Hi Friends! Whether you’re starting your self-growth journey or you’re looking for new tools for your Personal Growth toolkit, here are 11 habits for self-growth to start today.
If you’re a super ambitious, do-it-all person - (me too), that’s great!
However, I encourage you to pick 1 or 2 of these and incorporate them wholly. You’ll know which ones to incorporate because they’ll be the ones you are excited to try!
So don’t try to boil the ocean and do it all at once!
Small changes over time = big movements.
Click here to shop my top Self-Growth Books and Journals.
New Habits for Self-Growth
1. Morning Gratitude Lists
Every morning, take 3 short minutes to sit down and write a few things you’re grateful for. Having a gratitude practice invites us to pay attention to the good things in life we might otherwise take for granted (like our vision, our mobility, the delicious, warm meals we enjoy).
Becoming more aware of this makes us more attuned to everyday pleasures all around us.
How to do it: I recommend writing these with a pen and paper. It cements the experience in a different way than on a laptop. Get a notebook and a pen you like and have them devoted solely to your gratitudes.
Self Development Pro-Tip: If a person makes it onto your gratitude list, tell them! Shoot them a text or picture and verbalize your appreciation for them.
Here are some Gratitude journals you can purchase that I've used in the past.
2. Read 10 Pages a Day
Learning is a key tip to self-development. When you learn, your brain literally forms new connections and neurons that make existing neural pathways stronger. Also - 10 pages are super manageable!
Untamed - Glennon Doyle
Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman
Conscious Capitalism - John Mackey
Principles - Ray Dalio
3. Go on a 20-Minute Daily Outdoor Walk
This one is simple in spirit - No phone, just you and nature.
Walking outdoors increases brain function (like creativity and focus), increases vitamin D (makes you feel good!), and reduces stress. Get your walk on!
4. Set 30-day Goals in these 3 Areas - Then do Them
Professional Life Goal: Example - Ask to own a new project or lead team meetings.
Passion Project Goal: Get clear on what you want to do - what lights you up? Then just start taking steps toward that!
5. Go Outside your Comfort Zone
I say it all the time - say it with me: When you leave your comfort zone, you enter your
E N H A N C E M E N T zone!
So try new things! You will NOT be perfect at them! And now that you know that, you can relax around it and just absorb the activity and learn new skills.
For me, when the water warms up a little more, I'm trying surfing for the first time (wish me luck, I’m going to need it)!
6. Free Journal for 5 Minutes a Day
Don’t come with an agenda or a certain topic to free journal - just let the words come to you when you start to write. Don’t hold back. You may be surprised at what comes up to be written down.
Once, I had a client write about how they REALLY didn’t like writing with a pen and paper (which I recommend for this). Further in their entry, they realized their irritation actually stemmed from the fact that they like to go fast all the time. They had trouble slowing down. Writing forced them to slow down and become more intentional with what they were writing finding it quite meditative.
7. Stop watching TV at Night (Uh-oh!)
Is this a quick "No!" for you? Lean into that! What is TV giving you - relaxation? Decompression? A distraction - from what? That may be something to investigate. Option 1: Take TV watching down to 30 minutes a day. Instead, invest that precious time on passion projects, learning a new skill, reading, or taking baths (shameless plug, I love baths!).
Option 2: For ONE WEEK, stop watching TV altogether! You'll be amazed at the time you get back and you'll start to fill that time with your own projects, wellness routines, and other healthy habits.
8. Take an Online Course
Consistent learning is necessary to build the habit for self-growth. You can take an online class on literally ANYTHING (often for ~$10). If you want to learn it, there's a virtual class for it.
I’m taking one to strengthen my Google Analytics skills (I love data stuff!).
Here are my favorite places to take online courses:
9. Have a Morning Wellness Routine
Whether the routine you choose is to run 3x a week, do yoga daily, or sit in 5 mins of meditation every morning - whatever is it, make it doable and consistent. You can even pick a few items from this list to start!
Option to also have a Nightly wind-down routine. Here's a simple one to start!
5 mins of stretches
2 minutes of conscious breathing
Lotion your whole body
10. Learn from (and follow) People who Inspire You
Consider the people who inspire you or motivate you.
What qualities do they have that ignite and inspire you?
Write them down.
What are the qualities they have that you’d like to expand in yourself?
How can you grow these qualities in yourself?
Self Development Pro-Tip: Follow them on social platforms, see what they have to share and how they share it.
11. Have the Hard Conversations (and do it with compassion!)
That conversation you've been avoiding, the email you intentionally left unread, the person you have an elephant in the room with - HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. Approach it directly and with compassion. There's no blame here, you're just communicating, listening, and collecting information.
Hard Convo Script for Friends & Lovers: “Hi, I care about our relationship a lot. I feel like there is some friction around _______. Do you have the space right now to talk about it?” Hard Convo Script for Work:
“I want to make sure I fully understand the situation and where you're coming from so we can get to the best solution quickly. Do you have time to hop on a quick call or video chat to discuss this?
Bonus!! Start a Yoga Practice
How could I not add this here?! A yoga (asana) practice will transform your mind, body and spirit.
It has been the singular biggest source of inner transformation for me and I deeply believe in it. If you're wanting to get started, follow my Yoga Instagram for tutorials or contact me for a private session.
Comment which one you end up trying from this list!
Bonus Apps for Development
Elevate - Quick 2 minute courses each day! One of my favorite courses is the short Articulation Course
Headspace - Meditation app. I started my meditation practice with this app and still use it.
Headway - Listen to short-versions of books for self-development!
AloMoves - Has yoga, meditation, and mindfulness courses at any length you desire. :)
I am - Affirmations app!