As we continue to think about all of the things we want to accomplish this year, the change in habits, the healthier lifestyle choices, the projects that need to get done, there is one thing that is often left off the list…YOU!

 

Did you know that most people spend most of their time each day, and ultimately all year doing things that serve and benefit other people. This is why we often tend to feel a little burnt out, exhausted, and out of alignment. We fail to prioritize ourselves and doing so results in diminishing who we are. This is why so many mommas struggle when their kids move out on and on to college, because their children were their identity and most of everything they did revolved around them. This is why marriages fall apart after the kids are gone, because the marriage was put on the back burner to raise the kids and tend to their needs. This is why people experience mid-life crisis. It’s not because you wake up middle aged frustrated because you’re halfway through the race, its because one day you wake up and realize that you don’t even know who you are, you fail to recognize your life, you don’t understand how you have come as far as you have in life and continue to be equally distanced from your dream.

 

When we deprioritize growth we deprioritize ourselves.

 

There are several ways in which you can work to make yourself a priority in your own life–which is really important to do. If you have people who rely on you, well then you have a responsibility to take care of yourself so that you can be the best for them. 

 

I am pretty confident that when you think of taking care of you, the first thing you think of is self-care by way of massage, meditation, time away, a good book, or a good glass of cab. However I want to go beyond surface level self-care, and talk about a deeper more connected self-care.

 

GROWTH——

 

Growing ourselves is key, it’s how we evolve, it’s how we stay inspired, it’s how we stay motivated, it’s how we make room for progress, it’s how we feed our soul, it’s how we brighten our light, it’s how we impact others.

 

Now before you roll your eyes thinking you need to attend some culty seminar, hear me out. Growth is about pouring into yourself so that you have the ability to pour into others and the world around you. Growth is about learning new things, developing new skills, making improvements in an area of your life. Growth has many different looks, and can be whatever you want it to be. The point is to make growth a part of your daily life. Always remember, that you too, are a living being and like all living beings, if you aren’t growing then you are dying.

How do you know if you are growing? You will be able to answer the next few questions in precise detail. 

 

1. What am I currently learning? 
2. What new skill am I developing? 
3. What area of my life am I working to make improvements in, and how am I doing it? 
4. What interests do I have and how am I pursuing them? 
5. What skills, abilities, topics am I studying further to increase my knowledge and understanding? 

 

Now, if any of these questions stumped you– I don’t want you to feel bad, embarrassed or ashamed, I would much rather you realize that this is something you def need to put some thought into, and get after in a big way. 

 

We gotta grow to grow. It is as simple as that. My good friend and mentor John Maxwell says, “when you get better on the inside, everything around you gets better”. Essentially we can translate this into the idea that we are the catalyst for all change and progress in our lives. If we fail to change, then change fails to happen. 

 

So while everyone around you is planning what Netflix show they are going to binge next, I want to focus on BINGING You— by binging out on your growth plan. I want you to put some real thought into those questions up there, and have REAL answers for yourself.  Life isn’t so much about what we accomplish and what we do, it’s more about who we become and our contribution by way of that to the world.

 

It’s the WHO part…..that is what makes you different–all of this different. You see most people focus on the WHAT—- what they need to do, what they need to eat, what vacations they want to take, what gym to workout in, what car to buy, what event to go to– what if we changed the conversation? At the end of the day and our lives, remember this, no one at a funeral ever talks about what the person did, they ALWAYS talk about WHO the person was.

 

Growth requires growth. How will you grow this year? Who are you becoming? 

 

With Love, 

AG