TheFabYOUList Author Susan Campbell Cross Shares How to Make YOU a Priority! by Elisa Schmitz

Have you put yourself on the back burner to raise a family, or off the stove entirely? It is time to make yourself a priority! We are fortunate to have Susan Campbell Cross, lifestyle expert, author and on-air personality, share her personal journey from suburban soccer mom to multi-tasking media maven with the 30Second Mom community. Susan is the lifestyle editor of Shape, OK! and Star magazines in addition to writing the inspiring memoir: The FabYOUList. She details how to make a list that will make over your life!

Q: Your new book came out September 10th. What prompted you to write “The FabYOUList?”

A: At age 36, I hadn’t fulfilled many of my dreams. I had a house, husband and kids, but I wasn’t content. What was missing? ME! I listed 40 life goals and challenged myself to do all of them before my 40th birthday. Number 40 was write a book, and that book is “The FabYOUList!”

Q: What was it about listing your goals helped you to achieve them?

A: Listing my goals forced me to be specific about what they were, why they were important to me and why I’d not done them yet! When I felt guilty, shy, embarrassed or afraid I just referred to that list. It was like a permission slip.

Q: In your book you say you didn’t just put your dreams on the back burner, you pushed them off stove. Why do moms do that, and how do we stop?

A3: Many moms feel guilty spending time, energy, money on themselves. They don’t want their kids to have less. Through living my list, I learned the best gift moms can give kids is a happy mom! Self realized does not equal selfish. Moms should think of the list as a promise they are making to themselves to be a happy individual. That leads to being the best mom you can be.

Q: What do you recommend for someone who can’t think of what she should put on her list?

A: Write “I wish I had ____.” Fill in blank as many times as you can. Then X out “wish I had” and write “I’m going to!” It’s also good to think about what you’d do if you knew you couldn’t fail. Don’t limit yourself! Think BIG! Ask what your younger self wanted to be when she grew up. Ballerina? Put “take ballet” on your list.

Q: How did you get past your fear? You were afraid of drowning, but managed to go surfing!

A: I didn’t get past, around, or over my fears! I got THROUGH them! I still get scared. I just act anyway. The worst rarely happens. I had to ask myself what I wanted more: my fear or my dream. Whichever you focus on is the one you’ll get to keep. If you let fear of failure stop you from trying something, you just made your fear come true. You can’t win a game you don’t play!

Q: What are the most important lessons you learned from living your list?

A: Pursuing my passions doesn’t make me selfish; it makes me happy! I’m a better mom, wife and friend when I’m happy. There’s no expiration date on dreams. You are never too old, and it’s never too late.

Q: How did living your list change your life?

A: A lot of goals on my list became part of my everyday life. I’m now an actor, an autism advocate and a lifestyle writer. Plus, I found purpose by achieving my “write a book” goal because “The FabYOUList” is helping others get unstuck! I’m living a life I LOVE and helping others to do the same. My life is transformed, I’m more me, and it all started with a list!

You can learn more about Susan by following her on Twitter, checking out her Facebook page and visiting her website!