personal growth – Page 3 – Ruthann M. Wilson

Navigating Change and Life Transitions: Reflection Practices for Clarity

If you have read my book, you know there is a recurring theme that the nature of life is change and transition for the purpose of growth and evolution. Change is an inevitable and necessary element of life. It can be self-initiated or the result of external factors that might be out of our control (e.g., death of a loved one, loss of a job, health crisis, economy, sociopolitical environment).

Change is difficult whether we initiate it or not because it requires us to release/let go of something or someone and venture into the unknown. The unknown can be exciting or frightening depending on your perspective. Being able to reflect on the changes and transitions that have occurred in our lives enables us to learn and grow from our experiences.

As a part of my year-end process, I look back at the changes that occurred over the course of the year. I put the changes into two categories: 1) changes that I proactively initiated and 2) changes that were in response to external factors. I look at them separately for two reasons: 1) I am committed to personal growth and it is a way to hold myself accountable and 2) I recognize that some events/circumstances are out of my control, however, they provide me with an opportunity to learn more about myself, as well as others, and make changes accordingly.

PowerPoint Presentation I invite you to look back on the year in the context of the changes that occurred in your life. Look back with the following questions in mind.

What did you learn?
How did you grow?
What did you do for the first time this year? How did it make you feel?
Did you proactively initiate any changes in your life? If not, why not?
What did you learn about yourself and others as a result of external factors that were out of your direct control?

If your desire is to create your life from the inside out, commit to setting goals and proactively making changes in your life. Choose how to respond to external factors that are out of your control and stay focused on your goals.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Visualize Your Future: The Power of Vision Boards

A vision board is a visual representation of your desired outcomes. It is a powerful tool for staying focused and bringing your goals to life through the use of words, images, and symbols.

Your vision board can represent what you desire for your life overall, be specific to a life area (e.g., health and fitness, career, relationships, etc.) or a quality that you would like to magnify in your life (e.g., peace, love, joy, etc.). The key is to include words, images, and symbols that are meaningful to you. Keep your board where you can see it on a daily basis. It will serve as a visual reminder of what you would like to manifest in your life.

In my post, Be Intentional, I encouraged you to spend some time thinking about and visualizing where you would like to be in the next three months. I invite you to create a vision board that represents what you visualized for your life three months from now or whatever time frame works best for you.

What you will need:

Your goals/desired outcomes (click here to read about SMART goals)
Poster board, cork board, or large piece of paper
Glue, tape, push pins (depending on the type of board you are using)
Words, images, and symbols that you cut out of magazines and/or download from the internet
Colored pens and/or markers for handwritten words and/or images
Scissors

Alternatively, you may also decide to create a digital vision board via software or app.

There is no right or wrong way to create your board. It is a creative process that produces a visual representation of what you would like to manifest in your life. Have fun and enjoy the process! Search the internet to see examples of vision boards (also known as treasure maps). The link below will take you to Google images for vision boards.

Google images for vision boards

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

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All the best,
Ruthann