Over the years, self development has become a non-negotiable element of my every day life. Whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually; it has been essential in improving my mind, body, and spirit and ultimately guiding me to fulfilling my highest potential. Self development comes in many forms, but the key word I want to focus on today is development. Or in other words, improving oneself. My hope is to encourage you to find clarity in your perspective of life, which will act as the foundation to embarking on your own self development journey. Because truth bomb sis, you won’t always have someone motivating you or telling you how amazing you are. Which is why you have to fill your own cup through personal growth and development! Now grab a snack, cause it’s gonna be a long one. Here’s my top 10 tips for becoming the best version of YOU!

DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE

If you keep doing what you do now, where will you be in 5 years? Are you happy with that answer? What would you do if money were no object? I’m going to share this activity I got from Rachel Hollis’ Start Today Journal, that was key in helping me lay the foundation for my personal development journey. First, she says to envision yourself 10 years from now at your absolute BEST. Think BIG. No dream or vision is too big or too small. What kind of house do you live in? Are you happy? Do you have kids? What do you do for work? Where do you go on vacation? Etc. Then go even bigger than that! Now get a piece of paper and without overthinking, write down everything you just thought of as fast as you can filling up the entire page. Be sure you do this during a peaceful time without distractions. THIS will be your starting point for discovering your vision/purpose.

WAKE UP EARLIER

Successful people are early risers. Although you’ve probably heard this before, this is honestly a major key to success. I wake up every morning no later than 630am. Your brain is at it’s highest function during the first few hours of the day and that’s the perfect time to be productive. Whether it’s 20 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, etc., what’s most important is that you utilize this time without distractions to pour into YOU. As cliche as it is, you can’t pour from an empty cup!

SET YOUR INTENTIONS

Have your priority task list completed the night before for the next day. What is your most important task for the day? Do the important stuff early. Schedule a power hour to get shit done! Whether you work a 9-5 or you work from home, it is important to remember that you can never do it all so just do all that you can!

PRACTICE GRATITUDE

I love love LOVE my Start Today Journal from Target. Linked here! It has helped me keep an attitude of gratitude daily and truly appreciate all the good in my life whether big or small! Listing things your grateful for each day increases your positivity, makes you happier, and can also alleviate stress. This is such a powerful tool to incorporate into your morning routine.

EXERCISE

This is a hard one for me but I know I feel my absolute best when I am consistently working out. So I try to make it to the gym no less than 3 times a week. It is my biggest stress reliever and energy booster. It clears my mind and I always feel incredible after finishing a good workout. If you want to live a long and full life, it is CRUCIAL that you add some sort of movement into your routine consitently for your overall health. Whether that’s going to the gym, taking a walk in the neighborhood, going on a hike, or just doing some simple exercises in your home. Any movement is a step ahead of the person sitting on the couch! 🙂

DRINK WATER

Water is the oil that keeps our engine running! Do not underestimate this! Find yourself a cute water bottle and figure out your favorite way to make drinking water more enjoyable. For me, I find it a whole lot easier for me to get my ounces in when I have a cute cup with a straw and a slice of Lemon. Remember you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water. So if you weigh 150, you should be getting in 75 ounces of water a day. It’s ok if you don’t hit that amount every single day. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Just wake up every day with the intention to master the day. Then keep doing that every day and you’ll be surprised how much progress you make!

EAT A BALANCED DIET

Notice I didn’t just say a healthy diet. I am a firm believer in the 80/20 rule. Eating some nuggets from Chick Fil A will not make you fat. Eating that piece of Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory will not make you fat. CONSISTENTLY eating those things is what makes you fat. So indulge every now and then but 80% of the time you should nourish your body with fresh whole foods that give you the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to THRIVE.

READ

Mindset and attitude are everything! This is what will help you see things in a more positive light and equip you to handle whatever life throws at you. This is also how you will keep your peace. Having quiet time to read can be powerful; whether for pleasure, to learn more about your craft, to connect with God through his word, to be motivated through a self-help book, etc. You can learn a lot about yourself and others through reading and you can completely shift a negative mindset into a positive one. LEADERS ARE READERS! Here are a few of my favorite reads! 1 | 2 | 3

MAKE TIME FOR WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY

This is something I learned recently through talking with my therapist. It is so easy to become consumed in the day to day demands of life and forget to make time for the things YOU enjoy. Maybe that’s going on a date with a loved one, or a night out with friends, or spending time outdoors, or reading a good book with a cup of tea on your porch or balcony. Whatever that looks like for you, carve out some time AT LEAST once a week to do something fun that brings YOU peace and joy. This will not only give you something to look forward to each week, but it will help you live a more joyful life!

CREATE A MISSION STATEMENT/AFFIRMATIONS

THIS.IS.EVERYTHING! It is affirming everything you are as a woman or as a person. It forces you to speak life into yourself. It brings confidence and clarity. I will share an example of what this would look like but of course, this needs to be molded to fit YOU! Take your time with it, after all you want it to be meaningful and impactful as you will read this every day and sometimes even multiple times a day.

A snippet of my mission statement:

“I am a leader, an artist, and a child of God. I possess the qualities needed to be extremely successful. I am creating a place for joy in my life. My thoughts are filled with positivity and my life is plentiful with prosperity. My ability to conquer challenges is limitless; my potential to succeed is infinite. I know that the power of life and death lives in the tongue, so I choose my words carefully. I glorify God in all I do. I do not gossip. I do not blame. I do not criticize. Instead I speak life into myself and the people that I am with…”

If you already have something like this written out, share it in the comments below to help our fellow sisters in our community gain more inspiration. I hope this post inspires you to build a life that your proud of and enjoy and leads you to becoming the best version of you. Remember, whatever you think you can do, YOU CAN DO! As a community we are rooting for you! Afterall, we are here to support each other and stand hand in hand as we rise to be the women that God created us to be. We are paving the way for the next generation, so let’s not take that responsibility lightly! Together we can make one strong ass tribe!

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