We’re all about turning our can’ts into cans and dreams into plans (ahem, goals).  We got Jenna, our superstar goal coach, to host a live goal-coaching session with our socialsphere. Missed the event? NBD. Here’s a recap and Jenna’s own recipe for creating a life you love.

what would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

… I’d move across the ocean.

To make it happen, ensure that you always include a 'by-when' date. For example, 'I move across the ocean by September 2020'. It gives you the commitment and puts a stake in the ground. Without it, it's not actually a goal.

…I’d get back to my goal weight. I am always so tired after a long day of work. What can I do to get that motivation and energy to work out?

You want to get back to something that you were before. I recommend letting go of the past and creating a brand new future that serves you for all that you are. Start with a commitment for next week and let that be enough.

…I’d have my own show on the travel channel but I’m afraid of starting the process... finding connections... putting myself/my idea out there for criticism... and being "TV” ready.

You've just written all your goals! Set some by-whens. "I'll start the process by X.” "I'll make five connections by X.” "I've completed classes or coaching by X to be TV ready." As for criticism, we don't reach our goals without criticism. Share your goals with people who love you and support you and listen to them.

…I’d move to Manitoba with my boyfriend. What's stopping me? Possibly school and what if it doesn't work out and I'm alone in Manitoba?

"If you don't like where you are, change it - you're not a tree." You can set a new goal for a new location. Change is constant.

no time? no money? no more excuses.

I'm struggling to find balance in my life between yoga, work, school, kids, friends, husband, etc...

Writing vision and goals are designed to create balance in your life. It's the framework that ensures all areas that are important to us are fulfilled and manifested.

I would love to go to yoga teacher training but money is a constraint.

Determine the teacher training program you want to do, figure out how much it's going to cost and give yourself the time and space to make that money and save it for what you know is most important - your teacher training.

I want to create a routine where I work out 3 times a week. I used to do yoga 3 times per week and I loved it; now I am not making myself a priority because I am so drained with my job. Sometimes, I would just rather do art but when I do my yoga I feel more balanced. I guess I just would like to feel more motivated when I don't feel like doing what I know to be good for me. A kick in the pants is what I need sometimes!

Put your three classes in your schedule for next week before you go to bed tonight. And then don't make anything more important than going to those classes. Consider this your kick in the pants!

I need to pass my calculus class but it's too hard to focus. I work full time, try to work out and I also have to find time to have a life. It's just hard to focus on that class especially because I'm not very good at math.

Is your calculus test soon? It may require you to work out less, work less or sleep less for the time being – whatever it takes to pass. Then you can get back to doing the things you love… and maybe don't take calculus anymore!

I’d love to make a career change. What's holding me back is money.  I'm used to making a certain amount and my bills won't pay themselves.

Did you know that you'd probably end up making more if you were in a job you loved? Set some goals to map it out. You've only got one life.

I’d love to be a social work officer and help my troops with PTSD. Fear of rejection is a powerful enemy in applying to schools. Have any tips?

The fear doesn't go away by not doing it, the fear goes away by facing it.

I want to return to softball with a fully strengthened knee from a surgery I had a year ago. Holding me back? Time, there’s just too little of it.

Lack of time is an illusion; every human has the same amount of it in a day. Our power is in how we choose to use our time.

get going on goals

Here are a few resources to get your goals going!

• get down to the nitty gritty – how to create a vision and set your goals

• do it now! do it now! – our goal setting sheet

Goal setting is all about creating a life you love. It's not about being better or more. Create a vision of your ideal life and set goals to get you there. We dare you to be great.

The population seems to have doubled overnight here in Lake Tahoe and the Wanderlust grounds are buzzing with happy, sweaty, yoga-fied people. The energy here is incredible and the conversations are flowing - from the yoga mat to the elevator.

600 yogis line up for Seane Corn's class

creating space

About 600 people were in my first class of the day, lead by Seane Corn. I knew it was going to be powerful a few minutes in when I noticed the two people in front of me had tears streaming down their cheeks. We honoured the amazing and powerful women in our life by dedicating our thoughts to them (I sent mine to my mom - hi mom! Did you get them?), and went deep into our hips where Seane says we "store every relationship we've ever had" to release the past and let go. One word: wow.

creating art

I had been looking forward to practicing with John Friend, the founder of Anusara yoga, for a long time. His class was just as I had imagined it would be -- 1.5 hours of play, accompanied by live musicians who were perfectly in sync with our movements: holding the song as we held poses, crescendoing as we expanded towards the sky. I think I detected a Simon + Garfunkel song at one point [side note - can anyone verify this? I really want to know!].

John Friend and the merry band

science-asana

About to get my neuroscience on

Next up: "The Secret" meets neuroscience. At least, this is what I thought when Dr. Van Houten began his lecture about happiness and meditation and asked us to create a vision of our future self. My nutshell edition of his wonderful 1.5 hour lecture: We can change the chemistry in our brains permanently, through 10-15 minutes of meditation a day. So if there's something in your life that you want, focus on it and your brain will figure it out. I'm now inspired to give my neurons a workout -- six-month meditation experiment, anyone?

hammock dreams

I had a short break between activities and checked my Twitter stream. Someone named @hammocker had said hi to me, and I decided to meet them in real life. I am so glad I did.

Rachel was at the Yellow Leaf Hammock booth and told me how her boyfriend Joe had gone to Thailand on vacation, discovered these handmade hammocks, and quit his corporate day job when he returned to found Yellow Leaf, which is committed to creating a sustainable social enterprise. They've only officially been open for a week. The hairs on my arm stood up when she told me their story.

visions and goals

I ended my day with a goal-setting workshop lead by Andrea from lululemon. Andrea brought tears to a few eyes with her personal story of goal-setting including the fact that she was achieving a goal by being here at Wanderlust leading the workshop. When I got home and checked the lululemon blog, I saw Allessia's post on visions and goals and it connected all the individual pieces of my day together.

If there's something in your life that you don't have, you can create it. Let go of situations / things that aren't serving you and create a life you love. If you're at Wanderlust, Andrea's holding another workshop Saturday at 5 pm. Be there or be square.

Until tomorrow,
Alana

I visualize I am the lead singer in a band, igniting the air with a fiery melody from deep in my belly, the sweat glistening on my face, a thousand hands up in the air catching the drops of electric rain pouring down in sheets of sound. These waves are so powerful they are nearly visible, like a ribbon of blue light, flowing and connecting the audience with the vibration of the guitar strings, the thumping of the drums, and the beating of my heart. There is only this one moment, and a collective recognition that none of this would exist without each other.

I imagine all those who have supported me my whole life are running with me, inside me, pushing me gently through each kilometre. Perhaps I only met them once, or perhaps their physical form has long passed away. But I can hear them whisper when my muscles soften with fatigue: Just keep running. Just keep running. Just keep running. So I do.

I picture my breath at one with the ocean breeze, my sweat and the rain that pelts down from above mixes until there is no separation. All the runners that swarm around me pound the ground in rhythm, displacing puddle water, creating a tremor of energy that fuels all our dreams, our goals. When I close my eyes all I hear is the pattering of feet and rain and a chorus of determined breathing like that of ocean waves crashing on rocks, and I feel we are one with the power and peacefulness of the sea. Suddenly I recognize that we are all here to chase one vision.

And when I see the finish line I understand that vision: nothing is impossible.

Carol is a graduate of UBC Vancouver’s film production program and works at lululemon Kelowna. She enjoys biking, yoga, running, photography, painting and writing. Her goals include completing a full marathon by March 2011, completing her yoga teacher training by May 2011, and getting one of her feature length films on the big screen by 2015.