UQ Mindfulness

This past weekend I led Training #2 of a mindfulness + mindset program I created for 🎾

While it’s taught through tennis, the goal goes far beyond the sport.

This work helps young athletes build self-leadership skills they’ll use on the court and in life:

• emotional regulation
• resilience under pressure
• self-talk, effort & attitude
• how they relate to others and to themselves

Sports are such a powerful entry point for learning these skills.

In this case, the court becomes a real-time classroom, and what they practice there carries into school, friendships, family life, and beyond.

The coach training creates shared language and simple tools coaches can weave directly into lessons, so these ideas show up consistently and naturally.

While DTP serves youth, the message is universal:
Awareness and self-leadership aren’t age-specific. They’re life skills.

It's a pleasure to partner with an organization like Denver Tennis Park that invests in developing the athlete and the person.

💭 If you think about a younger version of yourself, what’s one skill you wish you’d learned earlier?

For a simple holiday reset think S.N.O.W.

• See- what’s in your control
• Name- what isn’t
• Only do- what’s within your capacity
• Walk forward- with the energy you have

That’s awareness, acceptance, and sustainable progress, all wrapped up in a little snowball! ❄️

Recently, I tried SIM racing for the first time.

The first round, I didn’t touch the brake 😅
I just kept downshifting. My face tells you how that went.

The next round, I knew what to expect.
I used the brake (it helped 😉) and felt less reactive and more responsive.

Maybe this year, you never quite got a feel for the course.
Or the speed made it hard to keep things in control.

Maybe you were doing something new
and didn’t know the tricks yet.

The messy laps teach you the course.
You have more to work with next time around.

What did you learn over the course of this year?

Thank you Becky and Matt for such a fun event!

Pssst… if you’re stepping into the holiday vortex right now, you're not alone.

For some, it’s the start of a break.
But for others, it's go time.

Last-minute magic making.
Family logistics.
Wrapping (and re-wrapping) gifts.
Trying to remember where you hid things.
And underneath it all… the pressure to “make it special.”

Take a moment to consider this:
We set goals all the time for performance.
But during seasons like this, performance can sneakily become over-performing.

So set a goal to fit in some restoration
even if it’s a quiet moment “wrapping gifts” alone in a room,
or a well-placed no to one more thing on your plate.

These micro-moments matter.
They’re what keep you from running on fumes.
They’re what help you enjoy the magic you’re working so hard to create.

Success isn’t the only form of performance.
Protecting your energy counts too.

Anyone out there feel better when you’re in control?
And when life gets chaotic or fast, it feels… uncomfortable.

Control is just your brain trying to keep you safe.
So you plan, anticipate, manage, correct, and carry… everything.

But the price of control can be:
your peace,
your bandwidth,
your confidence,
your ability to be present.

The goal isn’t to stop caring.
It’s to stop carrying more than you were meant to.

This is a pattern, and patterns take time to shift.
The first step is noticing when you’re controlling more than you need to.
Then, even if it's hard and not perfect, practice releasing the tight grip on the outcome.

Awareness → choice.
Choice → support.
Support → new patterns.

Is there anything this week you’d gladly relinquish control of?

If I look in my closet, there’s a clear discrepancy.

There’s the effortlessly chic version of me I buy clothes for…
and the comfy, on-autopilot version I actually dress as.

It’s a bit like that Barbie moment.
Heels she’s always known vs. Birkenstocks she isn’t sure she’s ready for.

Who I’ve been vs. who I could become.

Most of us feel ready for a shift, but stay attached to what’s comfortable now.

If you’re wondering where you are in that gap, I have a simple one-page check-in that helps you see the patterns you’ve outgrown and the version you’re growing toward.

Find it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1noXFZGACRN56-18lnjdeNGp7PL4k0mG5/view?usp=share_link

What feels next for you? more ease or a stretch beyond what’s familiar?

Your success often depends on knowing this about yourself:

Some people can have “just a little.”
Some people do better with “none at all.”

You might just be an abstainer trying to moderate.
Or a moderator trying to abstain.

You’re not “bad at willpower.”
You just need to know yourself and adapt your approach to what works best for you.

Mindfulness isn’t just meditation.
It’s the skill of paying attention to what’s happening inside you as it’s happening.

Because once you become aware of your patterns, reactions, and energy…
you can understand what they mean
and choose your next step with intention.

That’s where better communication, healthier dynamics, and clearer decisions come from.

The framework:
Awareness → Interpretation → Adaptation → Better outcomes.

If you want to shift the way you show up, start with awareness.
Everything changes from there.

Before starting with a new client, I asked if they felt any resistance to the process.
They said, “It’s not resistance. I just don’t know how to do the work.”

Which is such a real and relatable response.

Starting is hard because we focus on an outcome, but can't see how we'll break it down into steps that will work for us when our habits take over and life gets busy.

As a coach, I'm like a building partner, helping you construct a vision and plan that feels clear, doable, and actually fits your life.

If you’re in that space too, you’re in good company.

Whether it's DIY or with support, go build what's important to you!

I’m starting a new term… The Overall Effect.

I had a bunch of painting projects I kept avoiding because of the setup, the cleanup, and honestly, I didn’t want to ruin any clothes.

If I wanted to get it done (and I did 😉), I had to remove the obstacles.

I bought disposable roller covers, tray liners and overalls.

Once I took away my excuses and got ready to get messy…

I took down wallpaper, repainted a room, painted an alcove wall, and even a bookshelf!

These overalls are officially my "productive pants"!

If you're noticing avoidance in working toward your goal, what would lower the barrier to beginning?

What’s your version of “overalls”?

“What else is walking into this moment with me?”

It’s a tiny question, but it can completely change the moment you’re in.

We switch “selves” all day long without meaning to.

🧠 Thinking about our kids while trying to work.
🧠 Thinking about work while trying to rest.
🧠 Carrying old tension into new interactions.

When you notice it, you get to choose how you show up.

A small pause can make the whole day feel different.

I know.
You want it so badly you can’t picture it going any other way.

You’ve been gripping so tight, trying to make it happen.
Control starts to feel like the only option.

It’s frustrating, but some outcomes are just out of our hands.

What you do have control over is loosening that grip.
Trusting your judgment.
Trusting your timing.
Trusting that you’ll figure it out if things don’t go as planned.

Trust isn’t pretending everything will work out perfectly.
It’s remembering you can handle it, even if it doesn’t.

Release is when you finally stop white-knuckling what’s not serving you
and give yourself room for what’s next.

You’ve tried strategizing and controlling,
but it hasn’t worked.

So maybe it’s time to release a little.