Coate Mindset: Blog and Blessing Ring by Maggie Coate

Circular floral design featuring the words 'Coate MINDSET' and the hashtag '#coateisagoat' on a soft blue background.

My Story

What is Coate Mindset anyway?

I developed the Coate Mindset to help me stay focused on creating a life with healthier habits that move me toward the goals that I set for myself. It also helps me grow into my most authentic self based on my truth instead of a truth based on other people’s perceptions and expectations of me.

Along with the Coate Mindset, I have created the #coateisagoat tag line. If you are a football fan and watched the Super Bowl, everyone is referring to Tom Brady as the true GOAT. My tagline is a play on this common acronym, the GOAT, used in sports for the Greatest of All Time. For the purposes of this blog and my current life trajectory, it is as follows:

  • G = Goals
  • O = Outlook
  • A = Authentic
  • T = Truth

On each blog post, I will start with my tagline and identify which topic the post is showcasing. I hope that you will join me on this journey of self awareness. I don’t know about you, but I can certainly use some support, encouragement, kindness and accountability. So what do you say? Will you join me?

  • A Gallon of Milk and the Space Between Joy and Grief
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, I have to tell you where I’ve been this week because I have a feeling some of you have stood in this same strange, sacred place. Grief is not one-size-fits-all. I think we know that in our heads, but we don’t really understand it until we’re living inside… Read more: A Gallon of Milk and the Space Between Joy and Grief
  • When Looking Back Helps You Move Forward
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, have you ever had one of those weeks where the past just quietly finds you? Not because you went looking for it. Not because you’re stuck there. It simply shows up… in a song, a movie, a smell, a familiar prayer, or a memory you didn’t even realize… Read more: When Looking Back Helps You Move Forward
  • The Fixer in Me
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, this prayer journey is changing me. Not with lightning bolts or dramatic moments. Not because every prayer has been answered or every circumstance has suddenly fallen into place. Instead, it’s been quieter than that. More like the Lord gently pulling back layer after layer of my heart and… Read more: The Fixer in Me
  • Playing the Quiet Game
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, can I ask you something? Where in your life have you been playing the quiet game? Maybe at work. Maybe in a relationship. Maybe in your family. Maybe at church. Not because you don’t have something to say. Not because you don’t know what needs to change. But… Read more: Playing the Quiet Game
  • Sixty Days, All In
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT)  Sweet friend, last week I introduced you to the book I’ve been sitting with lately — If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg— and this week, I kept reading. And y’all… something in these chapters stopped me right in… Read more: Sixty Days, All In
  • Not Every Wave is an Invitation
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, can I ask you something? What’s your boat? I’ve been sitting with that question all week. I’m listening to If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg— and one line just stopped me cold: choice, risk, and comfort… Read more: Not Every Wave is an Invitation
  • When You Can’t See Him Working
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, I have been sitting with something all week that I just cannot shake. And maybe that’s because the Lord doesn’t always whisper through the easy things. Sometimes, He speaks through the moments that stop us in our tracks. This week, there was a wreck right outside of campus.… Read more: When You Can’t See Him Working
  • When Safe Feels Scary: Learning to Live Outside Survival Mode
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, can I be honest with you today? I have spent the better part of my life in survival mode. And I don’t mean that as a figure of speech. I mean the kind of survival mode that gets wired into you — the kind that starts in the… Read more: When Safe Feels Scary: Learning to Live Outside Survival Mode
  • Every Day Is Already the Day
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT)  There’s something about this stretch of the calendar that always makes me stop and think. We just came off of Teacher Appreciation Week, and here we are on Mother’s Day, and sweet friend, I’ve been sitting with something all morning that I just can’t shake. We live in a world… Read more: Every Day Is Already the Day
  • Full Moon Weeks and Reset Sundays
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, have you ever made it to Friday and immediately started wondering…is there a full moon or something? Because that was me last week. Just absolutely wrung out—mentally, physically, emotionally—standing at the end of a week that felt like it had been personally designed to test every last nerve… Read more: Full Moon Weeks and Reset Sundays
  • The Tired That Feels Like a Gift
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, I’m writing this from the couch on a Sunday — my sacred reset day — and I’ll be honest with you… I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. And the funny thing is, I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary. I worked my week. Showed… Read more: The Tired That Feels Like a Gift
  • Some People Just Feel Like Sunshine
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, I want to talk to you today about the people in your life who just feel like sunshine. You know the ones. The people who can take the most imperfect, slightly off-track, “well that didn’t go how I planned it” kind of moment… and somehow turn it into… Read more: Some People Just Feel Like Sunshine
  • The Good Stuff: When Blended Families Show Up Beautiful
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Sweet friend, I want to tell you about a weekend that I’m going to carry in my heart for a very long time. This past weekend, we celebrated James and Mel’s wedding. And y’all — it was everything. Beautiful, joyful, full of all the things you hope a wedding will… Read more: The Good Stuff: When Blended Families Show Up Beautiful
  • The Space Between Expectation and Trust
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) I found myself thinking a lot about expectations this week… the ones we put on ourselves, and the ones we think other people are putting on us. You know the kind—the quiet pressure to get it right, to make it perfect, to show up exactly how we believe we’re supposed… Read more: The Space Between Expectation and Trust
  • Finding Balance (Or Learning to Stop White-Knuckling It)
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Y’all… I walked into last week with the best of intentions. I had just written about balance — finding it, choosing it, protecting it — and I really believed I was stepping into a week that would feel a little more grounded, a little more steady. And then… life did… Read more: Finding Balance (Or Learning to Stop White-Knuckling It)
  • He Meets You Right There in the Middle of Your Mess
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) I had a whole vision for this spring break. Georgia. The grandbaby. That kind of good that fills you all the way up. But life — and work — had other plans. When a job needs to get done, it gets done, and Richie wasn’t able to get out of… Read more: He Meets You Right There in the Middle of Your Mess
  • Put Your Troubles in a Hat
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) If you know me at all, you know I’m originally from South Alabama, transplanted to the Florida Panhandle almost 9 years ago. And if you know that much, then you probably also know I’ve got plenty of southern sayings that have followed me over here and become a little bit… Read more: Put Your Troubles in a Hat
  • Living in the Space of Gratitude
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Every once in a while, I have a week where I catch myself stepping back and just taking it all in. Just little moments where I pause and think, this is actually a really good season of life. This weekend and the past week felt like one of those times.… Read more: Living in the Space of Gratitude
  • Right Here. Right Now. On Purpose.
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) This weekend felt different. Not because anything extravagant happened. Not because there was some big milestone or dramatic moment. It was quieter than that. Simpler. It just felt… right. You know those moments when you pause and think, Right here. Right now. I am exactly where I am meant to… Read more: Right Here. Right Now. On Purpose.
  • The Gift of Choice (Even When Life Looks Different)
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Last night, I found myself in one of those conversations that stays with you long after it ends. The kind that doesn’t feel dramatic in the moment, yet somehow keeps echoing in your thoughts. I was talking with my friend Jenn about a beautiful job opportunity she’s stepping into —… Read more: The Gift of Choice (Even When Life Looks Different)
  • When the Road Isn’t Smooth
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Life has a way of placing us in situations we never would’ve chosen. The conversations we didn’t want to have. The stress we didn’t see coming. The season that feels heavier than it “should.” Less-than-ideal doesn’t even begin to cover some chapters. And if you’re anything like me, your first… Read more: When the Road Isn’t Smooth
  • Being Present Is Where the Joy Is
    G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) This weekend was short. Like really short. I chose to drive to Eufaula first so I could squeeze every possible moment out of a quick trip just south of Atlanta for a bridal shower. It meant making a stop—slightly out of the way—to spend the night with my mom and… Read more: Being Present Is Where the Joy Is
  • Facing What We’ve Been Putting Off
    G=Goals O=Outlook   A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) This past week was humbling in more ways than one. I had a tooth extracted that I should have taken care of over a year ago. I knew something wasn’t right back then. I felt the warning signs. But I ignored them—hoping it would settle down, telling myself I’d deal with… Read more: Facing What We’ve Been Putting Off
  • Learning How to Pray: Moving From Belief to Relationship
    G=Goals O=Outlook   A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) I have always been a believer. Faith has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I believe in God, I trust Him, and I know His promises are good. But if I’m being really honest, one area I know I’ve lacked in is building a relationship… Read more: Learning How to Pray: Moving From Belief to Relationship
  • Community: The Word I’m Carrying Into 2026
    G=Goals O=Outlook   A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) As we step into a new year, I chose a word to anchor me in 2026. A word to return to when things feel confusing, heavy, joyful, or uncertain. That word is community. Interestingly, this morning at church, the message centered on the importance of community and how deeply it shapes… Read more: Community: The Word I’m Carrying Into 2026
  • Trusting the Work We Cannot See
    G=Goals O=Outlook   A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT)  There is a difference between praying and trusting. Lately, I’ve been sitting with that truth in a deeper way. When we pray and ask God to move in our lives, we aren’t just making requests—we are stepping into a posture of hope and trust. Trust that He hears us. Trust that… Read more: Trusting the Work We Cannot See
  • A Marathon, Not a Sprint
    G=Goals O=Outlook   A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) As I sit here on the first Sunday night of the new year, getting my bag ready and mentally preparing for the workweek ahead, I’m realizing that 2026 didn’t start the way I imagined it would. Instead of feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to conquer the year, I spent the first… Read more: A Marathon, Not a Sprint
  • When Traditions Change, We Get to Choose What Comes Next
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic  T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT)  Christmas hasn’t felt the same since my grandmother passed away. For as long as I can remember, her house was the place. The gathering point after the Christmas Eve candlelight service at the First United Methodist Church in Jackson. The familiar smell of food in the kitchen, the sound of laughter spilling… Read more: When Traditions Change, We Get to Choose What Comes Next
  • Being Seen, Surrounded, and Stepping Into 50 with Gratitude
    G=Goals O=Outlook   A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Today, my heart is full. This morning started in the best way—church with family. Not rushed. Not distracted. Just present. Worshiping together, sitting side by side, grounded in faith. After that, we shared Sunday brunch to celebrate my 50th birthday, another friend’s birthday, and honestly… just the gift of being together.… Read more: Being Seen, Surrounded, and Stepping Into 50 with Gratitude
  • On the Eve of 50
    G=Goals O=Outlook   A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) As I sit here on the night before my 50th birthday, my mood isn’t my usual one. I’ve been a little down. Maybe a little sad. And I didn’t expect that. Why is it that birthdays—especially the big ones—have a way of making us think about where things have gone wrong… Read more: On the Eve of 50
  • Grief, Disappointment, and the Holidays… The Parts We Don’t Say Out Loud
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic  T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT)  Sometimes the hardest part of growing is realizing that not everyone is willing—or able—to grow with you. Family included. There’s a version of you that some people cling to because it makes them feel better. It’s familiar. Predictable. Comfortable. But that version of you doesn’t exist anymore… and honestly, that’s something to… Read more: Grief, Disappointment, and the Holidays… The Parts We Don’t Say Out Loud
  • Growing Into New Seasons — Gratitude, Awareness, and the Courage to Keep Becoming
    G=Goals O=Outlook   A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Thanksgiving has a way of slowing me down long enough to see what I might’ve rushed past during the year. The table filled with food, the familiar voices, the laughter that rises without effort—those moments remind me how grateful I am for the people I get to love in this life.… Read more: Growing Into New Seasons — Gratitude, Awareness, and the Courage to Keep Becoming
  • The Door That Closed and the Clarity That Followed
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic  T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) This week didn’t unfold the way I expected. I didn’t get a job I truly believed might be my “end goal” — the role I thought would tie together years of work, growth, and passion. When the answer came back as no, it was disappointing. Not dramatic, not earth-shattering… just one of… Read more: The Door That Closed and the Clarity That Followed
  • Trusting God… Even When Fear Tries to Win
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) This past week, I found myself in Austin, Texas for a work conference—my first time in the city. And let me tell you, Austin did not disappoint. The energy, the food, the creativity of the city… it was all such a blessing. The conference itself was semi-useful, but the trip as a… Read more: Trusting God… Even When Fear Tries to Win
  • Proud of the Climb
    G=Goals O=Outlook   A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) I don’t say this often enough — but I’m proud of myself. Not in a boastful way. In a grateful way. Because when I stop and look back at the road that’s led me here, I can see that none of this happened by accident. I’ve worked hard to get where… Read more: Proud of the Climb
  • The Good You Can’t See Yet
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Today I watched the Little House on the Prairie episodes where Mary goes blind. I’ve seen them before, but this time something different stood out to me—something deeper. When Mary first loses her sight, everything she knew about herself changes. Her independence, her dreams, her sense of purpose—it all feels shattered. And… Read more: The Good You Can’t See Yet
  • No Pity Parties — Just Peace
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT) Lately, I’ve felt that tug — the one that comes when you’re doing all the things you once prayed for, but you’re too tired to enjoy them. The calendar’s full, the to-do list never ends, and even the blessings start to feel a little heavy. It’s a strange tension — to be grateful… Read more: No Pity Parties — Just Peace
  • Learning to Reset After Letting My Emotions Lead
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic T=Truth(#coateisaGOAT) This week, I had one of those moments — the kind where you know exactly what you should do, and yet you do the opposite. Instead of pausing and responding from a place of peace, I let my emotions grab the wheel. Before I knew it, my alter ego (we’ll call her Hornetta… Read more: Learning to Reset After Letting My Emotions Lead
  • Lessons from Little House on the Prairie: God-Given Gifts and Grit
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic    T=Truth(#coateisaGOAT) This week, I revisited one of my favorite episodes of Little House on the Prairie—the one where Laura Ingalls rides her beloved horse, Bunny, in the township horse race against Nellie Oleson. Nellie’s mother had gone out and bought her a thoroughbred, just so she could beat Laura in the annual Hero Township… Read more: Lessons from Little House on the Prairie: God-Given Gifts and Grit
  • All In His Timing
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic   T=Truth(#coateisaGOAT) There was a day I will never forget. I was standing in the shower, broken after my second divorce, crying out to God for strength because I truly didn’t know how I was going to make it through. In that moment, I surrendered. I admitted I wasn’t in control. And that was the… Read more: All In His Timing
  • Week 1 of My Morning Routine Journey
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic  T=Truth(#coateisaGOAT) This past week, I officially started my Miracle Morning routine inspired by Hal Elrod’s book. My alarm goes off at 5:20 a.m., and I’ve committed to the SAVERS—Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing—before the rest of the world wakes up. Not going to lie—Monday felt like a win, but by Friday, the… Read more: Week 1 of My Morning Routine Journey
  • Back to Simpler Times
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic T=Truth(#coateisaGOAT) This past weekend, I gave myself permission to step away from social media. Instead of scrolling, I finally did something I had been putting off—cleaning out my closet and drawers. Somewhere between sorting clothes and dusting corners, I found myself turning on a show I hadn’t watched in years: Little House on… Read more: Back to Simpler Times
  • Finding Purpose in the Exhaustion
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic T=Truth(#coateisaGOAT) This week has been an emotional roller coaster for me. I know part of it comes from burning the candle at both ends. My exhaustion goes beyond just the physical—it’s mental, emotional, and spiritual. And I know I’m not alone. Scrolling through the internet tonight, I was reminded of that. I saw… Read more: Finding Purpose in the Exhaustion
  • Grateful for the Small Moments That Leave Big Impacts
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic T=Truth(#coateisaGOAT) Gratitude has been on my heart this week. Not just for the big milestones we all dream about, but for the small, unexpected moments that carry so much meaning. Two days ago, I received the biggest order yet for Blessing Rings. It came from Kristi — someone I met only once at… Read more: Grateful for the Small Moments That Leave Big Impacts
  • Becoming a Better Steward
    G=Goals O=Outlook  A=Authentic T=Truth(#coateisaGOAT) Part of what Coate Mindset is all about is being real about the ups and downs of growth. It’s not always pretty, it’s not always easy, and sometimes it feels like I’m stumbling more than I’m striding. Where This Started Earlier this week, I saw a reel that really stopped me in… Read more: Becoming a Better Steward

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