Yesterday couldn’t have gone any better. It was the first time my child and I had visited a university and I’m not ashamed to say that when it came to checking in, I was way too emotional to speak without crying, so I gestured at my child to answer the question of what course they were there for and what their name was. Of course, it was at that point that my child’s brain farted and we both stood there, completely incapable of speech for totally different reasons…

What was wonderful was seeing my child practically skip out of their interview. It was probably the first time in my life I saw someone literally dance on air! They were so happy with how everything had gone – they felt like they’d found their people and there was absolutely no doubt that this was where they were meant to be for three years after they return from au pairing. 

It was a magical moment I wasn’t sure I’d ever experience. My child wants to be a comic book artist and had initially thought they weren’t going to go to university because they didn’t feel it was relevant to creating comics. Discovering actual comic book degrees (yes, it’s a thing!) and seeing their emphasis on supporting students to get work in the industry made them see that a degree would actually benefit their career and would change them in so many different ways. 

One of the things the interviewer loved about my child was the fact that they wants to spend a year working overseas before going to university. That year will see them grow and develop in so many ways, not only giving them the maturity to cope better at university, but also plenty of material to inspire comics. 

You can always learn new tricks!

This is the thing. The only constant in life is change. Despite the belief you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, the reality is that our minds are constantly open to learning and growth. There is plenty of research to show that meditation improves the neuroplasticity of our minds, increasing our ability to learn new skills and retain new information. This learning can keep us feeling young, supporting us to create the life we want to experience. 

A few years ago, I started setting myself ten annual goals. So far, I usually achieve five of them, and I learn a lot about my priorities and thought processes from the ones I don’t quite hit. Sometimes I discover that I’ve achieved the purpose of the goal through a different mechanism, so while I might not have done exactly what I set out to do, I’ve enjoyed the result and impact I needed, which I count as a win. Other times, not hitting a goal can mean that I have underlying issues I need to work on. Doing this inner work has seen my life change dramatically over the past few years as I become more comfortable with who I am, forgive and release the past and step more into the person I was born to be.

I decide on goals which encompass every aspect of my life – which includes personal development. I then track these goals on a daily, weekly, and quarterly basis to see where I’m on target and where I could be doing more. 

It’s not work if you’re having fun

Now, this might seem overwhelming and a lot of work, but it really isn’t. I mean, you brush your teeth on a daily basis (or at least I hope you do!) and you get dressed every day and this don’t feel like work; it’s just something you do. It’s the same with the daily self-care practices I’ve put in my goals – setting a target of meditating every day is what led me to qualify as a chakra dance meditation teacher. And then today I received my certificate showing that I qualified as a British School of Meditation teacher – with distinction!

(For those who are curious, Faye is my middle name.)

I’ve been teaching meditation for many years and run a number of workshops, but last year I decided the time had come to formalise that experience with an accredited qualification. Despite all my experience, I learned so much from the course and not only has it enriched my personal practice, it’s opened a lot of doors for me. I’m so excited about all the things I’ve got planned as a result of getting this little pieces of paper. 

I guess from the outside, it might look a little like I’m treating my life as though it were my career – I mean, goals, regular appraisals, CPD – it’s all very corporate sounding! Yet I’m the furthest from corporate that you can get. The truth is that ever since I took active charge of this process of achieving my goals and decided to take active steps towards manifesting the life I want to life, the closer I’ve been getting to the life of my dreams – and I’m having so much fun along the way!

This year, one of my goals is to qualify in another spiritual modality. I haven’t decided what that might be yet – I might do more work with chakras, I might study yoga (which will take longer than a year to qualify, but I’ll count it as a win if I start), or I might do something completely different if something shows up in my life and demands I pursue it. It’s only February and I’m very open to options right now. Heck, feel free to email me if there’s anything you think I should study – I’m totally open to suggestion!

But dedicating myself to continuous personal development means that I’m constantly working on improving myself. Past goals have included making time for myself, which is why now I’m good at setting time aside for downtime where in the past I’d be on the go 24/7. I have gone on retreats because of my goals and they’ve completely changed my way of thinking and being. 

So if you think CPD is only for the workplace, think again. Your entire life is one of continuous personal development – if you’re open to it. 

If there’s something you’ve been wanting to do for yourself but haven’t for whatever reason, now’s the time to change that. If you’ve been waiting for someone to give you permission, consider this your sign from the universe that you have permission. 

Ask yourself, what would your life be like in a year if you spent just five minutes every day doing something towards your goals? 

Commit yourself to doing one thing which will support your personal growth and development in whatever way you feel you need. And then let me know in the comments (or email me if you don’t want to share publicly) what that’s going to be. It’s never too late to start. 

If you’d like some support on your personal journey, my online chakra dance meditation classes are a great way to learn more about yourself and break through any blocks in a safe environment. And if you’d like a deeper, more involved experience discovering more about the role of the chakras and how you can work with them to build the life you want, spaces are still available on the Journey Through the Chakras Glastonbury retreat. Email me if you’ve got any questions or you’d like to book your place.