“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” ― Margaret J. Wheatley

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.

THREE LESSONS I LEARNED THIS PAST MONTH:

• Don’t stick with something that isn’t working for you. My house tried a pretty strict healthy eating challenge for 30 days. But with such a busy lifestyle, some of the requirements were a tad unrealistic. And I just didn’t want to do some of it (just being honest!). So we stopped. And that’s okay!
• Everyone handles stressful and traumatic situations differently. With the recent shooting at my church, there has been a messy aftermath. But amid the sorrow and anger and confusion, the church has come together like I’ve never seen before. People are processing the events and their emotions differently, but it’s been amazing to see people come alongside each other.
• How often do you set aside time to work on projects that excite you and set your soul on fire? If you aren’t fortunate enough to have that passion as your day job yet, don’t get discouraged or get stuck in the 9-5 rut. Try devoting 10 minutes, an hour, or your lunch break to work on a project that you are passionate about.

What big lessons have you learned over the past month? Share in the comments below!