Personal Development

“Life is like a camera: focus on what’s important, capture the good times, develop from the negatives, if things don’t work out, take another shot.” Unknown author

As you embark on the New Year, embrace the opportunity to look at the various aspects of your life and decide on areas of focus:

Professional—Are you doing what you love and being fairly compensated for your work? If not, is there something else you could do within your company or industry that would bring you more enjoyment? What steps could you take to begin to pave the way toward your movement in that direction? If your passion lies outside of your industry, could you begin to create that business in your spare time so that you are not forced to quit your job and lose your primary income source?

Personal—If you rated your personal life from 1-10 what would it be? Are you taking the time to do things that you enjoy? How much of your personal time are you spending doing things you don’t like? If you are cleaning your house each week and dislike the activity, do you have the means to hire someone else for the task? If yes, than allocate the time you now spend cleaning your house to doing something that you love. In an ideal world, that time could be used on an activity that brings in revenue or has health benefits.

Relationship—One thing I know is that every successful relationship requires nurturing. If you fail to put time, energy, and effort into your primary relationship it probably won’t last. What are you doing to keep your relationship thriving? Think of three things you can do for your significant other that would make them feel valued or help to add excitement to your relationship.

Parental—If you have children you know how important it is to continually develop the relationship you have with them. As the father of a 14-year old girl, I’m learning how challenging this can be. If you don’t strike the right balance of reserving judgment while being a confidant and a responsible parent, you can cause the lines of communication to close. It’s so important to stay engaged with your children. Find an activity that you both enjoy that can be done on a regular basis. It can be as simple as getting outside to throw a ball together, playing a video game, or having a date night with your child. Whatever you choose, try to do it on a regular basis and most importantly, be present when you are engaged in the activity so that your focus is on your child.

Self-reflection is critical component of personal development. If you want to improve at anything, the first step is to take inventory of where you are. Once you are clear on this, examine where you would like to be and decide on what action needs to be taken to get you there. Schedule the activity in regular increments and treat it as you would any important commitment you have. What better time than now to begin the process. If you need help with accountability, send me a note and let me know your plans. My email is Joel@joelbrookman. Happy New Year!