Return to Wild

Consistency & the compound effect are the very, very unsexy workhorses behind success, and this is how my fun-loving heart came to terms with it.

It's time to savour the last vestiges of 2020! Here is how I prep for a new year in the weird limbo between Christmas and New Years.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! From me and my christmas jammies.

I finally had the chance to attend Date with Destiny - AND I EVEN GOT TO TALK TO TONY! Here's what it was like.

Journey with me as a farm kid makes sense of The Law of Attraction.

It's been a crazy 48hrs here in Alberta - and in much of the rest of the world too. Let's do our best to stay in our own lanes, stay kind, and remember we always have a choice of response: Love or Fear.

Accountability isn't about shame and fear - it's actually about love.

Here's the secret to presence: and it isn't anything that requires you to be flexible or eat kale.

Wild Wednesday Ep. 35: "Coping Cleanse" Week 1 Guess what? It sucks. But it's kinda supposed to. (Great marketing, right?)

Wild Wednesdays Ep. 35: A Challenge! AKA: Sarah practices what she preaches. Wanna join me?

Wild "Wednesdays" Ep 34: Choosing your own adventure

Ahoy humans! Due to "technical difficulties" (aka a monster migraine) I'm calling a mulligan and rescheduling our live to tomorrow night at 8pm MST. Can't wait to catch ya then.

Wild Wednesdays Ep. 33: Numbing Out Wanna know how to intentionally uncover your wild truth? FEEL THE THINGZ. Here's how I do it.

Wild Wednesdays Ep. 32: What does RTW mean? I get this question a lot, so here it is. Today I talk about what's in a name, and why it's my passion project.

Wild Wednesday Ep. 31: Navigating Change - YOU DID IT. (now do it again) We're covering the last phase of change this week - and why I personally find it so bloody hard. Lemme know what phase is your favourite (or personal arch nemesis) in the comments!

Ep. 30: The Third Stage of Navigating Change: Work.

Ep. 29: Navigating Change pt. 2: Dreaming/Goalsetting

Ep. 28: Navigating "Part One" Of Change (it sucks. hard.)

Wild Wednesday Ep. 27: Navigating Change

I HIT A BIG GOAL! (And here's why it's critical to celebrate that)

C E L E B R A T E It's been 6 days since I eloped with this handsome guy, and I promised myself when we finally did it, I would take 10 days off work. Ten whole days. ... Ten days to sleep in, to hike, to have conversations, to fix things....to do whatever we wanted that felt like it honored us, rather than scramble to fit us around work demands. Today, the celebration looked like an 8am hike through Horseshoe Canyon, slow breakfast at home, and some yardwork before a swim in the river. We talk here often of the importance of presence, prioritizing joy, and celebrating the small stuff to create momentum, and this is how I'm living it for these ten glorious days. In lieu of a live tonight, tell me all your favourite ways to treat yourself after you accomplish a goal I can't wait to catch up live next Wednesday! But for now, I'm here. And it's glorious.

Wild Wednesdays Ep. 25: On Connection

Do you plan for growth, or are you a hope-er?

YIPPE-KAYAK-OTHER-BUCKETS In Summer Camp, one of our 'badge' challenges is to hike a distance of 15km or more while envisioning our goals, dreams, whatever it is we want most at the end of the hike. Then when we make it across the finish line, we celebrate LIKE MAD. This helps us practice pushing through discomfort, flex our visualization muscles, and really internalize the need to celebrate every little thing on the journey so we can affirm FOR OURSELVES that we are on the r...ight path, and that we've made progress. Progress = happiness. The past two years I've opted for a 15km+ kayak run instead, because my little t-rex arms are less practiced than my legs at endurance tests. I celebrated with a dance party...Tikka celebrated by rolling in a dead fish Muddy af feet dedicated to Camper @lmh2515

Mentorship is what you make of it - there may be no one out there who does what you do, but that doesn't mean you can't LEARN!

What to do when old junk resurfaces (because it will, because we're human)

WTF is holding space and why is it so impossibly hard?

Happy Canada Day, wild ones.

If you've been to RTW.... You KNOW. #fingerguns #lips #fornoreason

Expectations aren't the same as boundaries

Facing into the hard truth of antiracism

The wild truth about boundaries

Feeling distracted and unproductive? You might need more play.

There are exactly two things you can tempt me with. One is Jacek chocolates. The other is THIS....

On how we speak to ourselves (with a 'special guest'!)

Joy is contagious

We've all got emotional baggage, and when we get tired of carrying it we want to set it down and forget it exists. The problem is, we always have to pick it back up again afterward. What if there was a way to truly lighten the load rather than just a temporary fix?

There are no wrong feelings. (Your inner critic is being a jerk)

Creativity in the face of crisis

The power of time in nature

The pain of growth vs the pain of staying stuck

You keep doing and doing and doing but nothing important ever seems to get done. You take on more because it seems like the only answer, but you feel farther and farther away from what you thought you wanted. You're just...overwhelmed by things that 'should' be easy to handle - or at least they used to be for you.... You feel like you could get more done if everyone would just back off for five seconds and let you breathe, but when you have time, all you can think about is all the stuff you *aren't* doing at that moment. You feel like no matter what you do, it's not enough to get you there. Like somehow, if you do magically get it, it'll turn out to be the wrong thing after all, or someone will notice that you aren't right to have it and take it from you. ------- Sound familiar? I've lived that life. It's not pretty. It's exhausting - on the soul level. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out how to reverse that train and start building a life that made me feel fulfilled, excited, and challenged (in the *right* ways). I had to cut through my own bs and get present with the reality I had created - both inside my head and in the outside world. I had to dig and poke and prod to uncover my purpose so I could feel like I had direction again. I had to finally, actually give myself permission to chase joy, to play again, to let my creativity loose in the world so I could figure out a way forward and create a life I *wanted* to work for. Not out of obligation, but out of love. And now? Now I teach other people exactly how they can, too. I'd love to show you how. I'd love for you to wake up and feel excited for the next adventure in your life rather than dreading facing the world and everything it demands of you. I'd love for you to experience what it's like to finally step into that potential you know you have - so you can know what it feels like to finally be seen and appreciated for all that you are. That's why I built Return To Wild. So we can hang out & get back to what matters. So we can finally unleash the true power of that wild heart of yours. So we can reconnect with nature. With adventure. And most importantly? With ourselves. Head to www.returntowild.ca to save your spot. We brave the wilderness together on May 1-3, 2020. I can't wait for you to reintroduce yourself when you return.

Do you spend time on what you value most?

What is Presence and why the hell is it so hard?

Return to Wild 2020 is HEEEEERE!

Family. It's the source of some of our greatest support and biggest scars, and it looks different for each of us. For some it's biological.... For some it's chosen friends. For some it's four legs and some fur (or scales) For some it's shared struggle and circumstance. No matter what the word looks like for you, the common link between them all is heart. Heart is at the root of it all- and we get to choose how it takes shape. Happy Family Day from my lil' family to yours.

Honestly, the choice is yours. And the choice is one you'll have to face any time you push toward something that matters to you. A job, a skill, a human to love and be loved by. Waiting is brutally hard, but it's also an invitation to go deeper, to get creative, to work to appreciate the small things and find beauty in humble places.... The lag time between being a beginner and being a master can suck, but little hints of progress can hold incredible satisfaction. The void of having moved outside your old social circle and not having grown into the new one hurts, but exploring new places with new people can create incredible memories. The long days without your person near you are hard on the heart, but finding small ways to show up for eachother (like, say, a heart-shaped tree stump on Valentine's Day) can make all the difference. I've never read a story I loved that was smooth sailing the entire way. The truth is, no matter how suck-y the lag feels, it's where all the best stories are written. Will yours be a tragedy or an adventure? . . . PS - happy love day, from my adventurous lumberjack to all of you (Swipe to see ) See more

The Time Management Experiment Part II: Outcomes over Output.

Getting clear on how you spend your time & the results it brings you.

Being busy doesn't matter, it's what your busy WITH that's key. (Something I need occasional reminders about).

When you're a high achiever feeling uninspired by your goals...

Wednesday Live: Ramblings on the Magic of Goal Tracking.

But Sarah: How Can I make money living out my Purpose?

I'm trying something a bit new in my monthly reviews; I realized I had stopped doing our #achievementclub goal reviews regularly myself and missed them, so I've incorporated them into my bullet journal monthly review system. I've also started reviewing the actions & time I dedicate to my values - what I say matters most - so I can pay specific attention to where my time goes and if it aligns with what I know makes me feel happy & alive. It's so funny every time I do this work...; I *know* it works and think that's enough but whenever I humble myself enough to actually do it, I inevitably learn something new. {Oh hey, growth value. How you doin' }

When you live your passions out loud, when you give yourself permission to be a beginner, when you live life out loud you become a human magnet. By committing to go all in & have a little fun, you automatically inspire those around you to do the same. I can't wait to watch the ripple effect each one of these badasses will have in the world. ... #returntowildwithsarah #rtwild

After a big event, I always take one day to just be alone, outside. Usually with a journal, just in case. It truly is a tonic, isn't it? I always feel like I'm coming home when I'm out in the wild, be it mountains or oceans or prairies. A greater sense of wonder and appreciation for what is. A huge thank you to every single participant of Return to Wild 2019. You dug deep, played big, and explored the unknown. I'm unendingly grateful to have been a part of your journey,... and to have shared the tonic of wildness with you. . . . . #returntowildwithsarah #rtwild #wilderness #wild #quote #getoutside #threesisters #canmore See more

"But wouldn't it be way more efficient to use a digital planner/app?" Yes. But no. Here's the weird deal with journaling: it's super inefficient. But the inefficiency makes it more effective. Confused? Lemme explain. ... Yes, it would be far faster to type your notes. Having them available in an app synced across your devices? Much handier. Seems like the logical winner for productivity, yeah? BUT. With how much longer handwriting takes, it forces us to summarize & think critically while note taking. It engages more learning modalities for higher idea retention- up to 29% higher! AND it gives us a larger window of space to reflect and helps take us out of that fight-or-flight, constant reaction mode that our phones and their notifications & temptations keep us hooked with. (Also, hello, no Instagram app to get lost in.) Journaling isn't the fastest way to organize your time, but it is the most EFFECTIVE. For every five minutes I spend in my journal, I easily save myself an hour or more through my day. So if you need me, I'll be a minute. Gotta write something down first.

Waiting for perfect conditions to step outside your comfort zone is an oxymoron. It's going to snow. It's going to be chaotic. Your kids will get sick. Your mom will want to come to visit. Your gossipy frenemy will be in the room. You're PMSing. You didn't sleep well. You don't "feel like it". There will ALWAYS be an excuse if you look for it. At some point, you need to just pull the trigger. Snow, mud, wind, rain, gossipy weenies be damned. At some point, you need to j...ust choose you and make the best of what you have. That's the whole point of Return to Wild. It's your chance to finally carve out the time for YOU. To get back to YOU. To get back to what matters. To uncover that wild truth inside yourself that the noise of life will bury. We do the work. Snow or shine. We snow up and get curious and let ourselves exist in the space of curiosity and wonder that would make our inner six-year-olds proud. You're worth a little discomfort. Whether that's saying "I love you" first, or scrambling 16 stories down through the heart of the mountain. Go for it. {PS - we only have 2 tickets left to join our intrepid VIPs caving this year! Click the link in the post/go to www.returntowild.ca to nab one if you're feeling the need to shake it up } #rtwild #returntowild #purpose #presence #play #caving #ratsnestcave #vip #retreat #comfortzone #discomfort #achievementclub See more

Webinar Alert! If you're curious about bullet journaling, come hang out with me for a FREE one hour webinar on all the basics to set up, start, and sustain the journaling habit. This is your last chance of the year to learn from me!... Thursday, November 7 @ 8pm MST. Click the link below to sign up: https://mailchi.mp/9291afeafb3b/freebujowebinar

Empathy does not obligate you to take on other people's junk. Feel it. Understand those around you for it. Grow as humans together from it.... Make the world a more compassionate place with it. But be careful you don't take on other people's junk and mistake it as yours. Be mindful you don't pick up that which is meant to be walked over & left behind in the name of being helpful. Be sure you don't take on the responsibility of carrying Everything for Everyone at the cost of your own dreams, your own joy. Empathy is a superpower, but as with all powers, it must be used responsibly lest it become destructive. Lay it down and keep walking, just like these Return to Wild badasses did. . . . . #rtwild #returntowildwithsarah #empathy #purpose #presence #play #emotionalboundaries #boundaries #empath #superpower #growth #getrealwithyourself #oxygenmask #rocks #release #canmore @ Solara Resort & Spa

Happiest in nature.... even if it means eating a little hair . .... . . . . #alberta #albertaweather #windsucks #sweaterweather #prairies #hike #cantselfietosavemylife #imoustacheyouaquestion #tryingtobecute #butthewindisajerk #worthitthough See more

Chanelle is a nurse, mom of two boys, awesome wife, and community champion in Drumheller, AB. In her own words, here was her experience at RTW: "I came to find Sarah and Return to Wild when I was pretty unhappy. At the time, I actually didn't realize I was as unhappy as I was. All I knew was something was missing. Which was odd, because I had reached every goal I ever had in life- the career, the spouse, the kids, the income, the white picket fence. But it felt like it wasn't... my life. It was the life that was expected of me to want to live. I had lived in a perpetual cycle of fear & pleasing others my entire life and I was BURNT OUT. I was tired of being the glue that held everything and everyone together. I was tired of perfect. I almost psyched myself out of going to Sarah's retreat, but a voice inside me told me to go despite having every excuse I could think of to not go. I am so grateful I went. It altered and fast-tracked my life in such a profound way that I will forever be grateful to Sarah. Initially, I came away from RTW with such clarity and peace in my heart. I knew I felt that way because I knew WHO I WAS at my core, I knew what values I wanted to teach my kids, and what my purpose was in this world. I had the courage to not play small anymore. I was inspired. I knew where I want to go and I immediately started a road map of how I was going to get there. RTW made me let go of the excuses and have the courage to return to school part-time. It improved my relationships with my spouse and children. It helped me stop numbing out and start respecting my body with a quick daily practice of fitness that brings me joy and calm in an often loud and chaotic life. Above all, it made me be more mindful of spending my time on the actions and moments that bring me joy. Fast forward a year and I am a more fearless, resilient, well rounded, happier, playful, healthier version of me and I will be forever thankful to Sarah and RTW for that. Thank you for my life back." I'm so proud of you, Chanelle, and the way you lead with your life as an example. And cheers on officially right-sizing your family home this month! . . . PS: RTW tix are on BOGO until Nov 2!