How Lea Michele Is Using the #ActuallySheCan Campaign to Empower Girls Everywhere

Lea Michele Actually She Can Campaign Recap
Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Sitting on an ivory couch in the St. James private room inside The London West Hollywood’s Boxwood restaurant, a bubbly and smiling Lea Michele spoke about an important cause that she has recently taken up: the #ActuallySheCan movement. As the new face of the campaign, the actress broke down what it is and what it means to her.

“I feel like being in this business, it’s important to align myself with things that I find are true to myself, and everything that #ActuallySheCan stands for is really the things that I personally stand for in my life,” the Scream Queens star, who had a winter white moment in J Brand jeans and a Madewell blazer, told InStyle. “It’s just about empowering and motivating women to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. So it’s been really great.”

Especially appropriate with 2016 just around the corner, #ActuallySheCan is a motivating initiative that encourages young women to reflect on their goals and to come up with "less/more" mantras (like "less drama, more karma") to share what they plan to get rid of and do more of in order to acheive those objectives. (Post your own resolution on the #ActuallySheCan site; six people who do will win a T-shirt autographed by Michele.)

As for Michele’s own less/more mantra, the actress told us she wants to be “less complacent and more challenging” when it comes to healthy living, and “keep with what I’ve already been doing which is to always explore different things.” The actress/songstress said she’s always been into hiking and yoga, for example, but started doing Pilates and spin class as well this year to add to her fitness repertoire.

“I think it’s great for everyone,” she continued. “It keeps us motivated and it keeps us open to trying new things ... I had the best time doing that this year, and it’s definitely what I want to continue to incorporate into this next year.”

Speaking of motivation, Michele said her key to sticking with New Year’s resolutions has been to be realistic. “It’s important to set goals that are attainable,” she said. “I think that people set these crazy goals and then it’s kind of like, maybe they weren’t attainable. Obviously I push myself, but I definitely like to think about things that I know I can incorporate and that I should.”

Anyone else ready to kick off 2016 with a bang?

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