I’ve been humming and hawing about what to write this week, and I kept coming back to September, goals, that back-to-school feeling, and the weird little burst of motivation that seems to show up when summer starts winding down.

Last week I wrote about getting my ducks in a row, and I think this is almost the next part of that conversation. At some point, the planning ends. You’ve thought about what you want, considered what needs to change, and tried to make a little more space for it. Eventually, you have to start looking for the ducks and lining them up.

September has always been one of my favourite months to be a trainer. There’s something about that back-to-school energy that feels like a fresh start, even if you don’t actually have anyone going back to school. Routines return, calendars start filling up again, and there’s this collective sense of, okay, I’m ready.

Every year, I see the same trend come fall. People spend the summer thinking and talking about the things they want to change. Maybe they’ve been meaning to start strength training, get back into a routine, drink more water, or simply walk more so they have more energy in their life. They’ve thought about it on vacation, over coffee on the patio, on long walks, or while telling themselves — or their friends — that once September comes, they’re going to start.

Then September arrives.

It feels like go time, but I think there’s something important to remember here: the shift does not have to happen overnight. Sometimes the best thing you can do is give yourself a little time to find your rhythm again before you try to build something new.

This week, I came across a prompt that asked:

In this next chapter, I choose…

It stayed with me because it made me think less about a giant list of goals and more about how I actually want this next season of my life to feel.

In this next chapter for me, I choose to feel grounded, vibrant, strong and deeply present in my life. I am ready to receive more ease, creativity, abundance, support and opportunities that feel aligned with the life I am creating.

I want to trust myself more deeply, follow my instincts, take up more space in my work and let myself be seen. I want to keep building something meaningful while allowing myself to be supported along the way.

I’m ready to say yes to growth, creativity, adventure, connection and possibility. I’m ready to be fully present in motherhood while continuing to be fully myself. I want more room to create, travel, move my body, spend time with the people I love and follow the ideas that make me feel excited about my life.

Here’s the part I keep thinking about: you can want a lot of things at once, but you still need to start somewhere.

A big lesson I’ve learned over the years is that you can keep looking at the big picture forever, but if you never start walking toward it, nothing changes.

Big goals are useful. They give you direction. The part that actually moves your life forward is much smaller, and usually a lot less exciting.

A couple of workouts a week. The walk. The earlier bedtime. The project you keep chipping away at.

Small, repetitive actions are what create big results.

One thing I’ve learned after years of coaching women is that waiting for the “perfect” Monday rarely helps. You do not need a brand-new routine, a perfect meal plan, ten thousand steps, eight hours of sleep and five workouts scheduled all at once. Pick the thing that matters most to you right now and give yourself a chance to get consistent with it.

September can absolutely be a fresh start, but I think it works better when you give yourself a little runway. Figure out when you’re realistically going to work out. Find your dumbbells. Put your walking shoes somewhere you can see them. Look at your calendar. Decide what you actually have space for.

Then start.

For some people this September, that might be strength training. If you’ve been thinking about starting and aren’t quite sure what that should look like, I’d love to help. If you already know you want to do my 8-week program this fall, I have a limited number of consults available, so book in soon. The program is built around this exact idea: start with something manageable, repeat it, and let those small actions build over time.

For someone else, the starting point might have nothing to do with exercise. It might be finally booking the appointment you keep putting off, signing up for the class, starting the project, asking for help, going to bed a little earlier, or creating one small pocket of time for yourself during the week.

Last week was about getting the ducks in a row.

This week is about finding the first duck.

So maybe the question isn’t only:

In this next chapter, I choose…

Maybe it’s also:

Which duck am I starting with?

September is almost here.

It’s go time.

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Something I say a lot is, “My ducks are not in a row.”

Perhaps that is my way of acknowledging that I have lost the plot a little and am feeling frazzled. I think anyone reading this knows the feeling.

I am a creature of habit. I usually write on the same days at the same times. I eat relatively the same things week to week. I plan my workout days ahead of time, and I always have a list of goals I am working toward. When my daily routines start to veer too far away from helping me achieve those goals, I notice pretty quickly. I gather the ducks, get them back on the boat and point us in the right direction again. This sounds boring but for me it works and I need this structure in order to get anything done.

For most of this first year of motherhood, we have had the help of a nanny. I have never taken for granted those two or three mornings a week when I can work on my business or train clients while knowing Eloïse is being cared for. Time to line up the ducks if you will…

When our nanny told us her family was planning a three-week trip to Europe in July, I embraced it and encouraged Gui to invite his mom to come from France for two weeks of that time. She, of course, jumped at the opportunity.

We spent two weeks wrapped up in a little family incubator. It was special and I was grateful for the help, but as someone who is incredibly introverted, two weeks of almost constant social interaction was also incredibly draining. My routine disappeared. My ducks were scattered.

I was looking forward to getting back on track when our nanny let us know that her dad had experienced a health scare and she would not be able to return to work for another two weeks.

The ducks!

They may officially be lost by that point.

But what can you do? I let my clients know what was going on, adjusted what I could and tried my best to maintain some version of my routine. The time away from my usual structure also gave me an opportunity to have quality unstructured time with Eloïse and to start to reevaluate my goals and think about what I actually want to focus on next.

I work with a coach named Sarah, and in our session last week she asked me about my personal goals. It was interesting, because I had already been thinking about this and realizing everything I had been saying about wanting to get my ducks back in a row was mostly connected to my business: my systems, schedule, content, clients and the career goals I am working toward.

Personal goals always feel harder to name.

The biggest personal goal I have had over the last seven years was to have a family.

And here I am.

I said this to Gui the other day, and his very French response was, “Great. Now enjoy it.”

Why is that so hard for me? Why is it difficult to sit inside a chapter and enjoy it without immediately planning or striving for the next one?

That is something I am still pondering and it might just be a charater flaw I have to work with.

Career goals have always felt easy for me to set. I can create a plan, break it into steps and start hacking away at it. Personal goals feel less straightforward. Outside of working out and eating well, I sometimes struggle to know how much of my limited time I should give to the things that light me up personally.

I am also trying to figure out what those things are now. Besides playing with my daughter, what brings me joy simply because I enjoy it? What interests do I want to nurture? What parts of myself do I want to carry into the next ten years?

I do not have all the answers yet, but summer feels like a good time to ask the questions.

There is something about summer that gives us permission to move outside our normal routines. We stay out later, travel, socialize more and let the usual structure of the week loosen. Sometimes it leaves us craving the consistency that fall brings. It can also help us notice where our energy is going and whether we still want to keep sending it there.

The long summer days offer space to reflect on the year so far, to sit with what is working, what needs to shift and what might help us come back to ourselves.

As I begin thinking about my goals for fall, this is the process I am using.

Start with the vision

For me, a vision has to be clear.

The last big vision I held was of myself sitting high on a balcony, looking out over a sunset, with a baby moving around nearby. The energy of the scene was calm. I felt peaceful, present and able to enjoy being there with her.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting on our balcony watching the sunset while Eloïse played nearby, and I suddenly realized I was living inside that vision.

I had an overwhelming feeling of awe. I had reached the chapter I had spent so many years imagining. I had, in my own way, manifested this phase of my life.

My immediate reaction was to start searching for the next vision. Of course.

A new vision does not always arrive immediately, though. I have been sitting with it over the last few weeks, and I think it is beginning to come together. For me, the most important part is not exactly what the vision looks like. It is how I feel inside it.

How does the next version of me move through her days? How does she feel in her body? What does her home feel like? How does she spend her time? What does her work give her beyond an income? What does she have space to enjoy?

Your vision does not need to be a perfectly detailed picture of your future. It needs to give you a direction and a feeling you recognize.

Turn the vision into goals

Once I can see the vision, I start thinking about what would need to be true for me to live that way.

If I want to feel strong and energetic, I may need a consistent training schedule and an earlier bedtime. If I want to feel more present with my family, I may need clearer working hours and fewer moments when I am half-working while trying to be with them. If I want my business to feel spacious, I may need to simplify an offer, improve a system or decide which projects no longer deserve my attention.

If I want more creativity in my life, I may need to protect one hour a week to write, read, take photos, style outfits, cook or do something without needing to turn it into content.

The goal becomes the bridge between the vision and my actual life.

Decide what matters in this season

We can have many goals. We cannot give all of them equal attention at the same time.

Some seasons are for building. Some are for maintaining. Some are for learning, parenting, earning, healing, creating or simply finding your footing again.

This season of my life is full. I have a baby, a relationship, a home, clients, a team and a business I care deeply about. I have limited time, and pretending otherwise does not create more of it.

My goals for fall need to respect the life I am actually living. I am asking myself: What deserves my best energy? What can stay in maintenance mode? What am I ready to stop carrying? What do I want to make more room for?

A goal can be meaningful without becoming another job.

Turn the goals into repeatable actions

This is where the ducks come back in.

Big goals are exciting, but our routines are what move us toward them. I try to identify the smallest actions I can repeat consistently.

If my goal is to write more, the action might be writing every Tuesday morning. If I want to get stronger, the action might be planning my strength workouts before the week begins. If I want to feel more connected to Gui, the action might be creating one intentional pocket of time together each week.

If my goal is to rediscover what lights me up outside of work and motherhood, perhaps the action is protecting one hour every Sunday to do something that is just for me.

The action has to fit inside my actual life. A plan that only works during a perfect week is not a useful plan.

I also like deciding what the minimum version will be because life will interrupt the routine. The nanny will go away. Someone will get sick. Work will become busy. Sleep will be rough. A family member will visit from France, and your introverted nervous system may quietly leave the building.

Perhaps the full goal is three workouts a week, and the minimum is one. Perhaps the full goal is writing weekly, and the minimum is publishing twice a month. Perhaps the full goal is a date night, and the minimum is sitting on the balcony together for twenty minutes after the baby goes to sleep.

The minimum version keeps the connection to the goal alive until the ducks find their way home.

Put it somewhere in your real life

A goal without a place in the calendar can remain a lovely idea for a very long time.

I like deciding when something will happen before the week begins. I plan my workouts, choose my writing time and schedule focused work. I am also learning to make room for personal things without treating them as optional or waiting to see whether any time is left over.

The calendar does not need to be packed. It needs to reflect what you say matters to you.

Leave room to enjoy what you have created

This may be the most important step for me.

I am very good at reaching a destination and immediately looking for the next one. I am learning that part of setting goals is also recognizing when a former goal has become my current life.

There was a time when the baby playing beside me on the balcony was the vision.

Now she is here.

Perhaps my next chapter is not only about achieving more. Perhaps it is about creating enough space to experience the life I have worked so hard to build.

Maybe getting my ducks in a row this fall will look different than it has before. There will still be lists. There will still be workouts planned and business goals broken into manageable steps. I will still find deep satisfaction in a well-organized week.

I also want space for the parts of life that cannot be optimized. Time with my daughter. A slow dinner. A book read for no productive reason. A walk without turning it into a step goal. Sitting on the balcony long enough to notice that I am already inside a life I once dreamed about.

So, if your ducks are currently scattered too, perhaps you do not need to chase every one of them at once.

Start with the vision. Choose what matters in this season. Turn it into a few actions that can live inside your real week. Then pause long enough to notice what is already here.

Fall will come, as it always does, bringing fresh notebooks, familiar routines and the urge to begin again.

For now, summer is giving us a little space to decide where we actually want to go.

I hope you find your ducks.

Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦

As we head into BBQ season, I wanted to share one of my favourite high-protein recipes. Whether you’re firing up the grill for family and friends or simply looking for an easy weeknight dinner, these turkey burgers are always a hit

One of the biggest challenges I hear from the women I coach isn’t finding a healthy recipe. It’s finding one that works for real life.

You want something that’s high in protein, easy to throw together after a busy day, and something your whole family will actually eat. Bonus points if there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

These turkey burgers check every box.

They’re packed with lean protein, incredibly juicy, and come together with simple ingredients you probably already have at home. The secret is the shredded zucchini. It adds moisture, boosts the nutrition, and helps prevent turkey burgers from drying out.

As moms, we’re often trying to find ways to get a few more vegetables into our family’s meals. I actually don’t love the idea of “hiding” vegetables. I think of it more as adding nutrition wherever it naturally fits. A handful of grated zucchini in burgers. Carrots stirred into pasta sauce. Spinach blended into smoothies. Mushrooms finely chopped into taco meat.

Those little additions might not seem like much in the moment, but over the course of weeks and months they really add up.

Remember, healthy eating isn’t about creating the perfect plate every single meal. It’s about building habits that are realistic enough to repeat.

This recipe is one of those habits.

Juicy Turkey Burgers

Serves: 6 burgers

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground turkey

• 1½ cups finely shredded zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)

• 1 large garlic clove, grated

• 1 tsp cumin

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, shredded zucchini, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Using your hands, gently mix until everything is just combined. Avoid overmixing, as it can make the burgers tougher.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and shape into patties. Flatten them slightly, as they’ll puff up while cooking. If the mixture feels sticky, lightly wet your hands before shaping.

Stovetop

Heat a ceramic non-stick skillet over low to medium heat.

Add about 1½ tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the pan.

Cook 2–3 burgers at a time for 5 minutes per side, flipping only once. Cooking them low and slow helps keep them juicy while ensuring they’re cooked through.

The burgers are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Grill

For burgers that hold together even better on the grill, place the patties in the freezer for 10 minutes before cooking.

Preheat the grill to medium heat and lightly spray both the grill grates and the burgers with cooking spray.

Grill for 6–8 minutes, flipping once, until the burgers reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Make It Your Own

One recipe can become four completely different meals depending on the flavours you’re craving.

Mediterranean

Mix in:

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 fresh garlic clove, grated)

• ½ tsp dried dill

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• Optional: ¼ cup crumbled feta

Serve with: Tzatziki, cucumber, tomato, red onion, arugula, and a whole-grain bun or lettuce wrap.

Mexican-Inspired

Mix in:

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• Optional: 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Serve with: Avocado, salsa, shredded lettuce, pickled onions, and pepper jack cheese.

Italian

Mix in:

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• ½ tsp garlic powder (or 1 fresh garlic clove, grated)

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• Optional: ¼ cup grated Parmesan

Serve with: Fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, arugula, pesto, or marinara.

Greek

Mix in:

• 1 tsp dried dill

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 fresh garlic clove, grated

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• Optional: ¼ cup crumbled feta

Serve with: Tzatziki, cucumber, tomato, red onion, fresh parsley, and a squeeze of lemon.

Serving Ideas

These burgers are delicious:

• On a whole-grain bun

• Wrapped in crisp lettuce

• Over a large salad

• Alongside roasted potatoes or sweet potato wedges

• With grilled vegetables and corn on the cob

• Chopped into a grain bowl for lunch the next day

Jenna’s Tip 🤍

I almost always double this recipe.

Dinner is taken care of, and lunch is practically made for the next few days. Leftover burgers are great in wraps, salads, grain bowls, or crumbled into pasta sauce.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned after nearly 20 years as a trainer is that healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. The women who build lasting habits aren’t making elaborate recipes every night—they’ve found a handful of nourishing meals they genuinely enjoy and keep coming back to.

I hope these burgers become one of those recipes for you.

If you make them, I’d love to hear what you think. And if you create your own flavour variation, leave a comment and share it with our community! 💛

In January I had the idea to write one of these every month.

Well... here is my second one.

Between running a business, raising a baby, and life generally doing what life does, this series took a bit longer to find its rhythm than I expected.

I absolutely love of hearing what other people are into. The books they’re reading, the restaurants they’re recommending, the ideas they’re exploring, and the products they’re genuinely enjoying. This is why I am so well suited for my job.

I often find inspiration comes from the people around me, so I thought I’d share a few things currently in my orbit in the hope that something here might inspire you too.

This is a book and practice I keep coming back to, particularly during seasons when I feel disconnected from my creativity or when life feels a little too focused on responsibilities and not enough on curiosity.

The premise is simple: write three pages every morning without editing yourself and take yourself on a two-hour artist date. A bookstore, a gallery, a coffee shop, a garden, a neighbourhood you’ve never explored before. Anywhere that sparks your attention.

What I love about this practice is that it asks very little of you. There is no outcome to achieve. The goal isn’t productivity it’s creating space for inspiration.

As someone who spends a lot of time helping others build routines and structure, I find it equally important to make room for wandering, noticing, and following what feels interesting. Some of my best ideas have come from giving myself permission to be curious without a plan.

Summer feels like the perfect season for that.

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Speaking of artist dates, one place Gui and I keep coming back to is Gary's…

Great food, great atmosphere, and one of those restaurants that makes an ordinary evening feel a little more memorable. If you're looking for somewhere to catch up with a friend, celebrate something small, or simply enjoy a special summer night out, it's worth a visit.

make a reso

I seem to be becoming more and more low maintenance these days. Maybe it’s motherhood, maybe it’s age, maybe it’s simply realizing that not everything needs to be optimized.

I’ve actually had so many people ask me about my hair lately that I thought I should share what’s been working for me.

My routine is about as simple as it gets: wash it, let it get almost dry, throw it into a high bun (either overnight or for the day), take it out, spray with AG Curl Spray, and scrunch.

That’s it.

The spray has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting this summer. It gives my hair texture, movement, and just enough polish without requiring me to spend much time thinking about it.

These days, any beauty product that saves time while still delivering decent results feels like a win.

buy the spray

Lately I’ve been thinking about seasons.

Inspired seasons.
Seasons that test us.
Calm seasons.
Waiting seasons.

I think we spend a lot of time wishing we were in a different one.

When we’re in a season that tests us, we long for ease.

When life feels calm, we wonder if we’re doing enough.

When we’re waiting for something to happen, we become impatient for what’s next.

And when inspiration finally arrives, we often forget to enjoy it because we’re already thinking about what comes after.

The older I get, the more I realize that each season gives us something different.

Inspired seasons remind us what’s possible.

Challenging seasons show us what we’re capable of carrying.

Calm seasons give us the chance to appreciate what we’ve built.

Waiting seasons teach us patience and trust, even when we can’t yet see where we’re headed.

I’ve been pulling tarot cards quite a bit lately and one card that keeps making me think is the Wheel of Fortune. At its core, it’s a reminder that life moves in cycles. Nothing stays the same forever. The wheel turns.

The busy seasons become calm ones.

The waiting seasons become inspired ones.

The difficult seasons eventually soften.

And sometimes, just when we think we’ve figured everything out, life invites us into a completely new chapter.

The older I get, the more I believe strength isn’t built only during the difficult seasons. It’s built through all of them.

Through the seasons where we create. The seasons where we endure. The seasons where we rest. And the seasons where we’re simply asked to trust what’s unfolding.

Whatever season you’re in right now, I hope you’re able to find a little inspiration in it.

And if not, maybe borrow some from someone else’s orbit for a while.

Please share a heart below if reading this made your day a bit lighter.

Thank you for reading. xo

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I’ve been quite personal with my last few posts, but one of my goals for this Substack is also to educate about the importance of fitness in a conversational, and hopefully interesting, way. My hope is that these posts encourage some of you to keep going with your fitness goals, or perhaps inspire you to start for the first time.

I met one of my clients for coffee this morning. She’s in her eighties, active, independent, and one of those people who reminds me that aging doesn’t have to look the way many of us imagine it will. We spent the morning talking about summer plans, family, travel, and all the little things that make this season so enjoyable. At one point she mentioned that she was thinking about taking a break from strength training for the summer and returning to it in the fall.

It was a casual comment, the kind many of us have probably made ourselves at one point or another.

Yet it sparked a conversation about something I think far more people should know about.

As we age, strength can disappear much faster than most of us realize. There is actually a name for this process: sarcopenia, the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength, and physical function that occurs as we get older. While it tends to become more noticeable in our sixties, seventies, and eighties, the process begins much earlier. In fact, many researchers suggest we begin losing muscle mass as early as our thirties.

It happens slowly enough that most people don’t notice it year to year, but over the course of decades the effects can be significant.

When people hear the phrase muscle loss, they often picture changes in appearance. They think about toned arms becoming less defined or clothes fitting differently. What interests me far more is what muscle allows us to do.

Muscle is what helps us carry groceries, climb stairs, maintain our balance, get up from a chair, recover from a stumble, lift a grandchild, or continue living independently.

It supports our metabolism, helps regulate blood sugar, protects our bones, and acts as a reserve during periods of illness or injury. When we lose muscle, we aren’t simply losing strength.

We are gradually losing capacity.

This is where the conversation with my client became particularly important. For someone in their eighties, a few months away from strength training is not always just a temporary pause. The body becomes less efficient at maintaining and rebuilding muscle as we age. Recovery takes longer, muscle-building signals become weaker, and periods of inactivity can have a much larger impact than they would have had twenty or thirty years earlier.

What might feel like a harmless summer break can sometimes result in meaningful declines in strength, balance, mobility, and confidence.

The consequences extend well beyond fitness. One of the greatest predictors of quality of life as we age is our ability to continue doing the things we love without relying heavily on others. Strength plays a surprisingly large role in that equation. When muscle mass declines, the risk of falls increases. Recovery from illness becomes more difficult. Everyday tasks require more effort.

What begins as a small reduction in strength can gradually influence almost every aspect of daily living.

What struck me as I drove home from our coffee date was how often people assume this is a conversation reserved for seniors. The reality is that sarcopenia doesn’t begin at eighty.

By the time we reach our later decades, we are often experiencing the accumulated effects of choices we made years earlier.

The habits we build in our thirties, forties, and fifties create the foundation for how we move through our seventies and eighties.

This is one of the reasons I talk so often about strength training. Not because I believe everyone needs to pursue a particular physique or spend hours in the gym. It’s because strength is one of the few things we can actively invest in today that has the potential to improve our quality of life decades from now.

When you’re forty, strength training may help you feel more energetic, support your mood, improve your sleep, and make daily life feel easier.

When you’re eighty, that same habit may help you continue traveling, gardening, carrying your own groceries, or living independently.

Perhaps the most overlooked benefit of exercise is that it preserves choice.

The choice to remain active. The choice to explore new places. The choice to get down on the floor with grandchildren and stand back up again. The choice to continue participating fully in your own life.

These are things many of us take for granted until they become difficult.

So whether you’re 35, 55, or 85, I hope you’ll think about strength training a little differently. Rather than viewing it as something you do solely for today’s body, consider it an investment in your future self.

Every workout is a contribution toward maintaining the freedom, capability, and independence that most of us hope to enjoy for as long as possible.

The conversation I had this morning was technically about strength training, but what we were really talking about was something much bigger than that.

We were talking about how we want to live.

**If this resonated please hit the like button below. I would love to know if this was helpful for you to read.

I find the tempo of my life interesting right now.

I am normally a very scheduled person and, as those of you who are mothers know, this is perhaps one of the biggest shifts in your life as you transition into motherhood. It isn’t that my life doesn’t revolve around schedule and routine right now because perhaps more than ever I am aware of the difference 10 minutes makes to a nap schedule (dear god help us all) or the fluidity of bedtime with the routine of a nightly bath. The point I am trying to make is that the tempo and schedule of my life is no longer my own. It is hers, and I honestly am enjoying finding out how to balance our lives around her needs.

I can’t even count how many times people came up to me while I was pregnant and told me that motherhood would be the hardest thing I would ever do and to prepare myself for it. Most of these people didn’t know my life, and the reality is I have been caretaking others, to some extent, my whole life. I never really wasn’t a co-parent. My brother was born when I was 18 months old and I remember “helping” my mom with him from a very young age. I know this is normal in some ways, but what it meant as the firstborn child to a single mom was that my needs were often placed second. I now realize the juggling mothers of multiple children have to do as I, on a very small scale, manage my “three kids,” two being fur babies. The look Tuni gives me when I am paying all my attention to Eloise sometimes breaks my heart because I see now what was not there in my own childhood. My mom just didn’t have the capacity to manage it all, and that awareness lands differently now that I’m in it myself.

The fact is, motherhood is a dance, and I did not enter into it blind. Becoming a mom at 40 has meant many rounds of “do I want this or do I not want this,” and for a long time it was a no. Thirty-five-year-old Jenna could not see herself looking after one more thing as I managed a full studio of clients, a mom in and out of the psych ward, and a sister struggling with addiction. To imagine taking something else on at that time was incomprehensible, and I am so glad I didn’t. I was also single at the time, and as you know, if you are single at 35 you start to see everyone in your life pair up and start having babies. The question of whether you want kids or not stops being asked because everyone is quietly doing the math.

The biggest plot twist of my life was 2020 (I am sure I am not alone in this).

Covid changed me. It forced me to slow down because there was nothing else to do, and it also forced me to tune into myself in a way I hadn’t since childhood and really get clear on what lit me up in a day. For me, I did come to the conclusion that I wanted to be a mom quite quickly, and as of May 2020 I was on a list for a puppy. This was huge for me. To imagine caring for something of my own felt wild, and I did not take that decision lightly. Late November 2020 I got a call that there was one puppy available and did I want her. She would be ready in 10 days. Yes. A million times yes. I remember the feeling so clearly. A bit scared, a bit overwhelmed, but certain.

I went for lunch with my mom that week before I got her, and sitting across from me at White Spot she quizzed me on my decision. What if you don’t have enough money to take care of her, which is always her first thought because she lives in a scarcity mindset. What if you can’t balance work. A dog is a lot of work, Jenna. I sat in my car after that and had a hard time breathing. I can only describe it as a mild panic attack. Her questions brought up so much anger in me. She was giving me a hard time for adopting a dog, telling me what to do in my adult life and “parenting” me in a way that didn’t feel earned. I can’t fully describe the feeling, but it was like she didn’t have the right to do it because she had never built that relationship with me, and realizing that in itself was triggering.

I will never forget the day I got Tuni. She started her healing magic on me immediately and I softened to her in a way I didn’t know I could. We became inseparable and she lit up the part of me that had hardened over time. I felt joy again in a way I hadn’t in a long time. We had a great first year together, but I kept feeling a pull to get another dog. I knew people would think I had lost my mind, but I just knew my family wasn’t done. This time I wanted to rescue. I have always thought about being a foster mom, but I don’t know if I actually have it in me because I feel like my heart would ache too much.

After looking through hundreds of dogs and not feeling that same pull, I got an email from a rescue I had applied to saying they had a dog that matched what I was looking for, and I knew. Enter Tedi. I had to drive just outside of Bellingham to pick him up and there were so many covid protocols at the time that it was easier to go by myself, but I was nervous. What if he didn’t like me. What if this changed the relationship I had with Tuni. What if they didn’t get along. Was I ruining everything. The truck pulled into a dark parking lot around 12:30am and it felt like a movie, a bunch of half-asleep people emerging from cars to meet their dogs. A few dogs came out before him, and then there he was. They handed him to me and he tried to bite me and squirm away, and I held him tight and walked quickly back to the car.

We sat there together in the dark and I just breathed. I felt his whole body relax, and that moment was the most maternal I had ever felt in my life up to that point. And that was it. He accepted me as his mom. Being found in the woods he had some behavioural things we had to work through, but he took to Tuni right away and we became a family of three. As a 37-year-old woman with no relationship prospects, I was content with my fur babies and fully leaned into that chapter. They became my little sidekicks and my life revolved around their needs.

Another shift came shortly after. I had brought the dogs to the gym and we had just gotten out of the car when Guillaume walked up. He had a weird look on his face because Tedi looked exactly like a dog he had previously owned. We were just friends at the time, but I remember quietly hoping he would leave his girlfriend and come join my little family. Fast forward a few months and he did. April 2, 2022 we became a family of four. Gui moved in that summer and life has moved quickly ever since.

For me, I wanted a real baby. I felt like I had done a lot of healing and I felt ready to become a mom. Gui wasn’t as ready. He was very aware that once we made that shift, life would be different forever. But my clock was ticking. After many conversations and a lot of back and forth about when to start trying, we decided on January 2025, and it worked the first round. I remember taking the test on a Saturday morning, convinced it would be negative, and seeing the two lines. All of the same feelings I had with my two dogs came back, but stronger. I will never forget how surreal it felt knowing that I was going to be a “real mom.”

At 40, you are also very aware of everything that can go wrong, and I tried to stay in the joy but I was also very nervous, especially toward the end. As I write this, I am watching her play independently while I drink a hot cup of coffee, two things that don’t go unnoticed these days. I am also aware that I need to wrap this up because the tempo of the day will shift again soon and I know she will need me.

This is really where it all comes back to for me. The tempo. Becoming a mom feels like shifting from melody to harmony. If you were used to being the main character, you become more of a supporting role, and that shift shows up in so many ways. As much as you can prepare yourself for it, this is the part that asks the most of you. Finding the balance of you in them will always be ongoing, but I chose this. I chose all of them, and I will continue to take care of them to the best of my ability. I look forward to seeing the music we create together.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone. I hope you have a beautiful day.

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It’s been a while since I’ve written something personal, and lately there’s a lot percolating.

I don’t know about you, but the energy of spring is deeply comforting to me. The smells, the softening air, they bring back so many layers of nostalgia. I grew up homeschooled on the Sunshine Coast, which meant spring was unstructured time to just be. Picking flowers, reading outside, soaking it in. As an adult, I try to carve out these moments for myself when I can, because it really does fly by into summer before you know it.

This season also holds a lot of memories of my mom. Good and complicated. That contrast is literally the definition of having a bi-polar mother. The good and the bad are so tightly intertwined that you’re never quite sure which is true, or which one has any permanence.

One good memory keeps surfacing as I feel that morning crispness in the air: she used to take us up to Sorrento, BC in April to volunteer at a Christian camp. I can’t even remember the name now. We’d run pretty wild on this beautiful property while she helped set things up for summer in exchange for our room and board.

That time was magic.

It was the first time I’d been somewhere that felt “far away.” I remember taking in every sight and sound of a new place, feeling like everything was significant. It’s interesting how memory works. You experience something, it imprints, and you’re never quite the same. I feel that way about Sorrento. I’ll always notice lilacs in the air and be transported back there, vividly.

Do lilacs do this for anyone else? They really are unique. They only bloom for two or three weeks, but in that time, for me, life is just better. A good scent has a way of doing that, doesn’t it?

But spring also held another kind of energy with my mom. She often went manic this time of year. I don’t know why, but this was her season. It’s why my layers of memory are infused with a confusion of good and complicated.

We moved a lot in the spring. By thirteen, I had moved seventeen times, including a few homeless episodes spent tenting. One of them, you guessed it, in April.

One spring day she came home and decided we needed to pack up our dirty laundry and start driving. When I asked where, she said she didn’t know. My brother, sister, and I just rode along as we crossed the border (you didn’t need passports to do that in those days) and kept going. Long story short, she took us to Disneyland, pawning her possessions at pawn shops along the way to fund it.

As most of my memories go as the eldest, I don’t remember much of the trip itself. I was in second parent mode, stressed about the situation. But I do have fond memories of our time there, underneath it all.

This is the thing about complicated mothers. The magic and the chaos are often the same trip.

As we come up to Mother’s Day, I always feel like I have to prepare myself for being sad. I don’t speak to my mom anymore. And although I feel good about that boundary, the memories haunt me. I know she isn’t a bad person, but her presence in my life is toxic. That is a hard realization to come to.

Grieving someone who is still alive is hard in a specific way. You have to accept that this person can’t be who you thought they were. Who you needed them to be. Actively choosing to step away from the chaos is the hardest thing I have done so far in my life.

For me, the reality is this: for most of my life, my mom wasn’t a Mom to me. I realize this so much more now that I have a daughter of my own. She was an adult caregiver, but she wasn’t a Mom. I somehow got through most of my childhood without realizing this, but the shocking weight of it as an adult is something I am still processing.

And yes, it is sad and I don’t think that realization will ever get easier.

But honestly, life is good right now, and I’m leaning into it.

Eloise is seven months old, and I am so enjoying this age. Having little jokes with your baby is such a special thing. Noticing her likes and dislikes, getting to know her on a different level, it’s amazing.

I am not taking the calm of this season for granted. The same time of year that once held so much unpredictability is now something I get to move through with more intention. I feel grateful to be able to create new memories for me and my family in this season. To experience spring in a way that feels steady, and soft, and ours.

I’ve been finding a balance between work, mom life (kid and dog), Gui time, and me time, and for the most part it’s working.

I will say, having two small dogs on top of a baby is overstimulating at times. I always knew they were needy, but now it genuinely feels like I have three kids at times and Tuni is the hardest one (insert eye-roll here).

One thing I’m noticing about balancing it all is that I just can’t get back to everyone the way I used to.

If you’re reading this and I’ve forgotten to text you, I’m sorry. I normally pride myself on checking in with friends regularly, staying on top of birthdays and special occasions. In this chapter, I can’t. And I think for the most part that’s okay, but I definitely feel some relationships shifting.

I guess this is a part of motherhood I didn’t think about. When people talk about “losing identity,” they don’t just mean going from a woman without a child to a woman with one. They mean your habits change. Not all of them, but enough that you feel the shift and so do the people around you. But that’s life. The only constant is change and if you don’t change, the people around you do and you feel the shift regardless.

Spring holds the magic of a fresh start. A clean home, a new workout routine, a catch up with a friend in the sun that makes you feel alive again. This season is not to be neglected so please lean in. It goes by so fast. For me, I will be over here reminiscing and creating new memories with my seven month old who laughs at all my jokes.

I feel so lucky to be in this chapter. The layers of memory keep building.

Thanks for reading. xo

Ok everyone, this is my last post like this for a while, but I wanted to break it up so it all felt a bit easier to take in.

Now that I’m over 6 months postpartum and no longer breastfeeding, I’ve started to slowly add a few supplements back into my routine. It’s not something I’ve ever gone all in on, but with the hormones doing the hormoning and my focus on maintaining muscle as I get older, I’ve been a bit more curious about what could actually support me.

So these are a few things I’m trying and paying attention to right now… we’ll see what sticks.

Because I’m using Good Protein consistently, which is already fortified with vitamins and minerals, it’s kind of acting as my multivitamin. That’s helped me keep things feeling simple without the urge to pile on a bunch of extras.

Here are a few things that I am focusing on right now:

1. Creatine
This is something I’ve only recently started taking. For a long time, I associated creatine with more traditional strength or bodybuilding spaces, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

It supports energy production at a cellular level, which can influence strength, recovery, and even cognitive function. As I’ve become more focused on maintaining muscle and supporting long-term energy, it felt like a natural addition.

I usually take it once a day and just tie it into something I’m already doing, like my morning routine or after a workout.

I’m still early in using it, but it’s something I’m paying attention to.

I decided to try the brand ARRAE and although I don’t love the added sugar of the gummy format, I do find I am more inclined to stay consistent this way. Pick your battles!

Buy here

2. Ashwagandha
This is something I’ve used more for nervous system support.

I am someone who runs a bit more anixous and I have noticed it has gotten a bit worse as the years go by. I find when I take this along with my Magnesium at night there is a bit more space before reacting, and a bit more steadiness throughout the day.

I tend to take this later in the day or in the evening, when I’m starting to wind things down.

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3. Maca
This is one I’ve been more curious about but paused while preganant and breastfeeding so I don’t know quite yet if I have noticed the difference but the research is interesting.

It’s often used to support energy, mood, and libido, which felt relevant based on some of the early shifts I noticed.

I usually take this earlier in the day, either in the morning after brushing my teeth or around lunch, since it can feel a bit more energizing.

I’ve approached this one more as an experiment to see how my body responds over time.

Buy here

4. Zinc and Vitamin D
These are two I’m working on being more consistent with (especially now that I have a baby around who is often sick).

Zinc supports hormone production and overall balance, and Vitamin D, especially living in Vancouver, is something I don’t want to overlook.

It plays a role in mood, immunity, and energy in a way that feels foundational.

I tend to take both earlier in the day with food, just to keep it simple and consistent.

I just get mine from body energy club.

Buy here

5. Siberian rhubarb
This is something that has come up more recently in conversations.

It’s been studied for its role in supporting mood and anxiety during perimenopause, particularly through how it interacts with estrogen receptors.

This is one I’m still learning about, but from what I’ve seen, it’s typically taken in the morning as part of a daily routine. I have yet to start but I wanted to include it so it was on your radar also.

We live in a society that constantly bombards us with do this and try that and it is often hard to navigate what is worth your time. For me, that this isn’t about doing everything but it is about paying attention to how you are feeling and seeing if something could support you.

I am not sure what brand I am going to choose for this yet but I wanted to put it out there!

Ok all, as we enter new chapters, all we can do is notice what feels off, make small adjustments, and see what shifts. Some things stick, some don’t, but over time you start to build a rhythm that feels supportive.

I’m sharing this not to add more to your plate, especially if you’ve been feeling off, but to offer a few things that I am exploring so that you to can gently experiment with and see what helps you feel a little more like yourself again.

Ok guys, I know this has been a bit of a journey, but this is my last post like this before I go back to regular programming. I hope this gives you something to think about.

Also…Please always check with your doctor before adding anything into your routine.

Research & References

If you’re someone who likes to go a bit deeper, here are a few studies and clinical reviews that informed some of what I’ve been exploring:

• Creatine and women’s health (including perimenopause):
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9521557/

• Ashwagandha and stress / menopausal symptoms:
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12812913/

• Vitamin D and women’s health (bone, mood, immune support):
  https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(26)00013-6/fulltext

• Siberian rhubarb (ERr 731) and menopausal symptom support:
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19043936/

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I have been analyzing my habits, and other people’s habits, for most of my adult life. It’s part of my job to understand what helps people move forward in their health and fitness goals, and where things tend to go off track. I don’t look at this in a judgmental way, but more as a way to better understand the people I work with and how to support them.

That perspective has shifted a lot over time, especially when I look back at how I used to approach fitness.

For a long time, I believed more was always better. I carried a lot of guilt if I missed a workout or couldn’t spend hours in the gym. Looking back, I can see how much of that was shaped by the pressure that comes with working in this industry.

As the years have gone by, I’ve found ways to be more efficient with my time and energy.

It has taken me a long time to give myself the same grace I give to others. I still catch myself getting frustrated when I don’t stay on track, even though I know that’s part of being human.

I’m writing this after spending most of the day feeling disappointed in myself for not fitting a run in this weekend, even though I had already decided that my priority was family time while my stepmom was visiting.

It has started to feel this way, and I notice it now. Most of the time I can let it go, but some days it lingers more than I would like.

Over time, that way of thinking started to feel unsustainable, and I began to question it.

The biggest shift for me has been realizing that less can actually be more. I’ve learned to walk instead of run, keep my strength workouts to 30 to 60 minutes, and trust that it’s enough. I’ve also started paying more attention to how my energy is supported through how and when I eat.

Last week I shared some of the foundational habits that have been helping me move through this phase. As I reflected on what has changed beyond that, I realized how much has come from adjusting the physical side of things.

Even with those habits in place, I still noticed moments where my energy dipped and my focus wasn’t quite there. It led me to look more closely at my workouts and how I eat.

One thing I’ve learned from being hyper aware of my body is that every decade has asked me to renegotiate how I want to show up to feel my best.

My 20s into my 30s felt relatively simple. Less drinking, more sleep, more strength training, and less endurance cardio. I used to run half marathons, and at the time, that worked for me.

Moving into my 40s has felt different.

There’s more nuance. More feedback from my body. Weight comes on easier, sleep needs more support, and my workouts feel more layered because I notice my cycle in a way I didn’t before.

1. Strength training from 5 to 6 times a week → 3 to 4 times per week
I’m lucky in that I found a love for strength training early in my 20s. After a few injuries, I moved away from distance running and started putting more focus into strength training. I actually find it a bit addictive. There’s also something I enjoy about experimenting with different exercise combinations to get better results for myself and my clients.

Strength training has remained a constant over the last 20 years, although the way I approach it has evolved.

Instead of feeling like I always need to do more, I’ve accepted that my body needs more rest in my 40s. I allow for rest days or active recovery where I walk, stretch, or focus on mobility.

For my workouts, I tend to work in the 6 to 12 rep range for three to four sets, lifting heavy enough that the last one to two reps feel challenging.

This is the rhythm I’ve built over time, but it’s not where I would start someone.

If you’re reading this and feeling overwhelmed, you don’t need to start here. You can build incredible momentum with two short strength workouts a week. That foundation matters more than doing more too soon.

Doing less but doing some is not a negotiable thing in your 40s so please if you haven’t started lifting yet or you are not consistent with it, start.

As we move into our 40s, muscle mass naturally declines. This affects metabolism, energy, bone density, and overall resilience. Without strength training, it becomes easier to feel weaker, more fatigued, and less supported in your body.

When I stay consistent, I feel more stable and capable.

If you need help getting started please book a consult with me and I can help you.

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2. Cardio, with a focus on zone 2
The way I approach cardio has shifted, and honestly, it’s been a relief. A big part of this shift has been keeping my cortisol more balanced. Too much intensity without enough recovery leaves me feeling more wired and more tired. You don’t always need to push harder to get a workout that supports your body.

When cardio is always high intensity, it can keep stress levels elevated and work against energy and hormone balance.

I’ve never loved cardio, and as I’ve gotten older, Zone 2 has become more important. It supports my energy without leaving me depleted and helps me feel more steady instead of that spike and crash. I now use circuit training in a few of my strength workouts to keep my heart rate in this zone and get more done in a shorter amount of time. I also will try for 1-2 short runs in a week (20-30 min) and this at this point feels like enough).

I still include HIIT (High intensity interval training) at times, but I’m more selective with when I use it.

3. Eating protein within one hour of waking
This was one of the more noticeable shifts for my physical and mental state.

In the morning, cortisol naturally rises, and protein helps create a more stable baseline for blood sugar and energy.

I notice the difference even more when I’m out of my routine. I always feel it when I travel to France and our mornings are built around croissants and brioche. As good as they are, I feel off for the rest of the day.

On the days I’m on track, I aim for around 20 to 30 grams as a simple anchor to start my day.

4. More protein in the afternoons
Especially after having a baby, I found the mid-afternoon dip became a time where I reached for quick snacks.

More often than not, it was something like cheese and crackers. Not the worst option, but not enough protein for what my body actually needed.

These cravings often come back to blood sugar.

Adding protein in the afternoon helps me stay more steady and focused through the second half of the day. It’s a small shift, but it changes how the rest of my day feels.

Lately, I’ve been keeping it simple with a scoop of Good Protein in water. It helps me get back on track quickly without overthinking it.

I like this protein because it isn’t chalky and it also has high levels of vitamins in it (especially iron). I have signed up as an affilate so if you want to try it you can get 30% off your first order with my code: JENNAM30

Good protein

5. Omega-3s
As I mentioned last week, I’ve started noticing shifts in mood and focus, which made me pay more attention to this.

I’ve never been a big supplement person, but omega-3s support brain health, inflammation, and nervous system function, and I have noticed a difference when I take them. I have less next day stiffness and faster recovery between workouts.

It’s not something I feel immediately, but over time it helps create a more steady baseline.

I focus on foods like salmon, flax, and walnuts, and I also take a daily supplement.

Here is the link to the one I take:

Omegas

6. Electrolytes
This is something I’ve started paying more attention to, especially with how much it can impact energy and hydration.

As women, our needs can shift more than we realize. Hormonal changes, sweating from workouts, breastfeeding, or even just busy days where we’re not eating consistently can all affect our fluid balance.

Electrolytes help regulate hydration at a cellular level, which can influence energy, focus, and how we feel during and after workouts.

I notice it most on days where I feel a bit off or low energy. Adding electrolytes can bring me back to a more steady place fairly quickly.

It’s a simple shift, but one that supports how I feel day to day in a way I didn’t fully appreciate before.

Here is the link to the one I take:

Electrolytes

When I was thinking about what to share with you on this side of things, I wanted to keep it concise, relatable, and easy to follow. If have any questions or if you are curious about how or why I do certain things, feel free to reach out.

For me, these small shifts have helped my energy become more consistent, my focus improve, and I feel more in tune with what my body is asking for. I’ll finish this series and share a few more shifts I’ve been exploring next week.

Thanks for reading!

I have a lot of conversations with women about how they’re actually feeling.

Part of my job is having these conversations, and I’ve come to notice how layered they can be. Women move through more hormonal shifts in a month, and across a lifetime, than men do. Because of that, the way we check in with ourselves, and each other, tends to hold more nuance.

The conversations are often collaborative, the way so many female conversations are. We share what’s working, what’s not, things we’ve read, things we want to try, and what we’re noticing in our bodies.

Over time, I’ve come to see these conversations as a gift.

Not everyone has access to spaces where they can speak openly, share honestly, and gather perspective in this way. That’s part of why I started this Substack. To share, and hopefully open up more of these conversations.

I feel honoured that so many women trust me with how they’re really doing.

And I’ve been noticing some of these shifts in myself too.

One of the first things I felt shift wasn’t physical in the way I expected. It was more internal. A little more irritability than usual. Moments of brain fog that felt unfamiliar. A noticeable change in my sex drive that didn’t quite make sense at first.

Nothing extreme. Just enough to feel like something had changed.

That’s what led me to start paying closer attention.

Everything here comes from my own experience, the research I’ve explored, and the conversations I’ve had with other women. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and check in with your doctor or naturopath if you’re thinking about making any changes.

This has been about a five-year journey for me, with a pregnancy in the middle of it.

Nothing shifted overnight.

If anything, the changes that made the biggest difference were the smaller ones. The ones I could actually stay consistent with long enough to feel what was changing.

That part became motivating.

Feeling even a small shift in my energy, my mood, or how grounded I felt in my body made me want to keep going. It created a kind of momentum that felt supportive instead of overwhelming.

This is where I started.

1. Magnesium glycinate at night
I take it about an hour before bed.

Magnesium supports the nervous system and helps the body move into a more relaxed state. When I’m consistent with it, I notice less tension in my body and deeper, more settled sleep.

It’s a small thing that creates a noticeable shift.

2. Walking 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day
(as long as Tuni allows it)

Walking has become one of the most grounding parts of my day.

It supports circulation and energy, but more than that, it helps me regulate. It’s where I think, process, and come back into myself.

3. A vegetarian lunch most days
In the winter, it’s a hearty lentil or bean soup. In the summer, a substantial salad.

This is one of those habits that feels simple but carries a lot of weight. It keeps my vegetable intake high and helps stabilize my energy through the afternoon.

4. Drinking around 3 litres of water a day
This is one of the first things I notice when I’m off.

Hydration affects energy, digestion, and focus. Staying on top of this helps everything feel more steady.

5. Showering before bed
This has become part of how I close my day.

It helps release tension and signals to my body that it’s time to slow down. It creates a clear shift between the day and rest.

6. Getting morning sunlight
I try to get outside more days than not.

Morning light helps regulate sleep, energy, and hormone patterns. Even a few minutes makes a difference in how the rest of my day feels.

These were the first things I experimented with that helped me feel more steady.

As you all know, I am a fan of small shifts that lead to big results and my goal for all of this was to sustainably age more gracefully as the years go by. What I have achieved so far is feeling more like myself again, and this is why I am sharing this with you.

As I started writing this piece, I realized there was more to say than I could fit into one post so I will be breaking this into a few parts over the next 2 weeks for better reading.

In the next one, I’ll share how I started thinking differently about my strength training, protein intake, and the physical side of this shift.

As always, I hope this is thought provoking and helpful.

Thanks for reading!

Share The Vibrant Path by Jenna Maye

I had interesting feedback on my program the other day, and it stayed with me.

When I asked someone why they didn’t continue, even after being consistent through the full eight weeks, they told me they had expected more variation in the exercises. It was a simple comment, but it pointed to something I see often, even if it isn’t always said out loud.

We’ve been taught to associate change with effectiveness. When something feels new, it feels like progress. When it starts to feel repetitive, it’s easy to assume something is missing, or that it’s time to move on.

That way of thinking makes sense, especially when your time and energy are limited and you want to feel like what you’re doing is working. Newness creates momentum, and momentum feels productive.

What it doesn’t always create is lasting change.

Strength is built through repetition, through returning to the same movements long enough for your body to understand them, adapt to them, and then be challenged within them. There is a phase at the beginning where everything feels engaging because you are learning, and your body is responding quickly, which makes it easy to stay consistent.

Over time, that experience shifts. The movements become familiar, your awareness improves, and the feedback is less immediate. The work is still happening, but it feels quieter, and that’s often where doubt starts to show up.

Many people interpret that shift as a sign that something isn’t working, when in reality it often means the opposite.

This is where progressive overload begins to matter. As your body becomes more efficient, it needs a clearer reason to change. That comes from increasing the weight, improving control, or working closer to your capacity, all of which depend on staying with the same movements long enough to build on them.

There’s also a neurological side to this that is easy to overlook. Repetition allows your body to move with more coordination and stability, and that efficiency is what eventually allows you to create enough challenge to see real results.

When everything is constantly new, that process keeps getting interrupted.

So when someone tells me they felt bored, I don’t immediately think the program needs more variety. I think about what that feeling might actually be pointing to, and whether they were supported in understanding what to do with it.

Because boredom in this context can be misleading. It often shows up right as you move out of the learning phase and into the part where the work deepens and begins to build.

I find myself coming back to this idea often, not just in training, but in other areas of life as well. There is a tendency to pull away when things stop feeling new, even when there is something meaningful starting to take shape underneath.

Working out is kind of like dating. There’s a pull toward what feels exciting at the beginning, even though the real connection is built in what comes after.

At some point, things settle. The intensity of the beginning fades, the experience becomes more familiar, and it requires a different kind of presence to stay with it. That’s usually where doubt enters, and where it becomes easy to assume something is missing.

It’s also where most people leave.

What if that feeling isn’t a problem to solve, but a signal that you’re closer than you think?

That middle space, where things feel less stimulating but are quietly building, is where a lot of meaningful progress happens. It asks for patience and a willingness to stay with something long enough to let it develop.

You can see the same pattern in work. Early stages feel fast and engaging, then things become more routine and the growth is less obvious, even though it is still happening. That quieter phase is where skill is built, and it rarely feels as rewarding in the moment.

Training follows that same rhythm. It requires consistency and enough time with the same structure for your body to respond.

What I see more often than anything else is not a lack of effort, but a lack of continuity. People show up, they try, and then they change direction just as things are starting to come together.

I understand the pull to want things to feel engaging. I have ADHD, so I naturally try to create an experience that feels supportive and interesting to return to.

At the same time, the basics still need to be there.

If your workouts are shorter (as they are in my program), in order for them to be effective, they need to be focused. There isn’t much room for unnecessary variation when the goal is to build strength in a limited amount of time.

Finding that balance has always been one of the harder parts of my work as a trainer. There’s a constant tension between creating something people enjoy showing up to and keeping enough structure in place for the work to actually build.

Over time, I’ve come back to simplicity again and again.

Choosing a small number of movements, returning to them consistently, and allowing them to evolve as you get stronger creates a very different experience than constantly starting over. It builds familiarity, confidence, and a clearer sense of progress.

That’s the foundation of how I structure my 8-week program. The movements repeat on purpose so your body has the opportunity to actually adapt, while the challenge increases over time so you’re not staying in the same place.

It’s a steady approach, and for many people, it ends up being more effective than anything more complicated.

If your workouts are starting to feel repetitive, it may be worth pausing before you change everything. There’s a good chance you’re not stuck, you’re just in the part where things are beginning to come together.

As we close this piece, I invite you to lean into making your workout your ritual, to lean into the familiar when so many things in life feel out of your control.

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A client sent me this recipe a while ago and I finally made it last week.

It’s so common to get stuck on what to make for dinner. Something healthy, not too complicated, and that actually tastes good.

I’ve been a bit over my usual meals lately. Nothing wrong with them, just ready for something different. This always seems to happen around this time of year.

I almost didn’t make this because I’m not big on adding a lot of sauce during the week, but I’m glad I did. It’s a bit higher in sodium than what I’d normally go for, but it felt worth it for the change.

I changed a few things as I went. Added shredded cabbage for some crunch and vermicelli noodles to make it more of a full meal.

I also doubled it so I’d have leftovers, which made the next day really easy.

Sharing in case you’ve been feeling a bit stuck with what to make.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 lb ground chicken

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• ½ onion, finely diced

• 2 cloves of minced garlic

• 1 cup red or green pepper, finely diced

• 6 cremini mushrooms, chopped (optional)

• 8 oz water chestnuts, drained and finely diced

For the sauce

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp peanut butter

• 1 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp sweet chili sauce

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp fresh ground ginger

To serve

• Green Lettuce leaves

• Shredded cabbage

• Vermicelli noodles

• ¼ cup peanuts, crushed (optional)

• ¼ cup green onions, sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until smooth. If your peanut butter is thick, warming it slightly helps everything come together.

2. Heat the peanut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through, breaking it up as you go.

3. Add the diced peppers, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Cook for another few minutes until slightly softened.

4. Pour in the sauce and reduce the heat. Let everything simmer for a few minutes until well coated and heated through.

5. If you’re using vermicelli noodles, cook them according to the package.

6. Build your wraps with lettuce, the chicken mixture, shredded cabbage, and noodles. Top with crushed peanuts and green onions.

This is the kind of meal that makes things feel a little easier. Simple, satisfying, and easy to come back to.

I hope you like them as much as I did.

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I struggled to figure out a topic for today.

As a women’s strength coach, I felt I wanted to write something in honor of International Women’s Day, so here I am. On that note, I have been pondering topics all week and nothing has really stuck. I don’t usually get stuck on topics so this was weird for me. I am always conscious of not sounding cliché and I couldn’t (and still can’t really) organize my thoughts so I am just going to start writing.

One thing I have kept thinking about this week is how people still think it’s perfectly ok to comment on women’s appearances. Where does this commentary come from? It is based on comparing against whatever society’s current ideal is. I then started reflecting on some of the comments I have received over the years and how they have stuck with me and impacted my self-image, both for the good and the bad.

She’s too skinny
It’s too bad you are so muscly
You are so lucky you have muscles

Too bad her teeth are crooked
You have a nice smile
You have a gummy smile

It’s too bad your hair is so fine
You’re so lucky you have thick hair

You have a big butt
You are so lucky to have a butt (I never used to, I work for it)

There have been many more than this but these are just what came to mind.

Some of them are from a brief interlude into the modeling world (I wasn’t pretty enough or tall enough) and it was harsh. Watching the America’s Next Top Model documentary made me realize how crazy and unhinged people’s commentary on how a woman looks can be. Obviously this show was an extreme and as a model you do sign up for people to critique you but I always find it bizarre that as women we have this layer to how we show up in the world. I know men have it to a certain extent but I just know it isn’t the same.

Society’s lens of what the “perfect woman” should look like is following each one of us around daily and shifting always every so slightly so just when we feel we have figured it out the ideal changes again.

The interesting thing about a lens though is that what we see often depends on what we choose to focus on.

For most of my life I focused on how my body looked through whatever trend was happening at the time. It took me a long time to start focusing instead on what my body could actually do.

I have been aware of women’s bodies since a very young age. I remember wanting to look like the Spice Girls, then Britney, then Christina (because she was skinnier than Britney), and then Kate Moss. I idolized Kate Moss. I had her quote “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” on my wall along with many cutouts of her outfits ripped out of magazines. To me, she was the ultimate “cool girl” and had that unreachable body ideal to keep me comparing and analyzing my body in an obsessive way.

Perhaps becoming a personal trainer was the wrong choice for someone so body aware, but to be honest as I write this I feel the best about my body that I ever have and this is wild to me as I am not even six months postpartum.

I don’t know how I got to this place mentally and although I do still weigh myself more days than not, the body hatred I used to have seems to have for now faded. Perhaps it’s because for the first time in my life I truly get the strength that a woman’s body holds and I am still truly amazed that I grew a human and brought her into this world.

The strength that took was unlike anything I have ever experienced and although I have blocked out childbirth to a certain extent, I know that I did it, and I am still patting myself on the back, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. IYKYK.

Anyways, my point is that the female body is amazing for so many reasons beyond how it looks, and it saddens me that we still live in a world where, as women, we are conditioned to never feel quite enough.

I actually found myself thinking about this yesterday while I was getting my eyelashes and eyebrows tinted. To me they aren’t quite dark enough and I feel washed out if I don’t. For most of my adult life I have tried to perfect the “I just woke up like this” aesthetic, and it sometimes annoys me how much effort I put into looking like I didn’t put any effort in.

Again, this is something most men would never think twice about.

Anyways… I digress.

I am always aware of trends. I love fashion and have always been a magazine girl. When you read magazines you get a really good sample of the trends all tucked into each edition. The curation of topics and images has always fascinated me. It is the lens of the ideal.

A magazine is literally designed to make you feel not enough so you buy things to make yourself feel more culturally acceptable. Even knowing this, I still love them and always have and get a lot of good inspiration from reading them also.

I have also now been observing trends in the fitness industry for a long time and I am always aware of the aesthetic ideal that is trending because it often corresponds with the latest fitness trend. I have been in this industry for over 20 years.

I actually started by working in a Pilates studio in 2003 as a receptionist and being immersed in Pilates culture made me realize that I didn’t want to be a Pilates instructor but I was intrigued by the personal trainers they had working there. I found out that most of them had kinesiology degrees and not knowing this was an option at the time, the science geek in me loved that I could learn all the science of the body and skip the calculus.

I will forever be grateful for my degree and my knowledge of the human body.

I feel like women have been on the Pilates train for a while now and the long, lean body type has been the trend. Lately though, I see the stick-thin Kate Moss body type creeping back into the conversation. The difference now is that there is also a growing awareness that Pilates will only get you so far. More women are starting to understand the importance of strength training, building muscle, and what that means for their bodies long term.

So ladies, we have a choice.

Do we surrender to the illusion of perfect that skinny holds or do we grab the dumbbells and get stronger, not just to look better today but for our future selves?

For a while the world was obsessed with the Kardashians and although their beauty standard is totally out of control in a different way, at least they weren’t stick thin. This was refreshing. I had clients coming into the gym wanting to build their obliques and glutes and this was much more fun than just trying to help women lose weight.

Now I feel the lens shifting again. The obsession with being thin seems to be trending in a way that feels familiar, except this time it’s happening in a world where Ozempic and weight loss drugs make it more accessible than ever. I worry about the teenagers of today and what they feel they have to do to fit in and be “perfect” as women.

What gives me hope though is the growing awareness around protein and strength training. Women are starting to understand that if they want to age well, they need to nourish themselves properly and build muscle.

The exciting thing for me in this era?

Anyone can become stronger at any time, mentally and physically, and as a woman this is our superpower.

Women are inherently strong. I am always amazed by the capacity of the women in my life and how they carry themselves, their children, their partners, and often their jobs. The crux of being capable in my experience is that you are the one who gets lost. The one people don’t check in on. You are the glue, but no one really notices the glue until it’s gone. It’s a silent support holding the walls together.

Again I digress.

So what would be the advice I would give to women today on International Women’s Day?

Make sure you carve out time for you today.

As a woman there is always something to do. As I write this at 6 am while Eloïse and Guillaume are sleeping I am surrounded by dirty bottles on the counter and a pile of laundry that needs folding but for me writing fuels me and I need to do this for myself. So here I am.

Later I will also carve out time for a workout because now more than ever I need my strength as I carry a 20 lb baby everywhere I go.

Before I close, I also want to say that I am so so so so lucky to have the utmost pleasure of connecting with as many women as I do and truly, you all are fabulous. Please don’t get sucked into society’s vortex of what “perfect” is and focus on things you truly can control like your workouts. Remember that the younger generation is watching us and how we show up for ourselves is teaching them how to take care of themselves also. It isn’t selfish as a woman to have time to yourself. It’s necessary. So on this day please please please do something that is authentically you and helps you feel like the most badass version of yourself.

The world needs you to show up as your perfectly imperfect self.

When I got my certification as a trauma informed coach, one of the things that really stood out to me was how often we try to “think” our way back into feeling okay.

We talk ourselves through stress.
We rationalize overwhelm.
We try to mindset our way out of being activated.

But our nervous system doesn’t respond to logic first. It responds to sensation.

A big part of my job as a coach is helping people reconnect with what’s actually happening in their bodies. I am constantly asking my clients:

Did you feel that?
How does that feel?
How are you doing?
Are we ok to keep going?

On the surface, it might seem like I’m just checking in about an exercise. But what I’m really doing is inviting them to notice. To pay attention. To build a relationship with their own internal cues.

It’s my job to ask these questions in a training environment. But the truth is, this is something all of us could benefit from doing throughout the day.

How am I feeling right now?
Am I holding tension anywhere?
Do I need a pause?
Do I have the capacity to keep going?

Grounding is one of the simplest ways to support that kind of check in. It helps shift your body out of a stress response and back into a state where you can think clearly, move with more coordination, and feel more connected to what you’re doing.

In practice, that might look like taking a few moments to orient yourself before a workout, after a hard conversation, or in the middle of making dinner when everything feels loud and demanding. It’s less about doing something extra and more about helping your system register that you’re safe enough to be here.

Here are a few accessible ways to do that:

1. Use Temperature and Texture

Cold water, sand, grass, or even running your hands under the tap can bring your attention back into your body by stimulating sensory receptors in the skin.
This kind of input gives your brain real time information about your environment, which helps interrupt spirals of rumination or tension.

If you’re at the beach here in Vancouver, standing in the shallows for even a minute can be surprisingly regulating.

2. Feel Your Feet

Whether you’re sitting at your desk or standing in the kitchen, notice where your feet meet the ground.
Shift your weight side to side. Press your toes down gently.

This pressure feedback travels up through your joints and helps your brain map where you are in space. That process is called proprioception, and it plays a huge role in coordination, stability, and emotional regulation.

This is why clients are often cued to pause and land before a set. It’s not just about posture. It’s about helping your system organize itself before asking it to produce force.

3. Slow Your Breath

Lengthening your exhale helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which supports recovery, digestion, and focus.

Try this:
Inhale for 4
Pause for 4
Exhale for 6

Even a few rounds can shift your internal state enough to move from reactive to responsive.

4. Orient to Your Environment

If you feel overstimulated or disconnected, gently name:
5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste

This brings your attention out of imagined threats and back to what’s actually happening around you.

5. Use Physical Contact

Holding onto something solid, wrapping up in a blanket, or placing a hand on your chest or belly provides tactile feedback that can help settle the nervous system.

After a workout, taking a moment to feel your breath under your hand before jumping back into the next task of the day can support that transition.

Grounding isn’t something reserved for meditation retreats or quiet mornings.
It’s a practical tool that can support how you train, recover, communicate, and move through daily stress.

And that might look like pausing between meetings to take a fuller breath.
Noticing your shoulders creeping up toward your ears while making dinner.
Checking in after a tough conversation to see if a few minutes are needed before moving on to the next task.

The same awareness that helps you feel a muscle working during a set is the awareness that helps you notice when you are overwhelmed, fatigued, or in need of support.

Grounding gives you a way back into that conversation with yourself.

I hope this inspires you to take some space tomorrow to try this.

Not once a day. But as often as you need it.

You deserve calm.

I am constantly fascinated by how identity shifts. Sometimes subtly, like starting to work out and then eating healthier, and then you look back and can’t remember a time when you didn’t do it. And sometimes more dramatically, like losing (or gaining) a job or having a baby.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about identity as we head into the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Fire Horse. I feel like that’s all I have seen in my algorithm for weeks, but in case you haven’t been following, I’ll let you read up on that in your own time. This year carries a certain kind of energy that asks us to leave behind the pieces of our identity that don’t fit the reality we want to create moving forward.

For me, this is big.

I’m currently living in a reality that I resisted for most of my adult life, and I’m loving it.

As I reflect on the last year and some of my major manifestations, I’m realizing just how much has shifted. It almost feels like I’ve switched dimensions. I have calm mornings with a baby instead of the chaos of the gym, I’m in a new apartment in exactly the area of the city I wanted to be in, and my online business is growing, which is so exciting. I feel grateful for all that has happened, but also proud of myself that I built so much of my life before my baby.

Life has happened fast (and slow) this year. I’m sure that a lot of mothers can relate. One minute you are trying for a baby, the next you are pregnant and can’t wait for it to be over (at least I couldn’t), and then suddenly the months fly by. You have forgotten you were ever pregnant and you come up for air, only to realize you are no longer the same version of yourself.

This is the piece I resisted for so long. The loss of identity.

Resisting the Shift

Maybe it’s because I watched my mom define herself solely by being a mother. Maybe it was because I saw how badly things can go if you choose the wrong partner and the instability that can follow as a single mother. Or maybe it’s because I spent a lot of my childhood co-parenting with my mom, and much of my adult life looking after her as she cycled through manic episodes after not taking her medication.

Regardless, I never had that all-consuming desire to look after someone else in my adult life. Now, I am so grateful to have this chapter, and I am leaning into the new me.

I’ve actually had two major identity shifts in my life.

The first was when I decided to lean into becoming a personal trainer. That required letting go of the version of me that thought I wasn’t athletic and that I would be an academic, that I would go on to do a master’s degree, and instead accepting that I would be, in quotation marks, “just” a personal trainer. And yet, this shift led me into a deeply rewarding career that has now spanned two decades, where I’ve helped hundreds of people change their lives through strength and movement.

The second is now.

I knew that if I decided to become a mother, it would change me, and I fought the idea for a long time. The surrender that motherhood requires, and the identity-altering pace of it all, threatened the stability I had worked so hard to build for myself in a world that had never offered me much of it.

But meeting Gui, seeing his natural ease with children, and feeling that quiet pull into motherhood made me want to step into this new identity.

Now, seeing it come to life is both powerful and all-consuming. It’s a shift that touches everything. Your schedule. Your body. Your nervous system. Your definition of productivity. Your relationship to your time.

The Pressure to Bounce Back

I’m in a season of rebuilding not only my identity, but also my body, and I am grateful every day for my skill set. I’ve been able to work out pretty consistently since Eloïse was born because I know what to do in 10 to 30 minutes to be effective.

Because of this, my body is “bouncing back.” I feel relieved and grateful, because part of my job is image-related, but I also find it uncomfortable how often people say, “You don’t even look like you had a baby,” as if that’s the ultimate compliment.

As a personal trainer, I sometimes feel the need to justify why my body “bounced back,” and I’m left wondering what kind of judgment might have been there if it hadn’t. It also makes me think about how much pressure and overwhelm other women must feel when they don’t have my knowledge of the body, and don’t know where to begin with adjusting their routine or starting one at all in this new season with a baby.

It becomes clear very quickly that this is about more than just weight. It’s about how society shapes a mother’s identity and the pressure to hold onto who you used to be before the baby, or to “get back to it” as quickly as possible. But what if we don’t want to? What if everything feels different on the other side?

A New Rhythm

Recently, I found myself back in my old routine for a couple of weeks while the trainer who is covering my mat leave was away. It was a glimpse into my previous life. And while it was lovely to see my clients, I realized how much I’ve changed, and how much of Eloïse I was missing being away from her.

She will only be a baby for so long, and I don’t want to rush back to work too fast and miss it. There’s a new rhythm now.

Motherhood seems to be an exercise in reordering priorities. As someone who prides herself on getting a lot done in a day, this has been a hard one for me. Something always falls to the back of the list and often just doesn’t get done. In this era, I’m realizing that I don’t want that something to always be me.

At the same time, I don’t want to put myself at the very top of the list either.

There is a middle ground I’m learning to live inside of. One where I am included in the life I am building, not abandoned within it.

Sometimes that means letting the laundry wait while I grab a quick workout. Sometimes it means redefining what productivity looks like on a given day. Sometimes it means accepting that rest is also a form of contribution to my family and my future.

Stepping Forward

In many ways, the Year of the Snake was about shedding old skin. And now, in the Fire Horse year, we step forward with what remains. Less attached to who we thought we had to be. More aligned with who we are becoming.

I am excited to see what this year holds for all of us. I wanted to share some journal prompts I am reflecting on today, and I hope they help you clarify where you want to go, and who you want to be, this year.

Gung Xi Fa Cai.

Journal Prompts

• What parts of my identity am I outgrowing in this current season of life?
• Where am I still trying to perform an old version of myself?
• What does productivity look like for me right now?
• How can I include myself in the life I am building this year?

I’m a firm believer that everyone should have one to three healthy dinners they can make off by heart. The kind you’ve cooked enough times that you barely need to measure. The kind that don’t require much mental energy.

This week, I’ve needed that more than usual.

We’re settling into our new place. The kitchen still feels slightly unfamiliar. There are boxes tucked into corners. Eloïse has started teething, which means evenings have felt a little more emotional and a little less predictable.

When life feels like that, I don’t reach for something new. I make what I know.

This turkey bolognese is one of those recipes for me. It’s healthy comfort food. It gives you that classic red sauce, pasta-night feeling, while still being built in a way that supports steady energy.

I love Italian food. A red sauce simmering on the stove instantly makes a house feel warmer. At the same time, I care about building meals that actually support how I feel afterward. This version leans on ground turkey for protein and layers in vegetables that add depth without adding effort.

It’s simple. It’s steady. Once you’ve made it a few times, it becomes second nature.

It’s a true go-to in my kitchen.

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 carrot, chopped or grated
7 to 10 mushrooms, diced (optional)
1 cup zucchini, diced (optional)
1 pound ground turkey
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 750 ml can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the ground turkey directly into the pot with the onion, celery, and garlic. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, and pepper. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned and no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the grated carrot, mushrooms, and zucchini if using. Let everything cook together for another 5 minutes so the vegetables begin to soften.

If using, pour in the white wine and let it simmer for a minute or two.

Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Stir well to combine. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Serve over your favorite pasta, lentil pasta, or roasted vegetables. I usually add a simple salad on the side and call it done.

This is one of those meals that holds up on busy weeks. It reheats beautifully. It freezes well. It makes dinner feel taken care of without a lot of effort.

I hope this helps with your meal prepping adventures!

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With February around the corner I thought this was a fitting post. As the January momentum starts to fade and the winter starts to drag, I wanted to remind you of the power of continuing to show up even when it’s not perfect.

When we think about building new habits, most of us imagine our best days. The version of ourselves that is rested, motivated, and clear-headed. On those days, it feels natural to commit to big goals, overhaul routines, and push harder. Life, however, is not made up of endless best days. It includes busy schedules, interrupted sleep, unexpected challenges, and seasons when simply getting through the day feels like enough. This is where most habits quietly fall apart. Not because we lack ambition, but because we designed them around ideal circumstances instead of asking a more grounded question:

What can I stick to even on my worst days?

In Atomic Habits, James Clear writes, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” I return to that line often. Goals are energizing. Systems are stabilizing. When life becomes unpredictable, it is the system that determines whether we continue.

Why Worst-Day Thinking Works

The habits that last are rarely the most ambitious ones. They are the ones that survive friction. The step goal, the veggies at every meal, the 2-3 liters of water a day, and the 30 min home workout. These are the habits that ground you when life goes sideways.

On a strong day, you might complete a full strength session or workout class, meal prep, and feel productive from morning to night. On a harder day, it might be ten minutes of movement, a walk outside, or one small choice that keeps you aligned with how you want to live.

The effort changes. The trajectory does not.

It is not the size of the action that builds progress. It is the act of returning. Each time you show up, even in a reduced way, you reinforce identity. You build trust with yourself. You remind yourself that you are someone who stays engaged.

I have been living this in real time.

Some days I get a focused workout in. Other days we have to stop halfway through and head out for a walk with Eloïse in the carrier instead. The workout looks different than the one I planned, yet it keeps me connected to the habit. It keeps the rhythm intact and I ALWAYS feel better after.

I have moved through demanding seasons before. Working three jobs while finishing my degree. Training fifty hours a week while searching for commercial real estate and opening my studio. Those seasons required structure and endurance, and I relied heavily on systems to carry me through but this season feels less linear and far more unpredictable.

That unpredictability has clarified something for me: knowing my floor matters more than ever.

Building From the Floor Up

Building habits that last requires designing from the floor up.

If your goal is to work out for an hour, begin with 10-30 minutes. If you want to meditate for 20, sit and breathe for 1-10. The smaller and more manageable the baseline, the more likely you are to repeat it. Repetition is what compounds.

Your ceiling represents what you can do when everything aligns. Your floor represents what you can still do when energy is low and time is tight. When you build around your floor, the habit becomes resilient. When capacity expands, you can expand with it. The baseline simply needs to hold.

Progress is built on consistent systemic action. It reveals itself in repetition. In the quiet decision to return again and again, even when the effort feels modest.

Progress Is Built on Imperfect Days

If you find yourself struggling to stay consistent, shrink the habit before you abandon it. Ask yourself what the smallest meaningful step would be today, and take it. Over time, those small steps compound because they are sustainable. The habits that stick with you are not built on doing everything. They are built on continuing your progress when life throws you curve balls (or short naps). This is what I preach to all the women I train.

Goals give you direction but knowing your floor gives you stability. Stability is what allows you to keep moving forward, even when life does not unfold exactly as planned.

And so I ask you…

What’s one habit you can commit to, no matter what kind of day you’re having?

Comment below if you want to share!

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Well, Happy New Year, everyone.

First off, I want to sincerely thank all of you for reading and following along during my first year here on Substack. It’s been really meaningful to receive such thoughtful feedback, messages, and quiet encouragement along the way. I’m genuinely grateful you’re here, and I’m excited to share what I’ll be writing about in 2026.

This year has started with a strange energy. For me, it’s been slow. And with that slowness, I’ve noticed some guilt and anxiety creeping in. I’m usually someone who has the year mapped out by the end of December, goals set, reflections written, lessons of the last year distilled and reprogrammed. I’m not giving up those habits, but it has just taken me a bit longer to arrive there this year, and I’m learning to let that be okay.

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Part of that is because I lost my grandma. Even though it was expected, she was almost 96 and her heart was failing, it still hit me. She’s someone who really taught me what vitality really looks like. How to live fully, laugh often, challenge yourself, and step outside your comfort zone. She carried so much life force for so long that watching that energy slowly fade over the past few years was hard. And yet, right until the end, she was still setting goals. Her last two goals were staying alive long enough to meet Eloïse, which she did and got to see her three times after she was born, and knitting her a blanket. She finished it three weeks before she died, and I’ll cherish it forever.

We left for France the day after she passed, which felt strange, but there was also nothing for me to do here. Being in France and introducing Eloïse to Guillaume’s family felt really special. We’ve been to France several times in the almost four years we’ve been together, but this trip felt different. Being there, surrounded by them in a cocoon of family love, was just what the doctor ordered. Sometimes it has been hard for me to be with Guillaume’s family because the “normalness” of their unit makes me see the absence of that in my life. This trip, though, was the first time I truly felt part of it. I felt like one of them, and that helped me relax in a way I didn’t realize I needed.

Life moved more slowly while we were there. Meals took time, conversation lingered (with my French vocabulary and them working on English, we hack away). It was nice to settle into this pace. With my ADHD, I have a hard time sitting still and had thoughts of doing runs and walks, and I did a few, but it was cold and snowy, so I eventually surrendered to afternoons by the fire with my book. This ended up being the quiet grounding I needed to process my grief gently, surrounded by love. There were lots of extra hands for Eloïse, so I leaned into that, read, and watched the snow fall outside the window. It felt calm and steady, and in many ways, like a soft landing into the new year.

When we got home, after a few salads, green juice (an after-plane must for me), some walks, and a workout, I felt like myself again. Although I am sad to have to give up my daily rhythm of bread, cheese, and wine, it does feel good to be back into a healthier routine. After a few days of my regular routine (are you guys interested in that?), I now feel back in my body enough to speak honestly about health, energy, and vitality. I’ve been thinking a lot about my grandma since then. About how full her life was, and how she stayed engaged with it right until the end.

That’s been quietly shaping how I’m approaching this year.

Looking at my vitality is how I’m shaping this year. Longevity matters, of course, but what’s the point of living a long life if it isn’t infused with energy, presence, and a real sense of being alive?

At its core, vitality is the felt sense of being alive in your body. Having access to your energy. Feeling connected to yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally. When vitality is low, even simple things can feel heavy. When it’s present, life tends to feel more spacious and supportive.

Most of us move through seasons where we lose touch with that feeling. Life changes. Roles shift. Stress accumulates. We adapt and keep going until one day we realize we’re functioning, but not fully here. Those moments aren’t failures. They’re often invitations to come back to our essence and tend to ourselves a little differently. This is often when I step into people’s lives, when they realize they need a bit of help getting back on track with this transition.

Ok, let’s talk about 2026 a bit more. Let me go a little woo-woo here for a minute, and hopefully this gives you something to think about as the year unfolds.

From a numerology perspective, 2026 is a Year One, the beginning of a new nine-year cycle. It’s about clearing space, choosing direction, and returning to what actually matters so something new can take root. Take a look at where you were in 2017. What has unfolded in your life since then?

We’re also moving into the Year of the Horse with Lunar New Year later this month, an energy often associated with vitality, movement, and momentum, but only when it’s aligned.

This year feels less about pushing forward and more about refreshing your relationship with yourself. Get honest about what drains you. Rebuild routines that support your nervous system and your real life. Remember what (and who) gives you energy rather than takes it.

When I look at my own life right now, these are the areas I’m intentionally leaning into for 2026:

My focuses this year:

This Substack. I’m committing to writing weekly again. When it’s biweekly, I lose my rhythm.

Running. Lately, I’ve felt curious again. Maybe a 10k. Maybe just running for the joy of it.

Raising my baby. Some parts feel intuitive, others completely new. It’s reshaping me daily.

Relationships and community. Leaning more intentionally into connection with friends, family, and networking in the community as my work continues to evolve.

Hosting corporate workshops. Creating space for personal growth in that setting feels increasingly aligned.

Reading. A steady anchor. My goal is 52 books this year, wish me luck.

New career opportunities. I am open. I am excited to rebuild my schedule around what works for me and my family now.

Having goals and intentions help me ground myself and get me a bit outside of my comfort zone. I am using these intentions as anchor points to step off from into some more specific goals (I might write about these more later).

From a coaching perspective, when my vitality feels low, I almost always come back to simplicity of routine. Not overhauls. Not pressure. Just supportive touch points that reconnect me to myself. My greens, water, walks, a soup, a bath… the little rituals that reset me (do you want to know more about my rituals?).

If you’re feeling a bit out of touch with your essence, just remember that you can always find your way back. You might just need to carve out some time to listen again.

Vitality returns through relationship, not force. Through consistency, not intensity. Through small moments of choice that say, “I’m here with you,” to your body, your nervous system, and your inner life.

A few simple ways to refresh your vitality right now:

1. Start with your nervous system, not your to-do list. A short walk, a stretch on the floor, or a few slow breaths before checking your phone.

2. Eat one grounding meal a day. Nothing dramatic. A real lunch with protein, fat, and fibre.

3. Move your body in a way that brings you back into it. Not to burn calories. Not to earn rest.

4. Clear one small pocket of clutter. A bag, a drawer, a surface.

5. Name the season you’re actually in. New beginnings don’t always feel exciting. Sometimes they feel quiet or slow. That still counts.

Vitality isn’t about always being energized. It’s about realizing when you aren’t and fine-tuning to come back to yourself.

If you’re easing into this year or still finding your footing, you’re not behind. You’re closing something out and making space for what’s next. Just remember that it doesn’t all have to happen all at once.

Thanks for reading. I would love to hear what you want to hear more about next year. See you next week with some things I am obsessing about this year…

Jenna

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Winter Solstice has always been a meaningful time for me. In my career, it often coincides with the training season naturally calming down as clients head off on vacation and prepare for the holidays. Over the years, that slowdown has guided me into a reflective space, a pause before January arrives and everything picks up again. The Solstice has come to feel like a quiet doorway into Christmas for me, a moment where the year softens just enough to let memory and meaning rise before the busyness of the days ahead.

This year feels different. As I sit here writing this, Eloïse is sleeping on me, and I’m typing these thoughts into the notes folder of my phone, a new-mom adaptation that I actually don’t hate. These quiet stretches during contact naps have become a place where thoughts surface easily. With the glow of the Christmas tree filling the room, I find myself thinking about Christmases before, and how much this season has shifted throughout my life.

I didn’t grow up with big family Christmases or elaborate gifts. Being raised by a single mom, Christmas was often a time when we became distinctly aware that we had less. I remember spending hours with the Sears catalogue, circling toys I wanted and imagining how I would play with them, while also knowing they likely wouldn’t be under the tree.

The illusion of Santa faded early for me. My mom had to explain why those toys weren’t going to come, but she was also intentional about making Christmas about experiences rather than things. We went to see Christmas lights, baked holiday cookies together, and found ways to make the season feel warm even when money was tight. My grandparents would come to spend Christmas with us, often arriving with a few of the coveted gifts in tow, along with a sense of being deeply looked after.

After my Mom’s manic episode, when our family broke up and I went to live with my Dad, Christmas was again different. For me, I knew then no matter who I spent it with I would be disappointing someone.

As an adult, there were a few years where I hosted Christmas with my mom, my sister, and my brother. For a while, it felt like something we were trying to bring back or to keep intact but over time, we stopped. There was never a conversation about it. I think it simply became too hard for all of us, too much history sitting just beneath the surface. As long as things stayed light, we could manage. Depth was always more complicated. I know I’m not alone in family Christmases being complicated.

This time of year is laced with memories.
The smells of the season can’t help but transport us into Christmases past. Sometimes they feel comforting, wrapping around us like a warm hug, and other times they stir things we didn’t expect.

For me, many of those memories lead me back to my Nana. Her absence was felt deeply last year, as it was the first Christmas she was not with us. My Christmases have been quieter without the usual trip to Chilliwack, where I would pick her up and bring her to stay with me, so she didn’t have to spend Christmas in the care home. She would usually stay for two nights, and we would share space in my king-size bed. What mattered most to me was the feeling of taking her out of her everyday life for a moment and caring for her in the way she and my grandpa once cared for me.

Our Christmas days together were simple. Scrabble at the kitchen table, cups of tea, Christmas movies in the background, and laughter woven through it all. As her hearing worsened, conversation took more effort, but the closeness remained. We leaned in, repeated ourselves, and let presence do the work.

Now, having a daughter of my own, I feel something tender open up around this season again. I want Christmas to feel magical for her. And while I hope to be able to give her more than I was given, I also want her to grow up knowing that the magic has never really been about getting things. It lives in shared moments, familiar rituals, and the feeling of being held and cared for.

This year, that magic already feels close. It shows up in her excitement when I turn the Christmas tree on at 6:30 in the morning before we start nursing, in the way her eyes light up at the glow. It’s a simple pleasure we are both enjoying as we enter into this first Christmas together. One of many moments I hope to build on in years to come. I am excited to see what happens in our lives this year as the days get longer and our lives evolve with new rituals.

But for now, as I sit here, this moment is enough.

Thank you for reading and sharing this first year of substack with me.

I hope this season finds you well. Happy Holidays. xo