Navigating personal development
For me, it started with a book. I had already begun to work with a coach but at the time kept my work and personal worlds in different departments.
I was lent a book which revealed that bringing the whole of me, into my work and life, with all my imperfections, was possible and even a good thing!
At the time I jokingly called this soul coaching and it was around them that I started my first newsletter which I called Sunday-Sharing and used to share all this good development stuff.
You might have guessed the book was Gifts of Imperfection, one of Brene Browns early books and it started a love and commitment for me, to personal development.
This commitment was to become far reaching and provide the roots for Brilliant Thing. From late night Alan Watts philosophy to retreats and courses, along with brilliant events, books and articles, I curated my curriculum.
I found that often my employers were willing to pay for, or contribute to learning experiences, if I could demonstrate a link to how this would benefit me in my role or growth. I enjoyed peer development and sharing skills with colleagues and connections. I’ve tried to be generous with my own skills, helping a friend set up her website or reading someone’s funding application for example, and I think this breeds good-will and reciprocity.
Now I try to invest in myself every year and about this time of year do an audit of the ways I have focused on personal development. 2021 has allowed me more head space than 2020 and I’ve committed to a mix of things that I’ve invested in, paid for things offered by people I like, trust and want to support and free learning opportunities and skill swaps.
This commitment to personal development has offered space to see my unconscious bias’s, improve my communication skills, speak in public, develop my business, nurture my health and wellbeing, challenge myself and others, build new connections, manage tricky conversations, discover things that excite me…the list goes on!
Some of my investments include accredited courses in management coaching with Boo Coaching and Consultancy and in Permaculture with Artist Liz Postlethwaite. I’ve had some career coaching through work and taken part in a team development programme with Obi James. I’ve also done lots of ‘learning’ things to help Brilliant Thing, like a LinkedIn 5 day challenge and writers peer-support sessions.
Which brings me to thinking about 2022. In January I have both my retreat and my long awaited operation. I am excited to get to know the brilliant retreat guests and work with them to learn and apply design thinking practices. I know that this will offer new connections and directions and people to share ideas with, Im also pretty sure some of those people will have development offers that I want to invest in too! I also need to be mindful of the operation and recovery, so one personal development area for me to focus on is learning a new skill (which brings me joy and purpose) that I can do at a pace and energy level that is slightly slower than my usual!
I want to set a learning and personal development intention here, to spend some time over the next few weeks, mapping out my 2022 development focuses and working out which ones would be good to invest in, and which I can access for low cost or in a different way. Then build on this by starting conversation with people who are connected in some way to these development focuses.
I’d love to hear about how you have invested in yourself, the offers you have created to support others development and the things you are interested in investing in in 2022 – and if you’d like to find out a bit more about the learning and nurturing experience that is Design-thinking The Retreat, click here
