I'm back!! I can't believe that I haven't written a blog post in THREE MONTHS! Wow. I have really missed it. I was just very distracted by my businesses and lots of new things going on there. Feels great to be back on here!
I've been reading John Maxwell's book, "The 15 Laws of Growth" and it is awesome. So many golden nuggets. I find myself constantly pausing it (listening to it on Audible on my daily walk) and taking notes in my notes app on my phone.
One of the truths from this book that really struck me is that we should be focusing on our own personal GROWTH and not just on our GOALS. As you may know, I am a GOAL-DRIVEN person. I write down my short and long term goals everyday, twice a day! So I am all about goals.
But I had to ask myself, am I as focused on my personal growth as I am my goals? And even more important than that question, is do I understand the importance of doing so?
In his book, Maxwell points out that if you focus on personal growth, you will almost always inevitably meet your goals. But on the contrary, it is possible to meet your goals without experiencing any personal growth. And how successful is that scenario? We should want to be consistently growing in all areas of our lives. Hitting our goals is just the bonus that comes with that.
My own coach and mentor has a great message about focusing on SIGNIFICANCE over SUCCESS. In a similar statement, he says that if you focus on being significant in your life, you will ultimately experience success. But again, to seek out success only, you may not find that you are significant.
What does being significant mean? I would say it would mean that while you lived your life on this earth, you made a difference. You made an impact. People were positively effected by your life and presence. I definitely want that!
So how do I make sure that I am putting an emphasis on personal growth? Here are some ways that I do on a daily basis:
Listen to 10 min or read 10 pages of a book everyday.
Find time to exercise or move daily.
Intentionally choose healthy foods more often than not.
Be sure to get enough sleep at night
Listen to podcasts of positive influencers and teachers.
Have my own coach to help me when I get stuck or to encourage me.
Surround myself with positive people who uplift and encourage.
Walk daily with God through prayer and Bible reading.
Spend quality time with my family.
Avoid negative people and messages (such as the news)
I do most all of these everyday. Some of them I only spend maybe 10 minutes on, but I get them in one way or another. All of these things encourage me and help me to be a better version of myself. They also keep me going when I feel weary and overwhelmed. They keep me pumped up and excited so that I don't every want to give up.
You have to feed yourself if you intend to grow. A starving person does not grow. In fact, they shrink and contract. You cannot always be giving and not ever getting. Sometimes, you have to make yourself a priority and make sure you are getting what you need.
If you feel overwhelmed, stressed, out of fuel, discouraged, weary, and/or like giving up...you may need to find ways to feed yourself with resources to help you grow. You can't run on empty! What feeds you the most? What do you find really encourages you and fills you? Whatever it is, make it a priority that you get that on the daily!
If you are feeling like you need some outside help with this, please feel free to message me! I would love to help in anyway that I can.
