Carrie Jo Coaching

Okay, confession time. There aren't quite 90 days left in the year, but "88-Day Spark Reset" just doesn't have the same ring.

And before you say, "Well, this year is basically over..." Nope. There is still a LOT of year left. But I'm also not suggesting you use the next three months to overhaul your entire life, start 14 new habits, lose 20 pounds, organize your basement and finally become the person who meal preps on Sundays. Hard pass.

What if you used the next 90(ish) days for something different?

- To pay attention.
- To notice what you've gotten used to that maybe isn't working anymore.
- To question some of the rules and expectations you've been living by.
- To reconnect with what YOU want
- To start making small choices that feel more like the person you want to be.

That's what we're doing in my new 90-Day Spark Reset.

Every Monday, I'll send you:
- One idea to think about
- One question to ask yourself
- One small Spark Move to make.

Every Thursday, I'll check in.

That's it. No giant workbook. No falling behind (clearly I'm not one to judge). No "new year, new you" nonsense. Just one small shift at a time between now and the end of the year.

Because I don't want you waking up January 1 thinking, "How is it 2027 already?" I want you walking into the new year knowing yourself a little better, trusting yourself a little more and feeling excited about where you're headed.

Want to join me (fashionably late is welcome)? It's FREE!

🌟 Comment SPARK below or DM me and I'll send you the details. 🌟

Your spark isn't gone. Maybe it just needs a little attention.

This wasn’t how I planned to spend my Saturday.

One minute I was going about my day. The next, the vision in one of my eyes had gotten bad enough that we were headed to the emergency room. And apparently I wasn't the only one who needed the ER on Saturday. It was packed.

There wasn’t a room for me, so I spent 5 hours sitting in the hallway while they gave me medication and ran some tests. Eventually they decided to keep me overnight, but there wasn’t a room ready for several hours. And when I finally got one? Observation room. No bathroom. No window. No TV. Very glamorous.

I did, however, get a fabulous pair of those hospital grippy socks, so there’s that.

There were plenty of things I could have been frustrated about. And believe me, I’m not going to pretend I was thrilled to be there.

But at some point I remember thinking:

I can’t change any of this.
I can’t change what happened with my vision.
I can’t make the ER less busy.
I can’t magically produce a hospital room.
I can’t make the tests happen faster.

What I could do was decide how much more miserable I wanted to make myself while I waited. So I talked with the nurses. I joked about the food. I laughed about my very fashionable socks. And I kept reminding myself that I was exactly where I needed to be. I was safe. People were taking care of me. And everyone around me was doing the best they could.

So many of us spend a tremendous amount of energy arguing with circumstances we cannot change. This shouldn’t be happening. I should be able to handle this. This wasn’t the plan. I should be further along by now.

I couldn’t change where I spent my Saturday. But I could laugh with the nurses. I could appreciate the people taking care of me. I could rock the grippy socks. (Okay, not really. No one can rock those!)

Was I in a good mood the whole time? Nope.

Did I pretend everything was great and slap on a fake smile? Also nope.

But I did try to catch myself when I started getting frustrated about things I couldn’t change.

Because there’s a difference between letting yourself be disappointed, scared, frustrated or just plain over it, and letting those feelings take over the whole experience.

I could be frustrated that I was sitting in a hallway .... AND be grateful that doctors were taking my vision seriously.

I could be disappointed that my Saturday went completely sideways ..... AND recognize that I was exactly where I needed to be.

And today, I can be really disappointed that I’m missing out on a really cool conference, something I was genuinely excited about, .... AND know that staying home and taking care of myself is what I need right now.

Maybe that’s the part we forget. We don’t have to love what’s happening. But we do get to decide whether we’re going to spend all of our energy fighting against a reality we can’t change... or figure out how we want to meet the moment we’re actually in.

It's not always easy. Believe me. I've had my moments.

Sometimes the Spark Move isn’t changing the situation. Sometimes it’s simply choosing how you want to show up inside it.

Even in the hallway of the ER , and even in really ugly grippy socks 😜😂

Before you rush into the weekend, do a quick Spark Check.

Think back over your week.

What gave you energy?
What drained it?

Not what should have made you happy. Not what you should be grateful for. What actually made you feel lighter, more like yourself, more energized?

And on the flip side, what left you feeling depleted, irritated, overwhelmed or just… blah?

We’re usually so busy moving from one thing to the next that we don’t stop long enough to notice. But those little moments are giving you information.

They’re clues.

Maybe you felt energized after coffee with a friend. Drained after a meeting you’ve started dreading. Lit up working on something creative. Exhausted after saying yes to something you really wanted to say no to.

Pay attention.

Because when you start noticing what gives you energy and what takes it away, you can start making small changes that add up to a life that feels a whole lot better.

So, your Friday Spark Check:

✨ What gave you energy this week?
✨ What drained it?

You don’t have to overhaul your whole life this weekend. Just notice.

That’s usually where change starts.

Take the free 2-minute Spark Check Quiz here:

https://spark-check-quiz.lovable.app

This is what it looks like when we’re both down and out.

Darren’s been sick with some version of cold and flu, and I’ve been dealing with chronic pain and fatigue. Now I’m sick, too. Apparently, we’re doing in sickness and in health as a team sport this week. 😳🤣

So today’s big plans include blankets, naps, lots of water and taking care of each other as best we can.

A reminder for me, and maybe for you, too: when your body needs rest, let it rest. Take care of each other when you can, and take care of yourself, too. The laundry and dishes can wait!! ♥️

Okay ladies, I need your help!

I’m starting to plan our next Women’s Spark Nite and instead of guessing what you’d want, I thought…why don’t I just ASK you?

I have a few ideas, but I want to know which one would actually make you text a girlfriend and say, “We should go to this!”

Take a look at the options and drop your vote below. 👇

A, B, C or D

Or have a completely different idea? I want to hear that too!

These nights are about real conversations, real connection and topics that actually matter to women in this season of life. So tell me what YOU want.

And tag the girlfriend you’d bring with you. 💕

Today I was supposed to be the day. I was going to have hip replacement surgery.

It’s been on my calendar for months. I planned around it, worked around it, counted down the days waiting for some relief.

And today… I’m not having surgery.

A few weeks ago, some unexpected health stuff showed up and my doctors decided we needed to figure that out first.

Was I disappointed? Yep.

Was I READY? Heck ya!

I know it sounds weird to be ready (maybe even excited) for surgery. But I am ready to fix this hip, ready to walk without a cane and ready to get back to doing all the things I’ve been missing.

But lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what happens when life changes the plan.

My first instinct is usually to fight it. Fix it. Figure it out. Find another date. Make a new plan. DO SOMETHING.

But maybe this season isn’t asking me to figure everything out right now. Maybe it’s asking me to pay attention. Maybe it's asking me to slow down, to take care of myself, to let other people help me. And to trust that a different timeline doesn’t automatically mean a worse one.

Today was supposed to be surgery day.

Instead, it’s just… today.

And I’m learning that maybe I don’t have to make today anything other than what it is. 🩷

I asked a room full of women a question Wednesday night…

If you had an entire week with no work, no responsibilities and nobody to take care of, would you know exactly what YOU wanted to do?

ONE woman raised her hand. 😂.

And honestly, that moment pretty much summed up why I wanted to create Women’s Spark Nite.

We spent our first night together talking about hormones, cortisol, blood sugar, nutrition, stress and what our bodies actually need during this stage of life.

There were laughs, lots of notes being taken and plenty of Ohhhh…THAT explains a few things moments.

But underneath all of it was something even bigger:

We can learn how to take better care of ourselves, but we also have to make room in our lives to actually DO it.

One woman told me afterward that women want to feel heard and validated during this stage of life.

Another said she walked away feeling empowered, educated and motivated.

Another told me that she knows she needs to make more time for herself and her health, but struggles with actually doing it.

YES. This is exactly what I hoped these nights could become.

A place to learn.
A place to laugh.
A place to talk about the things so many of us are experiencing but aren’t always saying out loud.
And a place to connect with other women who get it.

Thank you to every woman who showed up for our very first Women’s Spark Nite. And a huge thank you to Alison for sharing her knowledge and to Jen and The Edge for giving us such a great place to gather.

We’re doing it again in October!

And I want YOU to help shape the next one.

What do you want to learn more about?
What are you navigating right now?
What do you wish more women were talking about?

Drop your ideas below. 👇

Because apparently we have a LOT to talk about. 😂

You’ve got enough things to worry about. Qualifying for a fun night out shouldn’t be one of them. 😂

So we’re making this pretty easy.

✔ Be a woman.
✔ That’s it. You’re in.

Come laugh, connect, have a drink and talk about all the WTF is happening to my hormones? parts of midlife with women who get it.

✨ Women’s Spark Nite: Hormones, Hot Flashes & Happy Hour
📅 Wednesday, August 5 | 5:30–7 PM
📍 The Edge Bar & Boutique

Come by yourself. Bring a friend. Just come as you are.

Spots are filling up — save yours!

www.spark-nites.com

Alison Barbeln
Edge Bar + Boutique