Stories from Kristina + Breanne

  Shared by Breanne Smedley I always tell my students that half the battle in anything is just physically showing up. And it’s no different in my class. I tell them that they want to do well, gain confidence, improve their physical and mental health, they have to take the first step. Just show up. Get to class. The work will follow. Because even a crappy workout that you didn’t want to do is better than the one you didn’t show up for. Physically being there is always the first step. We can’t go anywhere without it. It’s the catalyst that allows the work to happen. It’s kind of a trick, though. Because we all know it’s not enough. I can physically be at the gym, but if I don’t put in the work, can I really expect to improve? I can physically be at the dinner table with my family, but if I’m distracted and unengaged, am I cultivating relationships? I can be physically present with Brett, but if I’m not showing him my vulnerabilities and imperfections, can we be connected? I was readi...

  Shared by Kristina Smedley “Sprinkler Time…” Rules… sounds like limitations, structure, and confinement to many. One rule I hated as a kid was “it has to be 70 degrees outside to turn on the sprinkler.” I mean, come one… we lived in the mountains in the PNW. 65 is plenty warm enough for swimming suits and sprinklers! Now, I don’t know if my parents intended to make this rule. Or, if our babysitter made it up so she wouldn’t have to deal with three soaking and crazy kids. Either way, I’d sit and stare at the thermometer. Waiting… just waiting… until that little red dial hit 70. Then, it was on! Sprinkler Time!!!!  This memory came to mind today as I was listening to Tim Ferriss interview Ramit Sethi, the author of “I’ll Teach You To Be Rich.” Both Tim and Ramit have rules setup throughout their life. A playbook of sorts.  “When traveling for more than 5 hours, always book business class.” “Eat essentially the same foods day in and day out.” “A five-step morning process t...

  Shared by Kristina Smedley “Choosing Happiness…” Early in my career, I had dreams of one day working in a prestigious high rise building, in the middle of a bustling city. Of wearing fancy clothes to work every day. Of having an authority position, making good money, and being seen as a success. I would go out to small local restaurants for lunch and attend networking events and professional happy hours after work. This was my idea of a fulfilling career… of one where I would be happy every day. Now, 14 years after graduating from college, I’m not leaving this career. Not at all! And I have to admit… I’m so thankful. So far, I’ve done some pretty cool things in my career… traveled to many different countries to meet with customers, mentored, and coached others, setup organizational operating models, and (the best part) had the opportunity to build cultures and environments where our teammates thrive!  I’ve learned over time that the fame and glory, the fancy office buildings...

  Shared by Kristina Smedley “I’m overwhelmed – what should I do?!” Have you had moments in life where you wish someone would just throw you a life raft? To show up when needed and save you from the troubles you’re facing. I had a conversation about this with one of my friends over the weekend. She has a lot on her plate. A full time demanding job. Two young kids. A marriage that needs attention and work, like all marriages. No time for herself. “I feel like I’m treading water, deep out in the ocean. Thrashing around with no end or help in sight,” she shared. Scared. Exhausted. Sometimes just wanting to give up. “If only a boat would drive by and throw me a life raft.” She could stop treading water and get back to dry ground, where everything is more stable and safe. Instead, she feels that others are providing instructions on synchronized swimming. “Try moving your legs and arms at the same time…” “Moving in unison will make everything better…” “You just need to relax and settle i...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley Culture. It’s almost turned into a buzz word these days around teams, groups, and organizations. Sometimes, it seems like a magical unicorn that everyone is after, but no one knows how to capture. Entire committees exist to work on culture. Surveys, feedback, trying to crack the code. And when someone deems that good culture does exist in a group, it becomes taboo. Don’t talk about it, you’ll mess it up! Almost as if it’s just by accident that it happens. The stars aligned. The right combination of people, personalities, and circumstances came together to create a magic sauce that made everyone feel good and perform well. And if it doesn’t happen, well, it was just the players, employees, or people we had on that team or project. Nothing we could have done about it! I was listening to a coaching podcast yesterday when someone called in to ask this very question, “How do I develop a better team culture?” The hosts, all volleyball players and coaches, admi...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley They say money can’t buy happiness. But it can buy a $7 kiddie pool. And that has certainly made my daughter happy this week. Splashing around, squealing, scooping up, and pouring water on herself. I feel happy watching her be happy. Over the years, like most people, Brett, and I’s income has changed. For the first few months of our marriage, we were living on Brett’s teaching salary. I hadn’t started my first teaching job yet and Brett was early in his career. It was tight! Fast forward to now, with two incomes, coaching, 15 years of teaching between us, a few houses, cars, vacations, and a baby later. It still feels tight, sometimes! But, as our income grew, so did our possessions. At times, I fell into the trap. “If I just had THIS car, THIS furniture set, THIS pair of Lululemon pants…” It’s so easy to equate our happiness to what we have. What I’ve realized over the years though, is that my happiness didn’t grow with more income and possessions. When...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley Tuesday marked my final day of my summer Whole 30. For thirty days, it was no grains, dairy, sugar, alcohol, conventional oils, or legumes. I always feel really good when I eat this way. I have more energy, sleep better, and just overall feel stronger and more confident. The rules of Whole 30 are pretty strict. In addition to the excluded foods, the program also says no to any conventionally prepared chips or snacks, or preparation of any treats using Whole 30 ingredients. Read: No pancakes made from a concoction of almond flour/banana/egg. It also basically eliminated me from eating out (aside from a very specific order at Chipotle) and forced me to think ahead, plan, and prep my meals. When I first did a Whole 30 a couple of years ago, I thought these rules were a bit ridiculous. I mean, does it really matter if there is a drop of honey in my salad dressing? And what’s wrong with plantain chips?! Rules. They often get a bad rap. But here’s the thing ab...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley “The kitchen is a mess!” I exclaimed the other morning as Brett and I were about to leave for work. Brett looked around at the same “mess” that I was. “There’s like two pans in the sink…” He said in disagreement. Later that day when I got home, I got right to cleaning the kitchen. I washed the pans in the sink. But also decided it was a good time to clean the stovetop, clean out the fridge, reorganize the pantry and all the utensil drawers, sweep and mop the floors, and wash all the appliances. I felt a lot better about the state of the kitchen. My mind immediately went to other areas in the house that could use some cleaning. An hour later I emerged from the rabbit hole of the closet with three bags of clothes to donate and a newly organized closet. At that point, Charlee was waking up from her nap. “Free time” was over. I felt productive and good about the fact that some deep cleaning and organizing was accomplished. Until I looked at my planner to see...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley One of the hardest lessons to teach when coaching youth volleyball is the concept that three contacts are better than one. Pass, set, hit. It’s the name of the game. But in the 12u game, this is sometimes hard to justify for players. Mostly because sending the ball back over the net to the opponent after only one contact works. At the lowest levels, more often than not, sending the ball directly back over will score a point at best. It makes parents clap and smile, and we get the ball to serve. And at worst, sending the ball over on one will at least keep the ball in play. Why add two more contacts when it just increases the chances that we will mess it up on our side and give the other team a point? The reason, I tell them, is because this won’t develop them as great volleyball players. As they grow in the game, sending the ball over on one contact will almost always result in your team losing the point. It sets the other team up to crush that overpass ...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley I can see the finish line. Two weeks from today, school will be out for summer “break.” A break from teaching, maybe. In a household with two fall head coaches, weight training, camps, practices, and teacher training still fill up the summer. It’s a break from the daily grind, nonetheless. Instead of sprinting to the finish line, I feel like the past few weeks have been like crawling in thick mud. Every step seems to get harder with more resistance pulling me back. I’ve gotten behind on my morning routine. Telling myself it’s just one day that I woke up late. Only to have it repeat a day later. The tasks become daunting, rather than just part of the routine. Looking back on how far I’ve come with six months of carving out an enabling routine in the morning: -Finished 9 books -Written enough content to write my own book -Launched a successful ConfidenceFactor™ Challenge with Kristina -Maintained a weekly newsletter -Improved my ability to say no and set b...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley Last Thursday I was doing my normal grocery shopping after picking Charlee up from my dad and stepmom’s house. I normally love Thursdays for this reason. My dad and Trina live close to Trader Joe’s, a store I like but don’t normally shop at because it’s across town. Picking up Charlee nearby gives me a reason to shop at this cute little store. Charlee and I stroll the aisles.  Try samples.  Find new, interesting foods.  Charlee smiles and says hi to the clerks.  I usually pick up fresh flowers. However this Thursday in particular, my schedule was tight. I had to stay at school longer so I picked up Charlee and only had 30 minutes to get to the store, get shopping done, and get out. “No problem, I can make it happen!” I thought. As I was pulling into the parking lot, it started to downpour. The only spot I could find was in the back. I got Charlee out and made a run for the store as we both got soaked. Charlee thought it was funny, luc...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley It’s generally accepted that in volleyball, height is a blessing. Not required, but certainly makes some things easier. Blocking, hitting, more range defensively. I’ve coached plenty of girls who have height. I’ve also coached a handful that probably doesn’t get typical, “you must play volleyball, right?” question from random people in the grocery store. One girl, in particular, who stands at 4’10”. Rounded up to 5’ on the roster. A full foot (plus some) shorter than others on her team. I’m pretty sure she can walk directly under the net without having to duck. She’s had to fight her way through the program, and every club team she’s played on. Because at first glance, she is what you’d consider the underdog. She’s undersized. Has the potential to be overlooked. I imagine she had a choice to make when she started to play competitive volleyball. Use her height as an excuse, or use it to her advantage. It’d be easy for her to tell herself and others that t...

  Shared by Kristina Smedley “What’s Next…” Last night, Breanne and I had one of our regular Mindfluent Leader tag-ups. One of my favorite times of the week! We talked about Charlee’s new words and curiosities! We chatted about our recent experiences and our struggles with maintaining our morning routines and writing commitments. And we talked about our business. Usually, we’re smack in the middle of something and work on our assignments and projects together. Or we share what we’re learning. This time, though, it feels like we’re in a weird spot. We aren’t right in the middle of one single large thing! There isn’t an immediate and impending due date. Instead, we could actually reflect and then contemplate… “what’s next?!” It’s been a little over a year since we first started talking about building a business together. We’re committed to the 1% journey in our business and in our personal lives. Making 1% progress every day. Making 37X improvement possible in just a year. The outcom...