“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ― Søren Kierkegaard

Each month, I set aside a chunk of time to reflect on the previous month: memorable moments, lessons I learned, how I spent my time, how I’m different, who/what I’m grateful for, improvements for next month, and goals to work toward. I want 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:

• Sometimes no plans are the best plans. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely can be a planner. But if I don’t leave room for spontaneity I can easily start to feel trapped and overwhelmed. I need adventures, even if they are only little ones. The Fourth of July was a perfect example of planned spontaneity!
• Act before you speak so your actions will be louder than your words. I sincerely want my actions to reflect and give credibility to what I say. And I’ve come to learn that an important part of that is taking responsibility for and owning up to my mistakes, not just the things I excel at.
• Having a “yes attitude” breeds fearlessness. Whether it is a simple thing like trying a new yoga pose, getting a new piercing, or booking a ticket halfway across the world — taking big steps in the small things makes the big things seem a bit smaller.

What did July teach you? I’d love to hear how you are growing!