Stories from Kristina + Breanne

  Shared by Kristina Smedley I know you already know this, but I wanted to spend a moment reflecting on what a Rock Star Breanne is! We can really look in any direction and see example after example of her awesomeness! Personally, I’m lucky to have her as a sister-in-law, not only because I gained a sister and close friend that I can talk to about anything, who cares deeply about others, and is always there when needed… but also because I know that my brother has an amazing woman in his life who cares for and loves him unconditionally. And this is even better than me having an awesome sister! She’s an amazing and intentional mom, raising Charlee to be a strong, kind, and caring little girl. She shares what she’s struggling with, what she learns, and what she loves and this is so helpful as we’re welcoming a little guy into this world in the coming days! She’s a great business partner, who is willing to try new things, thinks things through completely, is much more organized than I ...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley As a mom, teacher, coach, partner, etc. it seems like selflessness is a requisite trait. Most of us in these roles likely practice servant leadership all the time. In fact, “Passionately Serving” is a cornerstone of the Mindfluent® Leadership DNA traits. To put others' needs above our own. To be generous of our time, resources, and energy in order to ensure that the needs of those we lead are being met. But also, to take care of one’s self in the process of setting healthy boundaries and expectations. I often overlook that part. As a parent, sometimes I feel I have no choice. We sacrifice sleep, time, freedom, and just plain “what I want to do today” for what our kids are needing or wanting. I want to take a nap. Or clean the kitchen. Or just do nothing for a second. Charlee wants to read the same dinosaur book for the 100th time today. And so it goes. I put on my reading voice. “Dinosaurs happy. Dinosaurs sad…” But there’s a couple areas in my life wher...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley “Altering my environment…” About a year ago, I disabled all notifications on my phone. Aside from texts and phone calls from specific people, my phone stays in a “do not disturb” mode for most of the day. I had come to the point where I was tired of “quickly check my email”, then finding myself mindlessly scrolling Instagram 10 minutes later. I had become a slave to my phone. Every notification, every tiny red dot, deserved my attention. Regardless of what I was doing, I felt the need to check whatever notification popped up. I became neurotic about clearing the red notification dots from every app. Which meant I had to open the app. Leading me into a rabbit hole of email, Facebook, or Instagram. I hate that tiny red dot. I read an article recently titled: “How to configure your iPhone to work for you, not against you.” In it, the author outlined 45 specific and detailed ways to increase productivity, focus, and longevity. Turns out those tiny red dots a...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley “Everyday…” Making the commitment to move my body and break a sweat every day would normally be something I wouldn’t think twice about. It’s what I do. During the volleyball season, though, things change. Everyday turned into a few times a week. Then, just once a week. Then, I went a whole week without working out. “I don’t have time…” The classic excuse I told myself. I’m up at 4:30am and home at 7pm most nights of the week. Home at 10pm on game days. My days are packed with planning, teaching, coaching, and all the other million things needed to run a program, keep my family fed and the house somewhat organized. Writing it out, I can see what these things really are. Excuses. Yes, this season is busy. Yes, it’s a fact that I cannot make it to any of the normal CrossFit classes that I love. But, I know I can find time to break a sweat. There are 20 minutes here, 10 minutes there that I know I can reprioritize. I have access to a full weight room at scho...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley “Not today…” There’s a voice that lives inside all of us. It’s the part of us that limits our capabilities. Stops our growth. Or prevents us from even starting in the first place. It’s the voice that sabotages our dreams. Let us give in and give up when it gets hard. The one that cares too much about the thoughts and opinions of people who don’t matter. The Inner Critic. The Lesser Self. I’m on a daily mission to defeat this voice. First, to become aware of it. Second, to speak truth to it. Third, to take action to prove it wrong. This week was no different. I thought I was doing a good job defeating that voice this week. I started a physical and mental challenge to develop grit alongside my fellow StoryAthletes, even though I know I’m tight on time. I began the 100 burpee a day regimen (accidentally, but that’s another story…) But then, I was challenged by a simple homework assignment in my Mindset Coach Certification program. To publicly announce that ...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley “100 Burpees a day…” Last week, I accidentally agreed to doing 100 burpees a day for 28 days. Nearly 2,800 burpees by Oct. 31st. I actually joined a different challenge with my fellow StoryAthletes to develop grit and mental toughness through daily workouts over the course of 28 days. I thought the challenge included 100 burpees a day, something the group did together last month. Burpees absolutely suck. They’re a full-body movement in which you bring your body down to the floor, then convince yourself not to stay there as you push yourself back up so that your feet meet your hands, then top it all off with a jump off the ground. Scared, I decided to get my classes on board with me. Then my volleyball team. By the end of the week, I had recruited a small army of people pumped and ready to start doing 100 burpees a day. Turns out, I didn’t read the challenge rules closely enough. Workout #1 was posted. It involved running stairs, push-ups, hollow rocks… B...