Being the only girl out of five children, most of my childhood was spent inside of my bedroom, where I read, daydreamed, played with dolls, or whatever. I was not anti-social; I thoroughly enjoyed the company of my family and friends, but I also enjoyed having time alone, having space. I can remember filling up notebooks with business ideas (something I still do to this day), or going through countless baby name books and making name lists for the seven children I planned to have (a phase I have definitely grown out of!!).
Regardless of the activity, I believe that I have always been a very self-aware individual, and after reading this article on how self-reflection is critical for self-improvement, I am thankful to already be in the habit. However, as the article points out, it can go both ways, and for me it has. Up until recently, I had been reflecting on my flaws and my current circumstances which may not be the way I would like it, mainly financial, and instead of being aware and focusing on how to improve myself and my situations, I dwelt on the negativity and went through periods of feeling overwhelmed because the path of overcoming seemed daunting.
Thankfully, whenever I was down, it didn't take long before I realized where I was and I snapped myself out of it, over and over again. However, that emotional roller coaster was not only bearing down and impacting me but also those around me, so I knew that something had to change. Finally, very recently in fact, I realized that the secret of self-improvement is to take it one day at a time. Yes, having a plan for the future is critical (write everything down!), but most importantly, I needed to break it down and to connect all of the steps together. I was feeling overwhelmed because I was striving for overnight perfection. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Life is a journey, not a destination". I have made is this far, I am hopeful as I look towards the future and the lessons that I will learn along the way.
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