Gals With Grit

09/03/2026

James Clear from Atomic Habits targets my issue of trying to start goals on a “special day” only, such as weekends, a new month or a new year.

“You can’t start last week, but you can start now. Stop dwelling on what you should’ve done or ruminating on the mistakes you made. Channel that energy into the next good choice you have today and you can try again.”

When I start and stop a serious and hard to-commit goal, success is delayed for months, maybe a year or more. I often start moderately important goals but never complete them. Yet I will and have accomplished goals major to my livelihood. Often through sheer grit and hard work, but those goals which I believe I can’t afford to fail, I won’t.

Therefore I’m passionate about studying the mindset of completing goals… and the reset tools helpful to deploy.

There are many goals I never committed to completion. Yet on the flipside, I struggled and worked hard to get the goals so very important to me, done.

Reflecting on my experiences, I’ve documented my mindset- a “should do” goal vs a “must do” goal- the important first steps, and the commitment, energy and resets needed to get that goal done.

Most importantly, I have experienced the joyful payback in the life when those goals most important are accomplished.

If you would like to join an interesting, informal group discussion of goal setting and accomplishing your really important goal - especially when you reach mid age and need additional, helpful tools- reach out to me- [email protected] or text 763-458-5834.

Jan.

08/30/2026

If you can make the time, explore.
The solitude and the wildlife in the BWCA are independent of world politics or personal stress. The adventure IS worth the effort.

To high achieving ladies in mid-life: if you have important goals and are looking for extra structure and a fresh path to reach them, check out the coaching at galswithgrit.com.

Direct your energy and effort to accomplish what’s important to you now. Grab life with positivity and gusto… don’t wait another year to get to where you want to go.

08/23/2026

At the Maple Grove triathlon today everyone had their personal story. For some like me, they were making older joints push through stiffness and overuse injuries. Others challenged sedentary bodies to move in ways not familiar to them. Many parents were sharing the event with their son or daughter. For some this was their first multisport event ever.

I was in the race thinking, I know there are a whole bunch of more stories out there, including the volunteers, and high-fives to them all!

That’s what I love about seeing people show up, spend energy to do things that are unfamiliar and, push boundaries. In other words to do the uncomfortable in a way that makes them proud personally and pushes growth at all age.

For me, long gone are the years when I could win these races - now, there is no one in my age group. So I cherish these times when I can still race or participate, I should say. And it was worth the effort.

I challenge everyone: as you age, embrace movement that keeps you healthy, push away fear, and do activities that make you grow and which feed your passions.

08/16/2026

I hope everyone had many adventures over your summer! If you have not already signed up for the Wednesday women’s fall dryland class you can do so at the following link:
https://loppet.org/Experiences/dryland-ski-training/
FALL: Women's Wednesday Mornings @ Theodore Wirth
Sessions will include balance, strength, and dryland drills. All sessions will include an intensity component in the form of ski walking, running and/or bounding. The goals of this session are:

Perfect basic skiing motions such as arm swing, classic kick and leg swing, and side push skate motion with legs. Gain strength in the important xc skiing muscle groups such as abdominal muscles, lower back, glutes, and quads.
Make improvements in balance and ankle strength so that skills of weight shift and long glide become easier on snow. Weekly interval and strength circuit sessions to improve your fitness and results for the winter race season! Make more life long women training friends (we often have post workout potlucks)!
Dates: Wednesday Mornings, September 9th to November 11th (10 sessions)
Time: 10am – 11:30 a.m.
Location: The Trailhead, Theodore Wirth Park ( some sessions will meet at Wirth Beach for a variety of terrain and trails)

Equipment: Running shoes, bounding poles, yoga mat

Coaches: Kim Rudd and Jan Guenther

Loppet Nordic Racing (LNR) Dryland Ski Training Connecting people to the outdoors through experiences that grow community. LNR has a variety of fall training groups kicking off after Labor Day. Fall is the time to get the body in shape for winter with sport specific technique, strength and fitness.....

08/08/2026

I smile at this picture of all four of us women reviewing the BWCA map and mapping out our own path to achieve the same goal, seeking adventure in the Boundary Waters:) There are many ways to define and reach what matters most to you, but life does not wait.

If you are seeking fresh tools and support to accomplish what is important to you as you age, check out galswithgrit.com. This coaching program was founded on the power generated from building better health and fitness.

Join us Thursday September 10 for an informal meetup after hours at Gear West (7:00-8:00pm) to share how we reach important goals as life throws us some tough obstacles.

Reach out at my new email-
[email protected]
Or. [email protected]

07/30/2026

Simplify Getting Fit. But don’t expect Easy.

You have a goal to fit fitness into your busy life, consistently. So you research. Garmins, Fitbits, Huberman on repeat, macro counting, Strava comparisons. Carnivore because it saved Jordan Peterson. Keto because carbs are the enemy. Intermittent fasting — except I hear it's not great for women. A glucose monitor to kill the chocolate cravings. Bamboo shoots and sardines, apparently the new superfood. Or skip it all: GLP-1, problem solved.
Staying healthy can become second job. What to download. What to track. What to think about before, during, and after every single workout — and every single meal.
I'm not anti-technology. But I've watched too many smart, driven people spend more energy picking the "optimal" plan than eating well or working out. Too many extra steps create more ways to back out of exercising. You truly must just Decide to Do It.
Meanwhile you rarely miss the Zoom call, the soccer game, a city council meeting or book club. You know how to protect what's non-negotiable, because you choose to avoid the consequences of missing what must be done.
So why does health get treated like it needs its own strategic plan? It doesn't. You can keep fitness simple. Working out does not require sexy gadgets or motivating podcasts. In its rawest form, exercise is all about commitment and hard work. That's it.
Likewise, complicating your nutritional intake also messes with a busy life. Complexity and doubt use extra brain space. A macro app is not necessary to eat well. Commit to simple guidelines: Protein at every meal. No processed food. Basically, eliminate as much refined sugar as possible including alcohol. Reduce snacking and late-night eating. Basic common sense that will work— no PhD needed.
To be clear — I am not offering a training plan to get you race-ready for a Ironman triathlon or a gravel bike event across the Badlands. Connect with the basics: one goal, to move your body, every day. Simple stuff if that's all you have time for. Stairs. A brisk lap around the block. Body weight on a picnic table. A pool, a class, ten minutes of sit-ups on the sideline while your kid warms up before a track meet. It doesn't have to be pretty — but its gotta happen.
Eliminate your excuses. Don't renegotiate with yourself every morning. Use “I CAN and I WILL. Not I MIGHT. Free your mind on this stuff. Get the workout done and move on with your day.
Prioritizing important habits into a busy life simply but firmly requires a constant visit to your reason WHY. Commitment to your HOW. Appreciation of your Grit and Gratitude that you CAN. And a RESET program like the Gals with Grit 12 Minute Standard to get you going when you slip.