The Willpower Instinct - and beyond

Let's get to work on healing the reasons we go to processed food.  Sonja will lead an interactive 12 weeks together diving into hands on willpower callesthenics and resonance - a combination of The Willpower Instinct - using the framework and exercises from Kelly McGonigal's book as well as research from Sarah Peyton and many others to deep dive into the incredible awareness of Willpower.

This course is good work. Join us!

Where the Magic Happens

There's something you're missing and it might very well be here. What if this is the key? I'll bet you've been blaming yourself all this time... 
is that really true?

Let's figure this out together

The Willpower Instinct:

How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It 

~ by Kelly McGonigal, PhD

Note: Please order one of the physical copies for this book study. I recommend the physical book or kindle version for the clarity of the exercises. The audio book is also very well read if you are an audio learner.

Questions you will answer by the end of this course:

~has your thinking about willpower and self-control changed?

~which willpower experiment was the most helpful?

~What was your big a-ha moment?

~what are you going to take with you?

You can find this book in the usual places. There are a few used copies here: Thrift Books online

It's not about the food. 

Wait, WHAT?

Focusing on the diet shifts us from the real work

~The bottom line reasons we eat. 

~ Emotions we've stuffed down for so long...

~ SWCC (Stuff We Can't Control)

~Caregiving and responsibilities - all designed to push us toward other Busyness rather than our own Busyness.

This kind of fix takes time... and it doesn't have to be hard!

It's not about the food. 

Wait, WHAT?

Focusing on the diet shifts us from the real work

~The bottom line reasons we eat. 

~ Emotions we've stuffed down for so long...

~ SWCC (Stuff We Can't Control)

~Caregiving and responsibilities - all designed to push us toward other Busyness rather than our own Busyness.

This kind of fix takes time... and it doesn't have to be hard!

It's not about the food. 

Wait, WHAT?

Focusing on the diet shifts us from the real work

~The bottom line reasons we eat. 

~ Emotions we've stuffed down for so long...

~ SWCC (Stuff We Can't Control)

~Caregiving and responsibilities - all designed to push us toward other Busyness rather than our own Busyness.

This kind of fix takes time... and it doesn't have to be hard!

Let's do more than read another self-help book

First session: 

The book is divided into 10 sections - we will have an 

  1. Intro week
  2. I will, I won't, I want: What willpower is and why it matters
  3. The willpower instinct: your body was born to resist cheesecake
  4. Too tired to resist: why self-control is like a muscle
  5. License to sin: why being good gives us permission to be bad
  6. The brain's big lie: why we mistake wanting for happiness
  7. What the hell: How feeling bad leads to giving in
  8. Putting the future on sale: The economics of Instant Gratification
  9. Infected! Why willpower is contagious
  10. Don't read this Chapter: The limits of "I won't" power
  11. Final Thoughts
  12. How to continue using the wisdom of I Will, I Won't and I Want to continue healing other aspects of your life. 

Let's do more than read another self-help book.

Let's apply the tactics and methodology of the wildly popular Stanford continuing education course taught by Kelly McGonigal. 

Brought to you with Sonja-isms and wisdom from the well of psychological and neurological and common sense awareness.

We will look at specific aspects of our own lives, using tangible, real-life actions that will help shift long-held behavioral and emotional reasons we end up face planting in the pantry.  

That is what the Magic of trusted community, resonance and practice will do. 

Book Study - The Willpower Instinct and Beyond

$97

12 week course of study

I'm ready to study!

Annually

$298/y

Most Popular

  • Save $60 a year and commit to long-term healing and growth.
  • Multiple daily 30 minute zoom check-ins
  • Regular Deep Dives into the latest research on why we eat and how we can heal
  • No homework Book Clubs on the latest Psych, brain and social/cultural topics handpicked by Sonja and team
  • Magic Words journaling and sharing
  • Resonance healing
I'm ready to HEAL!

Monthly

$30/m

Features

  • Multiple daily 30 minute zoom check-ins
  • Regular Deep Dives into the latest research on why we eat and how we can heal
  • No homework Book Clubs on the latest Psych, brain and social/cultural topics handpicked by Sonja and team
  • Magic Words journaling and sharing
  • Resonance healing
  • 12 month minimum commitment payment plan
Start Healing NOW

Who is Sonja?

I was uber fluffy for decades. I probably lost and found 1000 pounds in my lifetime. I had multiple auto-immune conditions shifting my health and comfort more and more severe. Fibromyalgia, endometriosis, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, IBS, high cholesterol, bouts of anxiety and the icing on the proverbial carrot: Severe, debilitating asthma and basically allergic to the planet. 

Yeah, it was bad. At the age of 5 my allergies and asthma pushed me to isolation and a great big pity party of sadness and anxiety. My dad said, "Sonja, you're sophisticated!" And that began my passion to reframe. I know I can shift my mindset. You do not have to suffer a core belief that you will forever be a pickle.  

So how can we heal? Remember how long you've been working on these habits and routines and behaviors and stuffing down these emotions? You've maybe figured out it's not a quick fix by any measure. So perhaps, consider joining me for 12 weeks. You might find what you need to start putting the healing salve on... and keep coming back for more and more for calm, connection, compassion and care.

The healing comes from connection, from being heard, from supporting and being supported, from learning things like resonance, "is this really true?", self-care and mindful self-compassion and a host of tips, tricks and tools to help you calm your sweet nervous system, balance your energy field, clear our very active brains and bring us to a peaceful, vibrant place.

Cuz that's where we SHOULD be living!

Walk with me?

Sonja

Questions? Schedule time with Sonja

What is the Magic, anyway?

Magic Membership began to give the one vital thing we can't do on our own - Trusted Connection. We have 22 calls a week- ish. Yeah, Right?!? Giving people a place where to feel you belong, to help create a space where you can hop on for 30 minutes and talk about whatever is on your mind, is magic.

Because whatever is on your mind is often a precursor to wanting to eat...not when you're hungry, but for a host of other reasons. And although we all speak the same language of food obsession, once you're beyond the cravings window, we are left with curiosity and often blame and shame and judgement about why we are still eating.

We can heal from all that other stuff, you know. It's like the difference between trying to hold a conversation during an acid rock concert, and a peaceful woods... chaos will win out every time.

So how can we heal? Remember how long you've been working on these habits and routines and behaviors and stuffing down these emotions? In the Magic it probably won't take as long as that, but it's not a quick fix by any measure. So perhaps, for $30 a month and an investment in a couple calls a week you might find what you need to start putting the healing salve on... and keep coming back for more and more for calm, connection, compassion and care.

You can start by dipping your toe in the water and listening to past recordings, watching live on facebook in our private members only group, or hopping on a call. Your trust meter may be very low, rightly so.... and maybe by nudging you might feel ok to hop on - without the camera or with it.... Your choice.

The healing comes from connection, from being heard, from supporting and being supported, from learning things like resonance, "is this really true?", self-care and mindful self-compassion and a host of tips, tricks and tools to help you calm your sweet nervous system, balance your energy field, clear our very active brains and bring us to a peaceful, vibrant place.

Cuz that's where we SHOULD be living!

 

Walk with me?

Sonja

 

There is WAY MORE to our Willpower than mere replenishing...

I first learned that "this isn't our fault" by reading about Willpower Depletion in the book Bright Line Eating by Susan Peirce Thompson. That was the magic sauce that flipped the switch, lit the match, grounded me in a future of working toward healing the reasons we go to food.

This book called The Willpower Instinct has taken this science to a new level, adding Self-Control and Self-Awareness along with tangible exercises that walk us through strengthening and creating literal new pathways to healing around food obsession and addiction. 

We may have the same issue, but our solutions are not the same

It's clear that you have a good idea what your basic food plan looks like. What you maybe don't know is why you can't seem to control yourself when it comes to certain foods.

That's where the Magic comes in. Let's find your missing puzzle pieces.

If you are still questioning how this might benefit you, please sign up for some time with Sonja to answer any questions you might have.

Schedule time with Sonja

The solution is simple but it's not easy 

It takes time, dedication, and wonderful support.

It can be done.

Together we are more powerful - that is the MAGIC.

Willpower and Self-Control

 

Try new things, collect your own data and listen to the evidence. In this unique group setting, we will see how others process, glean insights from their awareness and help heal ourselves and others through community connection and trusted resonance. 

You're worth it

Walk with
me for a bit

This place is unique and that may seem scary.

You may find what you've been missing.

I hope to see you soon.

You're worth it

THIS IS FOR YOU IF...

You regularly beat yourself up for every break

You feel the pang of perfectionism beating down your door

You're afraid to let the inner critic relax for fear of gaining more weight

You get scared of who you might be if you weren’t struggling with your food?

You recognized the kinds of foods you should eat but can't figure out why you can't just follow the flippin' plan?

Regardless of your situation, your weight, what food plan you'd like to follow, this is for you If you struggle with making healthy choices. 

Come join us. The real healing comes with sharing in this experience. 

It's your time.

THIS IS FOR YOU!

 

The Magic Membership is for you if you’re still wobbly with your food or want to explore resonance and incredible tools, tips and tricks to help you work less and play more in your life.

The Magic Membership is for you if you want to focus on the alternative solutions to heal.

It's for you if you are willing to look to the cause, the source, which is the feelings and emotions we’ve been afraid to deal with.

CLAIMING what’s going on within is vital for real recovery.

Come join us. You literally can't do this alone.

It's your time.

We have lived decades battling the diets and the weight loss and the weight gain roller coaster.

We have lacerating inner critics.

Many different sizes in our closets.

A chaotic dialogue analyzing what we should eat, what we can get away with eating, what we want to eat, what we wish we could eat, the only thing on our minds is what’s on the menu, how I can sneak something for later.

And the berating and guilt, shame and judgment flowing like a firehose around and through all our thoughts.

So.

Maybe that’s not actually serving you?

Maybe you can let that all go?

Imagine leaving all of that behind you.

Imagine working with others who are interested in doing the hard, deep work needed to finally shed the ghosts and goblins of food obsession.

We aren’t talking about ending your addiction to overly processed foods.

Nope.

It can be mainly quieted, however, by looking at the myriad reasons we eat.

We have seen it.

These are the things you CAN HEAL:

  • Emotional reasons - we could list these all day.
  • SWCC (Stuff We Can’t Control) - you know what that is and NO - we can’t change any of this. We can shift our mindset and how we show up which is EVERYTHING.
  • Behavioral patterns - we eat when we are lonely, bored, certain activities, certain events (all of them, potentially)
  • Unconscious Contracts: what we believe…. Is it really true? Are you sure?
  • And last but not least, feelings.

No wonder we struggle. 

It's Time To Heal!

Why are you here?

You’ve read all the way down to this.

So let’s look at what you have.

My experience says you are clouded with expectations and judgments, blame and shame fogging your beautiful bay windows.

The dreams you had when you were young maybe didn’t look like where you are now.

What if the reason you’re here right now is to show you that it is really possible to have that life?

Ok. Maybe it isn’t looking quite like what you expected but it IS still open to options.

We see paths ahead.

You already know what the path that you’ve been on looks like.

Grab our hand and walk with us for a bit.

What if this is the path you are supposed to find?

 

You Belong Here!

Why are you here?

 

You’ve read all the way down to this.

So let’s look at what you have.

My experience says you are clouded with expectations and judgments, blame and shame fogging your beautiful bay windows.

The dreams you had when you were young maybe didn’t look like where you are now.

What if the reason you’re here right now is to show you that it is really possible to have that life?

Ok. Maybe it isn’t looking quite like what you expected but it IS still open to options.

We see paths ahead.

You already know what the path that you’ve been on looks like.

Grab our hand and walk with us for a bit.

What if this is the path you are supposed to find?

 

Let's do this together