If there's one thing I've learned over the last year, it's that transforming your life requires staying the course, which inevitably will require busting through unforeseen road blocks or stumbles along the way.

The good news is that consistency and the drive to keep going, keep choosing how you desire to feel and be, and to keep putting your dreams and desires first starts and stops with YOU.

So how can you set yourself up for success in 2016 (and beyond) on the journey to a more joy-filled, authentic lifestyle?

Here are five specific ways you can set yourself up for success in living your bespoke version of A Love Styled Life.

1. Do Something NOW

The moment you set a goal, intention, dream or desire in writing, do something right then and there toward it. Make a phone call, hire that coach, go for that walk, look into the cost of that airline ticket, etc. Taking action NOW not only shows the Universe that you're serious about your desires, but it also help put your heart and soul in direct alignment with that feeling or experience you're craving.

2. Put Self Care First

Seriously, FIRST. Above your kids, above your husband, above your family or work. You cannot live A Love Styled Life if you perpetually leave yourself to last. I say this often, but just like on an airplane when they ask parents to place their mask on first before placing a mask on their children, so, too, must you continue to put your mask on first in every area of your life. YOU CANNOT GIVE WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE FIRST. By putting self care first, you can be a better wife, girlfriend, daughter, mother, employee, or business owner. The fun part is that you get to decide what this means for you!

3. Stay in a Routine of Gratitude

gratitude is in the realm of the spiritual. When you live from a place of gratitude, you keep yourself connected to God/Universe/Source, which keeps you connected to receive everything you dream and desire. Plus, everything is happening for you... whether as an opportunity to learn or grow, or whether as a gift and match for your desires. Finding the gratitude in every aspect of life will keep you moving forward and living within the realm of how you desire to feel and be at all turns.

4. Surround Yourself w/ the Support YOU Need

I cannot stress this one enough. As Jim Rohn reminds us, your life is the average of the five people you spend the most time with. But here at A Love Styled Life, we take it a step further. Your life is a reflection of not only the people, but also the places and information you surround yourself with the most. So if you're looking to completely transform your world, you have to transform who and what you surround yourself with. Hire a coach, make new friends, choose a new work environment, declutter your Facebook feed, etc. Personally, the biggest leaps in my life came from hiring a coach and from my decision to stop watching the local nightly news. Getting rid of the drama and investing in someone who was completely dedicated to my success were two of the best decisions I have ever made in my life to-date.

5. Spend Time in Silence

Getting clear on how you desire to feel and be in your life comes from first getting in touch with yourself. And getting in touch with yourself comes easiest in silence. There is so much noise in our world... from social media to the well-meaning opinions of our loved ones... that it's difficult to actually make decisions from our authentic dreams and desires. Two years ago I started going for daily walks in silence, without a cell phone. No music, no companions, just me and my silence. Today this has become my favorite form of self care, and one of the biggest ways I create in my life and my business. Dedicate time to a consistent practice of silence, and I promise you'll be on the way to living your bespoke version of A Love Styled Life!

Now it's your turn...

So in the spirit of experience wholeness, this week's #StyleTruthChallenge asks you to:

Choose one of the ways above for setting yourself up for success, and actually implement it in your life!

Be sure to head on over to Instagram to participate, using the hashtags #StyleTruthSundayChallenge and #ALoveStyledLife ! Also...have a topic you'd like covered in #StyleTruthChallenge? Email me or leave a comment below (I'd love to hear from you).

Cheers to an amazing year ahead, and to experiencing the level of success you dream and desire in living your own bespoke version of A Love Styled Life!

ps... Looking for to feel better and experience more joy in your life? Craving the clarity, confidence, and direction to make your dreams a reality? I'd love to talk with you! Click here on the image below to schedule your complimentary discovery session today.

So this week I'm switching things up a bit!

Normally, I'd send a video of myself or one of my mentors, speaking on the ways in which you can begin to incorporate the principles of A Love Styled Life into your own bespoke world. But this week...my heart was captured by a 107 year old woman. Another beautiful testament that lessons come, even in the most unlikeliest of forms.

Meet Peggy Freydberg...woman poet (and general rockstar of a lady) who put mindfulness into perspective for all of us in her recently published collection of work. You've heard me talk a lot about this in the past...this idea of mindfulness and living consciously in every single aspect of our lives (see some of my other posts and video challenges on this from the past here & here ). But what I love about her simple yet profound approach to mindfulness, is that it's something you and I already do (or have the opportunity to do) every single day.

What is it?

Drumroll.....

Making your bed

Say what?

Yes, you heard me right...Freydberg suggests making your bed as the first and most important mindful act you can make in a day. Here's a link to the article, which talks more about this from an interview she did on the subject.

But it's her poem Chorus of Cells which beautifully illustrates in prose her revolutionary approach, and I've included that here:

Wow. Beautiful and profound, right?

This week's #StyleTruthChallenge asks:

HOW CAN YOU MAKE MAKING YOUR BED A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE?

For this week's challenge, I want you to share your pictures of putting this simple mindful act into practice. Be sure to head on over to Instagram to participate, using #StyleTruthChallenge so we can see what you've been practicing!

Also...this week I'll be hosting my first ever Periscope video (and maybe even possibly taking you behind the scenes of my own answer to this week's challenge). Be sure to head on over to this fave new social media app of mine and follow to see the video @love_styled! To connected connected on Periscope, click here!

Have a topic you'd like covered for the weekly #StyleTruthChallenge? Email me or leave a comment below (I'd love to hear from you).

Cheers to another week of living A Love Styled Life...

xo, Cynthia

ps...Tired of feeling tired, overwhelmed, and confused when it comes to your life and livelihood? Ready to experience more clarity, confidence, and ease with it all? Let's talk! Click here or on the image below to schedule your complimentary discovery session today.

5 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Success in Your Life & Career