Winter is here! I’m a Maine winter fan with all its outdoor activities available coupled with the beauty of our cold, crisp snowy environment. If I could change one thing it would be the extended darkness. But darkness does not have to get us down! Here are a few tips for pushing through and keeping motivated at the highest level to increase the chances of completing your new goals:

•   Set goals in small increments to help achieve success and build momentum early.

•   Put your goal(s) on the calendar. This helps make working toward your goal a habit! 

•   In addition, track your progress and don’t forget to reward yourself for the little wins as well as the big ones.

•   Embrace positive peer pressure. When someone notices you’ve made progress, practice gratitude. When you notice you’ve made progress, practice gratitude. You deserve to be happy about it!

•   Do some mood lifting by changing your environment from time to time. 

•   Remember your “why.”  Keep your goal purpose in mind at all times. 

•   And probably the most important thing…plan for imperfection. Don’t let a setback get you down!! 

Have a great New Year! 

All the best,

Christopher Anderson

President

Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Cold weather and the combination of winter viruses make this a great weeknight meal when you don't have time to cook from scratch. Courtesy of allrecipes.com (see link below)

Ingredients

   1 tablespoon butter

   ½ cup chopped onion

   ½ cup chopped celery

   4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

   1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth

   ½ pound chopped cooked chicken breast

   1 ½ cups egg noodles

   1 cup sliced carrots

   ½ teaspoon dried basil

   ½ teaspoon dried oregano

   salt and ground black pepper to taste

   Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes.

   Add chicken broth, vegetable broth, chicken, egg noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

   Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Read More