About Me… If You Care!

Hi I’m Leah and the ‘About Me’ section is my favourite thing to read. I love to learn about others that inspire me- what makes them tick and what obstacles they overcame. So I thought it was only appropriate if I created one for myself.

I was born and raised in a GTA (greater-Toronto-area) suburb called Oakville, Ontario. I’m the oldest of three children so naturally I have a Type-A personality. I wasn’t always like that though. Growing up I was a rather shy kid but I think you reach a point when you’re older you just start speaking up for yourself.

Currently I live in Burlington, Ontario in my 2 bedroom condo town apartment (not quite an apartment, not exactly a town home- you have to see it to fully understand what I’m taking about). I love my place because it has a yard which is a big deal on a single income in the Toronto area. I bought it by myself with my life saving in 2008 right before the real estate market took a dip (therefore, I didn’t get to enjoy the low mortgage rates that many other of my friends did). But I live with no regret….

My parents (and almost all of my extended family) are teachers. Being the rebellious child I didn’t follow in their footsteps. Instead, I work in the financial district in Toronto since finishing school

I started creating ‘Smart Goals for Success’ in June 2009 and kept it a secret from most of my family and friends. I have always loved writing (I’m not saying I’m good at it, it’s just something I enjoy) and thought this would be a great hobby on the side.

I became really passionate in personal development a year earlier when I wanted to make some ‘life changes’. I love to share my knowledge (what I have learnt from the mistakes I have made) with others, so again, I thought this would be a great way to do so. ‘Smart Goals for Success’ is about making the transition for child to adult, something I have done over the last couple of years.

Am I an expert? Definitely not! This website contains some of my personal experiences, things I have learnt from others and I links to great resources.

You have to understand that there are a lot of 20-something kids in the GTA living at home with their parents. Some of us make even more money than our parents. A lot of us get married later on in life because we are too focused on our careers, so it isn’t until we get married that we finally leave home. You do the math…

In my case, when I was 27 years old and single at the time I wanted to give parents the best gift- leaving home. There comes a time in life that you realize that you just have to make the leap.

Secondly, I was curious to see if I can turn something I’m passionate about and enjoying doing into an income. Once I moved away from home, I because a little nervous about having a sole source of income. I started investigating in multiply streams of income and many people are turning to blogging.

Is it just me or does everyone have their own website???

There are tons of successful bloggers out there that earn most of their incomes from the websites they created. Individuals like Steve Pavlina and Leo Babauta who are both featured in my Motivation for Achievement section. If you’re interested in following a similar path, I suggest you check out that section.

I chose to use SBI (site build it) to help me create my website. It’s a step-by-step guide of putting together a successful website. I will feature more information about SBI shortly, but it’s definitely one of the best purchases I have ever made.

Click here if you want to read more about SBI.

In January 2011 I created another webiste using Site Build It! because it was so simple and easy to do. Overcome-grief.com is something close to my heart. My mother was diagnosed and lost her battle to cancer in 2010. I wanted to create an outlet to share my story and connect with others who have gone through the same thing. With every bad there's always some good that comes out of it. And all we can do is keep on moving forward.

Favourite time of year: I’ve always loved summer, I love the heat and even the humidity we get in southern Ontario. Fall is a close second. I would love it more if it didn’t mean the end of the baseball season and the introduction of winter. Halloween is one of my favourites.

Favourite thing to do in the summer: Relax by a pool or go to a Toronto Blue Jays game.

How I stay in shape: I enjoy training for runs and I’m addicted to yoga. Yoga has really transformed my body. I’m currently working towards my yoga certification. Since diet is 80% of the secret of staying in shape, I try to eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables and cut down on process foods (i.e. the Eat Clean Diet). But fail miserly around any holiday.

Dream job: I’m really passionate in health and wellness. I would like to help others create their dream life. I believe most people don’t realize their self-worth and end up staying in jobs they hate. The goal of this website is to change your mindset to follow your dreams.

Favourite city other than Toronto: Boston, MA. In all fairness I haven’t’ been to Europe but I love the history of Boston.

Current goals: To run a marathon in my 30th year (2011) and to make ‘Smart Goals for Success’ my primary source of income so I can continue to do what I love most.