If you’re curious about my Friday Sessions, you’re invited. Click here to let me know you’re coming and get access to the zoom link to join.

And if you are ready to go all in and make this a 21 project, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing starting Monday, June 8. I’m calling it the Daily Dose, and you find those details here.

Flow state to a glow state!

Stay tuned for pt 2.

This is a read-aloud of this Substack essay.

This is a read-aloud of this Substack essay.

The most epic snap from the Paris Summer Olympics captures Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina suspended in mid-air looking like an athlete who is not just on top of the world, but exactly where he’s meant to be.

Thanks for reading The World According to Steph! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Have you had this moment in your own life? A moment of clarity and elation that you, too, are exactly where you’re meant to be? Whether you have or have not, you deserve many of these in your lifetime! So let’s get into it.

A Tale of Two Motivations

This isn't just a photo of a world-class athlete chasing a spot on the Olympic podium. This is a man on a comeback tour, and his story holds the key to understanding what really drives lasting success.

The carrot and stick analogy has it mostly right: to accomplish anything great you need both an extrinsic motivation (the “carrot” or reward) and an intrinsic motivation (the “stick” or the avoidance of pain). But here's what I think is missing - and it took me years of goal-getting to figure out:

* Intrinsic motivation is the more valuable of the two AND

* Chasing a positive emotion is more effective than running from pain.

So I would replace the carrot-stick analogy with this motivation stack:

🏅Extrinsic motivation = reward: medals, promotions, visible wins.

💫Intrinsic motivation = positive emotion: how you want to feel, what lights you up from the inside, what makes you come alive, how you are living life to the hilt without regard to reward.

The Story Behind the Snap

I was curious about Medina, so I devoured every article I could find. What emerged wasn't just another sports comeback story - it was a masterclass in what happens when internal and external motivation are stacked in your favor.

A three-time world champion, Medina faced the biggest stage of his career when surfing debuted at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But despite the fact that he was a highly decorated surfer, he left those Olympics empty-handed. By 2022, he stepped away from the sport completely, openly sharing about his need to find himself again.

During his time away from the sport he tended to personal matters (instead of avoiding pain, he leaned into it) and when he returned to competitive surfing in 2023 - happier, healthier, and more whole - he said at the time: "I want to win more world titles. I'm motivated and entering my best moment, professionally and personally. I want to enjoy this gift God gave me, which is surfing. I want to leave a legacy."

His external motivation was clear and his internal motivation was deeply rooted in positive emotion:

🏅 External Motivation: win more world titles.

💫Intrinsic Motivation: enjoy surfing and leave a legacy.

The rest is history. He qualified for the 2024 Olympics, caught the wave of his life, and had his comeback moment, taking home a medal for his country. The famous photo was evidence of the intrinsic motivation behind it all. The reward is cool, that feeling that was captured is what living life to the hilt is all about.

Finding My Own Wave

Once upon a time early in my career, I subscribed to Word of the Day emails. Every day, a new word would appear in my inbox and some days I learned something new. Until one day I learned a word that would become my entire personality.

The word was "El Dorado."

El Dorado: a place of fabulous wealth and opportunity.

It was like a little ding! ding! ding! went off in my brain. Like a: “YOOOhoooooo, this one’s for you”. A wink, wink, nudge, nudge from the universe! It was a word that captured how I chose to live life to the hilt and immediately became my mantra: pursue places and spaces that reek of fabulous opportunity!

And so I did. I became the girl chasing her el dorado. Every decision I made was with a lens of: does this reek of fabulous opportunity? If yes, proceed enthusiastically. Highlights included: going to law school, studying abroad, moving to New York, buying a condo in midtown manhattan, taking a position on my CEO’s team…I was chasing my el dorado and for decades, this pursuit shaped so many of my decisions.

And then 2020 hit, and like so many of us, I watched as the traditional markers of success and my perspective on opportunity shifted. The places and spaces and faces of opportunity started to look different, more sustainable and more fulfilling.

Within a few months, I would pack a bag to leave New York, life beckoning me onward and fabulous opportunity calling me elsewhere. Closer to home and more connected to family and nature than ever before, THIS felt like the fabulous opportunity.

And eventually, opportunity called me to leave the corporate scene altogether to pursue my passion for helping others pursue their own version of fabulous opportunity and spur them on to live their lives to the hilt.

The World According to Steph

* The motivation stack is simply this: 💫 lit-up-ness + 🏅reward.

* Put another way, this is your 💫intention and your 🏅goal.

* The secret is to start by clarifying your lit-up-ness.

* The magic is in letting your definition of both evolve.

This is why I'm passionate about starting the pursuit of any big dream with an intention, with your lit-up-ness. That is your intrinsic motivation that will act as your internal compass to guide you toward what really matters (to you).

Think about it: Medina’s lit-up-ness is in the enjoyment of what he believes he was put on this earth to do, and the reward of winning is just icing on the cake.

Next week, we’ll continue this series on living life to the hilt. In the meantime, I’d love to know: what’s your el dorado?

What lights you up from the inside? Drop a comment below! Not sure? That's exactly why I'm here - helping women discover their internal fire is kind of my thing! 🔥

Thanks for reading The World According to Steph! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Need an easy button for selecting a word of the year that really resonates? Sign up for my workshop: https://www.fulltimelifesteph.com/word

00:00 Introduction

01:08 The Power of Intention

06:14 The Vibration of Words

09:50 Steph’s Origin Story with using words to Manifest

13:17 Setting Intentions for the Future

Link to Word of the Year Workshop: https://www.fulltimelifesteph.com/word

Book references: The Hidden Messages in Water by Dr. Masaru Emoto & The Desire Map by Danielle La Porte.

Keywords: intentions, new year, personal growth, mindfulness, self-improvement, goal setting, motivation, reflection, empowerment, personal development

I’m not entirely sure myself, but I have this one photo of 7-year-old me that captures a moment in time of what I can only describe as full-expression-ME.

Stephanie’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It’s this blend of confidence, charisma, and ease that I refer to as MOJO. Of course of course of course: Romper ✅, Pink Accessories ✅, Flip Flops✅, Extra Layer Shoulder wrap ✅…it’s the authentic-steph-starter-kit. Layer in that we were on a cruise to the Caribbean and there you have it I was all in my LIT-UP-NESS.

And from this energetic I could pose for a picture with one flip flop off and a big toothless grin like it’s what I was BORN TO DO. Full expression ME, that’s what MOJO looks like and feels like.

MOJO: Where Did You Come From

We are born with our mojo and as life unfolds we discover it within ourselves. Mojo (authenticity, lit-up-ness, personal magic, your own special way that you experience life) is just THERE, it just IS. You discover it through trial and error: do you like this? do you like that? does this make you feel good? Your FEELINGS are the roadmap to your mojo.

When we are little we feel ALL THE FEELINGS, and our feelings are turned all the way up. As we grow we learn ways to turn the dial down our FEELINGS and sometimes even override them altogether, it’s a survival mechanism more than anything else.

That’s why who we were before we had to figure out how to navigate (survive) in life holds a lot of clues to our mojo. We change our minds about what feels good and what we like all the time, so our mojo evolves. And any time you are making decisions about what LIGHTS US UP (especially with your feelings turned all the way up vs numbed), those are clues to our mojo too!

MOJO: Where Did You Go?

Life, am I right? Life has been LIFE’ING. It always has, but it feels especially true in this exact moment. Hurricanes, election season, INSERT YOUR OWN COSMIC SHIFT HERE. If you are anything like me, whatever level of comfort you had going into this year has been radically challenged. And that will put you into survival mode. And when you are in survival mode, it’s hard to be in your lit-up-ness.

You are of course FULLY YOU, your mojo is there, but it can feel difficult to access until you can come back to baseline stability (homeostasis) and feel a little less survival-y. STEP 1: find homeostasis. STEP 2: find your way back to your mojo.

MOJO: A short story

After 3 sunny, sandy, salty years living at the beach, over the summer I decided it was time to move inland into more of the flow of city life. Living at the beach, and specifically in Pass A Grille was a DREAM that I had since I first lived in Tampa right out of college. And 20 years later I got to LIVE THAT DREAM and it was glorious!

I returned from my NYC trip in July with the realization that it was time for me to leave the beach. I could hardly believe it myself, but I felt crystal clear in my bones and I began taking next steps for what that would look like with the intention of not renewing my lease (which was up at the end of October).

I was on this path to leave the beach when Tropical Storm Debbie came through as rain and wind, then Hurricane Helene as a devastating storm surge, followed by Hurricane Milton with (hopefully) the final dose of destruction of the season (there’s a storm brewing as I write this).

Hurricane Helene was my personal cosmic shift. If cosmic shift is a spectrum, I was not on the extreme (when some of my family, neighbors, and friends were). Most of my apartment was on high ground, I was a renter, and since I was planning a move I already had my *next* lined up (that magically did not sustain damage from the storms). I had a lot stacked in my favor, all things considered, AND I still got thrown into survival mode. I just got to spend less time there.

And when you are in survival mode it is less likely that you will be maintaining any of your routines and rituals that make you feel good, that move you forward, that put you in your mojo. Because: survival.

And then one day you wake up in some sort of new normal and everything is in different places and some of your things just no longer EXIST, and you’re discombobulated but you are alive and you have this general awareness that you are not who you were.

That’s what cosmic shifts do. And even though you are not who you were in some aspects, your spark, your mojo, hasn’t changed. It just needs to come back online. It is THE thing that gets you to the other side of the cosmic shift in one piece.

MOJO: Discovering it AGAIN

As I was coming out of survival mode the days started to feel normal again, but I felt off. Where was my brain? Where was my sparkle? Where was my secret magic? Where was my MOJO?

As I eased back into the rhythm of my day I craved all my old routines, even if getting back to them felt a little clunky. And I found myself going back to the basics: quality sleep, water & hydration, making time for movement. I kept up my mindfulness practice throughout my survival mode through morning pages, but mindfulness is a good one to add to your basic toolkit too!

And I am revisiting all my old ways with a curiosity of: do I still like this? do I still like that? does this still fit in my life, environment, new rhythm? It’s all clues to my mojo!

Some things that have come back online real quick that help me be in my mojo (beyond the basics): carline pickups for my nieces (lit-up-ness score of 100), my current 21 Day Project of cold therapy (I do the plunge, cold showers work too!), and my Friday morning beach yoga class, to name a few.

Some things that no longer align or light-me-up on this side of the shift: ocean decor (maybe a little flooding ptsd, but also I’m not in my beach era anymore), online dating (I feel the call to be out in the wild more), my current content strategy (so much everywhere, I’m feeling the call for more congruent messaging that grows my online business), and planning around the monthly calendar (I am dabbling in planning around the 28-day moon cycle).

How About You?

What is the earliest memory of being in the FULL EXPRESSION of YOU? Or even better find a picture of little-you being in their MOJO. What are some clues to your mojo from that memory or photo? What helps you get all into your LIT-UP-NESS?

Have you recently experienced a cosmic shift (flood, displacement, move, breakup, job loss, divorce, FILL IN THE BLANK; but also could be new baby, new job, new home, COSMIC doesn’t mean BAD)? If you are in survival mode: you’ve got this, keep going, find homeostasis.

If you are coming out the other side of it consider starting with the basics of optimizing your well-being: quality sleep, lots of water to keep your body hydrated, movement like walking, and a mindfulness practice. This helps regulate your nervous system and gets your body and brain online in a gentle supported way. You can download my quick guide to these Top 5 Mojo Makers here.

As you make your way back to your LIT-UP-NESS, just know that you aren’t who you were and new things might light you up, and old things might not. I truly believe you/we are getting to the good part, I can feel it in my bones.

Stephanie’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The guiding principle for the 21 day project is to start where you are. I give you three clues that might point to discover where you are and where you might want to begin. PLUS, some signals that something MIGHT not be right for your project.

The 21 Day Project is more than just a habit-building program—it’s the solution you’ve been looking for to get you from where you are to where you want to be. It stacks everything in your favor for early wins and long-term success, ensuring that you start strong and finish stronger.

Imagine having a routine that enhances your overall well-being, grows your self-confidence and moves you in the direction of best YOU. That’s what The 21 Day Project is all about, and it’s easier than you think. The framework is designed to get you started with clarity, move you through it with confidence, and finish feeling absolutely stoked for what’s possible for yourself beyond the 21 days.

In just three weeks, you’ll design and implement a habit that fits your lifestyle, overcome resistance with ease, and become the person that (finally) DOES the thing. Decide to live your BEST LIFE, 21 days at a time

Follow along on instagram to see what it looked like ⁠@fulltimelifesteph⁠ and consider joining for your own 21 Day Project at ⁠the21dayproject.com⁠.

The 21 Day Project is more than just a habit-building program—it’s the solution you’ve been looking for to get you from where you are to where you want to be. It stacks everything in your favor for early wins and long-term success, ensuring that you start strong and finish stronger.

Imagine having a routine that enhances your overall well-being, grows your self confidence and moves you in the direction of best YOU. That’s what The 21 Day Project is all about, and it’s easier than you think.

The framework is designed to get you started with clarity, move you through it with confidence, and finish feeling absolutely stoked for what’s possible for yourself beyond the 21 days.

In just three weeks, you’ll design and implement a habit that fits your lifestyle, overcome resistance with ease, and become the person that (finally) DOES the thing.

Decide to live your BEST LIFE, 21 days at a time 💫 learn more at ⁠the21dayproject.com⁠. 

Try a 2-for-1

Stephanie’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Habit pairing, which I like to call a 2-for-1, is all about pairing a new habit with something you’re already doing and doing them both at the same time. It’s so simple that it’s easy to say yes to and here’s how it works. Take a non-negotiable habit that you already have built into your day — brushing your teeth, drinking coffee, commuting to work — and pair it with a new habit you want to try - meditation, breathwork, reading a new book, learning a new language, fill in the blank. The work is finding the perfect pairing and then remembering to pair each day and you are off the races with no excuses (or at least without the excuse that you don’t have time).

By the end of your 21 Day Project, your new habit happens automatically while you’re doing something you already have to do and no extra time was required! The math is math-ing with this one and even the most tightly scheduled among us wins at the new habits game!

Consider the 2-Minute Rule

The Two-Minute Rule, which James Clear coined in Atomic Habits, is another game-changer. The rule states that any new habit should take two minutes to complete. If you can do more, great! But if not, two minutes is enough to get the job done. This rule is perfect if you are in a place where nothing can budge in your schedule, because I bet even then you can find 2 minutes every day for 21 days!

Why It Works

When you are starting a new habit, the most important thing is repetition, not duration.

You are becoming the person that does the thing, that’s it! And when you are in the infancy stage with a new habit, you are just training your brain that you are that person. All it takes is the act of showing up for the thing, for any length of time (but at least two minutes). Habit pairing and the two-minute rule allow you to do just that!

It’s important to understand that sustainable habit-building isn’t about doing more and taking more time or taking away from something else in your life (necessarily). It’s about making small tweaks, taking daily action and building the trust muscle in yourself that you follow through on the commitments you make to yourself.

Habits in Action

Part of the 21 Day Project framework is eliminating excuses, and these tools are specifically targeted to the excuse of: I’m too busy. Here is how some of my friends and clients are using them if you need some inspo:

A mom of two kiddos under the age of 4 feels like there is no time in her day for anything for herself, but is craving clarity and wants to commit to a daily meditation practice to help her feel more clear. She is using the 2-for-1 option to pair breathwork with her morning commute. Over time, and with accountability, she is becoming the person that gets a daily dose of meditation without having to find extra time to do it.

A high achiever and time management master has an inkling that journaling would be a powerful daily habit to keep her centered, but she doesn’t want to shake up her schedule if it ultimately doesn’t take. She is using the two-minute rule to try journalling on for size for 21 days: 2 minutes of journaling a day. If she feels like more she will, but in the meantime she is becoming the person that pulls out a pen and paper every day to journal for 2 minutes.

These strategies work for when you are initially making a commitment to a new habit, BUT ALSO work when you are in the middle of your 21 Day Project and you’ve chosen a habit that requires a bigger time commitment. I am in 21 Days of Kettlebells and am in drift week (week 2) when your enthusiasm for the THING starts to drift from when the habit sounded like a good idea. These tools come in so handy so I can keep showing up for myself and I used the 2-minute rule to bridge the gap from today to tomorrow so I can keep my 21 Day streak alive! Normally, my workouts are 20 minutes, but one day this week I gave myself permission to just do a two minute version of the workout. I put on my workout clothes, made it to my kettlebells, and did 2 minutes of the programmed workout. My brain benefited more than anything else, it really didn’t know any different than that I was the person showing up that day to do the thing. The next day I was back at the full-length version and I keep going in my 21 Day Project.

The 21 Day Project

What if I told you that 21 Days could change everything?

The 21 Day Project is more than just a habit-building program—it’s the solution you’ve been looking for to get you from where you are to where you want to be. It stacks everything in your favor for early wins and long-term success, ensuring that you start strong and finish stronger.

Imagine having a routine that enhances your overall well-being, grows your self-confidence and moves you in the direction of best YOU. That’s what The 21 Day Project is all about, and it’s easier than you think.

The framework is designed to get you started with clarity, move you through it with confidence, and finish feeling absolutely stoked for what’s possible for yourself beyond the 21 days.

The 21 Day Project works WITH your brain to overcome resistance and establish new routines that move you in the direction of your best self! Think faster results and higher success rate (without having to find massive pockets of time in your schedule).

In just three weeks, you’ll design and implement a habit that fits your life, overcome resistance with ease, and become the person who (finally) DOES the thing.

Learn more at www.the21dayproject.com and decide to live your BEST LIFE, 21 days at a time 💫! 

Happy 21 Day-ing!

The habit queen,

Steph

Stephanie’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

For as long as I can remember I have lived by the ethos that

movement is non-negotiable.

Whether I track and measure my movement has never been nearly as important as the fact that I am actually moving my body. And what I have discovered over the years is that there are so many varieties and flavors for movement that you never have to pick (or stick) with just one! Isn’t life grand: biking, rollerblading, walking, running, hiking, kayaking, surfing, paddleboarding, dancing, yoga, pilates, kettlebells, swimming, the possibilities are nearly endless.

But it turns out that just because the possibilities are endless, doesn’t make it any easier to get up and actually move your body.

Because LIFE happens, because there’s only so much TIME in a day, because sometimes, it turns out, movement is actually very negotiable.

And when you aren’t tracking and measuring it from time to time, it has a sneaky way of negotiating without you (or at least without your intention or conscious thought).

This is where I found myself earlier in the summer after a fun-in-the-sun family beach week. I returned home and had a moment of reflection: I never once thought of working out on vacation, BUT ALSO I bet I walked enough that I didn’t have to think about it, I bet I just was the girl who gets a lot of movement in her day.

So I checked the health app on my phone, confident it had tracked for me and would validate these lofty thoughts of: it’s just who I am so I probably did it anyways. And sure enough, the app had been tracking and reported that: over the last 7 days I had taken an average of 12,400 steps a day. It was like a little high-five from the data that I wasn’t trying to collect and didn’t know I needed, but whooohoo GO ME.

Except, the celebration was short lived. Because when I scrolled a little further the data ALSO let me know that my average daily steps year-to-date was trending at 7,000 steps. WHAT?! How?!

There is so much of how we move on a daily basis that doesn’t really get captured by steps, so that wasn’t really the issue for me. The issue was that I was living my best life for one whole week and that happened to look something like moving for 12,000 steps a day. And now that I was back home, wanting to keep some of those good-time vacay-vibes going in the form of moving my body more, it needed a little work.

Sometimes you just have to get back to the basics, and so I did. And I used the 21 Day Project framework to do it!

I wanted to get back to being the person that moves more during the day because it makes me feel good! But to get there, I needed 21 days…and, spoiler alert: I got there! I share about the experience in this podcast episode if you want the deets or are thinking of doing the same and looking for some inspo. I became the person that more often than not walks 10,000 steps a day. Now that I’m on the other side of it it is less about checking my step count and more of a general awareness about how I move throughout the day and doing what I need to do to FEEL GOOD, which is something like those 10,000 steps.

Also, on the other side of the 21 days, I was called to NEXT. You aren’t always, sometimes you’re called to integrate, to play in the space of your new routine and this new version of yourself that does this thing. That’s the great thing of adding habits and routines slowly over time, there’s no rush, it’s all available, you get to go at your own pace.

And my pace, for this summer, was to add on. Here is what the thought process looked like:

* Oooooh I love who I am when I’m walking that much, let’s keep it!

* I know that I need to add some strength training to my routine, but I just keep avoiding it, ahhhh I’m not ready.

* But I have a weight vest!

* OHHHH, what if I walked with the weight vest. It feels like the best of both worlds: I keep reinforcing those 10,000 steps AND it feels like small steps in the direction of more strength training.

And so I did!

Weighted walks (also popularly known as ‘rucking’), is said to increase cardiovascular fitness, build core and leg strength and help with balance and I was about to experiment and find out if it did all that for me!

James Clear emphasizes this principle in his book Atomic Habits:

Standardize before you Optimize

This blog post, is an example of just that:

* Standardize: become the person that more often than not is taking 10k steps a day

* Optimize: optimize those steps with a weight vest, more bang for my buck…errrr step!

Habits and routines are a long game, built and established over time. That being said, there is no time like the present to just begin! I hope you will.

And if you want to join us, download my 21 Day Tracker or consider joining our next 21 Day Project challenge.

Stephanie’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

That’s when I realized something crucial: transformation doesn’t have to be a grind. It doesn’t have to be about pushing yourself to the brink just to prove you’re disciplined enough. What if, instead of bracing for a challenge every day, you could wake up excited to take one small step closer to your best life? I believe you can, and I am inviting you to experience it with me!

Bro Science

The 75 Hard program became wildly popular for giving people a set of rules to follow daily for 75 days. The cardinal rule is that if you break just one of the rules, you must start over from day one. What were the rules? Essentially habits designed to make your life better: no alcohol, two 45-minute workouts a day (one of which had to be outdoors), a gallon of water a day, a daily progress photo (this was my favorite part—are you surprised?), read 15 pages of a book every day, and follow a diet of your choosing (no cheat meals allowed).

75 Hard is built on a structured, no-excuses mentality that undoubtedly has helped people; it wouldn’t have a following if it didn’t. It is a challenge designed for a lifestyle overhaul that tests mental toughness, and the all-or-nothing approach appeals to some (according to Andy Frisella the creator of it, over one million people since he launched it in 2019).

But here’s the thing: mental toughness isn’t the only path to success.

And in terms of true lifestyle change, I’m not convinced that ‘hard’ is sustainable in the long run.

Neuroscience

What truly makes a habit stick isn’t just sheer willpower—it’s about working with the way our brains naturally form routines. The habit loop—cue, routine, reward—is where it all begins. When you repeatedly pair a cue with a routine, your brain starts to create neural pathways that make the behavior feel almost automatic.

The real power of habit formation lies in starting with a single habit and then stacking additional habits over time. By focusing on one habit at a time, you allow your brain to fully integrate that habit into your routine. Once that habit is firmly established, it becomes easier to add another one, creating a domino effect where one good habit begets another.

This method of habit stacking is incredibly effective because it builds on your brain’s natural tendency to automate routines, making sustainable long-lasting change not just possible but inevitable.

But here’s the thing: it’s not just about sticking with and stacking habits. It’s about discovering what habits work best for you. What if you could just try habits “on for size” to see if they’re even a good fit for you.

It’s about becoming the person who practices a habit for 21 days and then deciding if that’s the person you want to be.

Taking an experimental approach to habits, if you discover that a habit doesn’t align with who you want to be, you can move on, knowing that you’ve gained valuable insights about yourself along the way. Conversely, if you discover a habit that is EXACTLY who you want to be, you are well on your way to being the person that more-often-than-not does that thing.

And that’s the power of working with your brain, not against it.

The 21 Day Project

What if I told you that 21 Days could change everything?

Before there was 75 Hard, there was my 21 Day Project. It all started the year I decided I wanted to be the BEST ME. I committed to taking one action, every day ,for 21 days, that I believed would move me toward the best version of myself.

I wrote in my blog at the time: “21 days is just long enough to be challenging, just short enough to be attainable, and I think just enough time to maybe form some healthy habits (in my experience, one healthy habit usually begets another). And I'm not even sure it's habits I'm after, so much as the accomplishment of small things and the elimination of excuses...that it's too late, too early, too cold, too hot, I'm too tired, work, socializing, too expensive, too too too anything!”

This is where The 21 Day Project began, and little did I know it was just the beginning.

The 21 Day Project is more than just a habit-building program—it’s the solution you’ve been looking for to get you from where you are to where you want to be. It stacks everything in your favor for early wins and long-term success, ensuring that you start strong and finish stronger.

Imagine having a routine that enhances your overall well-being, grows your self confidence and moves you in the direction of the best version of you. That’s what The 21 Day Project is all about, and it’s easier than you think.

The framework and weekly calls are designed to get you started with clarity, move you through it with confidence, and finish feeling absolutely stoked for what’s possible for yourself beyond the 21 days.

The 21 Day Project works WITH your brain to overcome resistance and establish new routines that move you in the direction of your best self! Think faster results and higher success rate (without relying on brute force).

Let’s Do It Together

The 21 Day Project Workshop is a 3-week experience dedicated to helping you THRIVE! 

This isn't just a challenge to see who is still standing at the end of 21 days; this is a collective dedicated to everyone winning. Big moves begin with small tweaks and daily action and it all starts here! 

In just three weeks, you’ll design and implement a habit that fits your life, overcome resistance with ease, and become the person that (finally) DOES the thing.

Here's what the workshop series looks like (⭐ represents weekly live workshops throughout the month):

* ✔️The 21 Day Project Blueprint & Workbook are available immediately

* ⭐ Design Your 21 Days  | In this workshop we will go step-by-step through the framework to  design your 21 Day Project so that you can hit the ground running feeling set-up for success!

* ⭐Double Down on Your One Thing | Just in time for when motivation starts to drift, this is the reminder for why you started this in the first place so that you can double down on what you said you were going to do and keep going.

* ⭐Take a Pre-Victory Lap | Discover why week 3 is where all the magic happens and set up your final week up to be pure joy!

* ⭐ The After-Party | Celebrate your wins, reflect on your lessons, and consider life beyond the 21 days. The 21 Day Project is always a stepping stone for next, and you get to decide where it takes you.

Decide to live your BEST LIFE, 21 days at a time 💫! 

We start Sunday click here to sign up»

By the end of the 21 days, you’ll be the person who DOES THE THING, and with every 21 Day Project you decide to run, you’ll be stacking habits that elevate your life to the next level.

I joined my nieces for a summer-last-hoorah at the movies this week to see Inside Out 2! One of the film’s most powerful messages is the importance of embracing all our emotional parts.

As the saying goes:

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As within, so without. 

The notion that who we are on the inside shapes our external experience. 

But who are we on the inside?

In the movie, the main character Riley’s PARTS (joy, fear, disgust, sadness, anxiety, etc) make up her INTERNAL SYSTEM. All the parts are working together (eventually) to form belief systems for her greater good.

THIS is Parts Work and Internal Family Systems (IFS) played out in a Pixar film 🤯!

IFS is a type of therapy based on the notion that we have a lot of internal parts (like Riley in the Pixar film) that are trying their best to keep us safe at all times. Unfortunately, our parts don’t always get it right, so even when they are trying to keep us safe they could be holding us back. We see all of this play out in the plot of Inside Out 2.

The good news for us IRL: we can work with our parts! It’s called Parts Work. And when you work with your parts, your WITHIN gets healthier so your WITHOUT gets better! 

Here's my guide to exploring Parts Work:

Entry Level: Watch Inside Out 1 & 2!

Tell Me More: Check out these podcast episodes with Richard Schwartz the mastermind behind IFS: Gabby Bernstein, Tim Ferriss, Rich Roll

Ready to Deep Dive: Check out the book No Bad Parts, by Richard Schwartz. I use the exercises in the audible version to talk to my parts and it feels like therapy but better because it’s on demand! My favorite is the “Daily IFS Meditation”, the exercise at the end of Chapter 4. 10/10 recommend!

To see the concepts of Parts Work played out on the big screen in vibrant animated colorful characters through the Inside Out movies is wild and exciting. The future looks so bright!

Stephanie’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The idea in step 4 is to immerse yourself in learning about the thing you are doing during your 21 Days.

She is recording from New York (grace for the audio pretty please, she is still working i out!), she recaps the entire process, everything you need is in this episode AND ALSO you can head to her website for more resources: www.fulltimelifesteph.com/21DayProject.

Enjoy!

My favorite app for Human Design: ⁠https://www.myhumandesign.com/get-your-chart/⁠

If you loved this ep and want to buy me or skye a coffee: ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/fulltimelifesteph⁠

Follow Skye on Instagram: @endless_yoga_

Learn about opportunities to coach with me at: fulltimelifesteph.com

* She recaps the origin story of the 21 Day Project and the transformative impact they had on her life.

* Steph offers a step-by-step guide to starting your own 21 Day Project, moving from intention setting to excusing your excuses.

* Listeners will learn practical strategies to plan ahead, maintain self-awareness, and stay committed even when motivation wanes.

* Steph encourages listeners to reflect on missed days and recommit to their goals, highlighting the power of small, consistent changes.

Links: ⁠

* Instagram⁠⁠

* Website⁠

If you enjoy this episode and want to know where you can find this provision shop that is filled with so much heart and care for food for the community and for creating an unforgettable experience. Follow ⁠@UncleFunz⁠ on Instagram. And if you are in St. Pete Beach, pop in and experience it yourself.

Learn more: https://www.fulltimelifesteph.com/21

Follow on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fulltimelifesteph/

Introduction to FloLo Holistic: Joel shares the origins of Flo Lo Holistic, his passion project that integrates various healing modalities, including acupuncture, flotation therapy, yoga, meditation, and more.

Journey into Holistic Healing: Steph reflects on her initial introduction to FloLo and Joel shares his journey into holistic healing including opening up a wellness space in midtown manhattan.

Expansion into Psychedelic Therapy: Joel discusses the upcoming launch of FloLo Mind, introducing Psychedelic Medicity for human transformation. The experience is a comprehensive wellness program consisting of: incorporating ketamine therapy with a dedicated guide and access to broader offerings of FloLo: flotation therapy, yoga, meditation, cold plunge, steam, sauna and salt caves.

Healing with Psychedelic Medicine: The conversation delves into the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine, combining the benefits of ketamine therapy with talk therapy and holistic practices for transformative healing.

Trusting Intuition and Business Growth: Joel shares insights on trusting intuition in business decisions, drawing parallels between personal experiences and the evolution of Flo Lo Holistic's offerings.

Lessons from Challenges and Opportunities: Reflecting on challenges faced, Joel emphasizes the importance of staying open to opportunities and embracing a deliberate, intuitive approach to growth and expansion. We discuss parts work and iFS as part of the process.

Resources:

FloLo Mind: ⁠flolomind.com⁠ 

FloLo Holistic: ⁠floloholistic.com⁠

More on Psychedlics: ⁠https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/michael-pollan-380⁠

More on Parts Work: ⁠https://a.co/d/fRjrxGL⁠

Steph: fulltimelifesteph.com

* We reflect on our magnetic first meeting and the origin story of our growing friendship.

* I recount my journey from New York City to St. Pete Beach, Florida, reflecting on my love for yoga and the decision to relocate.

* I discuss my initial motivation to practice yoga and my decision to pursue teacher training and how I went from wanting to get better at handstands to getting better at the use of props.

* Our conversation explores my transition to Florida during the pandemic, prompted by a desire for change and the need for connection with family.

* I conclude with reflections on the process of letting go of my New York City apartment, expressing gratitude for my experiences while acknowledging the importance of embracing change and new opportunities.

Resources:

• Join Cassandra's 10-day self-care challenge: Jan 22 - 31: https://exceptional-trader-661.ck.page/nurturingyou


• Cassandra on Instagram: www.instagram.com/masteryourstress  

Show Notes:

Cassandra is a licensed social worker based in New York City, specializing in working with older adults and their family caregivers. In this episode she highlights her personal experience as a family caregiver, inspiring her passion for helping families.

Stephanie and Cassandra discuss their favorite self-care strategies and Cassandra emphasizes her favorite self-care practice of walking for stress release and mental clarity. Cassandra shares her favorite quote by Celia Tran about giving oneself permission to pause, discussing the importance of caregivers taking time for self-care. She also shares her personal journey to wellness, including working a challenging job, studying for licensure, and being a family caregiver.

She covers the physical toll of neglecting self-care and the realization that change was needed. Leveraging her personal experience with self care, Cassandra initiated a meditation and deep breathing group at her job and overcame challenges such as mindset shifts and resistance to change. She emphasizes the importance of small, sustainable changes for building a self-care practice, relating it to the concept of "Atomic Habits" by James Clear.

Upcoming Projects: Cassandra is working on her first course on self-care for family caregivers. And she is announcing a free 10-day self-care challenge in January, open to everyone. Cassandra invites listeners to join the 10-day self-care challenge on Instagram (@masteryourstress). Emphasizes the inclusivity of the challenge for anyone seeking more self-care in their lives. Join here: https://exceptional-trader-661.ck.page/nurturingyou

Introduction: Marcos talks about his background, studying at the University of Miami, and his 12 years of experience as a physical therapist in South Florida.

Balancing Act: Marcos shares a major move in his life, transitioning from a full-time to part-time work schedule for more flexibility. The decision was driven by a shift from energizing work to draining work, impacting his family time. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing when life feels out of balance and making necessary changes.

Passion for Pediatric Physical Therapy: Marcos discusses his passion for working with children, sharing his experiences and the inspiring moments of helping kids overcome challenges. He reflects on his own childhood cancer diagnosis at age 8 and how it influenced his career path and empathy for young patients.

Parenting Philosophy: Marcos shares his parenting approaches, focusing on allowing kids to explore, make mistakes, and develop resilience. Marcos emphasizes the importance of fostering problem-solving skills and resilience in children.

Future Goals: Marcos shares his ongoing goals of growing his family, strengthening fatherhood, and exploring new avenues in his career. He expresses curiosity about the impact of digital health and artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Reading and Morning Routine: Marcos talks about his current reads, including Kerry Washington's memoir and a book on doing hard things. He describes his morning routine, involving coffee, walks with his daughter, and the ongoing challenge of incorporating fitness.

Thank you for joining the Full Time Life Podcast! Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and discussions on living a fulfilling life. Follow Marcos on @gratefulmarcos and Stephanie @fulltimelifestyle on instagram.