Author: Monica Reinagel

I’m betting you aspire to a future life that is at least a little bit better than it is now—perhaps you’ll be a bit healthier, less stressed, more content. You’re working towards a future in which you have achieved certain goals or milestones.

What we don’t always realize (or fully acknowledge) is that the choices we make today, the actions we do or do not take, are actually creating that future. For better or worse.  Let’s make sure that Future You doesn’t look back at today’s choices with regret.

Continue reading “How we cheat ourselves of the future we dream of”

Over the past 9 or so months, Karen has lost about 25% of her weight. Which is a big deal. But it’s really not the headline of her story. Her story is really about shedding her lifelong identity as the one who could do everything for everyone. Instead, she realized that focusing on her own physical and emotional health was not only the most caring thing she could do for herself but was also the most caring thing she could do for all the people she cared about.

Karen is one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever worked with and I want you to meet her. 

Continue reading “How being selfish can be an act of service”

Do you know what separates the people who achieve lasting change from those who stay stuck? I’ve worked with hundreds of clients over the years and some clear patterns have definitely emerged.

In this episode, I share the attitudes and behaviors that my most successful clients all embody – insights that can help propel your own progress, whether you’re working with a coach privately, or in a group, or going it alone.  You’ll learn practical strategies for taking ownership, staying motivated, and making real progress towards your goals.

Continue reading “Roadmap for Success: The practices that lead to real change”

Dr. Bethy Campbell joins Monica to discuss the rewards and potential pitfalls of seeking feedback–in both your professional and personal relationships. Concrete strategies and real-world examples show you how to elicit the most constructive feedback and then how to process and act on it for maximum benefit.

Whether you’re looking to improve your communication, enhance your work performance, or strengthen your personal relationships, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone committed to continuous improvement and personal growth.

Continue reading “Growth Factor: How to ask for (and receive) feedback”

In this episode, we’re exploring an aspect of change that can be really tricky: figuring out why making this change is important to you.

It doesn’t sound like it would be that hard.  But often it takes a little digging to get at the true heart of our WHY, our compelling reason. 

Whether your goals have to do with your health, finances, career, relationships, or anything else, uncovering your compelling reason is crucial. Because it not only increases your chances of success; it also bolsters your overall mental and emotional health. 

Continue reading “When motivation is a struggle, it’s time to realign your why”

We are a society of goal-setters. If you’re not setting and achieving goals, you’re not living your best life. Or so we’re told. And goals do have their place. The thing is that goals (alone) are not enough to really move us forward in the ways that matter most. In order to that, they have to be woven into a larger fabric that also includes our core values. In this episode, we talk about how to do that.

Continue reading “Here’s why achieving your goals may not make your life better”

Why is it sometimes so darned hard to just do the things that we KNOW will make us healthier, happier and more effective in our jobs and lives?

Behavioral activation offers us a framework for understanding and responding to that familiar situation of not wanting to do the thing that we know will actually move us forward.

Joining me on the show today is Dr. Bethy Campbell, a clinical psychologist, teacher, and coach who regularly stops by the Change Academy to help us make sense of our own brains.

Continue reading “How to do the things that you don’t want to do”

Kurt Nelson and Tim Houlihan are the co-hosts of the Behavioral Grooves podcast and heavy hitters in the behavioral sciences. In this episode, the three of us trade notes on what we’ve learned from years of podcasting and behavioral coaching and how it impacts our ability to work with our own behavior challenges. (Yup, we still have them!)

Continue reading “How behavior change experts work on their own difficult habits”

It’s a very natural human tendency to compare ourselves to the people around us–and even to the people we see portrayed in the media. And like so many other behavioral tendencies, this one is a double-edged sword.  Looking at what others have achieved can inspire us to greater effort. It can also make us feel like crap. And we don’t want that!

Today, we’re delving into the psychology behind why we are driven to compare ourselves to others, the impact it can have on our mental well-being, and some strategies to help you avoid the compare-and-despair cycle.

Continue reading “Why we can’t help comparing ourselves to others”

Behavioral economics has given us a lot of insights into how we can influence our own and other’s behavior. But the approach has some serious limitations, especially when applied to promoting health behaviors.

Joining me on the podcast is Michelle Segar, a frequent guest here on the Change Academy. Michelle is an NIH-funded researcher at the University of Michigan. She’s also a best-selling author and health coach whose work focuses on fostering behavior change that can survive the complexity and unpredictability of the real world. 

Continue reading “Why behavioral economics shouldn’t be the only tool in the toolbox”