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Melissa Venable

Rockin' a FabYOUlous life as an author, speaker, blogger, coach and consumer of way too much caffeine. Let me help you to ditch the drab and find your FAB--it's possible and it's FUN!

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Fab-YOU-lous Changes for a Fab-YOU-lous Life

Change #3: Do Something New & Different

As we progress along our year-long series on FabYOUlous Changes for a FabYOUlous Life, I think it is appropriate that January’s change is do something new & different because the onset of a new year is when all of us start thinking about the new things that we’d like to experience in the new year.

The challenge however, lies not in the wanting of new things but in the experiencing of those things. Experiencing new things means getting out of bed, out of our head and out of our comfort zones–all things that are MUCH easier said than done.

Even though I blog about personal development and encourage women to ditch the drab and find their FAB, I too struggle on occasion when it comes to busting through my comfort zone and expanding my horizons. That’s why I’ve chosen the word BRAVE to be my “word of the year” for 2017.  I (just like many of you, I suspect) long to experience new things but sometimes balk at the idea of actually taking action on those things. This is my year to change that and I hope that you’ll join me!

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You Get the Life You CHOOSE…

NOT the Life You WANT

There is a song by American punk rock band, Pennywise called “You Get the Life You Choose”. Don’t ask me how I know this–I just do (besides, those of you who know me well already know that I have questionable taste in music–ha!)

While some would see this song title as negative (because we want the life that we want right?), I love the empowering notion that we get to live the life of our choosing. This is a message that was drilled into my head on a daily basis back when I was in treatment for Anorexia and working to put my life back together after escaping an incredibly toxic marriage. My therapist told me repeatedly that our lives are the results of the choices we make. If we want better lives, we absolutely had to make better choices. 

This sounds so simple doesn’t it? Want a good life? Okay then–make good choices. Easy enough right?

WRONG.

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If You Can’t Make a Splash–Make a Ripple

7 Small Actions That Lead to BIG Change

Go Big or Go Home!

Ugh! I hear this phrase ALL the time. It has become the battle cry of the personal development movement, and though I understand the sentiment behind the phrase, I have to confess that I feel a tinge of angst every time I hear it (or see it emblazoned on a t-shirt, or as a perfectly styled & filtered Instagram post).

I mean seriously…what’s so bad about going home? I for one, LOVE going home. Home is where I can put on my pajamas, curl up with my cat and relax with my knitting next to my big, football watching hubby. Going home is awesome. On the contrary–going BIG can be scary, disruptive and well…did I mention scary?

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Use Your Past to Fuel Your Future

Four Strategies to Ensure that You are Empowered by Your Past...NOT Enslaved by It

The past, present and future walked into a bar…it was tense

HAHAHA! My degree is in English so this is probably my all-time favorite joke. Seriously, if you don’t find it funny, I just don’t know what to say about that. What’s not a joke however is the way in which too many of us allow the trials and traumas of our pasts to rob us of our joy in the present and our dreams and aspirations for the future.

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New Year’s REVOLUTION!

Forget Resolutions--Let's Start a Revolution Instead!

If you’ve been a follower of FabYOUlous Life for a while, you already know that I don’t believe in setting New Year’s resolutions. To me, resolutions have too many negative connotations in that you are resolving to fix something that needs fixing. Instead, I choose to set positive intentions for my year in high-priority areas of my life. Instead of resolving to cut out soda, I intend to better honor my body and to make positive choices regarding my physical health. Also, I tend to set my intentions in July as opposed to January since July is my birthday month. I do this intention setting in conjunction with my annual self-audit (read more about that process here).

Still, I can’t deny that there is something exciting and inspiring about the start of a new year. I just love taking my new, blank planner (my personal fave is the InnerGuide Goal and Success Planner) and filling it in with my goals and intentions for the coming year. I may not be big on resolutions, but I am a huge champion of goal setting and inspired action. If fact–I think that the combination of positive intentions, strategic goal setting and inspired actions can lead to a New Year’s REVOLUTION.