“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:

• It’s hard to give to others when you are running on empty. You won’t always be able to give 110% every single day. That’s okay. It’s okay to give yourself a break when you aren’t on your “A game.”
• If you really want to travel, make it a priority. While I’m young and relatively “free,” I want to explore as much as I can. So I start by just putting dates on a calendar. Which is how I ended up in Maine last month.
• Making a budget and sticking to it can be a lot of work, but I’ve found it’s opened up opportunities to me. Aside from being more aware and appreciative of work, I’ve learned the value of living within my means and that it doesn’t have to be restricting. I love using this website to keep track of my budget.

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