How to get gutsy

• Just Mel
• #staymarried
• erica.blog
• HeartsEverywhere
• kenwordpresscom2015
• By Jen Lawson
• Our Pursuit of Hoppiness
• Adventures in Drinking & Dating
• Contracts And Adventures
• I’m just their oven
• onwardnwestward
• Heather Matarazzo
• Live ClareLesley
• Drink the Day
• Krissy’s Thinking Again.
• geekybeergal
• 35andmolting
• Love-Nourish-Preach
• Gin is my Comfort Food
• THE JERSEY JETSETTER

Just Something to Read While You Pee

I got the idea for this post from my friend Amanda Piccirilli and her blog, Take Your Pic. She was actually inspired by blogger Jessica Lawlor, who writes here about how to get gutsy. This is a story about how I learned to get gutsy.

Like so many people, I found myself caught in a plastic trap a few years ago. High vet bill? Visa. Car repairs? Visa. Plumbing emergency? Visa.

I relied on my Visa card when unexpected, expensive bills popped up. I wasn’t living beyond my means and buying dumb crap, and it didn’t reach stomach-sickening proportions. Still, it had crept up to about $2,000 over the course of several years, an amount that made me uncomfortable.

And, I barely made a dent in it because I was just paying the minimum payment most months. Sometimes I paid more, but not enough to really make a difference quickly. Even though I hated my debt, I hated the thought of paying more than $40 to $80 a month toward it even more.

Last summer Mike told me I was being ridiculous — because of the interest rate (around 20 percent) it would take me years to pay off the card if I only made the minimum payment, even if I stopped using it. At that point, the balance was about $1,700.

This isn’t a story about how I found ways to cut my expenses so I could scrimp and save and give up all that damn expensive craft beer so I could finally pay off my credit card. It’s a story about how I made a decision to be financially smart after being lulled for so long by the lies and scams of the credit card industry.

“Do you have seventeen hundred dollars in the bank?” he asked, knowing the answer.

“Then why don’t you pay it off? Just pay it off. Do it today.”

The thought freaked me out. I really had never considered just paying it off, even though I did have the funds to do so. Those small, bite-sized payments were manageable. I don’t spend money easily because I always feel I need to prepare for some huge catastrophe. And, yeah, paying more than small payments every month meant, to me, that I’d have less of a buffer against all of the evils of the world. Looming “bad stuff” could be zapped by having a healthier balance in the bank.

It all sounds crazy considering that I was actually paying more than I owed when I made the minimum payments. More of my precious pennies were flying out the door, deceptively so.

After I processed this, I decided that Mike gave me good advice and I needed to listen. So one morning in September, I got gutsy and paid off what I owed on the card. It was an amazing feeling to see the balance listed as $0.

I was going to wait until I did my 2014 taxes before paying off the $303.15 I now owe on my student loan to take advantage of the tax benefits, but I don’t think what I owe will amount to much of a tax credit. So, I’m going to pay off my student loan this month. I imagine that will feel even more significant since I’ve been carrying it for so many years.

I signed up for a better, different Visa, one with rewards points, and I’ve been using it since October. I had always used my debit card, but Mike pointed out it’s not a good idea to give retailers, or anyone, direct access to your money, and using credit protects you from that.

The difference is that I’m now paying off the balance every month. You gotta do that. You just have to. And you know what? Given what I’ve learned and how I’ve grown and in the past few months, it’s not painful at all.

Getting gutsy in a crowd! Just kidding. No reason for this photo, which was taken last summer at the East Passyunk Craft Beer Festival. I found it on my phone and just thought it looked cool.

Getting gutsy is all about stepping outside your comfort zone to reach your goals and live a life that makes you truly happy. This post is my entry for Jessica Lawlor’s Get Gutsy Essay Contest. To get involved and share your own gutsy story, check out this post for contest details and download a free copy of the inspiring Get Gutsy ebook.

• Just Mel
• #staymarried
• erica.blog
• HeartsEverywhere
• kenwordpresscom2015
• By Jen Lawson
• Our Pursuit of Hoppiness
• Adventures in Drinking & Dating
• Contracts And Adventures
• I’m just their oven
• onwardnwestward
• Heather Matarazzo
• Live ClareLesley
• Drink the Day
• Krissy’s Thinking Again.
• geekybeergal
• 35andmolting
• Love-Nourish-Preach
• Gin is my Comfort Food
• THE JERSEY JETSETTER

Just Something to Read While You Pee

I got the idea for this post from my friend Amanda Piccirilli and her blog, Take Your Pic. She was actually inspired by blogger Jessica Lawlor, who writes here about how to get gutsy. This is a story about how I learned to get gutsy.

Like so many people, I found myself caught in a plastic trap a few years ago. High vet bill? Visa. Car repairs? Visa. Plumbing emergency? Visa.

I relied on my Visa card when unexpected, expensive bills popped up. I wasn’t living beyond my means and buying dumb crap, and it didn’t reach stomach-sickening proportions. Still, it had crept up to about $2,000 over the course of several years, an amount that made me uncomfortable.

And, I barely made a dent in it because I was just paying the minimum payment most months. Sometimes I paid more, but not enough to really make a difference quickly. Even though I hated my debt, I hated the thought of paying more than $40 to $80 a month toward it even more.

Last summer Mike told me I was being ridiculous — because of the interest rate (around 20 percent) it would take me years to pay off the card if I only made the minimum payment, even if I stopped using it. At that point, the balance was about $1,700.

This isn’t a story about how I found ways to cut my expenses so I could scrimp and save and give up all that damn expensive craft beer so I could finally pay off my credit card. It’s a story about how I made a decision to be financially smart after being lulled for so long by the lies and scams of the credit card industry.

“Do you have seventeen hundred dollars in the bank?” he asked, knowing the answer.

“Then why don’t you pay it off? Just pay it off. Do it today.”

The thought freaked me out. I really had never considered just paying it off, even though I did have the funds to do so. Those small, bite-sized payments were manageable. I don’t spend money easily because I always feel I need to prepare for some huge catastrophe. And, yeah, paying more than small payments every month meant, to me, that I’d have less of a buffer against all of the evils of the world. Looming “bad stuff” could be zapped by having a healthier balance in the bank.

It all sounds crazy considering that I was actually paying more than I owed when I made the minimum payments. More of my precious pennies were flying out the door, deceptively so.

After I processed this, I decided that Mike gave me good advice and I needed to listen. So one morning in September, I got gutsy and paid off what I owed on the card. It was an amazing feeling to see the balance listed as $0.

I was going to wait until I did my 2014 taxes before paying off the $303.15 I now owe on my student loan to take advantage of the tax benefits, but I don’t think what I owe will amount to much of a tax credit. So, I’m going to pay off my student loan this month. I imagine that will feel even more significant since I’ve been carrying it for so many years.

I signed up for a better, different Visa, one with rewards points, and I’ve been using it since October. I had always used my debit card, but Mike pointed out it’s not a good idea to give retailers, or anyone, direct access to your money, and using credit protects you from that.

The difference is that I’m now paying off the balance every month. You gotta do that. You just have to. And you know what? Given what I’ve learned and how I’ve grown and in the past few months, it’s not painful at all.

Getting gutsy in a crowd! Just kidding. No reason for this photo, which was taken last summer at the East Passyunk Craft Beer Festival. I found it on my phone and just thought it looked cool.

Getting gutsy is all about stepping outside your comfort zone to reach your goals and live a life that makes you truly happy. This post is my entry for Jessica Lawlor’s Get Gutsy Essay Contest. To get involved and share your own gutsy story, check out this post for contest details and download a free copy of the inspiring Get Gutsy ebook.

Developing yourself as an individual means improving on your strengths and finding a way to minimize your weaknesses. Recently, I’ve been reading the teachings of the late Peter Drucker, who many consider to be the father of modern business management. In fact, over his lifetime, Drucker wrote 39 books and produced countless newspaper columns, essays and educational films about corporate management, as well as teaching it in university.

This is his advice on how you can develop your strengths, according to Drucker’s writings and teachings:

Recognize the Need for Improvement

Before you can start to develop your strengths, you need to recognize that you need improvement. Confidence is great, but the one downside of having a lot of confidence is that it can leave you feeling like you are as good as you can get and don’t have any room for improvement.

The first step is to recognize that everyone can improve. Improvement doesn’t mean you’re bad at something. It just means you can do it better. Even if you feel like you’re at the top of your game, you can always push yourself to become better at something.

You have to be willing to improve and you have to have some kind of foundation to improve on. That foundation could be raw talent or it could be knowledge you’ve gained through experience. I’m not trying to discourage anyone from learning new skills. Obviously, starting something from scratch is possible, but it takes longer to improve at it than improving something you’re already good at or have natural ability for.

And the more natural talent you have at something, the more you can progress. Let’s say you have natural selling ability and you would rate yourself as a 6/10 as a salesperson. You could easily get to an all-star level of 9 or even 10/10. But, if you don’t have a lot of natural talent in sales — say, only a 3/10 — you would likely only be able to get to the level of a 7/10.

So, embrace what you’re naturally good at. Many people aren’t aware of their weaknesses and therefore they may believe they don’t need to improve on anything or get help to handle weak areas. To help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, talk with someone you trust who can provide you with honest feedback. Listen to what they have to say with an open mind and refrain from taking their feedback negatively. Look at it as a learning experience and a chance to discuss the areas that need improvement.

“Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes.” – Peter Drucker

Concentrate on your strengths instead of your weaknesses

This may seem counterintuitive at first. If you don’t focus energy on your weaknesses, how are you going to eliminate them or get competent in those areas? If you think of it in terms of learning an instrument, if you do one thing really well already on an instrument (say, switching between chords on guitar), but you can’t do something else (like play fingerstyle), you need to practice the thing you can’t do so you can eliminate that weakness and become a better player.

However, what works for learning an instrument doesn’t always work in self development. Drucker says it’s better to concentrate on what you already do well so you can become an expert at it. Rather than being a well-rounded generalist, try to focus your attention on being the absolute best at one thing. That begs the question: What should you do about weaknesses, then?

Eliminate Your Weaknesses Through Partnership

Obviously you can’t just ignore what you’re weak at. You have to find a way to shore up weaknesses, but it’s possible to do that through partnerships with others. If you’re really good at A, but you struggle with B, find someone who is excellent at B, but who needs help with A. Together, you can each focus on what you’re strong at while the other one takes care of what you’re weak at.

To give you a real world example, many entrepreneurs, when they’re starting a new business, try to do everything themselves. But, even though they might be great at finding new markets and coming up with business ideas, they may not be competent at bookkeeping or marketing. So, the entrepreneur can partner with (or hire) someone who is strong in those areas rather than spend their precious time trying to get strong in those areas themselves.

Resist Comparing Yourself with Others

You can only be your best, not someone else’s best. Instead of focusing on what another person can or cannot do and how that relates to you, learn to appreciate what they can do and how you can learn from them instead. Comparisons will either leave you feeling bad because you don’t think you’re doing something as good as someone else or they’ll just feed your ego if you see that you can do something better than someone else (and possibly lead to a false sense of security with your own knowledge of a subject).

Layout a Training Program for Yourself

You can’t get somewhere if you don’t know where you’re going. If you want to improve a skill set or increase your expertise in an area, you’ll need to have a plan to do that. Research what courses you’ll need to take and work out a plan that gives you the time and opportunity to do that. Identify mentors you can potentially partner with and have a timeline to accomplish this.

When thinking about partnering with a mentor, Drucker suggests approaching people who inspire and even intimidate you. Depending on who you’re targeting, you may not be able to actually get in touch with these people, but if you keep your expectations reasonable and target people who you have a shot at meeting, you may find some of them receptive to acting in a mentorship role (or at least becoming a professional acquaintance).

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” – Peter Drucker

Measure Your Progress

The only way to discern if you’re getting better at something is to measure your progress with actual results on a regular basis. How you do that will depend on what it is you want to measure, but preferably it should be something that you can put numbers to rather than just having a sense of whether you’re improving or not. Having a number you can reference is key to keeping your progress going. If you’re trying to improve your sales ability, for example, an obvious number you could use would be how much your sales have gone up by. Whatever you are trying to improve, come up with a solid measurement that you can rely on to keep track of your progress.

By following Peter Drucker’s advice and recognizing your need to improve, concentrating on your strengths, partnering with others, refraining from comparisons, having a plan for improvement and measuring your progress, you’ll be able to develop into an expert in your chosen field.

When EarthBound was released, everyone thought that the ultra-rare Gutsy Bat weapon could only be obtained by defeating a Kraken enemy in the Sea of Eden. Given that there are like only three of them in there and they’re permanently gone after you defeat them, many kids were frustrated when trying to win the bat.

The thing is, though, that the Gutsy Bat ISN’T dropped by Krakens. They’re dropped by Bionic Krakens in the last dungeon of the game!

So how did this myth come about? Why, the player’s guide that came with the game, of course!

This has lead to a few questions I’ve never been able to answer:

• Some players SWEAR that they’ve gotten the bat from normal Krakens, even though it’s been proven not possible. So is this a case of faulty memory, lies turning into false memories, or is there really a rare version of the game out there that lets you get Gutsy Bats from Krakens that none of us know about?
• How did they get that screenshot for the guide? If the normal Kraken dropped the Gutsy Bat at some point, why did they change it to the Bionic Kraken at the last second? Especially when it’s the Bionic Kraken that drops the bat in the original Japanese version?

Very strange stuff. Anyone have any ideas? I think the Kraken & Gutsy Bat myth spread in other ways too back in the day, but I don’t recall where. Does anyone remember?

A cutting-edge show blending business + spirituality, Get Gutsy serves up a potent blend of stories, lessons, and actionable tips to help you make a massive impact in the world through your soul’s work and gutsy life. No more going it alone. No more excuses. The world needs more brave women saying YES to leadership.

Join award-winning coach + entrepreneur Jenny Fenig each week for interviews and messages that will shift you into inspired action. Let’s GET GUTSY now.

• JAN 14, 2020

Don’t Recreate the Wheel with Beth Sears

Don’t Recreate the Wheel with Beth Sears

Pura vida! This new episode goes live while I’m leading the WOMEN WHO DARE retreat in Costa Rica. I’m here with several inspiring clients, including Beth Sears who is our guest today.
Beth was brought up with very traditional beliefs about business and how her life “should” be. She was expected to have a high-powered career, be the perfect wife and mother, and she started on that path by going to law school. After having her first child, she decided that being a lawyer was not the right path for her, and she instead took on the “Martha Stewart role” of her home. Keeping the perfect home and filling so many roles became unsustainable. In Beth’s quest to be perfect, she was still not fulfilled.
Beth is now a certified holistic health coach who draws on her wisdom of yoga and Reiki to help women who are in the menopausal phase in their lives to harness this natural process and feel strong in their mind, body and spirit.
Beth led a Reiki Circle here in Costa Rica and it was pure magic! Excited for you to tune in to this conversation.
Tune in to discover:
How Beth was able to move past the pressures of what her life should look like The power of changing directions The lessons she learned from the death of her mother and mother-in-law Why going sober was the best decision for her The keys to feeling stronger
About Our Guest:
Beth Sears a certified holistic health coach trained by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She’s a yoga teacher (RYT-200) and an NASM-personal trainer, and has been personally trained by Gabby Bernstein of Spirit Junkie fame to teach the principles of her book May Cause Miracles.
Beth is passionate about living a healthy, balanced life full of joy and sharing her sometimes messy, but always real, journey through life. Her passion is empowering women to lead big, bold lives without apology and helping them find adventure in every day while thriving in their power and gifts.
xoJENNY
P.S. Subscribe to the podcast + leave a review + rating to spread the GET GUTSY message far + wide. Means the world to me! We are all in this together.

• 52 min

• DEC 23, 2019

Changing the Cancer Journey with Andrea Wilson Woods

Changing the Cancer Journey with Andrea Wilson Woods

Let’s face it: your colon isn’t exactly a dinner party topic. It takes a lot of guts to bring up colorectal cancer—to your parents, your spouse, your doctor, your friends. Don’t be afraid to pipe up about the second-leading cancer killer of both men and women, because it’s proven that simple steps save lives.

Here’s how you can Be Gutsy for colorectal cancer prevention:

1. Digest some information. CDC’s Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign gives you the lowdown on what colorectal cancer is and who can get it. (Hint: it’s anybody, but there are ways to lower your risk.) You can hear celebrities like Meryl Streep share how colorectal cancer has affected their lives, share graphics and facts, and even test your knowledge with a quiz.
2. Get yourself a little screen time. Be famous for smart choices—there are lots of different screening tests for colorectal cancer. Most colorectal cancer cases happen in people 50 and older, so if you’re between 50 and 75 years old, experts say you should be screened. Remember, the best test is the one that gets done!
3. Go history hunting. Some people are at higher-than-average risk for colorectal cancer. If you or a family member has had it before, you could be at risk. You’re also more likely to get it if you have an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s or certain genetic illnesses. Talk to your doctor about whether you should be screened.
4. Trust your gut. The point of recommended colorectal screening is finding growths called polyps that can turn into cancer if left alone. But if you’re having symptoms like stomach pains or weight loss for no reason, or if you see blood when you use the bathroom, talk to your doctor. Other problems than cancer can cause these symptoms, too.
5. Scale it back. Here’s one a lot of Americans still don’t know: being overweight or obese is associated with at least 13 different types of cancer, including colorectal cancer. Healthy eating and physical activity help keep weight down and lower risk.
6. If you drink, think. Drinking too much alcohol can cause your health to take a hit. That includes a higher risk of colorectal and other cancers, as well as other problems that might come up now or later in life.
7. Quit for quality of life. Cigarette smoking can cause colorectal cancer and other cancers outside the lungs. If you smoke, you can cut your cancer risk by quitting now. You’ll do friends and family a favor, too, by keeping them away from damaging secondhand smoke.

You have the tools and know-how to lower your risk of colorectal cancer. Be Gutsy and spread the word!

2 comments on “7 Ways to ‘Be Gutsy’ this March!”

Comments listed below are posted by individuals not associated with CDC, unless otherwise stated. These comments do not represent the official views of CDC, and CDC does not guarantee that any information posted by individuals on this site is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. Read more about our comment policy ».

Please also recommend that people avoid eating processed meats, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified as Group 1 Carcinogens, similar to alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking.

Great tips from this article. Thank you for sharing.

READY TO LIVE THE GUTSY LIFE?

This Guidebook will help you identify where you are, where you want to be, and what is holding you back

• December 2, 2020
• 0 comments

First, let’s explore what one-year and five-year plans are, and why they are so important. One-year and five-year plans serve as important roadmaps for you and your goals. You can’t accomplish a goal without a plan, just like you can’t navigate to someplace new without a roadmap. (Or maybe you can, but you’re much more likely to get lost along the way!)

By creating one-year and five-year plans, you can give yourself both a map and some room to adjust as you work on your short-term and long-term goals, and personal growth. I have created a custom workbook for you HERE to create your unique one-year and five-year plans.

How To:

1. Create a Mission Statement

A mission statement is like your motto for the year. It is meant to inspire and excite you. Who do you want to be? What is the main goal of the year for you? How can you sum it up in a phrase that excites and inspires you? Start with the words I am a person who… and go from there.

2. Create Affirmations

Affirmations are positive phrases that you repeat to yourself to keep you focused, joyful, grateful, on track, etc. Affirmations for your one-year plan should be reminders of both what your goals are and the mindset required in order to achieve those goals. Examples might be:

I am right where I am meant to be

I can do hard things

I am a successful at ___

I trust and love myself

Important affirmation note: They must be believable to you. When you speak them, you have to actually feel as though they could be true. If they feel too out of reach, then bring them back a notch.

For example: If the statement, I love and trust myself, is too much of a stretch, try I am learning to love and trust myself; or, Every day I get better at loving and trusting myself. Just be sure that when you speak or think the affirmation, it gives you feelings of authenticity, not skepticism, and you’re not rolling your eyes or scoffing at what a far-off impossibility it is.

3. Craft a Vision Statement

A vision statement is a declaration written in the present tense about your life in the future. You need to create a visual that your brain can align with, both about the person you want to be and the life you want to have in the next year, and eventually, five years. It has to be real; you have to be able to feel, taste, touch, hear, smell, the life you want. List details about the weather, the house, the people around you. Describe how it feels. Consider the actions and the results that got you to this future self. It has to be so crystal clear that you can picture it with your eyes closed; as though you have already lived it, or are living it right now.

4. Set Your Goals

To see my full post on effective goal setting and to get a more in-depth goal setting worksheet, click HERE.

For this section of your one-year plan, you will examine your goals for the year in three parts:

The Yearly Goals

Outline your big goals for the year and set dates for accomplishing them. Some of your big goals might depend on a smaller, daily, or monthly habit, so set a date by which you will implement those habits.

For example: I want to exercise three times per week. Set the goal to be doing that consistently by the end of February.

Goal Breakdown

This is where you look at each goal and break down what you need to do to accomplish it. Does the goal have several parts? Do you have something you must learn before you can accomplish the goal? If it’s a multi-part goal, make a plan with dates.

Goal Tracking

You can use a more in-depth goal setting worksheet HERE to get super specific about each goal, but in this section, think about how you will know if you are on track with your goal. You need to have stops along the way that will inform you if you are on track or if you need to recalibrate, and you can do this by setting certain benchmarks. Once you have a benchmark for each step, create a Plan B for each step as well.

For example: Create an “If ___, then ___.” statement for each step.

“If I don’t make it to the gym today, then I will go for a walk this afternoon.”

Lastly, reward yourself! Give yourself credit for small wins! Make the journey to accomplishing your goals pleasurable (at least a little) by pre-planning rewards for hitting certain benchmarks along the way, and a special reward for the final goal.

How To:

Now that you have created a one-year plan, you can move on to more long-term goals. For the five-year plan, you will be a bit more open; less specific about each goal, but looking more toward who, where, and what you want to be in five years.

1. Craft a Vision Statement

The most important part of the five-year plan is the vision statement. You want to spend some time really thinking about where you want to be in five years and what that will feel like.

Who will you be? How will that feel? Who and what will be surrounding you? What will a day in the life of you-in-five-years be like? Make it really clear and visual so you can see it and BELIEVE it is true.

2. Set Yearly Goals

I like to make quick yearly goals in this section. I copy my goal section from my one-year plan, and then for years two through five, I like to break it down by quarter. This gives you a rough map of where you want to be.

For example: Say you want to be married in five years.

Put that in Q4 of year five and work back from there.

What does year four look like? A committed relationship.

What about year three? Finding a partner.

Year two? Going on dates.

Year one? Personal growth and development.

Or, let’s say you have a big goal of creating a six-figure business in the next five years.

Start in year five, Q4, and put “six-figure business” then work back from there.

What do you need to be doing in Q1-3 of year five to get there? In year four? All the way back to this year.

This can really help you to create benchmarks for what you should be aiming for each year.

Once you are all finished, go back and re-read the vision statements and make sure they get you excited, feel possible, and are believable to you. Keep this worksheet somewhere handy so you can consult it often. I like to check in on my one-year vision statement and goals at the beginning of each month. I read my five-year vision statement anytime I’m feeling discouraged or need a boost. And of course, I revisit it each new year and make adjustments accordingly!

Planning your goals and creating a strong vision for the person you want to be, and the life you want to lead, in one and five years, is a great way to help you on the road to actually becoming and achieving what you want in life!

Don’t forget to get your custom 1 and 5 Year Plan Workbook HERE

Let’s face it: your colon isn’t exactly a dinner party topic. It takes a lot of guts to bring up colorectal cancer—to your parents, your spouse, your doctor, your friends. Don’t be afraid to pipe up about the second-leading cancer killer of both men and women, because it’s proven that simple steps save lives.

Here’s how you can Be Gutsy for colorectal cancer prevention:

1. Digest some information. CDC’s Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign gives you the lowdown on what colorectal cancer is and who can get it. (Hint: it’s anybody, but there are ways to lower your risk.) You can hear celebrities like Meryl Streep share how colorectal cancer has affected their lives, share graphics and facts, and even test your knowledge with a quiz.
2. Get yourself a little screen time. Be famous for smart choices—there are lots of different screening tests for colorectal cancer. Most colorectal cancer cases happen in people 50 and older, so if you’re between 50 and 75 years old, experts say you should be screened. Remember, the best test is the one that gets done!
3. Go history hunting. Some people are at higher-than-average risk for colorectal cancer. If you or a family member has had it before, you could be at risk. You’re also more likely to get it if you have an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s or certain genetic illnesses. Talk to your doctor about whether you should be screened.
4. Trust your gut. The point of recommended colorectal screening is finding growths called polyps that can turn into cancer if left alone. But if you’re having symptoms like stomach pains or weight loss for no reason, or if you see blood when you use the bathroom, talk to your doctor. Other problems than cancer can cause these symptoms, too.
5. Scale it back. Here’s one a lot of Americans still don’t know: being overweight or obese is associated with at least 13 different types of cancer, including colorectal cancer. Healthy eating and physical activity help keep weight down and lower risk.
6. If you drink, think. Drinking too much alcohol can cause your health to take a hit. That includes a higher risk of colorectal and other cancers, as well as other problems that might come up now or later in life.
7. Quit for quality of life. Cigarette smoking can cause colorectal cancer and other cancers outside the lungs. If you smoke, you can cut your cancer risk by quitting now. You’ll do friends and family a favor, too, by keeping them away from damaging secondhand smoke.

You have the tools and know-how to lower your risk of colorectal cancer. Be Gutsy and spread the word!

2 comments on “7 Ways to ‘Be Gutsy’ this March!”

Comments listed below are posted by individuals not associated with CDC, unless otherwise stated. These comments do not represent the official views of CDC, and CDC does not guarantee that any information posted by individuals on this site is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. Read more about our comment policy ».

Please also recommend that people avoid eating processed meats, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified as Group 1 Carcinogens, similar to alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking.

Great tips from this article. Thank you for sharing.

READY TO LIVE THE GUTSY LIFE?

This Guidebook will help you identify where you are, where you want to be, and what is holding you back

• December 2, 2020
• 0 comments

First, let’s explore what one-year and five-year plans are, and why they are so important. One-year and five-year plans serve as important roadmaps for you and your goals. You can’t accomplish a goal without a plan, just like you can’t navigate to someplace new without a roadmap. (Or maybe you can, but you’re much more likely to get lost along the way!)

By creating one-year and five-year plans, you can give yourself both a map and some room to adjust as you work on your short-term and long-term goals, and personal growth. I have created a custom workbook for you HERE to create your unique one-year and five-year plans.

How To:

1. Create a Mission Statement

A mission statement is like your motto for the year. It is meant to inspire and excite you. Who do you want to be? What is the main goal of the year for you? How can you sum it up in a phrase that excites and inspires you? Start with the words I am a person who… and go from there.

2. Create Affirmations

Affirmations are positive phrases that you repeat to yourself to keep you focused, joyful, grateful, on track, etc. Affirmations for your one-year plan should be reminders of both what your goals are and the mindset required in order to achieve those goals. Examples might be:

I am right where I am meant to be

I can do hard things

I am a successful at ___

I trust and love myself

Important affirmation note: They must be believable to you. When you speak them, you have to actually feel as though they could be true. If they feel too out of reach, then bring them back a notch.

For example: If the statement, I love and trust myself, is too much of a stretch, try I am learning to love and trust myself; or, Every day I get better at loving and trusting myself. Just be sure that when you speak or think the affirmation, it gives you feelings of authenticity, not skepticism, and you’re not rolling your eyes or scoffing at what a far-off impossibility it is.

3. Craft a Vision Statement

A vision statement is a declaration written in the present tense about your life in the future. You need to create a visual that your brain can align with, both about the person you want to be and the life you want to have in the next year, and eventually, five years. It has to be real; you have to be able to feel, taste, touch, hear, smell, the life you want. List details about the weather, the house, the people around you. Describe how it feels. Consider the actions and the results that got you to this future self. It has to be so crystal clear that you can picture it with your eyes closed; as though you have already lived it, or are living it right now.

4. Set Your Goals

To see my full post on effective goal setting and to get a more in-depth goal setting worksheet, click HERE.

For this section of your one-year plan, you will examine your goals for the year in three parts:

The Yearly Goals

Outline your big goals for the year and set dates for accomplishing them. Some of your big goals might depend on a smaller, daily, or monthly habit, so set a date by which you will implement those habits.

For example: I want to exercise three times per week. Set the goal to be doing that consistently by the end of February.

Goal Breakdown

This is where you look at each goal and break down what you need to do to accomplish it. Does the goal have several parts? Do you have something you must learn before you can accomplish the goal? If it’s a multi-part goal, make a plan with dates.

Goal Tracking

You can use a more in-depth goal setting worksheet HERE to get super specific about each goal, but in this section, think about how you will know if you are on track with your goal. You need to have stops along the way that will inform you if you are on track or if you need to recalibrate, and you can do this by setting certain benchmarks. Once you have a benchmark for each step, create a Plan B for each step as well.

For example: Create an “If ___, then ___.” statement for each step.

“If I don’t make it to the gym today, then I will go for a walk this afternoon.”

Lastly, reward yourself! Give yourself credit for small wins! Make the journey to accomplishing your goals pleasurable (at least a little) by pre-planning rewards for hitting certain benchmarks along the way, and a special reward for the final goal.

How To:

Now that you have created a one-year plan, you can move on to more long-term goals. For the five-year plan, you will be a bit more open; less specific about each goal, but looking more toward who, where, and what you want to be in five years.

1. Craft a Vision Statement

The most important part of the five-year plan is the vision statement. You want to spend some time really thinking about where you want to be in five years and what that will feel like.

Who will you be? How will that feel? Who and what will be surrounding you? What will a day in the life of you-in-five-years be like? Make it really clear and visual so you can see it and BELIEVE it is true.

2. Set Yearly Goals

I like to make quick yearly goals in this section. I copy my goal section from my one-year plan, and then for years two through five, I like to break it down by quarter. This gives you a rough map of where you want to be.

For example: Say you want to be married in five years.

Put that in Q4 of year five and work back from there.

What does year four look like? A committed relationship.

What about year three? Finding a partner.

Year two? Going on dates.

Year one? Personal growth and development.

Or, let’s say you have a big goal of creating a six-figure business in the next five years.

Start in year five, Q4, and put “six-figure business” then work back from there.

What do you need to be doing in Q1-3 of year five to get there? In year four? All the way back to this year.

This can really help you to create benchmarks for what you should be aiming for each year.

Once you are all finished, go back and re-read the vision statements and make sure they get you excited, feel possible, and are believable to you. Keep this worksheet somewhere handy so you can consult it often. I like to check in on my one-year vision statement and goals at the beginning of each month. I read my five-year vision statement anytime I’m feeling discouraged or need a boost. And of course, I revisit it each new year and make adjustments accordingly!

Planning your goals and creating a strong vision for the person you want to be, and the life you want to lead, in one and five years, is a great way to help you on the road to actually becoming and achieving what you want in life!

Don’t forget to get your custom 1 and 5 Year Plan Workbook HERE

Join 1,700+ go-getters just like you! You’ll get inspiring, raw and honest emails twice a month, filled with ideas, tips and action items to step outside your comfort zone and crush your big goals.

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The 5 Things I Know For Sure About What It Means To Get Gutsy

Well, hello there! Heading over here from CBSPhilly.com’s Bloglight series? Welcome to the Get Gutsy blog! Here’s a great place to get started. And, of course, you’ll want to join the Get Gutsy newsletter community to grab your free Get Gutsy ebook and inspiration, ideas and action items to get out of your comfort zone delivered straight to your inbox twice a month.

Whether it’s your first time here or you’ve been part of the community for awhile, it’s time for a refresher on all things gutsy.

Getting gutsy means stepping out of your comfort zone to reach your goals and live a life that makes you truly happy.

It’s about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, making moves, exploring new opportunities and embracing adventure…all on your own terms.

Here are the 5 things I know for sure about what it means to get gutsy.

1. It means getting uncomfortable. No one likes feeling uncomfortable, right? The most important (and most challenging) part of getting gutsy is learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Because THAT is where you will grow, change and reach your goals. If you have butterflies in your stomach, you’re doing something right. Learn to love those little guys.

2. Getting gutsy doesn’t have to mean doing something crazy. When people hear the phrase “get gutsy,” oftentimes they think of crazy activities like jumping out of a plane or quitting your job to travel the world. These things are gutsy, yes, but there are both small AND large ways you can get gutsy in your everyday life. Getting gutsy could mean setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier each morning to pursue a side business. It could be meeting a Twitter friend in person for dinner for the first time. It could even mean standing up for yourself at work. YOU can create your own definition of gutsy.

3. You need support. Sure, you could get gutsy alone, but I guarantee you’ll have even more success when you’re part of a community. Encouragement from supportive friends and family can make all the difference when you’re doing something new that takes you out of your comfort zone. You could also become a part of this blog’s community! The people who read this blog are motivated, passionate go-getters pushing each other to reach their goals every day.

4. You have to get out of your own way. Want to know the number one roadblock to getting gutsy and reaching your goals? Yourself. Oftentimes, we hinder our own success out of fear. We need to get out of our own way to make room for our big dreams.

5. It’s not easy. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Getting gutsy takes time, energy and most of all, passion. But you, you’re special. And I know you can do it. After all, that’s why you’re here, right? Let’s do this together.

Here’s what two awesome members of the community have to say about getting gutsy:

“Getting gutsy is a way to break down the barriers that confine you; it’s being brave enough to remove your safety net so you can create a meaningful life one gutsy move at a time.” -Janelle Foltz, The 20 What blog

“To me, to getting gutsy means to dare not only to dream big, but to also go out of your comfort zone to get it done. To be accomplished, driven, ambitious and focused!” -Katharina Sommerkamp, 100 Miles Highway blog

What do you think? What does getting gutsy mean to YOU? Tell me in the comments below and we’ll add some of your definitions to this post!

PS- Want to share your gutsy story? STAY TUNED! The 2015 Get Gutsy Essay Contest launches next month. Join the Get Gutsy newsletter community to be the first to hear all the details.

Want more gutsy content delivered straight to your inbox twice a month? Be sure to sign up for my FREE #GetGutsy e-newsletter filled with inspiration, ideas and action items to get out of your comfort zone. When you sign up, you’ll also be sent a FREE copy of the Get Gutsy ebook, filled with 19 inspirational stories to help you get gutsy.