Millions of people across the world are currently in the swing of a new year working towards achieving their goals. Now that most of us have returned back to work after Christmas life has returned to its normal patterns which may have left you wondering whether or not your why is big enough to really achieve this year’s resolution. I’m here to tell you that your why has nothing to do with whether you succeed this year or not. Read on to learn more.

Around Christmas, I always feel a wave of nostalgia as I discuss with friends and family what happened over the year. The effect is probably increased by the television segments of ‘2018 in News’ which showcase our Prime Minister changing 4 times, royal weddings & the private life of Karl Stefanovic, just to boost the ratings of shows that wouldn’t survive without it. Whether its news scripts or chats with loved ones I love looking back on what was and reflecting about the greatest moments, the greatest fails, and the biggest surprises before moving on to the new year. So here is my 2018 recap.

2018 was a year I could describe in one word- TRUST.

Motivation isn’t something you discover one day and suddenly & permanently have. It is something that requires constant stimulus- I like to inappropriately call this poking or prodding. Without a good poke or prod, we easily end up back on Mehsville where we are simply ok, cruising along but inherently tasteless, bland, bored. This happens with our fitness routine, our relationships, our social life, and our careers. Change is necessary to bring about motivation. I’ve compiled 10 simple strategies you can use to keep your fitness motivation (plus added a few bonus ones in because why keep it to ‘nice’ numbers all the time aye).

Miracle on 34th Street is a story about a little girl who believes in Santa Claus while some adults don't, mainly Susan's mum. Santa is criticized, often described as 'fake, ridiculous, something not worth believing in because it lets you down'. In my very adult opinion, I believe many people have this exact attitude towards the positive mindset

Recently my nephew was asking ‘how do I make more money Aunty Joey?’ I love it when children ask these kinds of questions, it shows how much they are thinking about their future and how much they want to take control of it. In today’s society, I don’t believe there is a time that is too young to be having these kinds of conversations, especially if a child instigates it. The conversation was initiated with me because my nephew is fully aware of my prowess with the Facebook marketplace, so like the clever boy that he is, he went straight to the source and asked questions. I love that spirit. Needless to say, it was a great teaching and learning moment between us and an opportunity to impart so much more than just money beliefs to a child that will live in a society with the epic potential to make millions and get into millions of dollars worth of debt easily. Here is a snapshot of our story.

Hello hello!

I have returned from the Whitsundays & I have to say it was a seriously amazing holiday. After almost a year of no holidays, all I needed was a breakaway with no internet reception and no laptop and I loved every minute of it.

‘It wasn’t me, it’s not my fault’

I cannot tell you how much I dread this phrase. It makes my eyes roll at every turn. Its probably because more often than not those saying it are responsible for their behavior and yet they are blurting out a phrase that’s highly inappropriate given their actions.

In 2009 I began my traveling adventures with a cruise, today I continue it ready to embark on my second cruise and I am just as excited as I was all those years ago. When I first decided to take a cruise I was positively peer pressured by my parents who had already enjoyed the experience, so I hit up my friend Toni to join me and off we went, on 7 nights around the South Pacific cruising with P&O. It’s 100% fitting that 9years later I am going on a cruise to the Whitsundays with the same friend from all those years ago.

Most of us know by now that Facebook does what it can to get information about us and then deliver interest-specific content. But do you know how this defined information can impact your mindset?

Many people believe that full confidence comes when you have the svelte figure, the romantic relationship, and a fabulous career but they would be wrong. Full confidence comes when you have the capability to forgive yourself.

Gratitude is something that has been proven to improve happiness. It is a practice that is readily encouraged all over the internet and in countless self-help books but how do we do it?

Have you ever been sick and just thought 'when will this all end?' Sometimes you can get so hung up on what isn't going right at the moment that you forget to count your blessings. This is why I adore gratitude. To take nothing for granted though we need to appreciate things in the present. This post is a short and sweet reminder to do just that.

There comes a time in the book creating a stage where you look at your manuscript and say ‘write yourself already.’ At least there was for me. I have always loved writing and found it easy to do however sitting down to a self-imposed time guideline changes the way you write, it brings about urgency, extreme desires to finish, a hypersensitivity to perfection, and an increased inability to to be patient. You know you can change the end date but you simply don’t want to, finishing your book later would mean a more drawn-out process of late writing nights, imagining the need for punctuation marks in places 77 times before actually deciding you’ll place them there and looking at your food and getting angry at it for not cooking itself. Don’t get me wrong, writing a book is fun, the moment you complete is euphoric but boy does the journey test your mindset.

Life is full of little hurdles. No one can expect that life isn’t going to throw them a few bumps along the way, the way we deal with them is totally dependent on our mindset. So, what are effective ways to deal with these mental hurdles?

Is your legacy something that can be seen or is it only something that is talked about?

Society is SO focused on SPEAKING we forget the reality that actions have always been louder than words.

When I lived in London and worked as a teacher the holidays were the worst. You heard right. Instead of relaxing, I found myself stressed constantly about finances. The concept that contract teachers didn’t get rewarded for their 15hour days really bothered me, it simply wasn't like that in Australia. A 2 week holiday always resulted in 4 weeks of stinginess because you were 'paid in arrears' and essentially had to wait 2 weeks before a decent pay would show up. This was stress that never went away

Are you just starting out your time as an international traveller? Not sure what are the best pieces of advice? Becoming a little overwhelmed from all the travel tips out there? I understand. I recall the first time I traveled overseas to London. I took notice of hundreds of different pieces of advice, so much so that I ended up carrying all bar the kitchen sink with me. The lead up to my trip became an extremely stressful series of extended checklists. Now with 26 countries under my belt, I have created my own pieces of advice that help the journey from planning to execution less stressful.

It's been 2 years since I gave teaching up full time for my passion-fuelled business of life coaching and 3 years since I started building this beautiful business and I have no regrets. The past 3 years have been exciting, stressful (at times) yet truly incredible. There is so much I have learned since I began equipping myself with the skills to make this business possible. Today I wanted to share part of this beautiful rollercoaster ride of been on.

I started building my business in 2015, bit by bit the Julia Trask brand was created. I had successes and failures, amongst it all, I learned how different the business mindset is compared to anything else. You move from epic highs to epic lows and all the while you never lose your passion because you know 'this thing I'm doing IS what I am meant to be doing.'

Loving someone who doesn’t love you back is the most painful thing. You see the good in them, the potential for something great between the two of you but there’s always this catch. The catch is they don’t like you. It’s a super harsh reality to face but one you must look at otherwise you end up constantly feeling less, hoping, and praying for a lost cause.