Our Best

We would all like to be the absolute best versions of ourselves. Some may envision themselves sitting confidently at the negotiating table or beaming with charisma and knowledge during a presentation. But how do we get there? How do we reach a point of completeness?

For some it can come naturally, but for most of us it requires hard work. The good news is that if we put in the time and effort, we really can achieve whatever it is that we want.

In order to get to a point of self-assurance and confidence, we need to get to know ourselves. After many years of thinking I knew who I was and what I wanted, I realized that I actually didn’t.  I had been living a life on autopilot, doing all that I could to ‘fit in’. I decided to truly invest in myself and I have been reaping the benefits since.

How can we do that with such busy lives? By prioritizing these 6 things, you will be able to see immense changes in your life.

1. 10 Minute Morning Meditations
   The challenge is to ‘Be here now’. In our busy lives, we rarely sit still and just ‘be’ with ourselves. Often in meditation we go back or forward with our thoughts. The current moment is a true ‘present’ and if we can tap into it just 10 minutes a day, our life experience can become more authentic.
2. Weekly Journal Entries
   Become aware of how you feel and why? Often we go through one day feeling 20 different emotions for a variety of different reasons. Can you connect the dots anywhere? Are there patterns to how you feel and react to certain situations? How are you truly feeling? It’s important to dedicate this time to your self and take a look inside. Writing out your thoughts can provide a huge sense of release and can help you learn about yourself. Personally, it helps me organize my thoughts and emotions so that I react how I really want to.
3.  Identify Interests and Goals
   These can be personal or professional or both. But unless you intentionally sit down and analyze what you like, why you like it, what are your goals, and how can you get there, it will be a lot more challenging to reach them. You can do this on your own or seek guidance from a therapist, a coach or a goal setting program. There are also many free tools online that can help you. I found it helpful to print out my list of goals and actions steps. I then pinned it up at my desk so I’m reminded of them constantly.
4. Skill Enhancement Activities
   With a quickly changing world, it’s vital that we stay up to take on our skill enhancement. Technology is changing things drastically and we will need to stay relevant. How can you do this? Focus on soft and hard skill development at least once a week. That could be attending a conference, participating in a webinar, or reading a new book. This will help you diversify your skill set and be more eligible to participate in a variety of different types on conversations.
5. Power of Positive Thinking
   There are many studies out there on the power of positive thinking and it is something I truly live by. You don’t want to be unrealistic but if you can ingrain a pattern of positive thinking into your daily life, you will see how things tend to turn out to be okay. This requires you to be conscious of the types of thoughts you are having in the first place. Once you can pinpoint the negative ones, try to eliminate them and replace then with a positive thought. The belief is that like attracts like so if you focus on positive thoughts, positive things will come your way.
6. Find a Female Mentor
   Who can be your cheerleader? A female mentor can provide a lot of value for your personal and professional development.  It’s someone to bounce ideas off of and receive support from. Often they can also connect you to networks that you aren’t able to access on your own. You can approach a mentor yourself or sign up for an in-person or virtual mentorship online.

 

Through this process of self-discovery, we become self-aware, emotionally intelligent, and strategic about reaching out goals. We don’t second guess ourselves because we are okay with who we are and where we are at. We know what we want and where we want to go.

We are our best selves.

<3, Jenn

 

Contributing Writer:

• Jenn Allen, MBA
• Entrepreneur & Global NGO Director
• @jennifermarieallen
• www.jennmarieallen.com

Sources:

• Photo 1: Tata Harper
• Photo 2: Green Chameleon

Tags: Business, growth, mind