Tools to Life Review

Image via CrunchBase

“Change” has been a huge buzzword lately, what with the election of US President Barack Obama, the new year with resolutions abound… I think 2009 is going to be called “The Year of Change”. That said, I’d like to talk about a website that features self help programs to encourage this change within yourself, Tools to Life.

Tools to Life is a 100% free online program that claims to provide you with all you need to help make changes in your life. To “create YOUR best life” according to the site. I do like the fact that it’s completely free – as you know, I’m a huge fan of free!

Sign-up was easy and took seconds. Create a username and password, give your birth date, and you’re in. There’s lots to see and do, but don’t get overwhelmed. You might want to begin by filling out a complete profile. Add your schools, jobs, a photo, set up your notifications, and write a little about yourself.

Once you’ve filled out your profile, check out the inspirational motivation podcasts, or join one of the several life coaching support groups there are. There are lots of challenges you can join too, everything from adding cardio workouts to your daily routine, to keeping a clean house, to avoiding alcohol or fast foods. I love how diverse the membership is on this site! You’ll find people from 16 to well into their “golden years” all working together to support and encourage each other to reach their goals, one step at a time.

Fair warning: The goals and challenges are extremely diverse. You’re going to find people who have addictions to more than just drugs or alcohol. I ran across a couple challenges that were sexual (avoiding pornography, for example). Please try not to judge those with issues if they’re different than your own. We all have things we’d like to walk away from and the way I see it, if you’re working on becoming what you perceive to be “a better person”, then good for you! For some it’s a more “PC” addiction like fast food or even smoking, and for others it’s often more “harsh” than that. If it’s not an interest of yours, just skim on past to find something more closely related to your own needs.

There are some great programs on here too. Being that I’m trying once again to lose weight, I joined the Body Makeover program. I’m really excited to join this program, and maintain my “contract” by logging in daily and keeping track of my progress.

All in all, I have to say that I’m really very pleased with the Tools to Life site. It seems a lot more in depth and better organized than some other free sites I’ve seen out there, and I truly encourage you to take a peek and sign up!

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Guilty: First time on treadmill in 2009

Yes, I’ve been slack in getting started this year, but I admit that I feel fantastic after the fact, so it’s good motivation to keep going.

Today:

25 minutes
1.2 miles
2.9 mph avg speed
1.5 incline

~ 300 cals burned (as per SparkPeople’s calculators)

I feel really good that I finally got on there, and even though my goal was 15 mins a day (minimum) every day, I did 25 today without even thinking! I admit, it was with the help of some new music I downloaded to listen to. I didn’t get through the whole playlist during the treadmill work of course, but I’m eager to get to it. :)

Off to shower and grab some lunch (ratatouille, yum!) and get some cleaning done. Have a great rest of the day, and don’t hesitate to get started… you’ll be so happy you did it!

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Finding Yourself (Again) Through Goal-Setting

(This is an update to an old post I’d written after my breakup at the beginning of summer 2008. When I took all my old posts down to revamp the site, I vowed to revisit everything and use it to create fresh, new content. This post in particular hit me pretty hard, because it was originally written in July 2008, and while I’ve stuck to some things, others need to be revisited, and what better time than when you’re working on resolutions to look over some old goals? So here it is, in all it’s updated glory.)

It’s so hard to remember that you’re a whole person when you’ve come out of a relationship. It’s amazing how much of ourselves we often compromise or set aside because we want to make room for another person and their hopes and desires and wants. No, it’s not always a bad thing to be that way, but when the relationship fails, and we’re on our own again, there’s a lot of… space… that needs refilling.
Read more

10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2009

Okay, so I know that most people who make New Year’s Resolutions don’t ever stick to them. I, on the other hand, will end 2009 considering myself a complete failure if I can’t stick with these. I’m dead serious. I’m going to be 32 in April and it’s time I just grow the hell up and stick to some goals.

I’ve got so much riding on these, so many plans I want to make happen for my future. These are things I absolutely will do, no matter what. Please, come along and help me be accountable!

10. I will Read more

The New Year is a week away!

Yes, I know, it’s a little more than a week, but this week we’re facing is definitely a hectic one for most who celebrate Christmas.

I’m writing this teeny little post to update you on some of the things that will be happening around the site coming in 2009.

- New design/layout. Yes, again. I love changing my site’s look and feel, and this time it’s kind of pertinent to what’s happening around here.

- New features. I’m looking to expand the site’s offerings from just weight loss stuff to actually incorporating more modeling and acting info, plus health and wellness all around. No more focusing only on physical health.

- A recipe section. It’s important to learn how to cook good, healthy food. No, it’s not all going to be “diet food” – it’s going to be healthy food, that when eaten in proper portions will make your whole body feel good, and will aid in losing weight.

- Taking care of business. The bottom line is that these days I have so much work stuff going on that if this site doesn’t start making me some decent money, it’s going to continue to fall by the wayside. I don’t want that to happen. It’s been online for 12 years now. It’s been my baby, and I can’t let it go. But something’s got to give, so I’ll be adding some new advertising space and programs, so if you’re interested, drop me a line via the contact form.

I’m taking control of my life in 2009. TOTAL control. Ride with me… ;)