the best possible use of it. 

You might need to convince your company of the benefits 

of investing in your professional development, or you’re a 

sole trader or small start-up needing to make a name for 

yourself or attract investment. 

A strong and vital brand will build value and help you 

achieve these aims. 

. 

Z Z Z

4. 

OUTSTANDING 

BRANDS 

PRODUCE 

ENTHUSIASTIC 

REFERRALS 

Remember what I said about brands being 

a promise. When our brand is authentic 

and we live up to our promises then 

positive referrals follow. 

The best jobs and the strongest networks 

usually come from word-of-mouth 

referrals. 

5. YOU ARE 

YOUR OWN 

BRAND 


Remember, you are an ambassador for 

your business. You are a brand. Me 

Unlimited!

Always do what you say you are going to do, live your promise, 

and do your professional image proud. 

Seeing yourself as a brand is not always comfortable - it may feel 

unnatural at first - but leaving your comfort zone is no bad thing. 

If you want to make it in this big crazy world then there is no good in 

cutting yourself off and shrinking back into your ‘small self’. 

Work hard on your personal brand. Be a person others can trust and rely 

upon, and above all… be authentic! 

“Jon is your coach, he’s your mentor, he’s on 

your side in ways that, sometimes you don’t 

really want him to be. And I don’t mean that 

in a negative sense but I mean sometimes, you 

just wanna go, ‘Oh, I can’t be bothered doing 

that. That’s too hard. Let me just go back and, 

you know, shrink back into my small self.’” - 

Deborah Halpern 

Ophelia was chosen as ‘the Face of Melbourne’ by Tourism Victoria in 1996

If you want to live 

a happy life, tie it to 

a goal, not to 

people or things. 


―

WHY SELF-CARE 

SHOULD ALWAYS BE 

NON-NEGOTIABLE 

by Amanda Sterczyk 

When our kids were 

little, I discovered a 

key difference in my 

husband’s and my parenting styles. 

I like to call this difference, “You 

First versus Me First”. It first 

became apparent to me in the kitchen: 

I always fed our children first, then 

myself. 

My husband, though, always fed 

himself first before feeding the 

screaming kids. Was he immune to 

those screams? I certainly wasn’t, 

and I wanted the screaming to stop. 

Whatever was causing the screaming 

needed to be addressed. Right away. 

“Self-care 

is never a 

selfish act—it 

is simply good 

stewardship of 

the only gift I 

have” – Parker 

Palmer 


My husband’s “Me First” 

behaviour extended to many 

facets of daily life. He got up 

every morning at 6:00 am and headed 

to the gym for his daily one-hour 

workout. That never changed for him. 

In our life BC (Before Children), I went 

too. But, breastfeeding and caring for 

a newborn took precedence over my 

morning exercise routine. 

Now that the kids are older, he still 

heads to the gym every day at 6:00 am. 

I also get up at 6:00, but my morning 

is vastly different: I get breakfasts and 

lunches sorted out, get the kids up for 

school, drive them to school if needed. 

My workout doesn’t always happen; if 

it does, it’s squeezed in between other 

family commitments. 

I once remarked on this difference to 

a friend. 

Her response? “Of course, they put 

their needs first. That’s how men are 

wired. 

Women, on the other hand, are wired 

to take care of their own needs AFTER 

everyone else’s needs have been met.” 


When you’re caring for loved ones, it’s easy to let your own needs 

take a back seat. There are, after all, only so many hours in a 

day. But what happens if you neglect your own health? Your 

body starts to break down - you get sick, you get injured, you get stressed 

out. And then, how can you care for others? You can’t. Upon reflection, I 

noticed that my husband didn’t get sick, stressed out, or injured as often 

as me. 

When you’re travelling by plane, the in-flight safety briefing instructs 

passengers to don their own oxygen mask before they help others with 

theirs. You’re no good to anyone if you pass out. And the same goes for 

life on the ground. You need to be strong and healthy - for yourself and 

for your loved ones. 

One place I’ve seen women’s needs take a significant second place to 

their loved ones is physical activity. And according to the World Health 

Organization, “Physical inactivity has been identified as the fourth leading 

risk factor for global mortality causing an estimated 3.2 million deaths.” 


Physical activity, though, lies on a 

continuum. Check out this video 

I created on the topic. 

It’s not an all or nothing endeavour. 

Just because you can’t make it to the 

gym doesn’t mean you can’t be active. 

Rethink your activity levels - go for a 

walk, play with your kids/grandkids, 

clean the house, garden. You get the 

idea. If you move more, you will feel 

better. 

That’s why I created The Move More 

Institute. It’s an initiative to promote 

healthy active living by adding more 

movement to individual’s daily lives 

and nudges them to be more active 

throughout the day. 

Natural, non-exercise activity spread 

across your day. Every day. 

I’m a fitness professional with a radical 

idea - don’t exercise! Just move more! 

Take charge of your life and commit to 

your goals. 

Step into the responsibility of being a 

leader among your friends, colleagues, 

and family and lead by example. 


My philosophy is short-term coaching for long-term results. 

And here’s what some of these women have to say: 

“After way too many years of not moving enough - Amanda has helped 

me to get moving again and to be mindful of it in my daily life. What a 

difference it is making.” 

“I went to yoga last night for the first time in over year. We worked on 

feet. And I thought of you. ” 

“Hi Amanda! I took your advice and went on a power walk at lunch! I 

had been working on end of month reports and needed to get my blood & 

heart pumping as I was getting sluggish!! I feel so alive again!! #keepmoving” 

“I have you and your reminder about movement and good posture in my 

headtelling my body to do so, thank you @amanda_stretch!” 

So, before you let your own needs slide into the back seat, think about 

the long-term viability of your current whirlwind existence. Then take a 

deep breath, get out a piece of paper, and write down 2-3 things you can 

do for your own health: 

2 Take a nap. 

2 Go for a walk. 

2 Read a book. 

2 Meet a friend. 

2 Laugh out loud. 

You know - things just for you! 


Don’t just fit in; 

make it a point to 

brighten your 

corner. Decide to 

resolve your 

challenges.” 

― 


5 STEPS TO 

REAL & 

LASTING CHANGE 

by Darleen Barton 

2018 

marks the beginning of executing those meticulously 

planned resolutions that everyone found time to scribble 

down in the final days, weeks and months of 2017. 

It isn’t often that new year’s resolutions can ever be defined as ‘resolved’ 

and many tend to carry them on to the following year or simply just give 

up. 

Leading business site, Business Insider, states that 80% of new year’s 

resolutions fail by February. Even Worse, Forbes states that only 8% of 

resolutions are achieved. 

More often than not new year’s resolutions are a waste of time and every 

year millions of people set themselves up for failure. 

If you are serious about improving your life, making key changes and 

achieving the things you set out to do, you need to start taking change 

seriously. 


2018 

should be the best year ever and it can be if you 

a contract with yourself. 

are prepared to get serious. Forget about new year’s 

resolutions, they are a waste of time and instead make 

We all enter in commercial contracts to buy things as basic as phones, 

internet and Netflix, so why not enter into a commercial contract with 

ourselves to improve our life. 

Our lives are more important than keeping up with the latest TV drama 

series, aren’t they? This is a great way to give your aspirations and goals a 

solid structure and plan to motivate you. 

Not only is drawing up a physical contract with yourself the best option to 

get what you want, but looking at things in your immediate surroundings 

is also important. Nothing in your contract will be achieved and no change 

will occur until you make re-evaluate key aspects of your life prior to 

entering into the contract. 


To see real change in your life, 

I strongly recommend taking a 

moment to stand back and look at 

the people around you and ask yourself 

whether you want to be like these people. 

On average we surround ourselves with 

five main people and if these people don’t 

reflect who you want to be then you need 

to re-evaluate your relationships. 

To start thinking on a different level 

you need to be around people who are 

on a higher level than yourself. You’ll 

continuously think in the same way unless 

you are challenged to do otherwise. 

Having a good mentor or coach also helps 

to create clarity and get you to that breakthrough 

point people always strive for as 

they use good questioning techniques to 

encourage you to see your situation from 

a different perspective. 

Simply by immersing yourself in material 

from some great coaches is a way I 

encourage people to start thinking on a 

higher level. 

People like Anthony Robbins and Earl 

Nightingale are great motivators who offer 

excellent advice and tips to make changes 

in your life and achieve your goals. 

Here are five steps I’ve developed to help 

you create a lasting and successful ‘selfcontract’. 


1. WORK OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE 

IN 2018 

In order to plan your self-contract, it is crucial that you identify what 

you want to achieve. 

After that, you need to give yourself a time these things need to be 

achieved as well as outlining what needs to be done. 

2. SPEAK WITH SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE IN 

YOUR LIFE TO DISCUSS THE CHANGES YOU 

NEED TO MAKE TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL/S 

By discussing your goals with people in your inner circle you are 

creating a support network around you. They may even have suggestions 

or good ideas to help you. It will keep you accountable as well as 

providing you with encouragement in times of need. 

3. DRAW UP A CONTRACT WITH YOURSELF 

TO CONFIRM THE ACTIONS, DATES AND 

MILESTONES 

The more detail you put in your contract the better. This will allow you 

to have something to check with every so often. You need to make sure 

you set yourself clear milestones to show progression. 


4. BUILD IN REWARDS 

FOR YOURSELF 

AS YOU REACH 

MILESTONES AND 

GOALS 

Within the milestones and goals, you 

set out to achieve in your contract, 

you need to be sure that there are 

planned rewards. 

Self-encouragement is a vital part of 

growth and development. Keep your 

inner circle updated on your progress 

through progress report. 

5. SIGN THE DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF 

YOUR INNER CIRCLE - 

GET THEM TO WITNESS IT 

Once the details have been finalized, it is important for you to sign the 

contract in a way that makes it a celebratory affair. You are embarking 

on a life changing journey, so why not make it a big deal? By involving 

your inner circle in the process of not only watching you sign the contract 

but even getting them to sign it places it as a high priority. 

You need to put the contract in a prominent place in your home as well 

as providing a copy to your inner circle. 



STEP INTO THE REAL YOU 

& BE ‘ON PURPOSE’ ALL YEAR 

by Rachel Allan 

You set a New Year’s Resolution 

and here it is well into January 

and you have FAILED. 

Summer got in the way, children got 

in the way, you lost focus and energy. 

Health goals, life goals, business 

goals…all lost. 

What are you planning to do for the 

next 11 months of the year? Complain 

and feel like a failure. 

Maybe you are ready to hit the reset 

button and start again. A very plausible 

thing to do. Limiting yourself to new 

beginnings for only the start of the year 

will lead you to failure – always. 

By setting yourself well thought out 

goals and intentions for the future year. 


Breaking those down into 

quarters, month, and weekly 

actions. You not only space out 

your success over the whole year, you 

also now that little-by-little daily you 

are working towards your big goals. 

Then at the end of the year when you 

reflect you will see many reasons to 

celebrate and feel achievement. 

There are many tools you can use to 

gain clarity and stay focused throughout 

the year, both on the daily things and 

the big picture. 

You can also join programs which help 

you with accountability and support to 

keep moving forward. 

You may find yourself experimenting 

with different tools until you find 

something which works for you and 

your style. 

You may also find as part of this 

process you start to reflect on you, your 

weaknesses, your strengths, who you 

are as a person or who you would like 

to be as a person. 

How you want people to see you, what 

you would like to be known for and 

how you want to show up in life and 

It is essential when you set 

goals it encompasses all areas 

– your business, life, and self. 

Goals which excite you, scare 

you, stretch you and take you out 

of your comfort zone. 

Goals which will grow you as a 

person. 

Step into that person. 

Bring along your support people 

and your cheer squad. Enjoy it. 

Do it with intention and integrity. 


Here are some steps you can take to create an amazing year – and 

you can do this whenever you need to: 

STEP 1 

Create a vision board or write down your inspiration 

In a snapshot what qualities will you improve. What will keep you inspired 

to achieve your goals in each area of business, life and self – how do you 

want each area to look, feel, be seen. What is your word for the year. The 

word which will remind you about your inspiration. 

STEP 2 

This is for those in business 

Create a one-page snapshot of your business plan. What is your super power, 

what keeps your energised in business, your passions, your why, your 

mission, what are you disrupting and finally your goals for each business 

or project. 

STEP 3 

Create a one-page snapshot of your life plan 

Your I am statements, your purpose, your vision, your values and finally 

your goals for different areas of your life. 


STEP 4 

Add your goals to your 

planner 

I use a planner for this step – you 

may choose another format. Add 

your goals to the planner, breaking 

them down into quarterly, monthly, 

and weekly. 

Look at the time you have available 

(do you need to consider school 

holidays for example) and deadlines 

you may have. Be realistic as to what 

you can achieve. 

STEP 5 

Stay focused and 

accountable. 

Everyday spend the time bit-by-bit 

working towards the big picture goal. 

Enjoy the ride. 

Find an accountability buddy or 

group, this is the best way to stay 

focused on what you want to achieve. 


STEP 6 

Always celebrate 

Take time to celebrate the small wins and the big successes. Give yourself 

a reward for all your hard work. While some goals may seem easier than 

others to achieve; every time you tick a goal of you are closer to becoming 

the best version of yourself. 

You can apply these steps to any goals you may have in life. They could 

be about business, money, career advancement, your children or partner, 

your health, weight or stress levels. Any 

combination of these – your unique 

` 

life is yours. Your goals, your 

wants and needs are as unique 

as you. There is no one shoe 

that fits everyone. 

Live a life 

that is purely 

on your own 

terms 

` 

You need to choose how 

you want to show up in 

life. What does success 

look like to you? What 

does balance look like 

to you? 

Once you determine these 

things for yourself and you 

set the goals or pathways to 

becoming that person, only then 

will you become the best version of 

yourself. 



Raise your hand if you 

have ever felt the dread 

of another birthday 

approaching, especially one of 

the big ones that end with a 0! 

Well that definitely was me 8 

years ago when I hit the big 

40! But of course I felt I had to 

do what one does on the day, 

blow up the balloons, have 

some friends over, smile and be 

happy! 

LIFE AFTER 

40 IS PRETTY 

PEACHY 

(AND IT CAN BE FOR YOU TOO!) 

by Susanne McAllister 

But deep inside I felt sad and 

could not shake the feeling of 

dread. Dread that my next big 

birthday would be 50! 

And that meant seriously old 

in my view. I smiled and blew 

out the candles on my birthday 

cake, opened presents and 

lovely birthday cards until I 

came across one of these… 

“From now on it’s only 

downhill” cards! 

That was the last straw, not that 

anybody would have known 

that at the time! I retreated with 

a big glass of red wine to the 

garden to have some alone time. 


Sitting under the stars I took a hard look at myself and my life and 

realised that I had always let fear stop me! A myriad of fears actually, 

here are my top 3: 

1. Fear of not being good enough 

2. Fear of what others think about me 

3. Fear of being rejected or laughed at 

Yes, keep raising that hand if you know what I mean. 

With these fears came a big bag of negative thoughts about myself. 

HERE ARE MY TOP 3 CATEGORIES: 

1. Appearance – too fat, not 

pretty enough, big nose, crazy 

curls etc. You get the drift! 

2. Other people already do 

what I want to do and they are 

much better then me anyway 

3. I am just not as clever as 

others

Sounds like a proper birthday pity 

party doesn’t it? And there was 

even good music drifting through 

the garden to my sad tunes! 

I do have a quirky sense of humour and 

as I looked up at the stars, I became very 

aware of the infinity of the Universe and 

how there are really endless possibitlies 

– even for me! 

So there and then I vowed to myself 

that: 

I will never let fear stop 

me ever again! 

This was 8 years ago, and my life has 

been a crazy ride since then! 

The Zen priest Joan Halifax when asked 

about ageing said: 

“certain aspects of my life are 

shrinking. But as they shrink, 

something else expands! My 

sense of humour has expanded. 

My robustness has expanded. My 

tolerance and patience has expanded 

and my love for people 

and the earth has expanded” 

I could not have said it better myself! 


But first let me tell you about the wild ride and how life has changed 

for me: 

When I decided to not let fear stop me, I wrote down all the things I had 

said “no” to and decided to only say “yes”. 

But personal tragedy struck and my husband fell ill and eventually died. 

He had always been my rock but I was glad that I had had the realisation 

not to let fear stop me ever again! 

Because there was a lot to fear when going to through a cancer journey 

with your beloved. 

With no family other than our two beautiful daughters and with the help of 

friends, we got through this. 

I had to take over his job as well as mine,in the parenting and providing for 

the girls. It was not easy as you can imagine. 

But with my mantra and the determination in place to live my life to my 

fullest potential I persevered. 

“It’s never too late to be what you 

might have been” – George Elliot 

Since then I became a certified Health and Wellness Coach, helping 

other women that are stressed and want to get their life’s and health 

back on track and re-invent themselves and the next phase of their 

life with my 3 step process that I developed to, honestly, save myself. 


I 

also trained as a Nia Dance and 

Movement Teacher and can say 

truthfully that I love my body 

now more then I ever! I am also now 

in the best shape of my life. 

I wrote and published two books 

and a variety of articles. Life is also 

about giving back to others, so my 

daughter and I went to Fiji and helped 

in an orphanage, made new friends, 

and still now we keep supporting 

them. 

Outfit and sing silly songs at a 

Restaurant once a month! 

There is a bit of regret - I look at old 

photos and wish I had “not let fear 

stop me” then, and how different my 

life could have been! 

So take heart, you are reading this 

now and have the chance to “not let 

fear ever stop you from TODAY”. 

Be ready for new adventures! 

My girls are all 

grown up now, and 

are amazing young 

women who teach me 

a lesson or two about 

life as they prepare to 

conquer the world. 

Already they are far 

wiser then I was at 

their age, which I am 

very proud of indeed. 

And believe it or not, 

I even dress up in a 

German Oktoberfest 


I would love to hear from you! Don’t 

think you need to do all on your own! 


HOW TO TRULY 

LIVE YOUR 

POTENTIAL 

We all want to live life 

to the fullest and be 

the best version of 

ourselves. But getting there can 

be a challenge of the mind and 

body. 

Find your “Why” 

The first step is to find your 

motivation, your “why?”. This 

could be wanting to play with the 

grandkids, creating great habits 

and nutritious meals for your 

family, or fitting into your jeans 

more comfortably. 

by Gavin Aquilina 

When you have a strong purpose 

driving you, and you understand 

the emotional impact of achieving 

this goal, your chances of 

succeeding will skyrocket! 


Goals 

We’re all inclined to set overly ambitious 

goals. We want to be a 10/10 -- and we 

want it now! 

But when we’re anything less, negative 

talk has a tendency to creep in - in both 

how we talk to ourselves and in our 

approach to diet and exercise. 

For example, we start to consider exercise 

as punishment for eating the wrong foods, 

rather than as a celebration of what our 

bodies can achieve. 

I challenge everyone to flip this notion, 

and approach nutrition and exercise with 

a positive mind frame. 

Don’t punish yourself for not being where 

you desire; rather embrace where you 

are at now, and simply re-set new and 

attainable goals. 

EMBRACE WHERE YOU 

ARE AT NOW...

So, rather than aiming to go from a 6/10 to a 10/10 in two weeks, 

focus on going from 6 to a 6.1. 

Make simple and sustainable changes such as eating your meals slowly, 

stopping when you’re 80 percent full and making more nutritious choices 

for every meal. 

With your incremental 0.1 goals which you set for a two week period, you’ll 

easily increase your score to 8.6/10 by the end of the year, setting yourself 

up for long term positive lifestyle changes. 

The principle behind these 0.1 goals is that you are overcoming your 

negative relationship with nutrition and exercise, continuously reaffirming 

to yourself 

‘‘I can do this” 


Tips on a nutrition 

overhaul: 

a 

Replace unhealthy 

kitchen items for 

healthy alternatives. 

a 

Invest in healthy 

cookbooks and 

explore healthy meal 

ideas online. 

a 

Design and stick to a 

weekly meal plan. 

a 

Incorporate lean 

protein into every 

meal. 

a 

When you’re ready 

to undertake greater 

goals, work with 

your Personal Trainer 

to determine your 

ideal daily intake of 

macronutrients and 

re-adjust your daily 

diet accordingly

Tips on implementing 

exercise into 

your everyday routine: 

a Start small. Stand up when 

talking on the phone, and 

build up to adding squats. 

Then try and incorporate a 

daily 10-minute walk into your 

lunch break. 

a Invest in a Personal Trainer 

who will keep you accountable 

and help you to celebrate your 

wins. 

a Find a workout buddy with 

similar goals. 

a Seek out exercise that you 

enjoy - join a team sport, take 

up surfing or set up a weekly 

tennis comp with friends. This 

way it will never feel like an act 

of punishment. 

a Partake in incidental exercise 

such as parking further away 

from work or taking the stairs 

instead of the lift. 


1 

Pointers on 

how to stick 

to your new 

lifestyle 

a Surround yourself with the kind of people 

you want to be like. 

a Keep a diary of what you ate and 

how you move, and record how each 

action makes you feel. 

a Reward yourself for the wins - buy 

that top you’ve had your eye on, or try 

the fancy restaurant you’ve always wanted 

to go to. 

a Involve your kids - in both your exercise and in the kitchen. 

This new way of life will have a positive impact on the whole 

family. 

a Rest and rejuvenate. To be as productive as possible, you need 

to give yourself time to recover by ensuring you’re getting 

enough sleep, or treat yourself to a relaxing massage. 

a Avoid overwhelm. At times, there can be too much information, 

so try to simplify things and go easy on yourself. 

a 

Rethink how you socialise. Instead of going to a bar or 

restaurant, invest in bikes, take a homemade picnic to the 

park, or enjoy a game of beach volleyball with friends. 

a Let go of expectations. Working mothers in particular put a lot 

of pressure on themselves to be the perfect mum, wife and 

career woman. Know that you are enough, and that you’re 

doing the very best you can. 


Remember, 

YOU’RE CREATING A 

LIFESTYLE THAT IS 

MAINTAINABLE 

FOR A LIFETIME, 

NOT A SEASON, 

SO IMMERSE 

YOURSELF IN THE 

LITTLE VICTORIES 

ALONG THE WAY 


It's not hard to 

decide what you 

want your life to be 

about. What's hard, 

...is figuring out what 

you're willing to give 

up in order to do the 

things you really 

care about 

― 


5 SCIENCE BASED HACKS TO 

DIET RESOURCES 

YOU’LL KEEP FOR LIFE 

by Michele Connolly 

If you want to lose a few kilos 

then what’s the best approach? 

Should you give up carbs? Sugar? 

Gluten? Dairy? 

Well, you could try giving up any 

one of these food groups. 

But if you’re like many people, 

you may find you abandon the plan 

long before February. 

Those people are just weak-willed, 

lily-livered wusses, though, right? 


It’s seductive to think all it 

takes is strength of mind and 

you should be able to cut out 

a food group and shed unwanted 

weight. 

But the truth is your mind has its 

own agenda, and can sabotage your 

weight loss efforts like a neural 

Eve Harrington. 

How? 

For one thing, when you give up 

something you try to avoid thinking 

about it. 

But in a study called Suppressing 

Thoughts of Chocolate it was 

found that trying not to think about 

chocolate can make you more 

likely to have chocolate. 

So giving up something you love 

in order to lose weight can lead 

you to eat more of it. Excellent. 

For another, when you’re deprived 

of food it can lead to binging and 

disordered eating. 

Which will come as a shock to 

literally nobody who has ever been 

on a restrictive diet. 


This is precisely what happened to WWII veterans after they suffered 

food deprivation as prisoners of war - so you can’t put it down to 

being a contemporary food issues thing. 

And as a nasty little kicker, metastudies have found that dieting leads you 

to become preoccupied with the denied food and also makes you more 

dissatisfied with life in general. So now you’re obsessive, binging, and 

miserable. Great. 

That explains why dietary New Year’s resolutions are so tough to stick to. 

So then, is it hopeless? Is there anything you can give up to help dislodge 

excess kilos? 

Don’t throw your protein ball at me yet - the answer, happily, is yes. You 

can give up certain foods without triggering your brain’s self-preservation 

instincts. 

But! You have to choose the foods carefully and relinquish them gently. 


Here’s how 

First, get in touch with what you 

love, and don’t deny yourself your favourite 

treats. Maybe for you that’s chocolate or ice 

cream or cheese. 

Second, when you really feel like 

it, have it. And enjoy it - without guilt. 

Third, when you don’t especially feel 

like it, let it go. There’ll always be another 

chocolate eclair. If you’re not really in the 

mood or this one is not the greatest, leave it. 

Fourth, once you identify the treats 

you love, say no to the ones you could take or 

leave. In fact, make this your mantra: if you 

can take it or leave it, always leave it. If you 

love red wine then skip the cocktails. If you 

adore cheese then who needs dessert. 

Fifth, give up calorie-dense food you 

don’t especially care for, rather than arbitrary 

groups that contain foods you love. If you don’t 

love cake, don’t eat it. Save yourself for the 

most pleasure. 


The secret to New Year’s resolutions that become permanent lifestyle 

changes is to work out what you truly enjoy, reassure yourself you 

can have it when you really want it, and give up what you can pretty 

happily live without. 

That way you don’t have to suppress cravings, or feel deprived, or lose life 

satisfaction. And nobody’s head has to look like like a chocolate eclair. 



12 SIGNS OF 

RESOLVE 

by Estelle Williams 

Yes, it’s that time of year again and we are all either swearing to 

stick to our guns with our resolutions, else we’re declaring that 

resolutions are so not where it’s at any more and so we’re definitely 

up for seeing where the wind blows us. 

Fortune favours the brave after all! 

When it comes the talent for resolve of each Sun Sign, being able to 

make a declaration for the year’s intentions or setting solid goals differs 

vastly, according to the temperament, bearing, fortitude and focus of each 

element, and each innate talent for action, consolidation or reflection that 

one possesses. 

For example, the Taurus girl, being of the essence of Earth and of a Fixed 

nature, will find setting tangible goals for the year a piece of cake (oh, and I 

don’t mind if I have a piece of that thank you!), while the Sagittarius babe, 

with a shake of her mane will use her Fiery Mutable nature to change her 

desires whenever an exciting new frontier presents itself. 


Aries 

The Ram lass is a hard one to pin down to 

set her resolutions in stone. She leads with 

her head, and wants to rush into whatever 

choice seems the most exciting, no matter 

how dangerous. 

MARCH 21-APRIL 20 

CARDINAL FIRE ~ RULED BY MARS 

She is the pioneer and wants to lead the way, 

so no boring goal setting for her, she goes 

out directly and gets what she wants in the 

moment. 

Taurus 

As we mentioned, the Taurean lady will have 

her goals and wishes set firmly in stone, and 

there’s no last minute scrambling to get her 

resolutions finished. She knows what she 

wants, and in fact she probably already has 

it secured, or else soon will. Creature comforts, 

luscious and sublime, you’ll know 

when she’s achieved her hearts desire, oh 

no! Watch and learn. 

APRIL 21-MAY 21 

FIXED EARTH ~ RULED BY VENUS 

Gemini 

MAY 22-JUNE 20 

MUTABLE AIR ~ RULED BY MERCURY 

Now as much as I love the Gemini talent for 

enquiry and fun, when it comes to sticking 

to a resolution or two, it’s hard to say whether 

this girl will stay the course to manifest a 

solid result. There is just too much choice, 

and what if she makes the wrong one? Best 

to leave her options open, so that she’s flexible 

enough to seize the day!

Cancer 

You can bet the Cancerian will have her 

claws set in motion for gathering more security, 

love and family connections as part 

of her plans for 2018. 

JUNE 21-JULY 22 

CARDINAL WATER ~ RULED BY THE MOON 

Nothing makes more sense than to gather 

one’s comfort around her and plans for improving 

and upleveling her home are sure 

to be on the agenda for 2018. 

Leo 

The Lioness is of the essence of Fixed Fire 

and that means that when she decides she’s 

going to conquer the World as part of her 

plans for 2018, then she’s going to stick to 

it until it’s achieved. 

But she’ll do it in such a charming, warm 

way that you won’t even notice that you’ve 

been conquered and made a devoted subject 

until it’s too late. 

JULY 23-AUGUST 22 

FIXED FIRE ~ RULED BY THE SUN 

Virgo 

AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 22 

MUTABLE EARTH ~ RULED BY MERCURY 

If anyone is going to have her plans set 

up, indexed, categorised and ticked off in 

sequence, then the Virgoan gal is your pick. 

She has already figured out what needs to 

happen this year and is already half way 

down the path to organising it. You had 

better keep up if you want to find out what 

achievements she’ll make this wonderful 

year. 


Libra 

SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 22 

CARDINAL AIR ~ RULED BY VENUS 

There’s a lot to consider when the Libran 

lady decides to set her intentions for the 

year. One can’t be too hasty, and also it’s bad 

taste to divulge too much about your hopes 

and wishes, lest your friends and family begin 

to tell you that it’s impossible. World 

peace? Huh! But she really likes to dream 

that a fairer world is coming and who can 

blame her? 

Scorpio 

Don’t ask! If anyone can keep a secret it’s 

the lass with the sting in her tail. Those nosy 

parkers are always wanting to know what 

her plans are for the year ahead but if they 

really knew they’d be shocked! 

But really the Scorpion just wants the freedom 

to have her own thoughts and feelings without 

reference to the expectations of anyone else. 

OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 21 

FIXED WATER ~ RULED BY PLUTO 

Sagittarius 

We’ve mentioned that the Centaur is going 

to have freedom and adventure as her focus 

for the new year and it’s so exciting to her 

that there’s a whole world to explore or to 

discover anew. 

NOVEMBER 22-DECEMBER 21 

MUTABLE FIRE ~ RULED BY JUPITER 

Whatever her intentions for the year you 

can be sure that expanding her horizons, 

whether physical, mental or spiritual, will 

be on her list.

Capricorn 

January is the month when the Sun is in the 

sign of the SeaGoat, and therefore she has a 

natural affinity to set goals, dream of future 

achievements, and hone her skills to take 

her reputation to new heights. 

DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 20 

CARDINAL EARTH ~ RULED BY SATURN 

She may be ambitious, but it’s not without 

kudos to her immense talents and ability to 

manifest her desires. 

Aquarius 

Whatever the Aquarian girl has up her sleeve 

for this coming year, you can be sure it is 

going to be offbeat, surprising or unusual in 

some regard. 

With an eye to the future and an ear to the 

ground for coming trends, she is ahead of her 

time and will lead the way to a new dream 

and a new way of seeing the world. 

JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18 

FIXED AIR ~ RULED BY URANUS 

Pisces 

Oh Pisces, without her dreams of a better 

life and a better world we’d all be stuck in 

drudgery and servitude. 

FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20 

MUTABLE WATER ~ RULED BY NEPTUNE 

While she may have a somewhat Pollyanna 

outlook on life and what’s she’s hoping for 

in the coming year, what’s wrong with that 

when people around the world are losing 

hope and need to believe that there is good 

in people, in nature and in the future? 


Always have access to 

our latest content 

via the web, or on your 

Apple or Android device.. 

© 2013-2017 Smart Healthy Women Magazine. 

All rights reserved.

Smart_Healthy_Women__January_2018

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?