Welcome 2021 – Let’s Grow

by ERIN SHARPLIN LOVE  |  [email protected]

How ready are you for 2021? One thing that I know for sure is that the only direction we can go now is up!  If you want to survive and thrive in the world in which we are currently living, you have to think “growth.” Let’s not sit by idly and let the world dictate how we are going to succeed in life. Let’s make things happen! Your success or failure is in your own hands. Let me help you grow in 2021. Below are the first steps to take to begin your journey to personal growth:

1. ASSESS WHERE YOU ARE NOW.  The first step in growing is to assess how you are currently doing in each of the most important areas of your life.  I like to assess the eight specific areas of health, friends and family, physical environment, work, love life, fun and recreation, spirituality, and personal growth. Take each one separately and rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 on how well you think you are doing in each area.  For instance, maybe you would give yourself an eight or a nine in the area of health if you are consistent with your workouts and healthy eating habits, but you may give yourself a two or a three in the area of love if you haven’t spent quality time with your significant other in a while. The important thing is to be honest so that you can see where you need to improve.  

2. START A JOURNAL. The only way to know if you are growing is to keep up with your successes and failures.  When you refer to the journal to see where you started and realize you have made progress, it will only fuel your motivation and keep you on the track to true success. 

3. CREATE A MORNING AND AN EVENING ROUTINE. By creating routines, you will free your mind AND your time to concentrate on things that truly matter. For instance, you may find those extra few minutes to spend with your family or maybe you have wanted to start a reading time for yourself. Having streamlined routines will help you accomplish more.  Now let me share a morning routine that I acquired from the book “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod (I recommend this book).  Elrod recommends and abides by a morning routine that he calls S.A.V.E.R.S.  

Silence – Begin with five minutes of complete silence. No cell phone, TV, or music of any kind. You may meditate during this time or during the affirmation portion of the Life SAVERS.

Affirmations – Next, spend five minutes reciting and writing positive affirmations to yourself.  You could also choose one and meditate on it.  For instance, “I am resilient and can get through anything!”

Visualization – I believe in stating my goals as if they have already happened. After all, if you can’t see the end, how will you get there?  Spend five minutes thinking about how you want your day to go or picture a specific goal you want to accomplish.  

Exercise – You need five to ten minutes every morning to get your blood pumping and a small workout in.  However, this shouldn’t be your only workout. You could spend five to ten minutes stretching, doing a short yoga routine, or taking a short walk.  Anything to get your blood flowing. 

Reading – Always read something educational for ten minutes each morning.  (I also do this at night.)  

Scribing -Take five minutes to write your goals down, to write in a gratitude journal, free write, or simply journal.  

Can you imagine the way incorporating just a few of these routines could impact your life?

4. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.  This is my least favorite way to grow because I like routine and comfort, so I must make myself get out of my comfort zone at least once every few weeks.  But, every time I do it, I feel better about myself and I grow. I always learn something new. Now, let’s brainstorm ideas on how you can get out of your comfort zone! What scares you? What makes you uncomfortable or uneasy? One of the most common answers to these questions is public speaking. I remember when the thought of getting up to deliver a presentation would literally make me feel sick to my stomach. Then I was forced to give presentations in speech class in college. And now that I have my own business, I am frequently asked to give presentations. The more I do them, the better I get and the less stressed they make me. Here are a few more ideas: Go to the movies by yourself; travel somewhere that will challenge you (skiing? canoeing?); call someone that you haven’t spoken to in years; clean out your closet; go out to eat by yourself; reach out to someone you admire and ask them for a coffee date.

5. DISCOVER YOUR TRIGGERS. We all have things that ‘trigger” us into anger or sadness, so let’s figure them out, improve and grow!    A trigger is an “action that causes a negative reaction” from you. For instance, one of my triggers (I am being completely transparent with you guys) is when I have to repeat myself more than three times with my kids. I know it is a trigger because I react negatively by raising my voice at them. Another trigger is when I take something too personally. I react by becoming introverted and unsure of myself. These are things that I want and need to improve upon in order to grow.  So, now it is your turn.  What are your triggers?   

There are so many more ways to grow, and you will begin to figure your own ways as you continue your growth journey, but these five will get you off and running. If you want to continue your growth journey, just email me. I have twenty more ways to grow and would love to share them with you!  You can email me at [email protected] and I will email them to you.  Cheers to 2021!