I Thought I Couldn’t

Ten years ago, a friend announced to a group of us that she wanted to walk the Portland Marathon. She wanted us to join her.

While I had started doing something about my years decades of relative inactivity, walking 26.2 miles seemed impossible for me. I dismissed it immediately. “I’ll support you however I can,” . . . → keep reading

May Coaching Hour (an Explore & Play Class)

Tuesday it’s time for our May coaching hour! If you have a project you can’t seem to start, a relationship that pushes your buttons or find yourself in an unhelpful pattern, call in and you could get coached through your situation.

Whether you get coached or not, I can guarantee that you’ll leave the call . . . → keep reading

How I Give My Dreams Wings

Shannon Wilkinson at Mile 18 of the 2012 Portland Marathon

This post is part of Andrea Schroeder’s Give Your Dreams Wings blog hop. (Read all about it at the bottom of this post.) Special thanks to Andrea for including me, and inspiring this post!

A few years ago, I read a novel, I can’t remember the title or author’s name, just that the protagonist . . . → keep reading

April Coaching Hour (an Explore & Play Class)

The second Tuesday in April is just about here, and that means, time for another coaching hour! Whether you’re coached live or not, there’s always plenty to gain from these calls. After each person is coached, I’ll pull out key strategies and ideas for you to use in your unique situation. Plus, I’ll answer your . . . → keep reading

March Coaching Hour (an Explore & Play Class)

Tuesday, March 11th, is another full coaching hour! There’s no planned topic, but will be plenty to learn — even if you aren’t coached live.

I will be drawing from each mini-coaching session to give you tips or ideas that you can apply to your unique situation. At the end of the call, you’ll have . . . → keep reading

How to Fall

And more importantly how to get up again.

It’s natural when you’re a kid. You probably don’t remember learning to walk yourself, but odds are, you’ve seen a toddler in the act. The falling, the getting back up, the trying and trying and trying. The cheering and encouragement for every effort.

The falls may include . . . → keep reading

Forgetting Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Care

Have you ever made a declaration that you’re going to make a change and then after a time or two forgot about it?

I’m going to eat better!

I’m going to exercise every day!

I’m going to watch my spending!

And then you don’t. You eat the way you’ve always eaten. Your workout clothes get . . . → keep reading

How Clear Are You? Really?

Foggy, snowy St. Johns Bridge - Portland, Oregon by Shannon Wilkinson

While coaching people on yesterday’s Explore & Play call, a little theme developed. It’s the same thing I’m going to be talking about at Thursday’s free talk here in Portland.

How clear are you about what you want?

Is it foggy and unclear?

Is it what others think you should want?

Is it a thinly . . . → keep reading

{Training Log} #8 – You Are Here

In 2011, I started running. In 2014, I’ll be running the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world, the Boston Marathon. With this blog series, I’m sharing the techniques I use to coach myself (mentally, emotionally and physically) through six months of training. Thanks for joining me!

Let’s just get the difficult part out . . . → keep reading

February Coaching Hour (an Explore & Play Class)

December’s Coach-a-thon was super popular. And, I’ve been hearing more and more from people that they love the coaching part of the Explore & Play calls most of all.

So, we’re going to try an experiment this month.

The February call, on Tuesday, February 11th, will be a full coaching hour! This will mean coaching . . . → keep reading