As a way to reflect on the past month, I’ve decided to share a few things I’ve learned and been growing in. My planner has prompts at the end of each month to help me look back over the past month, take what I learned, and create action steps to move forward. I am aiming to be more intentional in my personal development this year, and posting each month serves as a way to help keep me accountable. If you have any big lessons you learned this past month, feel free to share them in the comments!

Here are three big lessons I learned this past month:

• You need to care for yourself before you can truly care for others. For me, waking up early gave me the time to feed myself and rest. Even though getting up at 5am was hard, I felt so much more at peace and confident throughout my days. No matter what happened, I knew I had already gotten much of the important stuff out of the way.
• Being vulnerable is hard, but can ultimately deepen friendships. It’s tempting to try to carry all of my struggles alone, but allowing others to help can be a benefit to both parties involved — it’s always nice to feel helpful. I’ve been really challenging myself to open up to my friends these past few months, and I feel like we have grown so much closer sharing our struggles (love you guys!).
• Be content where you are, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle. There is often a fine line between being content and settling — I find there is a certain peace in finding “contentment” amid growth and striving. I am happy with where my life is at for now, but I am constantly aiming to grow and not become stagnant. I’m trying to be more intentional with my time and listen to the wisdom of others through podcasts, books, and articles, which continue to strengthen who I am. Leave me a comment if you have any good books or podcasts to recommend!