Welcome back to the third installment of my 33 bits of wisdom learned by 33. Tips 23-33 continue on the same thread as part 1 and part 2.
23. Have hobbies for different settings. If the pandemic taught us anything, it taught us to have things to occupy our time in enjoyable ways with or without people. I would add in different ways: physical, mental, solitary, with people, creative, easy… Don’t rely on just one type of hobby to satisfy your every need.
24. Keep your goals in front of you. I write down my goals and post them in my office (or bedroom when I was younger) so I see them every day. It subconsciously reminds me to make decisions to make progress on them. I’ve been doing this since junior high, and hit most of my goals every year. What you think about all day is what you bring to reality.
- Get the right people “on the bus.” This concept comes from the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. We read this book as part of my leadership minor, and the concept is basically to run an organization effectively, get the right people in the right positions, then let them do their thing. This became abundantly clear as I hired my first employees in 2020. I made sure I hired the right people, then let them work, without micromanaging. They are happy and I am happy. I got the right people on the bus.
- Surround yourself with people that make you want to level-up. There’s a popular quote that says “you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” So make sure the people you spend time with are above your level in whatever you are pursuing. Almost every Thursday I go workout with a group of phenomenal women. The workout is not why I go. I could workout in other places. It’s about that particular community of women I want to emulate.
Whether it’s business, gratitude practice, lifestyle, who you spend time with influences your choices. Choose wisely.
- Don’t settle for less than your desires. On a simple level this looks like buying the quality product instead of the cheap version because it will last longer and the quality will feel/perform better. Case in point: I avoided buying actual apple airpods because they are expensive. I tried $35 knock-offs that worked for about a week, then died never to play music again. For Christmas I received airpods and they have been working flawlessly for over 6 months now. Don’t forget, this also applies to more important aspects of your life.
- White space. Plan some open space on your schedule. It’s not “lazy” it’s smart. This white space gives your brain time to get creative. Think about it, this is why you always get the best ideas in the shower, or as you are falling asleep. We need time to let our mind run wild to create. All the busyness keeps us from our greatest potential (which could be why you are avoiding it – it can be scary!). Worst-case, this space can be used to read a fun book or catch up on chores.
- Try new foods. It’s easy (especially if you have a history of an eating disorder) to stick to your comfortable, “safe,” foods. However, there are millions of foods/dishes out there that can tickle your taste buds. You don’t have to finish it if you don’t like it, but it can be fun and healthy to enjoy new cuisines. Give that menu item you’ve been thinking about a try. Take a bite of something new at a potluck, or make a recipe you’ve never tried before.
- Unfollow people/pages that make you jealous or feel less-than. Apparently jealousy is the lowest “vibration” you can be in, worse than anger! I found that when I unfollowed people and brands that made me jealous or not feel good about myself I had less anxiety and generally better days. I don’t apologize for not following someone anymore. I need to take care of myself first, and you should do that for yourself too.
- Reading is a great escape. I’ve always been an avid reader/bibliophile, but when you are working, parenting, and generally doing life it can be hard to fit in fun reading time. Well, I’ve realized that reading from a novel before be really helps me sleep better and let go of my day and escape to the world in the book. Don’t give up fun reading ever. No matter how much you read for work.
Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money, but books were always an ok purchase even if we had to cut back on other things. My parents wanted to make sure they raised a reader and I am forever thankful.
- Take care of your hair, and get a good haircut. I never realized how important this wawa until I found an excellent hair stylist that “got” me. Your hair is the accessory you never take off, so it is worth paying for a specialist. I have naturally super thick curly hair, and getting a curly cut made a huge difference in how my hair looks natural or straightened.
- Never stop learning. You know this, you just read this blog post! But seriously, I love learning, and even though my profession requires at least 75 hours of continuing education every 5 years I always do at least double that in trainings that count towards it, and many other classes that don’t. I have gotten into attending online courses and did my Master’s degree because I wanted to learn more, not because it was required for a job.
I hope you will come back to my blog and learn along with me as we dig into health for performers, adulting, and lifestyle topics.
Thank you so much for being here 🙂
This was a hard list to come up with, finding 33 things that are not overly stated, but it became a great reminder for myself of what I now know to be true. I hope you found these 33 things helpful to your personal development. Let me know in the comments what you would like me to expand on in future blog posts.
