So, you want to change your life. It's time to start something new. You're inspired, you're motivated but as soon as the time comes to really smash those goals, it's gone. Suddenly your old habits click back into place and nothing ever changes. Can you relate? I certainly can.  But what if motivation was never the issue... what if momentum is? Read more as I uncover the one life lesson you need to know to finally accomplish all those goals! Trust me, you'll want to. 

The COVID-19 virus has reached New Zealand so to help stop the spread we’re currently self-isolating ourselves. Rather than binging my life away on Netflix, I thought it would be best to come up with a few productive ideas of things to do to help pass the time. Check out my ideas below:

​Another year, another semester. University is back for 2020, and I’m sure there are mixed feeling about it. While I’m super grateful for the seemingly endless uni holidays, the first week back is always a bit of a shock to the system. Here is my personal guide to making it through and to help you thrive, not just survive.

Feeling overwhelmed can be so debilitating. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, small tasks collate into looming to-do lists and a lot of important things seem to fall off the wagon - like self care, looking after your mental health and taking a rest day. I’m a massive advocate for simplifying wherever possible - in my home, my calendars, my jobs, and even my belongings. Check out the full blog post below for some easy-to-implement tips to help simplify your life!

If you know anything about me and my planning process, you’ll know that I love habits! I personally find they are the easiest and most actionable way to make progress towards achieving your goals. They’re also super trackable and easy to build into your daily routines. Start/stop habits is a simple technique to help you ensure that you’re only bringing positive habits which help you accomplish your goals into the new year. Out with the old and in with the new!

Ever wondered what activity and rest look like from a brain perspective? This series, based on doing less, is all about gaining results from less work, less stress, and less time. It’s about understanding our bodies and listening to them and their subtle cues. Humans are complex beings, yet by spending a little time gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves, we can unlock knowledge that explains exactly why we do what we do, and most importantly, how to do it better. The following blog post is all about understanding what our brains look like in rest and in action. It explores why doing less with ourselves is amazing for our brain function and encourages you to find moments of ‘less’ throughout your day.

​Ever heard of the saying, ‘if you want something done, ask someone who’s busy’? There are strong characteristics of busy people which tend to only make them busier. They’re good at getting shit done, in fact, they’ve trained themselves to be this way. Whether it’s out of habit, through addiction to fleeting reward, the fear of missing out or forgetting something, the ironic comfort of a hectic routine, or the badge of honour we all like to wear saying, ‘I’m busier than you’. Our current culture has mistaken busyness as progress and achievement. Let’s discuss this deeper and get a better understanding of why we do what we do, and how we can change it.

There are two people in this world. Those who hit inbox zero on the daily, and those who seem to have to wade through thousands of emails just to find the one they’re looking for. Jumping ship from inbox zero to extreme email hoarder isn’t hard, but doing the reverse is more difficult than letting go of a chocolate addiction. As my mum and I would argue, “it’s just in our genes”. However, I’m the kind of girl that once I set my mind to something, I have to fix it. So I’m here to share some tips on tackling that overwhelming inbox. Let’s Marie Kondo that inbox!

We all know what it feels like to be stuck in a seemingly continuous cycle of mediocrity. Life seems to be stuck on the repeat button and every day is just about the same. Your routines get boring and uninspiring and you don’t seem to be getting anywhere fast - certainly not towards your goals or dreams. 
This feeling of being in a creative rut can be beyond frustrating. But some quick and inspiring tips can help get you back on track!

If you’ve never heard of them, then let this be your formal introduction to keystone habits. They’re the fundamental habits to your daily life which have a positive flow-on effect into a multitude of other areas. These habits aren’t complicated either, they’re simple actions which are easy to implement yet are gifts that just keep on giving. Check out the full blog post below!

​Arianna Huffington speaks at length about the impact of burnout culture in her book, ‘Thrive’ which we’ve previously discussed on our blog. And while burnout culture may be something we’re all aware of, there isn’t much stopping us from returning to our routines driven by the same fuel that cements burnout culture in our lives. Arianna didn’t wake up to the concept until she fell headfirst into her desk at work out of pure exhaustion - causing not only a series of facial injuries, but also a serious shift in her lifestyle. Not exactly the wake-up call we would all appreciate, but yet it was effective! Let’s explore this more below!

I’ve wanted to dedicate an entire series of blog posts to the topic of ‘doing less’ for a while now. We’re in a point in time where we’re working more than ever and taking less time off than ever. It’s no wonder that many of us are feeling overwhelmed and fed up with the amount of work that’s on our plate. With 9-5 work commitments, kids on the go and only a slither of to ourselves it’s no wonder that many of us wish we could hit the pause button and let ourselves catch a breath. To be a part of this series and continue this important conversation, read more below!

Time management seems to be one of these big things that people also wish they were better at yet don’t know how to improve. We’re back with more time management tips to help you tackle your calendar and stay on top!

Having a deeper understanding of the brainwaves our brain experiences is the first step to hacking the system and encouraging your mind to experience these brainwaves when you need them most - whether that’s when you’re trying to fall asleep, study for that big exam or gain inspiration for an upcoming project. Check out the science behind it all and some top tips below!

People say there aren't enough hours in the day. I agree, there aren't enough hours in the day to do EVERYTHING. However, no one is asking you to do 'everything'. You just have to focus on getting what you PRIORITISE done. Successful time management is about managing your time in a way that enables you to accomplish what you desire. For me, good time management is focused on reducing stress, being prompt in meeting deadlines, accomplishing personal goals while also ensuring that I’m fitting in things for me. But what are the keys to good time management, and why do so many people find themselves overwhelmed by their commitments? Check out the time management tips and tricks below.

It’s all well and good having an entire month dedicated to getting yourself back on track, but the key to maintaining solid routines and achieving long term goals is the constant repetition of good habits. We wanted to share some of our top life habits which help you keep your life in order, through Junk Free June and beyond!

We all feel limited by the number of hours in a day. Quite often, the hours fly by and we forget how we spent them so quickly. I understand how frustrating it can feel for the end of the day to roll around and you only feel like you’ve got half of what you were aiming to do done.

This blog post is a step-by-step guide on how to schedule and plan your day more effectively so you can get more done and spend more time doing what you love!

Two big words. Two big meanings. Two big impacts. These words have the power to change the world, change a person and transform a generation. Yet many people don’t fully understand the difference, and ultimately their true meaning. Considering their importance and their giant impact, I saw it fitting to clear the air - for both your benefit and mine.

The first month of 2019 is nearly complete. How has it gone for you? Have you been achieving everything you have desired thus far? Or perhaps you need some smaller, more manageable tasks that will help you remain on track for the rest of the year? You've come to the right place. This blog post isn't about making drastic changes, or anything that'll get you completely detoxing the entire home. It's about breaking down 'an organised lifestyle' into habits and daily routines that keep things manageable. Implement one (or many) into your routine just for a week or so at first and see if you like the results!

We’ve all heard about making lists. A to-do list is something I write for myself daily. It gives me intentions, a purpose and simply outlines the next steps I need to take. However list-making can delve into many different facets of our lives, not just what we’re doing this week. This blog post is simply a few collated ideas of lists to make to simplify and improve your life - taking away the time wasted on procrastination or when you get stuck on what to do next!

It’s easy to set goals and design habits. What isn’t easy, is choosing them, enforcing them and actually reaping the results. So many people fail to get their goals even started, often that’s because they’ve only made them out of guilt, or because they think they have too. 

We have so many things yelling at us, telling us how to live our lives, what weight we should be, what we should eat, how we should raise our children. It’s confusing to have to take it all in, process it and figure out which ideas we want to stick.
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This blog post is the perfect place to start if you're wanting to clarify what you truly want, and outline exactly how you're going to get there. 

In the hustle and bustle of our day to day routines, we often forget how important it is to really step back and look after ourselves. Today on the blog, I'm delving in to my personal experience running myself out of energy and how I get myself back on track, infused with Chinese medicine and just a little self care for both the mind & body. 

Hey Honey!
Welcome to the first blog post in our new Productivity Series! Considering that the 'Lively Lifestyle' is all about living with intention, efficiency and wellbeing, it was super important for us to have an entire series dedicated to how to live productively. And no, productivity isn't always about getting more done. For us, productivity is all about making time for the things that are important in our lives. 

​Prior to our Lively Launch, I shared on the blog my Meal Prepping process. There is no denying that having the week ahead of you sorted allows you to start it off with a win. It’s clears your head, keeps you focused on the current and allows you to begin the week with focus and intention. However, I’m come to realise that really getting my shit together for the upcoming week isn’t just about making sure all my events are in my calendar or that my meals are pre-prepared, it’s more than that. Enter the Sunday GYST. GYST standing for ‘Get Your Shit Together’. Sunday’s are really the perfect day for GYSTing for me, however perhaps a Monday works well in your calendar. Either way, it’s important to gift yourself the time to really just reset after the weekend and get ahead. 

Sunday’s are like my day just for me. I’ll be sharing my Sunday Routine very soon in an upcoming blog post, however the key principles to my Sunday’s are: refresh, reorganise and reset. My Sunday in it’s entirety has evolved into my GYST day, however, maybe you’re only able to carve out a few hours! Whatever your limits, you won’t regret it.