6 Steps to Grow | Personal Growth for Parents
Within my circle of friends, the parents with whom I work, and even in my own home, we each strive to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. We're each taking steps to grow as individuals and as parents! Personal growth should push us, stretch us, and even pain us at times, but most importantly it should excite us! We were meant to grow, change, and evolve throughout our lives. Does that mean we won't fall short at times? No! Does it mean it'll be easy? No! But, taking steps to grow is worth it! Growing as a parent is especially rewarding!
Here are 6 Steps to Grow as Parents:
Tackle the Hardest Task First
Dreading the thing you don't want to do is often worse than actually doing it. Not all hard things end up being as hard as we anticipate them being either, the bark can be worse than the bite. My advice, take bites at the hardest, most dreaded thing on your plate first. Then, chomp away at the more palatable pieces of the pie. More often than not when we handle the hard things first we feel accomplished, we breathe a sigh of relief, and we can move on.
Learn to Say YES, without feeling guilty.
Sounds easy, but just as saying no without apology or explanation can be extremely difficult, so too can saying yes! Say you've had a rough week. A friend calls to see if you want to get a pizza and watch a movie. You want to say yes, but you have a load of laundry that needs washing and a dog that needs to get a bath. What do you do?! Say yes! Saying yes because that's what you want at the moment is perfectly okay. Try it! There will always be laundry. You won't always have the friend, the opportunity, or the ability to join said friend.
Meet Others Where They Are
This is a difficult one! It can take a very long time to become aware you're even doing it. We're literally designed to use our judgment to help us survive, but surprisingly we're not always so great at the judgment part. Knowing when to use it is the hard part. We learn pretty early on that a hot stove isn't something we want to place our hands on.
It gets tricky when we're talking about judging others.
It's so easy to say, "If that was my kid, I would...." "Why doesn't she just ...?" This behavior isn't healthy. STOP! Check yourself! Your truth isn't everyone's truth and each person is on a unique journey in life. There is beauty in that. There is happiness is non-judgment. Be self-aware. Hold yourself accountable. Take steps to correct yourself. These things will help you meet others right where they are. The best part is you don't have to travel anywhere!
Yoga
You can't take steps to grow and not include yoga and meditation! Yoga is for everybody and every body! It truly is. I don't care for labels, but here goes; young and old, singles and couples, disabled, athletic, introverts, extroverts, moms, dads, caregivers, police officers, doctors, kids, babies, and grandparents, large people, tiny people, silly people, and even pregnant people. Yoga incorporates breath work, gentle poses, stretching, meditation, and mindfulness. It helps you center yourself, feel more grounded and connected, and become more self-aware. The perfect place to grow is literally from within.
Exercise
We've all heard it, exercise is 90% mental and 10% physical! Exercise very literally pushes you out of your comfort zone. It requires you to be resilient, persistent, and consistent! Exercising absolutely requires you to takes steps to grow in more ways than one. Exercise the body, but also remember to exercise kindness, forgiveness, will-power, and always, without a doubt your right to vote!
Keep an Open Mind and a Level Head
Hold it together Karen, no one wants to see you lose your shit in the breakroom today! Sometimes things aren't as they first appear. Black and white are black and white, but they make gray when watered down and mixed! We need to become masters of adjusting our own lens. If you can slow down, become aware of your own feelings and breath, silence the tongue, and keep an open mind and a level head as you adjust and observe, it gives you the freedom to think more clearly and objectively!
Taking steps to grow is important.
Growth happens in so many ways. I challenge you to begin taking steps to grow right now, today. Answer these questions: In what ways have you grown as a parent? In what areas would you like to grow? What is your biggest challenge (remember to tackle the hardest thing first)? What is one thing you'll work on this week that will help you grow as a parent?
If you find that you enjoyed this blog and the steps to grow mentioned within it, and you'd like to learn more, contact us or leave a comment below!
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