Climb Your Mountain

Have you ever struggled to do something differently?

Maybe you want to:

💪  Get up and go to the gym in the morning

🧘  Intervene calmly when your partner overloads the dishwasher (again)

✋ Respond to invites with "Let me think about it" (instead of an automatic yes)

Your brain knows there's a better way. But your body resists.

You're so ashamed that you can't just BE DIFFERENT. What's wrong with you?

Friend, if you can relate, here's good news.

There's an easier way to change your habits — WITHOUT willpower, struggle or beating yourself up.

And I'm going to walk you through it on today's podcast.

On today's episode, you'll learn:

😎 Why you haven't changed yet — and what will actually work

😎 How professional athletes use daydreaming to improve performance

😎 A simple habit-changing technique you can use anywhere — even while waiting in the grocery line

Enjoy!

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• 1:1 Coaching With Sarah - Book your free discovery call with Sarah to learn more (or email [email protected])

Inside you lives a Deepest Inner Critic (DIC). 

We call it the DIC, because it really is kind of a D!

It loves to tell you that you’re:

• Not good enough
• Not capable
• Not smart enough
• A failure
• Too much
• Lazy
• Not lovable
• Not seen
• Not heard
• Etc.

You dream of having some kind of magic wand you can wave to shut that DIC up.

You wonder if cult-style brainwashing might actually be the answer.

You’ve also realized that the personal development industry doesn’t have a good cure for the DIC.

Mantras fall flat.

Positive thinking just leaves you MORE frustrated. (It’s like you can’t even think right!)

Intuition? Forget it! The DIC is 900x louder than the gut.

Friend, if this is you, I feel your frustration. 

And I’m here to offer you a better way to silence your inner critic.

One that’s so simple and reliable, you can teach it to a first-grader (and I have).

And in this week’s episode of the Climb Your Mountain podcast, I break it down for you!

You’ll learn:

😃 Why trying to think new thoughts is so maddening and frustrating (and what to do instead)

😃 Where negative self-talk actually comes from (SPOILER ALERT: it’s NOT deep seated trauma or terminal insecurity)

😃 Techniques to stop negative thoughts quickly and easily—and keep them from coming back.

Ready? Let’s do this!

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• 1:1 Coaching With Sarah - Book your free discovery call with Sarah to learn more (or email [email protected])

Sometimes, life comes at you fast.

Trying to process too much too fast can leave you feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and paralyzed.

You tell yourself that things have to slow down at some point. But what if they don't? 

You here a lot on social media about "nervous system regulation" and "gut-brain connection" and "soul-centered living." But you don't have time or energy to dabble in all the latest fads. 

You need one thing that's simple, easy to learn, and ACTUALLY WORKS.

And if you were to ask me what that one thing is, I would answer ...

BREATHWORK!

If you only do one thing to feel more calm, confident, and in control, I recommend starting a regular breathwork practice.

In today's podcast, I'm going to share:

• What breathwork is
• Why breathwork is so powerful
• How breathwork actually works
• Why I recommend it for all of my coaching clients – including the exact prescription I give them
• How you can get started practicing breathwork today

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Sarah's Breathwork Meetup
• 1:1 Coaching With Sarah - Book your free discovery call with Sarah to learn more

Resources Mentioned:

• Free Breathwork Meetup
• Fear Party Master Class
• BREATHE Membership info page

Frustrated that your running (or hiking, biking, etc.) times haven’t improved after a year of training? 

You might be making a common mistake—running too fast! 

In this episode, I share why so many endurance athletes get tripped up by the numbers. 

We'll also break down the science to learn how slowing down can actually help you speed up. 

Key Takeaways:

• Why most recreational runners (especially us perfectionists!) are trying to go too fast.
• The dreaded Zone X (dead zone) and how to stay out of it.
• Why most elite athletes do 80–90% of their endurance training at an easy pace.
• How the 80/20 approach can help you win at endurance training ... and life.
• Why your perfectionist brain violent resists running slow and what to do about it.

Ready to learn how to train smarter, not harder? Tune in to hear more!

COACH WITH SARAH:

• Email questions to [email protected] OR
• Schedule a free discovery call

QUANTUM COACH ACADEMY FREE WORKSHOP

• Register

COACH WITH SARAH:

• Email questions to [email protected] OR
• Schedule a free discovery call

QUANTUM COACH ACADEMY FREE WORKSHOP

• Register

After taking a year off due to long COVID, I was excited to make 2024 my most epic summer yet!

Things started off well. I finished a trail marathon in May and was gunning for my first post-Covid 50K in June.

And then bam. Setbacks!

COVID struck again, followed by a drug-resistant UTI. June became a wash, and I found myself off for the entire month. 

When July arrived, I tried to ease back into hiking and trail running and realized I had lost a lot of conditioning. 

It was heart-breaking. I had so many epic hikes and climbs planned with so many people! 

And now I was going to be SUPER SLOW. If I could do it at all.

This week's episode of the Climb Your Mountain Podcast is the story of how I fucking did it anyway.

Slowly.
With people. 
With self-compassion.
With self-trust.

We'll cover:

• Why being undertrained isn't always a bad thing (especially for us pressured perfectionists).
• The magic of focusing on one activity at a time.
• How to listen to and trust your body.
• Ways to focus on your whole health during recovery (not just fitness).
• Thoughts that foster self-compassion.

Work With Me:

If you’re a pressured perfectionist who'd not where you want to be with your health and fitness, I’d love to help you shift into a kinder and more sustainable approach.

Click here to schedule a discovery call, and let’s start working together on a more empowered and compassionate version of yourself!

In this episode, we dive deep into the psychology of perfectionism, exploring its impact on mental health, stress levels, and self-worth. 

Key Quotes:

• “Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment, and shame." – Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
• "Perfectionists feel every bump in the road. They’re quite stress-sensitive.” – Andrew Hill
• “Perfectionists are pretty much awash with stress. Even when it’s not stressful, they’ll typically find a way to make it stressful.” – Gordon Flett
• “Socially prescribed perfectionism, characterized by the feeling that others have high demands, is the most strongly correlated with serious mental illness.” – Thomas Curran

We'll cover:

• Common traits and challenges faced by perfectionists, including the constant need to meet high expectations—both self-imposed and socially prescribed.
• My own journey as an only child and high academic achiever, grappling with the intense family pressure of being the "perfect" daughter. 
• How I recently navigated my deepest inner critic after making a mistake.
• Some of my favorite tools for taming critical self-talk and fostering self-compassion.
• The five-step self-restitution process I've been using for 15 years as a self-forgiveness practice.
• What to do with the anger you feel toward yourself after making a mistake (and what not to do.)

Remember, it’s okay to be imperfect—and more importantly, it’s human. Take small steps toward self-compassion and give yourself the grace to make mistakes along the way.

Follow Me: For tips on self-compassion, nervous system regulation, and healthy living, follow me on Instagram.

Coach With Sarah: For prices and packaging, email the word PANTS to [email protected]

OR click here to schedule a free discovery call.

In this week's episode of the Climb Your Mountain podcast, we dive into a common struggle for perfectionists and athletes alike: missed workouts. 

Whether you’re training for an endurance event like a marathon or just exercising to look and feel better, skipping a workout can send you into a spiral of panic and guilt. 

I know this firsthand, having transitioned from a personal trainer for outdoor endurance athletes (hiking, mountaineering, trail running) to a health and wellness coach for pressured perfectionists.

What We Cover:

• What we make missed workouts mean versus reality
• The truth about deconditioning — and why most of us worry way too much about losing fitness.
• How panic over missed workouts can actually set your fitness back further.
• Why missed workouts may actually be a blessing in disguise for overachieving athletes.
• My personal story of running a half marathon PR after missing all my peak training.
• Practical tips to help you ease back into fitness the smart way after a week off.

Are You a Pressured Perfectionist Ready to Train Smarter, Not Harder? 

If you're done with overtraining and exhausting yourself, I can help you bring balance to your active lifestyle. 

• Click here to schedule a discovery call, and let’s start working together on a more empowered and compassionate version of yourself!
• Let’s stay connected! Follow me on Instagram for more tips on fitness, endurance training, and how to thrive as a perfectionist.

In this week's episode of Climb Your Mountain, I share the story of an unfortunate series of drink spills ... and the surprising lessons that came from them. 

From embarrassment and guilt to spiritual insight and self-kindness, this story goes deeper than just clumsiness. It’s about learning to be kinder to myself and embracing the imperfections we all have.

Key Takeaways:

• The spills: On vacation, after a long hike, I spilled a beer, red wine, and another beer in quick succession. Each time, I was met with generosity and kindness, rather than the scorn I expected.
• Emotional reaction: I was exhausted and embarrassed, but it also revealed my pattern of being hard on myself, feeling like I don’t deserve to take up space when I make mistakes.
• People-pleasing roots: Growing up as a people pleaser and peacemaker, I’ve always hated causing trouble, and these spills triggered that deep-seated discomfort.
• The universe’s message: Talking with a friend led me to see these spills as a spiritual lesson. The universe was offering me opportunities to learn self-compassion and release the need for perfection.
• Learning to be kinder: Through this experience, I realized that people might actually respond with generosity and understanding, even when I mess up.

Work With Me:

If you’re a pressured perfectionist who'd not where you want to be with your health and fitness, I’d love to help you shift into a kinder and more sustainable approach.

Click here to schedule a discovery call, and let’s start working together on a more empowered and compassionate version of yourself!

Tune in next time for more insights and stories about health, fitness, and the path to self-kindness.