PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT .
Personal development is not only going to help with weight loss and a healthy lifestyle change, but it’s also going to be helpful in every area of life. The people around you will notice it and will want the vibe that you are giving off! There are going to be nine different points I will briefly touch on that will give you a start for working on personal development if you have not already. It doesn’t matter how old you are, or what stage of life you are in. Anyone and everyone should start on this immediately, because like anything positive and permanent, it is a process and will take a bit of time, but you and the people around you will thank you for taking action on your personal development!
Self-awareness. This is probably the most challenging and the one that takes the most time. It takes awhile to know truly who you are. What really does get you excited, what makes you mad, etc. This is something that you truly have to be honest with yourself and dig down deep to find the answers. When you figure out and understand how you feel with things it really allows you to be able to channel your energy and your passions into the right areas of life, like your work, hobbies, organizations, people, etc. When you are able to do this, you not only inspire yourself, but you will also be inspiring the people around you too. It will have the ripple effect, they will want that desire, passion, and positivity for their own life.
Listening. Listen to the people around you, as well as your own self. Being a great listener is such an excellent thing to work on constantly, we can always learn to be a better listener for our friends, coworkers, or who ever it may be. Listening to yourself is something that a lot of people are not good at doing, but definitely need to work on. If your body is telling you to slow down, then get that extra hour of sleep if you are feeling physically drained of energy, and avoid the intense workout you maybe had planned for the day. You will benefit yourself, as well as the people around you. You will be much more relaxed and calm, and have the energy you need to get through the day. That calm and relaxed vibe will also make the people around you calm and relaxed too. So just listen to your body, sometimes you need to just slow down and relax, not always be on the go, even if you feel like you have a million of things to do.
Changing bad habits. Change one small bad habit at a time, not a bunch at once, or you will just be setting yourself up for failure. Focus on one thing that you really want to work on and improve. Once you have changed that bad habit into a good one, then choose a new bad habit to change. It is less daunting and you will be much more successful with the changes. Small steps in the right direction is all that it takes to change your lifestyle around permanently.
Positivity, I mean, you had to know that one was coming. Optimism and positivity can be a driving force of energy, for you and the people that you are surrounded by. It is so much more productive to be relentless with your positivity. People will dare to approach you, and you will be so much more productive. You will be overflowing with energy and positivity, how can good things not be happening to you in that state of mind?
Embracing mistakes and change. Doing this allows you to fully embrace the new opportunities that may be coming your way. Life is constantly changing around us, when one is not able to embrace change or learn from their mistakes it will be depressing and you will be stuck in a rut. You will never get out of that rut, not until you can adapt to the new opportunities in front of you and the environment around you. Lets be real, who doesn’t want to surround themselves with people who are laid back and who can adapt to new situations quickly and with grace?!
Finding your excitement. “You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs. I have had a number of jobs over the course of life and I can so relate to this quote. You do spend a lot of time at work, so making it enjoyable and something that you love is everything! I am so grateful that I have found a job that fits my skills and true passions. You don’t know how bad a job is until you have found that job that is enjoyable and that you truly love! So do not settle, keep searching for it, and do whatever it takes to get there!
Energy is key to productivity, and with exercise comes energy, most often people think it drains you, but after a workout you are much more likely to be productive and have a boost of energy to conquer your day! It is a great outlet to release stress and to just get away from the craziness of your day for a bit.
You are what you eat. Give your body the right fuel that it needs, your food quite literally is your fuel source. So if you are constantly drinking and eating junk food and processed food, trust me, you are not going to be productive. You are going to constantly be grabbing that next soda for a caffeine boost, or taking those 15 minute naps four times a day. Putting the proper food in your body is going to make such a difference, again, you won’t know how bad your body was with utilizing energy until you fuel it with proper food and nutrition and it will blow your mind how much food plays a role with our attitude and energy levels. I have known this fact for quite awhile, and have definitely experienced it, but yet it still blows my mind every time I experience it! Nutrition is everything!
Time management. Yes, another no brainer, but seriously you guys, write down your goals, or your lists of what you want to make a priority, and you will be amazed with what you are able to get done. If you do not physically write down your goals, or your list of things to do, they will not be considered a priority and you will not be constantly reminded of the goals. That is often when goals get forgotten about or no action is taken to reach those goals. Also, tell someone else your goals, having someone else to hold you accountable is going to be key with goal success. I am still constantly working on this skill too, trying to master it, definitely not always easy, but it is so worth it!
I know that this is probably more than what you wanted to read, but I just couldn’t leave any of these out because of their importance. Just focus on a step or two at a time and take notice of the little changes that you are seeing by incorporating a few of these simple changes to your daily routine.
Mara xoxo
