A family brand will really help you make choices as a family … what you say yes to, what to say no to, what to get mad about, what to let go, what to really firmly to put your foot down about because these are your core beliefs.  

– Mia Moran

On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk about family brands as a way to help our families live healthier lives.

I come from a design background, and I used to work with a lot of clients around what they stood for or believed in. It dawned on me a couple years ago, that a brand was a really useful tool for families as well. Just like knowing your personal why helps you stay the course, knowing your family why or what you believe in helps you find your way.

Sometimes as individuals we have different core beliefs, which can lead to tension. Understanding these deep seated beliefs and honoring them helps us as individuals, couples, and families.

My husband wants to be the best human possible to our planet. It’s not that I don’t want this, but it isn’t ingrained in me, and so we approach everything from trash to getting from here to there in different ways. But for a while when he would re-sort the trash to get the recycling and the compost in the right place, I felt judged. After doing the core values exercise, it shifted the energy for me. This is a value we share as a family. This is something I can work on with humor and gentleness.

In this show I’m talking about:

• My family’s core values
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• How getting really clear on the core values can change the tone of the conversation
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• Choosing 7–10 words that really define your family
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• Deciding what those defining words look like in your family
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• Using a family meeting and repetition to share family brand with your children
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• Shifting and adjusting your family brand as needed
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Doable Changes from this episode:

• CHOOSE WORDS THAT DEFINE YOUR FAMILY. Choose 7–10 words that define your family or family values. Connectivity and taking care of the planet our two of ours. Use my word list for ideas or brainstorm your own. Make sure you take into account the values of both parents and any older children.
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• MAKE A POSTER OF YOUR FAMILY BRAND. You can do this. Your kids can do it. You can do it together. It could start “In this family, we …” , or you can just list the words. Get clear on what you mean by each word.
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• FOCUS ON ONE WORD THIS WEEK. Choose one word to focus on this week. When you have to make a decision, think about your word. Which choice brings you more inline with that word? How can you incorporate that word into your daily routine more? For example, if your word is connectivity, you might choose to turn off the TV and play a game together or say no to the PTO meeting so you can have family dinner. You might make a point to give hugs regularly or look the kids in the eye before they walk out the door in the morning. Just keep touching back to your word.
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REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help youtake small steps toward your big goal.

  A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.

Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.

Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.

http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/