create the life you
always wanted
Plan ahead to clear space for what matters
In my new book, Hard Stop, I’ll guide you along the path of self-discovery that will allow you to engineer the life you actually want—but haven’t had the time or energy to imagine.
“What I love most about Hard Stop is it doesn’t spew buzzwords or sell a magic formula—it's packed with honesty, a focus on intentional living, and the recognition that life is, well, sometimes hard!”
~Ryan Blankenship
HOW A CHEAP GREEN NOTEBOOK CHANGED MY LIFE
I can trace my first experience with intentional living back to that 5-subject, spiral-bound, 8½ x 11” notebook, where I started writing down the life I wanted to live.
I did what I was “supposed” to do. I graduated from college, married the guy, bought the house, got the job.
And I wasn’t happy.
But was I ready to admit it?
Nope.
It was too big. Too messy. Too much to share. And I wasn’t sure exactly how to communicate what it was I was feeling so I didn’t want to communicate it to anyone. Instead, I turned to that green notebook.
Within those pages, I let myself envision a different life; a life including travel to places I’d never been, a move to a bigger city, maybe a new relationship down the road. Once I gave up the life I felt was prescribed for me, everything I could dream up was on the table.
It was exhilarating (and maybe a little overwhelming at first).
I asked myself all kinds of questions about what I wanted for my life–where do I want to be? Who do I want to be with? More importantly, who do *I* want to be? What do I want to explore? What’s important to me?
When I was ready to reinvent myself, I had to shed everyone else’s expectations.
These questions became part of my regular intentionality practice and guided me through cross-country moves, massive career changes (including starting my own business), a new relationship, two babies, and the many work-life balance questions raised by all of the above (that continue to this day).
The questions in my green notebook are the very questions you’ll find in my book, Hard Stop—a system that has proven, in my own life, to work wonders and help you get on your right path. And I’m so excited to share it with you!
“Hard Stop is the opposite of the "Insta" version of life that we often see. Instead, Gina is vulnerable in her topics, and she shares incredibly helpful and useful tactics and tips.”
~Brenda Abdilla
What would you do if you weren’t letting fear get in the way?
Do you even let yourself think about this?
I let myself “go there” in my twenties, and I’ve never been the same.
Dream big, because it’s all out there waiting for you.
From Hard Stop: “There’s a way to get off the hamster wheel of life; the monotonous, repetitive, and unfulfilling routine or lifestyle that you may have. You can implement personal goals and see progress over time, pursuing passions, dreams, or your deeper sense of purpose. That’s how Hard Stop can help.”
A few more things about me:
I left a senior leadership position at a Fortune 500 company when my kids were 1 and 3 because I wanted to be able to “mom” on my own terms. That’s my Why. That’s why I created The Boedeker Group, a market insights company founded on the principles of work/life balance and delivering exceptional results for our clients. I’m a firm believer that you don’t have to choose between being successful at work and having the life you want to live. We’ve built a successful business on this principle—so we know it works!
My family lives in Boulder, CO where we are over-the-top about the outdoors: hiking, climbing, skiing (downhill, cross-country, and, yes, even uphill). I live the life I imagined in my earliest days of journaling and plan to continue making time for adventures with my family as frequently as possible.
My husband, Otavio, is Brazilian, and we’ve made it a priority to spend one month a year living and working in Rio de Janeiro so we could be with his family. I talk about this in "Visioning Change" in Hard Stop!
I’m the most unlikely of entrepreneurs. I’ve always had a deep appreciation for steady paychecks. But the challenge of starting my own company coupled with the flexibility to be a working parent on my terms and show up for life the way I want to has made it all so worth it. I love having the freedom to go hiking, chaperone a field trip, or work anyplace I can bring my laptop.
The Hard Stop Blog
You may know the Hard Stop newsletter on LinkedIn, well, have you met the Hard Stop blog?
Check out some of my latest posts:
Start with Why
How do you know what your goals and priorities should be if you don’t know your ultimate WHY? Read on to find out how to discover yours.
Read More
Defining Your Priorities
Challenge yourself to think more deeply about what matters most to you.
Read More
Planning your Full Day
We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Learn practical ways to get the most out of yours.
Read More
In Hard Stop, you’ll take a guided tour of your goals and aspirations—and choose which ones to integrate into your real life.
Build your vision into your calendar—and then live it.
Copyright 2024 GinaBoedeker.com