Early Accountability

Krystal Taylor is a personal trainer and certified fitness and nutritional coach. She considers herself a “late bloomer” when it comes to fitness and nutrition, deciding to make a lifestyle change after having her second child because she was not content with how she felt. In 2014, she entered a fitness competition which really solidified her life choices and set her up in the eyes of those around her as a subject matter expert. She started providing nutritional plans and workouts to anyone who asked her for her help, and she really started to comprehend that this could become a career for her when her husband convinced her to start charging for these plans and shifting her acquaintances and friends to be her clients. She overcame her insecurities about her insufficiency and became a certified fitness and nutritional specialist so that she would have the research and science to back up her theories about fitness. Krystal encourages everyone to first shift your mindset about what you think “meal planning” an

Our topic on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is comparison, and how cutting back on the opportunities for comparison is helpful and beneficial. It has often been said that comparison is the thief of joy, and to take it a step further: comparison can sometimes keep us from starting new or challenging things. There are some environments where comparison is constructive and motivating, but if you find yourself in a situation or mindset that is counterproductive, consider these tactics for cutting back on comparison: 1.Celebrate small wins – If it is significant to you, it is worth celebrating and sharing with others. This can be anything from making it to the gym on time to drinking a certain amount of water every day for a week to not letting a toxic relationship get to you. 2.Don’t become a Bitter Betty – Learn to be happy for other people when they succeed, even if it is hard for you to see them doing something that you have been wanting to do. The ability to be content and be excited for oth

The topic of this episode is likely close to home for a lot of the Early Accountability podcast listeners: perfectionism. High achievers often struggle with perfectionism, having high standards and expectations which should lead to flawless performance. However, since perfection is not actually attainable, high achievers also fail to reach the goals they have set for themselves, which can lead to anxiety or depression. It is important to be realistic and self-aware enough to accept that sometimes “done” is better than “perfect”. Kimi outlines some of these specific times: 1.When it is going to keep you from striving towards and unattainable or unrealistic goal – No one has ever benefitted from setting themselves up to fail. It is better to succeed at an attainable or realistic goal. 2.When it will stop you from procrastinating – Often, high achievers procrastinate starting something until they think they can accomplish it perfectly. Sometimes the best thing to do is just get started and make adjustments alon

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi interviews Kelvin Martinez, a photographer in the Dominican Republic, about how he launched his business. Kelvin has always wanted to be a photographer, but since he assumed it would be too difficult to learn, he tried other things like graphic design and web design first before he finally took the leap into photography. By taking a few online classes and watching tutorial videos, Kelvin built up his confidence enough to ask some of his friends if he could take pictures of them to build up his portfolio. He really launched his photography business in April of 2019, and he had enough of a web presence by June that Kimi came across his work and decided to hire him to take professional photos of her during her time studying abroad in the Dominican Republic this summer. He had put up a simple but elegant website and has been working hard on Facebook to build up his reputation, and he looks forward to the continued learning and other opportunities ahead of

This episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is meant to give listeners a refresher about the purpose of the podcast and the specific ways that our content can help listeners achieve their goals. Our host, Kimi, is a school psychologist and wellness coach, and she uses her experience as well as interviews with her guests to create a conversation around goal-setting and motivation to achieve in a very attainable way. While listening to this podcast, you should feel equipped and empowered to make the best version of yourself a reality in these specific ways: 1.Abandoning excuses and strongholds – These barriers exist most strongly in your mind, and breaking these down is imperative to starting a new habit or stopping an old one. 2.Jumpstarting motivation – Be aware of where you are and where you want to go. 3.Igniting results – Success looks different for everyone, so we will provide you with the tools you need to find your own success and sustain those results. 4.Being encouraged – Guests on the podcast sh

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, our guest is Asha Ma’at, founder of Dreams 2 Destiny, a business and life coach with an emphasis on the spiritual realm. She first felt led to start a life coaching business in 2015, and over the next few years she found greater spiritual clarity after quitting her job and going through a divorce, learning to embrace her doubts and questions as a part of the process. In 2018, she moved to Detroit and chose to become a deliberate creator, finding alignment with something greater than herself and getting in touch with the spiritual world through tarot cards and readings. She soon realized that her best employment option was to lean back on her previous training in home health care. She started her own home health company and also began offering business and life coaching as well as workshops. She encourages everyone to pray and meditate, which really equates to talking and listening to your own spirit or source. When you are in alignment like this, you real

EAP 79: Dealing With Overwhelm by Kimi Walker

We all have them. Those “absolute” statements about what we will “never” or “always” do. On this episode of the Early Accountability podcast, Kimi discusses these statements and how they can limit you from future growth if you hold onto them unnecessarily. For instance, Kimi determined shortly after her lifestyle change of 2005 that led to her losing over 100 pounds, that she would never wear shorts in public again. She was conscious of the excess skin and cellulite that were an inevitable byproduct of losing so much weight and drew the line in the sand that she could never be seen in shorts. A few years later, she had gained a bit of weight back due to life circumstances at the time and she bought a pair of “goal shorts” as a motivator to get back on track. This past June, when she was packing for her trip to the Dominican Republic, she found those goal shorts from 10 years ago and packed them. Not only did they fit, but they were a little bit too big, and Kimi ended up wearing those and other shorts many

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi has a very special guest who is wise beyond her years. Harmony is a rising 6th grader who is involved in Girl Scouts, Girls on the Run, running club, soccer, and robotics club in addition to being voted 5th grade Class Mayor and keeping her grades up. In order to become Class Mayor, she had to write and deliver a speech in every class and then be elected by her peers to represent them in venues like Business Town. Her commitment to learning new things and improving herself through all of these extracurricular activities is admirable for someone her age, and she shares with listeners her guiding principles in rocking her goals. •Make the time for what you want to do, but don’t be too upset if you have to miss something sometimes. •Take a break to rejuvenate between activities. •Prioritize the activities that are really important to you and then see what else you can fit in. •When you are nervous about something, put in the effort to practice and do

Once you accomplish a goal or reach a milestone, it is important to set up a system to keep you from backsliding or getting off track. On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi outlines her 4 key steps based on her recent experiences in the Dominican Republic in a Spanish immersion program. Being back in the States now, it would be easy to revert back to speaking primarily in English, but there are some easy steps she can take to continue pursuing her goal of becoming bilingual. 1.Keep yourself excited about it – Set micro-goals to stay focused or join a team to keep the excitement going. 2.Stay on top of your progress – Have a plan to track what you have done so far, where you may need to improve, and how far you have to go. 3.Put in alternative supports – Come up with a schedule of when you are going to practice or work on your goals. 4.Find other methods of accountability – Grow, maintain, push forward, and accomplish what you say you will. Topics Covered in this Episode: •Staying on t

This episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is about the unexpected setbacks that Kimi experienced throughout her trip to the Dominican Republic. Her intention had been to study Spanish at a language school and volunteer with children in the community during her down time. However, due to some miscommunications and a series of unfortunate events, things did not work out as she had planned. She talks with listeners about her strategy for navigating experiences that don’t go as planned and still being able to pursue your original goal. 1.Stay calm – Try not to get too worked up about the situation and choose not to focus on it too much. The more you dwell on what has happened, the less clear-headed you will be. 2.Scope out alternatives – Research other opportunities that fit into your broader goal and timeframe and evaluate them to find the best fit. Reach out to locals or experts in the area for help. Be ok with saying “no” to opportunities that just aren’t the right fit. 3.Act and move forward – Work

At the time of recording this Early Accountability Podcast episode, Kimi is studying Spanish in the Dominican Republic. In the weeks and months prior to Kimi’s trip, several tragic events happened to Americans in the Dominican Republic, but she did not let fear stop her from pursuing this goal of becoming bi-lingual. She shares with listeners her tips for feeling fear about something and choosing to do it anyway, with an abundance of caution rather than out of recklessness: 1.Be strategic – Think through who you are going to tell about your plans and when you are going to tell them. When appropriate, use apps or other technology that will allow certain people to keep track of you while still giving you the space you need to work towards your goals. Don’t let the fears of others impact your thought process unnecessarily . 2.Remind yourself of your “why” – Any goal worth pursuing is worth the effort it takes to get there. Recognize the experience-building potential and the new opportunities that will be access

The topic of this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is creating your own “winner’s circle” of people who will encourage and motivate you in your personal and professional endeavors. It has been said that when you look at your friends, you see the future you are headed towards because so much of your potential abides in the company you keep. Some people are tempted to rely too heavily on one person to fulfill their accountability needs, but when you diversify the voices you’re listening to, you will see drastic improvements in your results. Kimi purports that your squad or tribe should have one of each of these types of people, recognizing that one person can fill one or two roles: 1.Mentor – Someone who is where you want to be. You can bounce things off of this person and learn from them. 2.Mentee – Having this person in your circle is an opportunity to teach what you are learning and continue your personal development. 3.Coach – Different than a mentor, a coach is meant to provide strategy and tec

When you are facing one (or more) of the storms of life, the last thing you usually want to do is press forward. Whether you are going through the loss of a loved one, a financial crisis, unexpected employment changes, broken relationships, or anything else that disrupts your sense of calm, it can be difficult to know how and when to move forward. On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi outlines her 6 things to keep in mind and action items that can help you weather the storm: 1.Allow yourself “yuck days” –Feel the feelings, accept the moment you are in and validate your emotions. 2.Just because you move forward doesn’t mean you completely let go – Especially when you are grieving the loss of a loved one or a significant aspect of your life, it is important to recognize that healing looks different for everyone. Know yourself and your process, and don’t be influenced by what other people think you should do in this moment. 3.Put a stop on it – After you have given yourself the time to fee

With Memorial Day signaling the unofficial start of summer, it can be easy to shift to “vacation mode” and start coming up short on your personal and professional goals. On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi gives listeners 4 strategies for enjoying summer while being productive. 1.Define your work-life balance – Understand your personal, professional, and family roles and goals. Think through your desires and what works best for you and those around you during this season and then define what and when your breaks are going to be. 2.Plan, plan, plan – Consult with the stakeholders in your various roles to make plans and then commit to them. Write them down, set reminders, create alarms on your phone, and use timers when you need to stay on track and hold yourself accountable. 3.Set contingencies for yourself – If you have something coming up that you are looking forward to, come up with productivity milestones along the way where you get to reward yourself with as aspect of the upcoming

As we wrap up this mini-series on mindset shifts during this Mental Health Awareness Month, Kimi talks through a topic she is very passionate about: you are what you eat, drink, and think. You have to make intentional and consistent decisions in these areas in order to take full advantage of the resiliency, mental clarity, and focus that help make you the best version of yourself. There are 5 specific categories of your life that Kimi recommends you focus on: 1.Exercising – It is a proven fact that people who exercise at least 2 hours per week have a higher rate of goal achievement because of their increased levels of mental clarity and self-awareness. Exercise does not have to be anything extreme, but just an activity that raises your heart rate: a YouTube workout video, gardening, yoga, and walking all qualify. 2.Eating Healthy – This goes hand-in-hand with exercising to get you moving in the right direction towards a healthy lifestyle. Recognize what works for you and how you need to plan ahead to make s

Having the courage to let go is not an easy thing to do, but sometimes it is exactly what you need to do in order to move forward and start new things. On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi describes the 3 lies that you need to let go of: 1.Lies society has told you – Perhaps it seems like everyone else has it together and has figured out the magic formula for the perfect home life and perfect work life. Maybe you think that your life would be perfect if you could just get married, start a family, land your dream job, or be able to stay home with your kids. To take it a step further, you don’t feel like you are good enough because of the expectations that the world has for people to look a certain way. Try to diffuse your media exposure and look at the lives of others through a different lens, recognizing that they are also human. 2.Lies others have told you – Well-meaning friends and family members have likely said something hurtful to you and it could be holding you back. Recognize tha

The topic of this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is “the power of pause.” Kimi shares about the impact of taking a mini vacation right before the end of the school year and she provides listeners with her perspective of the 3 benefits of experiencing a mental shift to allow yourself to pause: 1.Prevent burnout and reduce stress – There is a tendency in our society to just keep going at unsustainable speeds and never need to take a breather. This can happen in your home life, your work life, your fitness pursuits, or other areas of your life, but it is crucial to listen to your body when it says you need a break. By stepping away for a few hours or days, you allow yourself to clear your mind and get centered before jumping back in. 2.Increase productivity and mental focus – Give yourself some time to get away from expectations, obligations, and supposed requirements and allow your brain and body to recharge. By abiding by these rest boundaries, you will be able to come back to the “real world” s

If you have ever struggled with preparing for the unknown, this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is for you. It can be difficult to know how to start something new, so a certain amount of thinking and planning is required, but how do you know when it is time to just jump in with both feet? What if you aren’t ready for that yet? Kimi walks listeners through the mindset shifts that need to take place in order for you to venture into new territory with resolve and confidence. 1.Chill – Get grounded, be mindful, be self-aware, don’t overthink what is going on, and let go of fear. Instead of thinking about what could go wrong, try to just focus on the step in front of you. 2.Search for your hang-ups – Take a look at your crippling beliefs or behavior patterns and try to dig a little deeper to discover the root of the issue. Perhaps you are hesitant to start something new because of the hurtful words of a friend many years ago that you don’t realize are still affecting you. 3.Resist the urge to over-p

Our topic on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is shifting your mindset to move past disappointment, despair, and defeat. These feelings can be common when you are starting something new, but they do not have to slow you down or keep you from reaching your goals. It is important to practice mindfulness and self-awareness throughout the process of starting something new, and this is especially important when you’re facing an obstacle along the way such as disappointment, despair, or defeat. Here are some specific thoughts about each of these obstacles and steps you can take to move past them: •Disappointment: oDisappointment comes from not meeting your expectations – Make sure that your expectations are realistic and attainable oStay present and recognize the source of your disappointment, but don’t stay stuck – Accept it, then move forward oOften, we have closed ourselves off to any result other than our expectations – Be open to the possibility that there might be something better than you h