Ways To Flourish

I can not begin to describe the importance of self-growth. During Lockdown, so many of us looked for ways we could flourish and grow as people. The ability to grow as a person is perhaps one of the only gifts that time gives us- so why take it for granted?

Another great thing about ‘self-growth’ is that it is truly diverse. What it means and how I measure it may be different from how you measure it. Perhaps you think self-growth is overcoming addiction or bad habits? Or maybe you think of self-growth as meditating in the garden, in search of enlightenment.

Since starting this little blog, I’ve tried to work on myself and look for ways to grow in my career and within myself. Sure, I probably get a little carried away with it all at times, but I enjoy the idea of me learning and becoming better with each passing day. It’s become a minor obsession, but I’m not mad about it at all. As time has passed, I’ve noticed myself becoming more self-aware, confident and ambitious. It was a hell of a lot better than my mental state this time last year, so I welcome this change and wish to encourage more growth.

There are so many small things you can do to work on your self-development; but again, it depends entirely on how you chose to measure yourself. I think it’s such an important thing to be aware of, especially if you’re in your 20’s and at a point where such things are crucial.

So if you’re looking to be a little bit more mindful of yourself or perhaps even overcome a few small bumps in your life journey- I hope this will help. Here are a few ways to work on you!

Take up a new hobby.

However big or small, taking up a new hobby can be stimulating. I also think collecting hobbies is a brilliant way to discover a little bit more about yourself.

There’s no pressure to take up paragliding suddenly; perhaps you could start small and learn a new language. I feel like the past few months have been perfect for people looking to learn more hobbies and skills.

Exercise

ALWAYS EXERCISE! Every time I write about self-development, exercise is still a key component. Even if you work out purely to stay healthy and not lose weight, a simple jog around the park can do you a world of good! It’s scientifically proven, and you can’t argue with that.

Journal daily

Journaling is a brilliant tool, no matter your goal. I’ve seen people use it for mental wellbeing, purposes, manifestation and even document their journey in life. Journaling is so flexible, which means you get whatever you’re willing to put back into it. I don’t think I’ll stop telling people to take up journaling.

I also think journaling gives you the ability to self analyse yourself more than the average person. It’s a skill I’ve come to appreciate as I enter my 20’s. Where do you excel? Where do you need to nurture growth? Both right questions I think everyone should know the answer to before their thirty.

Read frequently

Want to romanticise your life? Read!

This is another one that is entirely up to you. Still, I’m a bit of a believer that a good book is the foundation of success whether it’s feeding creativity to the struggling artist, imagination to the lonely child or self-help tips to the budding entrepreneur.

Make time for quiet.

Although the temptation of working beyond your means may be relatively high, I do recommend trying to take some time to relax or even turn up the white noise machine (if you haven’t tried it, I recommend it!).

If you don’t take a bit of time to slow down, then you’re guaranteed to have a bit of a burnout. So please, look after yourself!

Make a schedule

Planning is the key to success! Well, it’s not really, but the organisation is super useful if you’re looking to achieve goals and look back on progress.

I find journaling to be perfect for this, but I also keep a planner as well as a few agenda apps on my phone. I find structure and support to be incredibly useful when trying to achieve something in life. I recommend it.

Write a letter to the future you.

I’m still yet to do this, but damn is I excited to do it. The only person we can be 100% honest with is ourselves, so why not take a moment to catch up? Write a letter to yourself and set for it to be open in ten years. The whole process is incredibly calming and allows you to measure where you are in life.

Leave the comfort zone.

I hate being comfortable. Comfortable means complacent, and that doesn’t sound like fun.

Seriously though, someone said once that we do our best learning when we’re scared. It might have been my life coach, but it may have also been Will Smith in After Earth.

As of writing this post, I’m a week away from the scariest adventure of my life. I’m moving to London, for a fantastic new job and the. Chance to live with my best friend. It’s so damn scary, but I genuinely feel it’s the right direction to go in life. I’m excited to see where it takes me.

Quit a bad habit

Do you smoke, drink? Do anything nefarious? How about quitting? I found that my new mindset change was the perfect opportunity for me to finally pack in the fags and be smoke-free! I can’t say I’ve cut down on my drinking much as I still love writing with a whiskey in one hand and a laptop in the other.

All in all, my point still stands. How you decide to grow and work on you is entirely your prerogative. You have your mind, your own life and your ideas of how to be successful in it. But If you haven't already, I encourage you to sit down and open a page in your notebook; make a list of things you'd like to achieve in life and then a second list of everything you need to do to achieve it. Trust me; it'll be a big help!