Turning another year older always makes me reflect and think about how far I’ve come and the life events that have brought me here. As I near my thirties and also prepare to have a baby, I’ve been thinking a lot about my personal growth and what I’ve done to get to this place in life.
Here are a few things that I’ve done in life that I feel have greatly contributed to my personal growth.
+ Moved away from home – When I graduated college, I was unsure of exactly what I wanted to do. I also didn’t really know who I was at the time. What I did know was that I dreamt of working for an NHL team at some point in my life, which wasn’t possible living in Kelowna. When a friend of mine moved to Edmonton and suggested that I move there, I did something very uncharacteristic of me, and I jumped at the opportunity. Within two weeks of deciding to move 10+ hours from home, I had packed up and was on my way to Edmonton.
I lived in Edmonton for just over one year and it was an experience that I will be forever grateful for. I did achieve my goal of working for an NHL team and it was my first time living on my own, but the greatest result of that move was that I learned more about myself, practiced spontaneity and got plenty of experience in making important life decisions.
+ Invested in myself – Something else that I’ve done for personal growth is investing in myself. I believe that there is always something to learn, and this couldn’t be more true in the industry that I’m in. I have spent a pretty penny on courses that have taught me valuable skills like pitching, website design, content creation, promotion and more. Some of those courses were not worth what I spent on them, but the regular investment in myself has helped to grow my confidence and push me to try new things.
+ Pushed myself out of my comfort zone – This has to be the biggest and most underrated way to grow as a person. You don’t need to spend money on courses or school or make big moves to grow – you just need to push yourself out of your comfort zone. I’m a fairly confident person, but going to networking events alone or joining a soccer team after being out of the game for 10 years is still scary for me. Despite being nervous, I’ve pushed myself to do these things and I have experienced the most personal growth by doing so. I also met my future husband by doing so.
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!
These are lessons that I plan to pass onto my little one when he or she grows up, as I believe that developing trust in yourself, learning about the person that you are and giving yourself the space and resources to grow are essential to personal growth. Would you agree?
What’s something that you’ve done to achieve personal growth?