Ageless Grit Webinar Series ★

The Ageless Grit webinar series with Dr. Stephanie Burns & Barbra Schulte wrapped up a couple of weeks ago. It was a mind-changing experience!

Here are a few key takeaways that left a lasting impression on me:

★ Takeaway 1: Your brain learns by what you focus on

Your brain learns about what you want by looking at what you are paying attention to. Much like how Facebook listens to our conversations and customizes ads accordingly.

Imagine your brain having tiny antennas that tune in to and toward what captures your attention.

In other words, what you focus on will expand.

If an unpleasant thought creeps in, try to tell your brain, “Thank you, brain, let’s move on.” Personally, I find this especially helpful when I’m lying awake in the middle of the night, worrying.

Another approach I love, courtesy of sports psychologist Dr. Jenny Susser, is to picture using a baseball bat and knocking that negative thought right out of your head and into the next county!

Speaking of worrying, here is a good attitude adjustment I came across during the Snow to Sunshine Escape that I had the pleasure of leading in Arizona recently.

★ Takeaway 2: Time will pass whether you do anything or not.

That was the title of one of the Ageless Grit webinars. A simple yet powerful truth!

Therefore, use your time wisely!

Think of it this way: “If you don’t do it this year, you will be one year older when you do”, a saying that is attributed to the legendary Warren Miller, filmmaker of hundreds of ski & snowboard movies.

Imagine that if YOU don’t come on one of my horsey experiences in 2025, you’ll be a year older when you do!

Fun Fact: I almost interned with Warren Miller & his company instead of with the Swiss Parelli Office back in the day. Where would that journey have taken me – I wonder?

★ Takeaway 3: Procrastination is the #1 killer of goals.

The key to success? Frequent and consistent action. #babysteps

And, as you take those consistent action steps, develop a high tolerance for making mistakes! Ha, that’s exactly what I remind myself of every time I step foot on the golf course!

Learning is hard! Everything is unfamiliar and it is very easy to feel unconfident. Somebody who is good at something, it’s not because he/she was born that way, it’s because that somebody survived being a beginner!

★ Takeaway 4: Track your progress.

As part of your journey to the new & improved you, consider keeping a record.

Try to write not just what you can do but how it feels, especially when it comes to horses.

Instead of focusing on what you can’t do yet, tracking your progress helps you see how far you’ve already come.

My brain’s antennas are currently hyper-focused on ageless grit, decision-making, persistence vs. procrastination, and living life to the fullest.

That’s how my brain led me to Marie Forleo and her book “Everything is Figureoutable”. In it, she mentions the “10 Year Test”.

Ask yourself this: 10 years from now, will you regret not having gone on a horsey experience with Elli? If the answer is yes, NOW is your time to sign up for the trip of a lifetime!

And yes, you will never feel ready to do the important things you need to do in your life, such as riding horses in Iceland, Switzerland, or the stunning red rocks of Utah.

All Change & Progress Begins With a Brave Decision.

According to Marie Forleo, we must disobey that voice in our head that’s trying to tell us that we’re not ready. That voice is a lazy, whiny, repetitive, life sucking little parasite! (I can almost picture a meme of it! If you feel like drawing one, please send it to me! I’ll put it on my voodoo doll…)

This voice is constantly telling you how not ready you are, how incapable, incompetent, and not good enough you are.

That voice is not you and is not true.

That voice will do whatever it can to keep you caged in stuckness with logical, rational lies, such as “the timing isn’t right”. Or “I need to wait until XYZ”.

It wants to tell the same old tired story of how incapable you are over and over again. The faster you train yourself to disobey that voice, the faster you will fortify your ability to figure anything out.

Can you out-persist your brain that might be telling you “that’s a silly dream”?

10 Year Test ★

When was a time in your life when you believed you weren’t ready yet, but once you started to take action, you realized “that wasn’t so bad, why didn’t I do this sooner?”?

Do the 10 Year Test any time you’re faced with making a big decision that could significantly impact the trajectory of your future and the ultimate achievement of your dream.

Ask yourself, “10 years from now, will I regret not doing this?”

By Marie Forleo “Everything is Figureoutable”

Or, as Dr. Steph Burns says, “It is your mind and your memories. Choose what you will and will not think about when it comes to taking action toward your goals.”

The First Annual now to Sushine Escape

I hope you’ve enjoyed my musings.

I’d love to hear about what’s on your mind these days.

Perhaps…

★ A true Wild West Cowgirl Experience in the stunning red rocks of Moab, UT? Heads up: the early bird pricing is only good through March 15th!

★ The Fire & Ice Adventure in Iceland?

★ The Swiss Alpine Ride in the St. Moritz area in the eastern part of the Swiss Alps?

Feel free to reach out with any comments, questions, confusions, or requests you might have!