Moody Style: Motivation

Hi everyone!  I hope that you all are having a great week so far.  I’ve been keeping busy with the new job and watching the Olympics.  I’ve been captivated by all of the Olympic athletes over the past four days and I’m astounded by their all of their achievements.  Every singe one of them has an amazing story that brought them to London and they are all highly motivated.  So, I started to think about my motivation and what keeps me going every day.  I’m sure that like most of you it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated every second of every day, but I’m going to share a few of my 5 simple tips that keep me going when I have a goal set in place. 

1. Set One Goal at a Time – I find that when I set too many goals at once, then I get overwhelmed. The end result is that I don’t focus on each goal with as much intensity as I should.  So, I set a limit and start small.

2. Find Inspiration and Post It – I know that it may sound silly, but creating an inspiration board for myself is a helpful reminder of what I want to achieve.  If I don’t have time to create a board then I at least write it down and post it on my fridge or on a mirror.  It’s good to have a daily reminder of the goal.

3. Share the Goal – I think that it’s important to let others know what you’re trying to achieve for two reasons - to help hold you accountable and also to gain support. When I trained for my half marathon earlier this year, my family and friends all knew what I was up against and they supported me 100% percent.  It’s a great feeling to have all of that support and love behind you when you accomplish the goal. 

4. Set a Date – It’s a simple step that often gets overlooked, but it’s a must.  Adding an end date to a calendar or creating a system to check on your progress will help build anticipation and add some finality to the goal.

5. Don’t Give Up – If you miss a day, a week or even a month, then readjust your plans and get motivated again.  There’s always an ebb and flow with just about everything that we do, so keep moving forward.

{Shirt: Anthropologie Draped Snail Tank;

Pants: Ann Taylor Loft Marisa Trouser Leg Pants;

Earrings: Anthropologie Small Change Earrings;

Ring: Banana Republic Turquoise Sunset;

Shoes: Gianni Bini Thong Sandals (old)}

What keeps you motivated? Do you have any tips that will keep you from falling into a slump? Have you been watching the Olympics?  Are you inspired by any particular athlete to try something new? Let me know in the comments!

Fresh Picks to Follow – Team USA 2012

I’m so excited for the Olympics to finally get underway.  I’m especially looking forward to seeing the opening ceremonies tonight and having the chance to root for my favorite Olympic Teams.  Ever since I was a little girl I’ve always rooted for the U.S. Gymnastics team.  Despite the fact that I couldn’t master a basic back handspring, I convinced myself at a young age that I was going to be the next Nadia Comăneci.  Of course that dream was short lived considering I never took a gymnastics class.  As I got older and wiser, I realized that there were a lot more sports and talented athletes in the world that I needed to explore.  In high school, I joined the track team and my swim team, so naturally I became very fond of both the U.S. Track and Field Team and the U.S. Swim Team.  Over the next 17 days I’m going to pay close attention to my top 3 favorite sports.   I have a feeling that these U.S. athletes are going to dominate the London games. For this week’s Fresh Pick to Follow, here are my top 10 clothes and accessories to show your support the members Team USA during the 2012 Summer Olympics.  What do you love most about the Olympics and how much will you watch? Let me know in the comments!

1. Top Shop – Olympic Cupcake Set…$20.00

2. Ralph Lauren - Team USA Twill Tote…$165.00

3. Ralph Lauren - Team USA Beach Towel…$60.00

4. Team USA - USA London 2012 Team USA Shield Basic London Icon…$6.95

5. Gap - Olympic Vintage Tank…$24.95

6. Ralph Lauren - Team USA Flip-Flop…$29.00

7. Old Navy - Women's Team USA® Tanks…$17.50

8. Old Navy - Women's Vintage-Style Team USA® Tees…$16.50

9. Nike Team USA 2012 - Olympics Women's Classic 5 Ring Full Zip Hoodie…$59.99

10. Red Bubble – Keep Calm at the Olympics T-Shirt…$24.54

Oh and check out this hilarious video below of the USA Olympic Swim Team lip-syncing Carly Rae Jepsen’s summer smash - Call Me Maybe.  It makes me want to root for this team even more! 

xoxo Natasha

Moody Style: Oldie But Goodie

Hi everyone! I’m sorry that it’s been a little quiet over here on my blog, but I’ve been a little busy.  As some of you know, I started a new job this week, so I’m just getting use to everything – the new schedule, a ton of information and all the new people.  All I can say is that there is a drastic difference between working for the state and working for a large corporation.  So far, I welcome the change.  I’m also looking forward to the next few weeks because I’ll be in training until I get my first assignment.  That alone makes me very happy. I love the simple fact that there is a training period.  Go figure! 

I forgot to take a picture of my outfit on my first day, but here’s a little something that I wore yesterday.  I found this dress hidden way in the back of my closet.  I think that I’ve had this dress for about 5 years now and for some reason I never really wore it.  However, once I put the dress on my body yesterday, I nearly kicked myself for not wearing it sooner.  Now I’m wishing that I bought it in brighter colors.  It’s a perfect go-to dress for the summer.  Do any of you have a dress or an outfit that you gravitate towards when you can’t find anything to wear?  Have any of you found an oldie but goodie in your closet that you’ve forgotten all about and now you’re getting tons of compliments? Let me know.

{Dress: J.Crew Pique Polo Dress (old);

Scarf: Coach Oblong Scarf (old);

Earrings: gifted; Necklace: Ann Taylor (old);

Ring: Banana Republic Turquoise Sunset Ring;

Shoes: Chinese Laundry Beaded Sandals (old)}