Small Wins, Big Victories: How to Make Progress One Step at a Time

Welcome to the Rise, Shine, and Redefine podcast, where we explore personal growth, relationships, and transformative mindsets. I'm Karen Meininger, your guide and ally on this journey. Imagine a space where your true beauty shines, where every challenge is a step toward your best self, and where family and personal development intertwine. As your BFF for mindset mastery, I'm here to share insight and laughter, to guide you through the highs and lows, and to celebrate. Celebrate your journey towards authenticity and fulfillment. Join us as we redefine what it means to live beautifully, love our journey, and embrace our true selves. Let's rise, Shine, and redefine together.

Hello and welcome to the Rise, Shine.

And Redefine podcast, the place where we step into our power one day, one.

Action at a time. I'm Karen Meininger, and in today's episode, we're going to talk about the beauty of beginnings, the power of small steps, and how to embrace the year with intention and momentum. If you're tuning in and it's already mid January and you feel like you haven't started yet and you haven't hit the ground running, relax. You are in the right place. Today we're going to break down how small wins lead to big victories and how choosing a word for the year can.

Can guide you through.

So make yourself comfortable and let's embark on this journey together. As we stand here in the middle of January, you might feel a sense of urgency, a sense that maybe you're not where you're supposed to be, but I want to remind you, if you made any kind of goals for yourself, you have an entire year. So take a deep breath and just kind of take that pressure off yourself that everything has to get done right now. And it's not about a sudden burst of action. It's a steady, persistent walk, and it's walking towards our dreams. This year, I picked out two words. I really started with one word. I started with elevate because I just really wanted to elevate. In 2024. In 2023, I used the word identity because I kind of lost who I was. And I was in so much transition between moving to a new city, selling my house, putting Wesley in a new school. It just became a lot. And selling my business. I only knew myself in my family business, and I didn't know who I was outside of that. So 2023 has been a huge reflection year of kind of figuring out where I am and who I am. So for 2024, I picked the word elevate and I'M just ready to elevate and redefine and shine and just kind of create and expand. But I also added another word into the mix. I added experimentation. Because I am so new at this digital world and podcasting and I'm going to try to set up a coaching business. I'm really experimenting on what really feels in alignment for me this year. So I am really focusing on experimentation and elevation because elevating is rising, lifting up, reaching the new heights. And then with experimenting, I'm going to try new things and learn and grow. And I'm curious, what resonates with you for 2024? Have you guys picked a word to help you guide your steps, your choices, your growth? So with that said, there's something called eee, and I learned this a long time ago. I started my personal growth journey probably back in 2011 or 12 and I learned this concept of EEE, and it stands for ease, enjoyment and Energy. So when you're faced with a choice, an opportunity, a decision, if you're in the middle of something, you can ask yourself, is this eee? Is this ease, enjoyment and energy? And if the answer is no, consider the fourth E, which is exit. Life is too short to fill it with things that drain us. So think back in 2023. I really want you to reflect on 2023. Like go through your photos, skim through emails, recall the memories and what moments in 2023 brought you eee, ease, enjoyment and energy. And were you able to exit when they weren't? And I think that becomes the most challenging part for us is that we don't know how to exit. But first we have to realize we even need to exit. And when you can truly focus on the moments that matter to you, acknowledge them, cherish them, and then you can carry them into 2024. But you need to know where you're starting. It's really crucial for any journey. If you're trying to get to Texas, but you don't know where you are, if your GPS doesn't know if you're in California or Florida, it is not going to be able to take you there. It's the same for our goals and our dreams. Reflect on your struggles from last year. Know they're important as your triumphs. For me, 2023, like I said before, was so many significant changes. Like I said, sold my house in Miami and that was a really bold decision because it was my dream home. But I knew there was more for me in St. Augustine and more for my family and more for my son. Wesley and I sold my business. I sold my family business of 20 years. So 2023 has just definitely been a year of transitioning, finding new ground. But those struggles, the moments of uncertainty, that's where I have grown and have created resilience and shown my son resilience. And I'm curious, what have you struggled? What did you struggle with? But what did you learn from it? Like, how did those struggles make you stronger, make you grow, make you more in alignment? Because those are the points in our life that actually transform us. So going into 2024, I just want to shift our focus a little bit to commitment. But not just any commitment, like small, manageable, consistent ones. I want you, for 2024, to commit to yourself for just five minutes a day towards something that matters to you. And why only five minutes? Because it's a promise that you can keep to yourself. It's long enough to take a step and short enough to never be overwhelming. So when we're committing to the five minutes a day, we're building momentum, we're building integrity conf. And this compounds into greater achievements. It's not just about doing. It's about becoming more disciplined, more focused, more aligned with our goals. For me, I committed to five minutes of just moving my body. I tend to lose momentum very, very easily. And I just want to prove to myself that I can keep my word and that I can do it. So I am, at some point every single day, focusing on moving my body, whether it is going for a walk, doing some push ups, sit ups, going on the treadmill, whatever it may be, playing with my son. It just needs to be movement. And that is my commitment for five minutes a day. Because I know once I can do that, I am going to create more momentum and be able to do bigger and greater things. So with all of this past year and all these transitions, there was so much profound beauty and learning. I saw the resilience of my son as he adapted and thrived in new environments. I witnessed sunsets that reminded me to be present and to live in the moment. And I did this by going back through my phone and reminding myself of these moments. Because you forget, really, all I could think of off the top of my head was I sold my house and I moved. But when you really cherish those moments and you can go back and look at everything you have accomplished, you can have that proud moment. You can feel really good about yourself and really understand that there is so much opportunity coming your way and there's so much essence of life and they Might just seem small, but this is what we cherish. I mean, my son started Jiu Jitsu. We baked our first gingerbread house together from scratch and it was so much fun and also so delicious. I helped a friend decorate our home. I mean, these aren't just events, they're milestones of growth, connection and joy. But it just hasn't been easy moving to a new city, feeling the loneliness that comes with it. Navigating shift in my family dynamics have been a challenge. Trying to start my business, I created many mindsetters and it's been really hard because I'm not a doctor or psychologist and it seemed really challenging for moms to connect with me and want my advice without having those credentials. So I'm kind of starting this new year with this podcast and really hoping that there's nuggets and lessons and stepping stones to be a better, stronger self. I am choosing to grow from these experiences rather than be weighed down by them. I am not going to be bitter. I am going to be better. And I just want to keep learning. And I want to know what your highlights and struggles are and what are you going to carry forward into the new year. Just for me, committing five minutes a day, it might sound trivial, but it's a start. It's a step moving towards better health, better energy. It's building the momentum. It's a small step isn't a celebration. It's a testament to commitment and resilience. And it doesn't have to be fitness. It can be anything that matters and anything that matters to you. It could be reading, writing, meditating, learning a new skill, whatever resonates with you. The key is to just start and to keep going. Yes, you can have big, gigantic visions and dreams because I do. And I am not telling you to stop dreaming because I am a dreamer and you should be too. But in order to get up that ladder of believability that you can get there, you need to start with the small baby steps. So as we wrap up today, I just want you to think about what your 2024 word is going to be. Does it bring you EEE? Embrace this principle. When you're making decisions, when you're faced with opportunities, is it ease, enjoyment and energy? And I want you to also reflect on the highlights and struggles. They both have really valuable lessons. And then just commit five minutes towards a goal, a dream, a step in the right direction. Like what action can you take right now that's going to get you one step closer to your dream. I want to thank you so much for joining me today. For me, it's not just a podcast, it's a community. It's a journey. It's a commitment to growth and joy. And I just hope that you get some small nugget out of today's episode and just keep elevating, keep experimenting, keep embracing every moment with intention and love. I love you guys. Thank you so much for tuning in.

Today to the Rise, Shine and Redefine podcast. Remember, every new day is a blank canvas, an opportunity for you to redefine your narrative. Your story is dynamic, evolving with each decision you make. Let's embrace that power to create, to change, and to grow. I hope today's episode has ignited a spark within you to rise above your challenges and to shine in your own unique way. If you enjoyed our time together, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your support means the world and helps more people join my journey and your journey of redefinition. Also, don't forget to follow me on Instagram riseshine and redefine for daily inspirations and a peek into the behind the scenes of my show. I look forward to reconnecting with you.

In my next episode.

Until then, keep rising, keep shining, and never stop redefining who you are and what you can achieve.