Personal Development

Denim Dress (Worn as a Jacket)- Target; Similar; SimilarBooties- DSW

In the workplace, we often hear about Professional Development and it’s importance to how we can excel on the job. We often go through trainings, take assessments, additional curriculum courses and acquire the advice of mentors to help us on our journey of climbing the corporate ladder. What would happen if we took the time to focus on our personal development just as we do our professional? In today’s blog post, I’m discussing why personal development is important to me, and ways I strive to grow in my personal development.Physical HealthIn order for me to be my best self, I must be healthy physically. I feel my best when I’m in shape. When I’m working out on a regular basis, I have more energy to accomplish any task I have, whether it’s at work or even cleaning up around the house. It’s important for me to have a nice workout regimen with a balance of cardio and strength training. However, what’s more crucial than my workout routine is my eating habits. I’ve always loved fast food, but now that I’m in my thirties, I can’t get away with eating it as much as I did in my teen years and twenties. Making smart food choices while cooking more at home, is here to stay. I’ve improved in this area with the help of WW (Weight Watchers- more on that in a future post) and have seen great benefits in terms of my weight and blood pressure.In addition to eating right and being fit, I’m making it a point to focus on the health of my skin and hair. Of course, great diet and exercise can aid in this. I’m also making an effort to thoroughly cleanse my face and neck with great products (recommended by my dermatologist) twice a day, especially after I’ve had on makeup, while using my Clarisonic to cleanse at least 3 times a week. With my hair, I’m keeping it washed weekly when I have it out. With protective styles, I cleanse my scalp with Sea Breeze weekly, and wash when necessary. I also use products to keep my hair moisturized and healthy.Mental HealthMental health is just as important as physical. I’m able to operate at an optimum level when I’m in a good head space. I work on my mental health by reading books, praying, fasting, meditating and seeing a counselor when needed. Also, it’s so important to reduce and eliminate stress, whether that means removing myself from negative people and situations, or making sure that the space around me is clutter free. It is proven that keeping a clean space aids in your mental health. When the area around you is clean, you have peace of mind. This can sometimes be a struggle for me. Right now my car and house really need to be cleaned and organized. I’m making time in my schedule to take a few hours to work on that. I know that when my space is clear, my mind becomes clear too.Work can sometimes tug on my mental health. In those times, I remind myself that it’s not worth it to stress. First of all, I don’t get paid enough to and second, if I did, it still wouldn’t make sense logically. You can’t put a price on peace, so it makes no sense to stress. No amount of money is worth my peace of mind.FinancesIt’s so imperative to have finances in order. My goal is to save more money as often as possible. To accomplish this, I hope to get a better paying job, while also creating additional streams of income. I really would like to meet with a financial advisor to make sure that I have everything in line. Having a nice financial cushion is a lifesaver whenever something unexpected comes up.Career and BusinessWhen it comes to career and business, or just life in general, I like to learn as much as possible. Whether it’s listening to a podcast, reading a book or article, watching a video or attending a conference, acquiring as much knowledge about a particular thing I’m focused on is imperative. I strive to learn something new every day, even if it’s something simple.Connecting with like-minded people is another way to gain insight. I love to meet up with my friends to talk about our goals. A lot of times, we have something special to offer each other in the form of a personal contact/reference or just advice and encouragement.What types of things do you do to work on your personal development? Let me know in the comments below!