Early Accountability

Welcome to the 2-year anniversary episode of the Early Accountability Podcast! Whether you have been listening since the beginning or you just discovered the show, thank you so much for your support and for being here with us! We have had so many great guests over the past 2 years and we look forward to what this next year will bring for the podcast. At this natural time of reflection, Kimi wants to share with listeners the big 4 things that she has learned during the past year of the podcast. She did the same last year at this time, so be sure to check out Episode 53 if you want to hear her insights from Year 1. 1.Sometimes, you will get hurt – It could be acquaintances or even the people who you trust the most, but there will be times when people hurt you. This doesn’t mean you should walk around skeptical of everyone around you or expecting them to do hurtful things, but it is healthy to recognize that it could happen. In this case, do your best to accept the pain and push past it with grace and dignity.

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi talks about the importance of having resolutions or goals year-round, not just in January of every year. By the middle of January, it is likely that many people have abandoned their New Year’s Resolutions, often because the lifestyle change required was too significant or abrupt. Making a resolution or goal just for the sake of saying you have one but without any plan for how to carry it out and keep with it is defeating the purpose. Even well-meaning people can be unsuccessful with their goals because of the overwhelming thought of the task in front of them. The best way to get past this obstacle is to be realistic and break the goal down into smaller goals on which you can microfocus until you reach each milestone. January can be a great time of year to reflect back on the ups and downs of the previous year and look forward to what you want to accomplish in the new year. It is a natural time of refreshment and renewal, but there can be other times t

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi discusses ways to maintain your momentum in working towards your goals, even when you hit unexpected roadblocks along the way. It is often tempting to abandon your goals when you face pitfalls or disappointments, but you don’t have to – here are 3 things to keep in mind to keep your goals on track: 1.Expect adversity – Accept that negative things are going to happen sometimes, and these things are necessary for learning and growth. Struggles build character and strengthen your resolve on your journey to achieving your goals. 2.Find your tribe – Surround yourself with a few people who understand what you are going through and give you their perspectives to help you make better choices. Often, these people have similar goals to you or they have previously walked the road you are currently walking, giving them the needed experience to mentor, coach, or encourage you. 3.Understand your triggers – Rather than being disheartened when you hit a snag or when

Our topic on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is how to approach new goals that you make for yourself in this new year. There could be any number of reasons why people fail to keep their new years resolutions, as Kimi has discussed on previous episodes of the podcast, but rather than focusing on avoiding those “mistakes”, try to focus on these key aspects of effective goals. 1.The Right Pace – Don’t feel the pressure to commit to a lofty goal in January just because other people are talking about their resolutions. It is not reasonable to expect yourself to lose 15 pounds in a month and still maintain all of your other life commitments. If you have a goal for this year, sit down and consider what milestones you will need to reach weekly or monthly to get there. 2.Sustainable – It may very well be possible for you to lose 15 pounds in a month by working out 2 hours per day and eating only vegetables and raw fruits for the entire month, but your body cannot possibly sustain this kind of discip

EAP 101: Meditate, Initiate, and Create - Manifest Your Dreams in 2020 by Kimi Walker

As you prepare for the new year to begin and you feel the inevitable pressure to come up with some new year’s resolutions, consider taking your resolutions in a different direction. This episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is all about living intentionally and choosing the activities or experiences you pursue. In fact, Kimi encourages you to prioritize activities or experiences that fall into these categories: 1.Something that makes you feel productive – This is not busy work, but rather a choice to streamline the way you do things. This could mean outsourcing, delegating, eliminating, brainstorming, planning, time blocking, or anything else that will help you get more done in a simpler manner. 2.Something that makes you feel at peace – Oftentimes, when we have just done something that makes us feel productive, we have a sense of relief that can make us feel at peace. But being productive is not always a prerequisite for peace. You can find peace in moments of rest and reflection, doing something th

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi talks about turning 2019’s setbacks into a success strategy for 2020. Looking back at what happened in 2019 and thinking about the progress you made – or didn’t make – towards your goals is only half of the process. Here are the 5 ways that Kimi recommends you move forward in 2020: 1.State your setbacks – Be honest and transparent with yourself about what got in your way this year, but don’t dwell on these setbacks. Claim the goals you had set for the year but didn’t quite reach because it is important to keep these in mind as you plan for next year. 2.See the value in the experience – Reflect and really try to glean everything you can from the lessons you learned through the ups and downs of 2019. Be thankful for the things that happened and analyze the reasons why, allowing yourself to let certain things go. 3.Step out of your comfort zone – As was discussed in the previous episode of the podcast, it is likely that some of your unmet goals were the r

This is one of the last episodes of the Early Accountability Podcast for 2019, so Kimi wanted to take this opportunity to talk about looking back on this past year, assessing your progress towards your goals, and applying the lessons learned to planning for 2020. From New Year’s Resolutions to short- or long-term goals over this past year, it is likely that you experienced some disappointments due to goals that were not met. Here are Kimi’s top three most likely reasons why you didn’t reach your goals: 1.You didn’t want to be uncomfortable – There is no denying that change is difficult, challenging, and uncomfortable. It is far easier to just keep things as they are and not go through the hassle of adjusting the way you do or approach things in order to make improvements. But in order to grow, you will have to think and act differently. In 2020, keep in mind that it takes 21 days to build a new habit, and encourage yourself that you can be uncomfortable for 21 days if it means that you get to reach the new

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi discusses one final “holiday hack”: how to handle the holidays when they are not a happy time for you. Kimi became keenly aware of the difficult emotions that some people face during this time of year when she was working with sexual abuse survivors who explained that often times going home to visit family means having to face their abusers. If you have experienced a trauma like sexual abuse, lost a loved one, gone through the ending of a relationship or life situation, had unmet expectations, or had financial struggles that have made the holidays an unhappy time, there are ways that you can try to work through these difficulties and enjoy the holidays more than you thought possible. 1.Be ok with your process – Don’t expect more of yourself than is feasible right now. Accept how you are feeling and where you are in your process, recognizing that everyone’s process looks different. 2.Seek professional help – Whether you currently see a therapist for

As the end of the year and the biggest spending season of the year approaches, Kimi provides Early Accountability podcast listeners with four tips for financial wellness. From managing spending to cultivating financial security to pay off debts to focusing on savings, there are many aspects to financial wellbeing that we often don’t want to think about, but could be very helpful for us to keep in mind: 1.Create a budget – Have a number in mind for how much you will spend on all of your gifts total, and stick to that number. 2.Make a list and check it twice – Write down every person that you want to buy a gift for and what you want to get for them, then review your list and ask yourself these questions: “Do they really need this?”, “Do these gifts have purpose?”, and “Am I just buying this because of the deal?” 3.Be intentional – Avoid “shiny object syndrome” by sticking to your list and budget, not being swayed by the flashy “deals” that are put in front of you. Have enough resolve and focus to pass by thi

EAP 95: Holiday Hacks - How to Stay Holistically Healthy by Kimi Walker

The topic of this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is how to deal with difficult family members and friends during your interactions around the holidays. We all have that person who pushes our buttons that we dread seeing at family gatherings or parties, but Kimi has some ideas about how to make the interaction a little less stressful: 1.Remember that you have control over where you allow someone to take you – You can choose not to get worked up or ask that leading question that you know will lead to a place you don’t want to go. You are in charge of your mental state, attitude, and actions, not the other person. 2.Have realistic expectations – It is unlikely that your cousin has changed drastically since last year, so they will probably still get on your nerves. Recognize that and be prepared to be offended or bothered by what they say or do. 3.Avoid potentially upsetting conversation topics – You know what topics are going to fire that person up, so if they start to steer the conversation in t

Welcome to Part 2 of the Early Accountability podcast discussion of knowing how to end a chapter. With just two months left in this year – and this decade! – it can be tempting to skip ahead and start planning how to begin the new year, but an effective beginning comes only after an effective ending. You can’t commit to new endeavors and goals if you haven’t wrapped up the old ones, and perhaps it would be helpful for us to look at this process through the lens of an author. 1.“Break chapters when your story requires a shift. Changes of place, changes of time and changes of point of view are all excellent places for chapter breaks. Sometimes, our stories necessitate them.” (The Writer’s Digest) – Most people recognize when it is time for a change in their lives: a change of pace, a change of scenery, a change of location, etc. Take a look at what you need to do in your life to close the current chapter and make that change to a new start. 2.“Offer Wisdom: wisdom is a crucial ingredient in all great books; w

EAP 92: Learning to Let Go - How to End a Chapter by Kimi Walker

With the holidays approaching, many people feel like they can’t set or accomplish new goals because there is too much going on. These feelings usually manifest as excuses, such as these common ones: 1.“I would _____ if I only had more time.” – Everyone is given the same 24 hours every day, so chances are if you feel like you don’t have enough time to get everything done that you are overcommitted or you aren’t managing your time well. There is always something that needs to get done, so be intentional about prioritizing activities based on their urgency and importance. 2.“I have so much going on with _____.” – During the first few weeks and months of a new job or after the birth of a child, it is normal to feel overwhelmed and struggle somewhat to keep up with other aspects of life or commitments. There should come a time, however, when you have established a “new normal” that is pretty stable and you can find a rhythm for productivity, learning how to live this multi-dimensional life by creating more space

This episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is focused on how to finish out 2019 strong and transition well into 2020. With the holidays coming up, the next few months can slip away without you having a chance to take stock of where you are and where you want to be, to take this opportunity to pause and take these 6 steps: 1.Get clear – Write down 3 goals or accomplishments you want to complete in the new year. Focus intently on the top 3 priorities so you won’t get distracted by having too many goals. 2.Make space for yourself – Spend some time removing clutter from your living and working spaces, providing you with true spaces of rest and productivity and opening up more mental space for future opportunities. Think about your holiday traditions and evaluate whether you need to continue doing those things or make some adjustments. 3.Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want and need – Be honest with your loved ones if you need their assistance or resources for anything going on in your life. It can be

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi gets a bit more personal on the topic of stepping out on faith, describing a journey she has been going through for the past several months. It became clear to Kimi earlier this year that she needed to adjust how she works and what that could practically look like. While there are plenty of times for community and collaboration in making big and small decisions, she felt that this journey was meant to be taken alone. By taking the time to process internally what she has been thinking and feeling about the future of her work, she has been able to get grounded, evaluate what has and hasn’t worked in the past, and grow personally. This process of self-discovery and self-affirmation has brought her to a great place where she feels confident with her decisions about the future rather than potentially being swayed by the opinions of others if she had shared her plans sooner. Seeking out counsel from trusted advisors before making a move certainly has its

The topic of this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is stepping out on faith. Whether you are religious or not, you have likely encountered a time in your life when you could choose to stay where you are or step out in faith that something bigger is ahead. By choosing to get out of your comfort zone and entrust the results to a higher power, you have to potential to achieve great goals. Here are a few of Kimi’s tips for stepping out on faith: 1.Learn to face fear – While you might still have questions and insecurities about the end result, facing your fears will build character and open up your potential for achieving great things. 2.Acknowledge unsettling feelings – Starting something new or committing to stop a habit is uncomfortable, and admitting that to yourself will make it seem less scary or unnatural. 3.Trust that there is good out there – Perhaps you have asked yourself “Is this really all there is?” The answer is no, there are bigger and better things in store for those who step out on

Our guest on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is Tyran Cosby, a veteran, chef, actor, and business owner. Tyran retired from the United States Marine Corps after 20 years of service and then pursued his next dream of learning how to cook by graduating from culinary school. He became a sous chef for David Rose and traveled quite a bit with him while also pursuing his acting career. In early 2019, Tyran partnered up with one of his Marine Corps brothers to start a lifestyle brand called Life Behind the Beard. Life Behind the Beard sells grooming products, apparel, and cigars and they plan to offer more apparel products and perhaps a wine label in the future. In addition to providing high-quality products to their clients, the goal of the company is to give back, especially to young kids and veterans in the community. Tyran experienced his fair share of challenges while serving in the military, particularly struggling with being away from his wife and children for such long periods of time. For

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, our guest is Swiss, a woman who has experienced her fair share of trauma and loss and has chosen to commit to picking herself back up. Swiss grew up in Switzerland and in an effort to run away from childhood trauma and feelings of abandonment, she moved to the U.S. when she was 16. As it turns out, running away from your problems and unhealed wounds doesn’t make them go away, and Swiss felt the impacts of them into adulthood. A few years ago, she was in a relationship with a man with whom she had been friends for several years before they started dating. She was putting everything into that relationship, and even though other people told her that she was losing herself in someone else who didn’t feel as strongly about her, she continued on with the same fervor. Abruptly and unexpectedly, he passed away. Since Swiss had put so much of herself into that relationship, she really struggled to make sense of it all, feeling numb at first, then disoriented, then