Is there an area of your life that you would like running smoother or something you’re struggling with? When I say struggling, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. Maybe there’s something that works, but you want to know if there’s a way you can improve it. There are so many options available to us and we have an unlimited amount of information at our fingertips in this world of ours. Take what works for you, and leave the rest. Personal development is not something you do occasionally, it’s a way of life.
You might wonder, where do I start!!! This is no different than creating a goal list. Write down everything you can think of that you want to improve or change in your life. Remember that thing they used to make you do in school called brainstorming? Yup, time to bring that skill back into your life. It’s actually useful. When you do this for the first time, your list might seem overwhelming OR you might struggle to make one. That’s ok! I’ll get you started with a couple of basic ideas.
There are some specific areas in life that are common to all. First, let’s talk nutrition. As you all know, I’m a working mama. With seven kids and a busy life. I used to struggle with food. I would get home from work and panic because I didn’t know what to make for supper. Grocery shopping was a NIGHTMARE. And I would grab whatever was in the pantry to snack on amidst all this stress. My life couldn’t look any more different now. Meal planning! I know what I’m going to have to eat everyday for the next week, at the very least. I make sure it’s nutritious and delicious and fits with our schedule that day. Grocery shopping just became easier too since I now know exactly what I need to buy and it also eliminated unnecessary purchases. Except when the shopping is done when I’m hungry. DON’T GO GROCERY SHOPPING WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY UNLESS YOU CAN STICK TO THE LIST! I can actually stick to the list but it requires more mental strength and I like to save my energy for other things. When I shop hungry, I have been known to put that bag of chocolate almonds into my cart and carry it all around the store before putting it back on the shelf before I get in the checkout line. It makes me feel better when I’m shopping hungry and even better when I put it back on the shelf. I mentally pat myself on the back for making the healthy choice. That’s a hack I use to make this work for me.
Next, let’s talk about your space. This is critical to your life. Is your space functional? Is there clutter everywhere or is it organized? When we live in a space that is cluttered with stuff, this creates chaos in our minds and drains our energy. You also spend a lot of time and energy managing your “stuff”. How can you possibly experience and create in your life when you have no mental or physical energy?! I’ll give you an example. This shelving unit makes me want to break down and cry. Literally. It causes me stress. It might not look that bad to you because everything seems to have a place but we don’t need all this stuff. There are so many options in our commercialized world nowadays that it makes it difficult to focus. WE DON’T NEED AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF OPTIONS! We have recently combined two full households into one. That came with a lot of extra stuff and we’re in the process of downsizing it all so that we can function more effectively in our home without the chaos. I was already well on my way towards my mission of minimization in my home before this. We can’t get to it all at once and while this area might cause me stress now, we started out by focusing on the areas that affect our ability to function on a day to day basis. The day is getting very near though when this will be at the top of the list and I will have the time to deal with it. I’ll post an after picture on my Facebook page to show you the result.
When you get down to it, personal development is how you get your shit together. Life is about balance. When you ignore certain areas of your life, they will control you and you will not be successful. Yes that means struggle. You can focus more on one area to improve it while still making the other ones important. Life is also about experiencing and creating! The more you can automate and make easier in your life, the more of this you have time for. It all starts with small changes to improve your life. Small changes create momentum as you see the value it brings to your life. What can you do today to start improving one area of your life and make more room for the experiences?