The last few years have involved a great deal of personal development and growth for me.
I am fascinated, particularly, in how people make their livings… what others do for work, and how others successfully balance work and life, and do work that they feel passionate about. Ultimately, I have a lot to learn from those people about how to better balance my own life, work, and passions.
Some of my personal development work has been carefully planned, intentional, and done with the help of others. At other times, the learning and growth has been far more internal… more introspective… and more like the lessons flow to me from a universe that has some sort of grand plan. I move back and forth between these styles of learning and improvement, and lately, have been immersed in both.
Among my blessings is the chance to spend time working with coach Amy Christensen of Expand Outdoors. Amy’s main focus in her coaching practice is to inspire, motivate and provide guidance and support for others as they experience the outdoors. Working with Amy is helping me connect my outdoor and indoor lives, toward creating an even happier, better balanced life for myself.
On the more quiet, internal side, one book I’ve found quite helpful is I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It
What have I learned, from all of this work? That left to my own devices, following my instincts, I know myself, my strengths, and my passions pretty darn well.
The tools, exercises, and time spent learning help me feel more confident to follow my instincts when I make decisions about my life and work. They do not point the way, like a set of directions; instead, they reassure me that I am traveling in the right direction, like a subtle glance at the position of the moon during a headlamp-illuminated hike. They help me see my blind spots: where many people focus on identifying and improving their weaknesses, my vision goes to how to maximize my strengths.
Being aware of both is important.
Filed under: Growth, Growth, Personal Development
