Reset Your Life Day 8: Reflect, Comment and Connect

This post is Day 8 of the 31 Days to Reset Your Life Challenge. Learn more and sign up for the program here.

Congratulations! You made it through the first week of the challenge. Do the Running Man, bust out a cartwheel, have a drink. You deserve it.

Today’s assignment requires you to reflect on your learning and share in your fellow participants’ progress over the past week. Being able to compare and contrast your experiences and offer encouragement to others can be extremely useful as you move forward in your personal development journey!

Day 8: Reflect, Comment and Connect

Reflect

  • What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
  • What has been your favorite exercise so far?
  • Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?

Comment

Connect

When you’re done, please share your reflections with us in the comments!

Note: If you blogged about today’s assignment, please post the link in the comments so we can read it!
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83 comments

  2. The most important thing I learned this week was when I identified my values. It was cool trying to figure out what matters most to me.

    My favorite exercise so far as been creating my life map.

    I struggled the most with the life assessment. I felt that I had more negative things to say in every area of my life and it sorta drained me and made me feel bad. However, it tells me that I need to accept my current circumstances and, instead of complaining about them, find solutions to make each area of my life better.

  3. Overall, I know this is an important process I am undertaking, I need to do some soul-searching and make some life decisions about what is next for me. But because of some fear and some feelings of guilt, I must be honest and say that this has been harder than I thought. I enjoyed writing the life narrative, and having the chance to write out my heart’s desire on paper – regardless of any outside pulls or bills or whatever! I wrote down what my ideal life looks like.
    Interestingly it was also hard to do emotionally, since I feel quite far from that ideal life now.
    But the hardest task was writing down my values. I have to fight the tendency in my brain to think “you’re not doing this right” when how I define my values should only matter to me. I may list them in a different manner, but in the end I am defining my ‘heart’. I tie alot of values to my faith and to my character, and am I matching words and actions to both for the world to see.
    Even writing all this right now, I see a bigger issue – apparently I (still) worry too much about what other people think of me. Time to live more boldly.

  4. 1. The most important thing that I learned is that there are some things that I really like and some things that I really dislike. Being able to write it down so that I could see it allowed me to understand where I am in my life. It was thought-provoking.

    2. My favorite exercise was writing the Narrative of my Life.

    3. I struggled with defining my values. I really had to think about what they looked like to me. I knew what my values were and what they meant to me in my head, but putting them down on paper was a bit of a struggle. It took me a while to complete it.

    I enjoyed the part of today’s exercise about reaching out to other participants. I like to encourage, uplift and motivate others to succeed and visualize their dreams. This is what I was called to do. Loved it!

  6. The most important thing I learned about myself is that I kinda do know what I want and how I want it to look. I have been walking around thinking that I didn’t all this time but perhaps it was that I didn’t really think about it or try to write it down.

    My favourite exercise was the ‘Ideal Life Story’ as I wrote it I had a big smile on my face. Words have so much power and I look forward to making my dream a reality.

    However, I struggled with the values in action exercise. I guess because I found it hard to choose firstly but then drew a blank on what actions I should take to achieve them. It took me the longest time over two days to complete that exercise and I admit that I read others before responding to it as inspiration on what approaches I should take.

    I like the fact that today’s exercise encouraged us to reach out . It made me realise that I am not alone in my fears and anxieties and we are all trying to bring out our full potential.

    • I enjoyed writing the life narrative, but it was the most difficult for me because the financial how’s always leave me feeling frustrated. I would love to create a clear plan of action for generating money, yet my interests vary & I never know where to begin. I have been frequently referred to as a “jack of all trades” & because of this I have tried to focus on 1 vision I can master. Through this exercise I have learned to accept my gifts, not apologize for them, & create a life that embraces all of my talents. Thank you for this exercise!!

    • Empress J, you are definitely not alone. We all struggle from time to time. I enjoyed reading your post & wish you blessings in your pursuit of success. By the way, I love your pic… Very relaxing :)

  7. wow, first weeks reflection took up 6 and a half pages in my journal lol i am just going to go ahead and type what i put in there. you may or may not get the abridged version, i’ll have to see how much i want to “put out there” as i go along. I actually did the project from the end of march through april, and decided to blog along in may (that is to share what i have already done) But my lazy ass got behind after day 4(!) so i am now playing catch up. As a result, this task was actually completed on April 3rd of this year, so about a month and a half ago. Some thoughts and feelings i had then may or may not still apply now. But i am just going to share as it was at that time.
    ___

    This week seems as if it has been a long one, book ended as it was by emotional upheaval.

    i had been looking forward to this project for such a long time, what with the “pre-set project” and planning it, i anticipated doing each exercise at the end of the day with a smile on my face and the discovery of some new realisation.

    But the reality is it has been much harder. i feel like this has been a reset in the truest sense of the word, whereas before i think i was looking at it as a mini pet project in the middle of the QFF (Quest for freedom, another personal journal i was keeping to work my way around my AvPD issues). I honestly was not expecting or anticipating this level of emotional upheaval.

    i think the thing that gave me the most issue, is that the thing that is the biggest issue, or the “gap” in my life, is the thing that i am least willing to do anything about, which kinda made me feel maybe i deserved to feel bad about it, if i wasn’t willing to do anything to make it better. But that doesn’t seem right to me.

    of course what it all came back to was not unwillingness, but fear. fear of rejection. And here i have spent the past week wrestling with that, culminating in a mini breakdown on friday night. In fact, i didn’t even do day 5 and 6 exercises because i was gonna put a pin in the whole reset thing, that’s how bad i felt.

    but then on saturday morning God told me to “GET UP!” He said he didn’t make me to be a pathetic, weak, snivelling thing and that i had to “GET UP!”. So on saturday morning i did the exercises for day 5 and 6 AND 7!

    That was just yesterday but it seems like ages ago.

    I don’t know if God told me to, or i decided for myself, but i fasted. And i have never consciously fasted before. I went to WH Smiths and did some useful research for my tuition company and joined the library, which was part of the lifestyle part of my narrative. I also managed to not spend money on crap. When i got home i felt so drained (emotionally) that i slept for 3 hours.

    I still feel that same kind of tiredness now, though my eyes no longer feel post-cry grainy.

    my favourite exercise has been the life map because it really focused what i need to do in each area of my life.

    my least favourite was identifying my values, because i struggle with what i thought SHOULD be my values, against the fact that they weren’t that important to me. And frankly “friendship” is STILL a toss up for me. After so many years wishing so hard for a “BFF”, to be getting to the point of giving up on it and not caring. Then “W” comes along (not that she IS a “BFF”)and then i had to acknowledge that friendship was a value that wasn’t as important to me as i thought it was.

    But since that was a gigantic, gaping hole in my life and i had wanted it for so long, i felt i had to put it down as a value, then struggled to find a place for it in the top 10 line up. And its still a struggle now. And i don’t know if i genuinley don’t care anymore or if i have just been on my own for too long. Maybe wanting it became a habit, and not having it was my “cross” – my emotional burdan to carry.

    It’s one thing to be alone because others have rejected you. It’s quite another to be alone out of choice. i spent so long feeling like a reject, that i didn’t even notice there were times i was alone by choice. or i felt like it was something i said to make myself feel better about being rejected. But then i have to acknowledge that the reason i choose to be alone is to avoid feelings of rejection.

    Every time i try and deal with this issue, it leads me back in a circle. i even tried googling how to deal with a fear of rejection, but its was just a bunch of stuff i already know and no HELPFUL tips at all. I hear God telling me to put it down and leave it alone, but it’s like it’s superglued to my hands and i couldn’t put it down if i wanted to.

    There, see, this is supposed to be me reflecting on the week, but all i can write about is my FOR (fear of rejection).

    It just feels like its the final thing blocking me being free of this AvPD, and as a result i’m becoming obsessed with it. Like having a dull ache for so many years, and when you finally pinpoint the point the ache is coming from, all you want to do is get rid of it.

    except i seem to repel all attempts to get rid of it. its like rejection is the illness and fear is the medicine i need to take to make it better. except i don’t want to take the medicine because i’m afraid it will taste bad. So then i am dealing with the illness, the medicine and the fear of the medicine which becomes a thing in itself.

    Its like my thought process is: Do you want to dilute the medicine? No. Add sugar? No. But you want to get better? Definatly. Add honey? Nope. Take 1/2 a dose? Not doing that either. But you want to get well? of course. and around it goes. I want to be “cured” of this damn AvPD, but i just can’t go through what it will take to do that.

    Or maybe its like my theory about De Ja Vu. That something repeats itself until what was supposed to happen, happens.

    Maybe there is some lesson i am supposed to learn before i can get off of this roundabout.

  8. This week I learned that I do have dreams, and that I do have plans for what I want my Life to be like.

    My favourite exercise has been Day 7: Creating My Ideal Life Narrative.
    I simply thought about what my ideal day would be like, and wrote it.

    I admit to struggling with Day 4: Envisoning Values in Action.
    I found it hard to maintain balance between what I already do and the things I should be doing.
    Read my latest blog post…31DayReset – Day 6 Create a Life MapI can’t even tell You

    • oh i forgot tell what i loved and hated about the past exercises….

      well i didnt hate any of the exercises I loved doing this on my train commute from bed stuy to harlem. i did love developing my personal mission statement. it really embodies who i am. the greatest thing about this process so far is my realization that contrary to what i thought i am happy and living most of my dreams and putting my values into action. i just gotta tighten things up a bit. i own my happiness!!! it also helps that the weather is finally getting better in NYC!!
      Read my latest blog post…Where are you from Louisiana! Is that in Africa

  10. #1- The most important thing that I learned about myself was how I wasn’t living up to the things that I valued. That depressed me a little.

    #2- The Ideal Life Narrative – It really allowed my imagination to go wild!

    #3- The “Identify Your Values” assignment (Day 3) only because I made such a large list, and had a difficult time downsizing to only ten values. And well…Refer to #1.

  12. 1. The most important thing I’ve learned about myself from completing the first seven lessons is the level of my strength and resilience. Just when I felt as though I was at the end of my rope and desperate for guidance a door opened that gave me a reason to keep going. I’ve made the breakthrough that I’ve needed for so long!

    2. I’ve liked all of the exercises. They all built on one another to help begin peeling back the layers of me that have been untended for so long. I’m looking on life with newly found innocence.

    3. The Life Map and Personal Mission statement were hurdles for me. It was tough translating my dreams into words. The belief that I could never have what I wanted out of life had become entrenched in my thinking so reversing that thinking was tough when giving myself the freedom to dream AND believe. I did it though and now I’m on my way!

  13. - the most important thing which I learnt about myself is that I have a focus
    - my favourite exercise so far was creating a life map. this reminded me of my sports days when you FOCUS on the goal that you wnat to achive(to win and what it feels like then go for it)
    -I struggled the most with creating a mantra, its not your typical british thing to do, then after some research i found it hard to narrow my list down.

  14. 1. What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    I have a lot more inside waiting to shine forth.

    2. What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    Day 7 : Write Your Ideal Life Narrative. I realized that I was holding myself back even after reading “think big” and speak in the present tense.

    3. Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    Day 5: Write a personal Mission statement. I was obsessed with writing the “correct mission statement” that I couldn’t agree on which to focus to begin writing. It so frustrating, it took me 5 days before I picked it back up.

  15. I am excited about this 31 day project. I chose a mantra that reflects what I’ve been struggling with for some time – identifying what my purpose in life is. My mantra is: ‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” My notebook is a simple journal you’d find at any bookstore. It is decorated with art by the painter April Harrison.

  16. The most important thing I learned this week is that it’s crucial for me to figure out who I am and what I want in life otherwise I will be sucked into other people’s expectations of me. It’s happened often in my life and it’s the reason I am dissatisfied with where I am today.

    My favorite exercise so far has been Day 2′s life assessment because it allowed me to reflect and pour out and be honest about the things I like and don’t like in my life. This initial exercise in honesty and self-reflection really set the tone for the rest of my journey.

    I struggled with Day 4′s assignment of rating where I am with my Reset 10 values. I don’t think I was as honest with my ratings as I should have been. The idea of committing a “low score” to paper in regards to my life was really difficult and intimidating.

  20. 1.What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week? That I needed to work on my routine. And actively make time to do each assignment. To be honest with myself even when the mirror was showing me something I didn’t like.

    2.What has been your favorite exercise so far? Making the mission statement was the best exercise to me. I felt so empowered after I’d gotten it finished because it made these dreams seem that much more in reach.

    3.Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why? Seeing my values in action. I didn’t know what they looked like and it was hard to envision some with 3 actions.

  21. Lawd hammercy…

    What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    That I am awesome, I have awesome dreams, and it is more than okay for me to revel in that.

    What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    My life narrative. I’m a kinesthetic/aural person, so creating the life map, then writing a narrative based on the visual was excellent. I’m also a dreamer, so I could literally see everything I wrote about & feel it in my spirit. Words cannot express how amazed I am by the vision!

    Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    Days 3, 4, & 7. I had a pretty nice idea of my values, but I really struggled with focusing on those things that are most important to me as well as the values that I’ve developed most recently. Day four was difficult because I realized that my life did not measure up to my beliefs. Just flooring! As for Day 7, the hardest part was acknowledging my dream life, loving the vision I have, and letting myself feel worthy of such a great life. I’ve been poor for so very long that I just resigned myself to mediocrity (I even said my dream salary was $50K when I did my life map!). Finally learning that it’s okay to want true excellence for my life is more freeing than I can explain. Thank you, Rosetta!

  22. The most important thing I learned about myself during the first week was that I am a steward first and foremost. It brings me pleasure and joy to bring others happiness and that’s really all that God requires of me. My favorite exercise AND the most difficult was the Life Map. It just had to be authentic, though it’s HUGE in terms of dreams/desires/aspirations it is AUTHENTIC and its is possible, it will happen for me and in turn it will help others.

  23. I know I am late but i wanted to comment anyway

    I learned that I have huge aspirations for myself but that I sell myself short a lot of the time. While going though this process i found myself rewording stuff or wanting to omit certain things because I was worried about how it may sound to someone reading it, knowing darn well no one was reading it but me. I realized right then just ho much i’ve let what i believe people percieve of me dictate what I do and most importantly what I DON’T do. I didn’t even realize how much I did because I spent so much time saying how i didn’t care what other people think, when really i do, want people to see me in a better light wether I am or not.

    MY favorite was the life narrative, but it was also the hardest because I had to go back a few times are really put what I want, I censored myself a few times and included things that soudned good but weren’t really what I wanted til finally i was just like “this isn’t me” if this is going to be my blueprint for the new year [which is my plan] it needs to be real, the real me and my real dreams, because i’ll never get them if i can’t even admit to myself what they are. I realized I am afraid to dream big.

  24. What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    I’ve actually slacked off from this challenge. It is already Day 16 and I’m just commenting on Day 8. One week later. I realized that when I fear that I won’t be able to be great with something, or if I feel like something is “too much”, I call it quits. I give up too soon. And it is reflected in my goals, values and life.

    What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    THE LIFE NARRATIVE! I’m a huge daydreamer and my imagination can run wild if I let it. I can come up with all of these ideas but I don’t have the courage to go through with it because of fear. It’s such a crutch. Why don’t I have more faith in myself? The narrative showed me that if I can dream it, I can surely achieve it.

    Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    Day 3-5. The values and mission statement. I’m still not satisfied with my answers. I don’t think my values matched up with my statement very well. I can do better. I can dig deeper. But I chose to just scratch the surface for the sake I putting something on paper. Do I know what I really want? I was scared to write something so grandiose that it would be impossible to accomplish.

  25. 1. Learned that I need to value me and my creative efforts more.
    2. Favorite exercise so far was the ideal narrative. Although I couldn’t devote much time to actually transcribing it in my blog, I thought about it long and hard.
    3. Struggled with the ideal narrative. It caused me to really ponder on what I want out of life and how and with whom I want to spend my time.

  26. 1. The most important thing I learned about myself this week is that I have BIG dreams and aspirations. But I let my current situations discourage and cripple me from believing in myself. I can definitely have my ideal life. I just need to step out on faith and just MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

    2. My favorite exercise was the life narrative! It was fun, enlightening, and just plain MOTIVATING to write out what I picture my life to be in the next 7-10 years. It also provided something for me to reflect on whenever I have feelings of discouragement, anxiety, or if I just need that extra push!

    3. The exercise I struggled with the most was the Personal Mission Statement. I wanted to make sure all of my values were relected somehow. I also wanted to make sure that it flowed properly and didn’t sound all over the place.

  27. I have enjoyed all of the excercies; even the difficult ones. My favorite excercise was writing my life’s narrative. I felt a sense of fulfillment. I’m so used to talking about what I want to accomplish, but speaking as if it is already here is an absolute amazing feeling. I had already created a vision board prior to beging the resetting process, so that wasn’t new to me, but I have enjoyed reflecting back on it and using it as a reminder!

  28. I realized the importance of knowing exactly what actions I connect with my values. Pinning down exactly what I meant when I said I valued courage and integrity was pull-your-hair-out frustratingly difficult. But with an extra day, I meditated, pushed through and realized what exactly I meant. That exercise was also a great way to really define my boundaries.

  29. The most important thing I learned about myself is that I am a daydreamer and I talk a good game to myself, but rarely let me get out of the box to go and make it happen. Everyone and everything else comes before me and that has stunted my growth. I am learning how to create more balance and let things work themselves out. I am happier and smiling more because I am relaxing my grip on the things that I can not personally control.

    My favorite exercise has also been the hardest exercise for me so far. Writing the Life Narrative was so much fun, but so hard to really put together the perfect life, even though at this point, it’s just on paper for now. I had to really think about what would make me happy and not just give the standard answers that I’ve been so comfortable with for so long. I could sit down and rewrite it all over again and come up with a completely different narrative. I feel so full from this exercise, though and it has helped to unblock some of my thinking and start looking at how my ideas can go from paper to passport.

    I LOVE this whole challenge and am disappointed that finals interrupted me from keeping up! This has been such a much needed and awesome moment in time for me. Couldn’t have planned it better myself. Thank you soooo, so much, Rosetta!!!

  30. I’m a little late on this one, but I’m trying to catch up as fast as I can!

    1. The most important thing I’ve learned in that I’ve come a long, long way, but I still have a long way to go before I can be where I want to be. Ranking those values and how I’m doing in my life right now showed me how much room there is for improvement (especially on the financial side). I’m looking forward to more growth! =)

    2. So far, my favorite exercise has been this one (Day 8) – I like commenting and reading about other people’s journeys and finding common ground. It’s so inspiring to see other people trying to make their dreams come true and also knowing that there are others who are on the same path I’m on.

    3. I struggled a *lot* with the values in action piece. I know what I value and what’s important to me, but sometimes I stumble in the execution and I don’t know what the big picture looks like.

  31. Honestly this exercise has shown me how much I want for myself and how little I’m actually doing to get it. Ive fallen pray to complacency. The Life Map was an amazing exercise and Im going to encourage all of my friends to do it. There’s nothing like actually writing everything down and literally visualizing your life in an organized manner to motivate you. I’ve been introduced to a whole new me. I realized that my life is actually in MY hands nothing is left to fate. THANK YOU

  32. 1- What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    I learned that I am living in fear. I need to trust myself more and work on having faith. I also learned that playing it safe never got anyone any closer to living their dreams. A good friend told me that God already knows our hearts desires, he placed those dreams there long ago. It’s up to us to pursue them with as much confidence and gusto as we can. My confidence is a little shaky at times. I know I’m a full grown woman who can take on the world (that’s what I tell myself) but in my mind I’m still that shy, insecure little girl. The grown woman and that little girl are at odds.

    2- What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    My favorite exercise has been the Life Map (still working on it) & visualizing my ideal life. I like to think about how my future will be. I always see myself living a full rich life and being my own boss.

    3- Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    I haven’t really struggled with any of the exercises but I have struggled with devoting the time to the challenge. My time management skills at home aren’t that great. Once I leave work, I’m trying to do twenty things before bed and that leaves little time for me.

  33. ■What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    That I am very aware of my opotential for the future I just have to be confident, strong and bold enough to actually believe it will happen and ACT on it.

    ■What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    My favorite exercise was the life narrative. Writing it I truly believed and envisioned those things becoming reality.

    ■Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    I struggled a bit with the life map. It took some serious thinking to sit and think about what my ideal life looks like and then map it out visually.

  34. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that I am not doing my best as it relates to me living a life that reflects my values. I have been very lazy…I’ve been offering up a lot of lip service and not enough action.

    My favorite exercise so far has been writing the ideal life narrative. It was very eye-opening for me because I always write in future tense instead of the present tense. In hindsight, it seemed like I didn’t acknowledge the fact that I can do what I desire to do. I am in control. The future is within my reach. So when I finished writing the narrative, I was so motivated…so excited. I began to believe I can and not let fear have so much control.

    I struggled doing the life assessment. I felt so deflated as I wrote the HATES for each of the seven areas of my life. Before starting the assessment, I honestly felt like I was okay. I knew I wanted to change some things in my life but I didn’t feel like my life was so bad. By the end of the assignment, I was down. I didn’t realize there were so many things I didn’t like about my life. The HATES outnumbered the LIKES greatly. Overall though, the introspection was necessary and I know that this will change. I am on the road to deleting those HATES one by one. I now have some ideas as to what I need to do because of this assignment. And I believe I can have more LOVES than HATES.

  35. I learned that am not taking enough risks….need to step out my comfort zone

    My favorite exercise way doing my life map..it really helped focus

    I struggled with coming up with my mission statement

  36. Pingback: Reset Your Life Day 9: Do One Thing | Happy Black Woman | Personal Development for Success in Life, Love & Business

  37. 1. The most important thing I learned about myself this week is that I often stand in my own way of thinking big.Sometimes im paranoid that others loved ones don’t want the best for me, but the reality is I’m the one who doesn’t want the best for me. I also learned that I carry a lot of disappointment towards myself for not actually being the person I want to be.

    2. My favourite exercise so far was the personal mission statement. I felt I got my real emotions out there for how I want to direct my life. I really enjoyed the outcome.

    3. The exercise I struggled with most was the envision your values in action, I had a hard time actually rating myself.

  38. The most important thing I learned is sometimes I do not feel as if I deserve success. No one else around me have accomplished these big goals and dreams so why do I feel like I can be the one to change it.

    My favorite exercise has been the life map. I love being creative and using technology (power point). I love have a visual plan of what I want instead of just words.

    What I struggled with was the life narrative (actually still working on it). I struggled with this because of what I learned about myself this week. Sometimes I don’t feel I deserve the best so who am I to actually write what I want out as if it actually will happened.

  39. What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    =That I am far better than I portray sometimes. I can do so much and go so far, but I’m holding me back.

    What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    =Reset Your Life Day 7: Write Your Ideal Life Narrative, hands down. It was the easiest and the most fun I’ve had day-dreaming in ages.

    Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    =Reset Your Life Day 4: Envision Your Values in Action. This exercise really forced me to quit bs’ing around and face myself and how I’m living.

  40. My favorite exercise was creating the ideal life narrative. These exercise are assisting me as I enter a repeat tribulation in my life. It has help me to stop focusing on the “now” and to realize that better days are coming. My least favorite assignment was the mission statement, I’m all over the place (I guess that is the Gemini in me:) so it is hard to sum up my mission in a short statement LOL Patience and Love to us all as we continue to evolve with the upcoming assignments. Rosetta thank you for letting us share in this journey with you.

  42. The most important thing I learned was I am/was more unhappy with myself and current situation than I thought. The value rating exercise really hit home. I also learned from the personal mission statement that I am clear about what I want and am living a great deal of my values. The trick is to get out of my head! Fear and doubt are stopping me from being happy. Those joy-stealers are slowly fading into the background now that I’m clear about my values.

    My fav exercise has been the personal mission statement. I finished thinking I can conqueor the world with this statement in my back pocket. Great way to summarize what I will be doing to live authentically.

    I’m really struggling with the Life Map and the Life Narrative. I thought these 2 exercises would be easy but its taking more time than expected. It ties back to the current low value ratings that I currently have for most of these areas. Still working to get out of my head and created the vision for how things WILL BE! Plugging along though…

    • I love action words, they are powerful and make me feel like I am moving. It is great.

  44. Yay Day 8!! – Though I had to do some double/triple time to catch up I am so happy I did!
    * What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    I’m not putting enough time in to work on me! Frankly I struggled to find the time to complete the exercises not because they were difficult, I’ve just been running around being a busy bee instead of looking in the mirror. As I was writing down my values I noted things such as hard work, commitment, and all things surrounding outputs for other people and things. But the values that I should be putting ahead of everything that takes care of me were at the bottom of the list and they were also the things I scored myself lowest on, such as good health, balance in life and peace.
    * What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    My favourite exercise has been working on the Life Map! After realising that I needed to recommit myself to really working on my development, I made sure I placed some notes on my life map that paid special attention to my personal development and to made sure my map reflects a well balanced life.
    * Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    Day 3 and 4 were the toughest for me as it brought me face to face with my reality. Though it was a bit unsettling at first, I’m glad I participated it really helps me to put things in perspective.

  45. Hi All, I know Im kind of late but as they say better late than never. I have been searching for a forum like this for a while. Women on the same page of enlightenment sort of speak. I hope and pray that I have something to gain as well as offer.

    ■What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    I learned through a conversation with a friend that I am content with my life. It may not be much to some but I’m happy with myself. Granted, there is always room for improvement but for the most part I’m okay with where I am.

    ■What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    Since this is the beginning of my exercises, LOL, I don’t think I have a favorite as of yet.

    ■Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    I guess I would have to say this one only because I had to really dig deep within myself and be honest about who I am and some times that can be hard.

  46. 1.) The most important thing that I learned about myself this week was that I have been allowing my insecures to hold me back from truly living my life to the fullest.

    2.). My favorite exercise so far was the Life Narrative exercise because it put everything into perspective and made me visualize just how much greater my life could be if I chose to follow my dreams and let go of the fear of the unknown.

    3.) The exercise that I struggled with the most was the Envision your Values in Action exercise. This exercise made me realize just how much I wasn’t doing with regard to my relationships, pursuing my dreams and my spirituality. It showed me that I was not moving at all, but standing still. I don’t want to stand still any longer.

    • I agree with your #1. I set goals, have visualization charts, values (almost everything we’ve done here) but the biggest thing that has held me back is insecurity. Sometimes I think “who am I to have these big dreams and goals.” I have had so many opportunities placed in my lap that would allow me to accomplish my goals but I just tossed them aside and kept it moving. I know what I need to do and how.. doing it is my issue.

      • Standing in our own way is a killer most definitely. I’m glad that both of us have realized what the problem is and we are working on making it better. Good luck with your journey! :-)

  47. 1)The most important thing I learned about myself is that I live for creativity. To be creative and create is one of the things that bring me great joy in my life. I realized that now since I know better, I must do better. lol. I will no longer be content in my procrastination. I work each day towards my best life!

    2)My favorite exercise was the Life Narrative. I enjoy writing how I’d like to see my life. Reading it over gives me such inspiration- like I can reach out and touch that life I want. I see the possibilities!

    3)The exercise I struggled with the most was the personal mission statement. It took me way out of my comfort zone. It was hard to find the right way to put my values together. But the deep introspection helped a lot. I am pleased with the final product :)

  49. YAY for reflection! I can totally do this tonight and get all caught up! :o ) I’ve decided to begin using my “alter-ego” finally for this–start walking out some of my visions, you know? Anyway…LOL Here are my answers:

    1.) As much as I hate to admit it, I think this week has shown me just how much I still–at times–”play small”. I am an AMAZING person, who has the power to create a wonderful life for herself; in the same vein though, I often let the little girl inside me dictate what’s real and not in my life, and end up doing and settling for less to keep from having to do the work required to make my dreams come true. I get her feelings and where she’s coming from; simultaneously, I’m preparing to release her so I can truly be the powerful woman I am becoming.

    2. Favorite Exercises…OMG, this is honestly difficult! I think the mission statement was probably the best, as it was new, and signaled a real shift for me, in terms of how I will see and express myself moving forward. The values exercise was also a favorite, just for what it did for me psychological. When I say it did something for me to see the purpose of money and resources as an opportunity to invest in my values? MAYNE…nothing has been the same since–it was a real EPIPHANY, and I’m glad I received it.

    3. Coincidentally, Day 7′s exercise was the most difficult for me. I’m the type of person who likes to wait to see what happens, and let’s things rise to the surface; doing the narrative however, made me clarify things I didn’t want to, but benefited from doing. It’s not set in stone, but I’m glad I did it, as it gives me a guide to keep working on in the months–and years, even–ahead. :o )

    Alright…let’s go Day 9–my favorite number! LOL

  50. I learned at that I am really good at procrastination. I need to light a fire under my butt and start doing that I say I am going to do. My two favorite exercise were the life map and narrative. I really enjoyed doing working on them. I struggle with the values exercise. It was hard to figure out what I really want out of life.

  51. 1) The most important thing I learned about myself this week was how much I need to make sure that my values and my actions are on the same page!

    2) My favorite exercise was the Life Narrative – I really enjoyed seeing what my life could be and I am more determined to make it happen! I am going to print out my life narrative and tape it to the top of my laptop so that I never lose focus again! Time to “keep my eyes on the prize”!

    3) The exercise I struggled with the most was rating my values! It was hard to see just how much I am not living them. I kept wanting my numbers to be higher – but the truth is the truth…no matter how hard.

    • I struggled with rating my values too, as well as coming up with actions. I realized that the things I say are important to me, I dont live them as much as I should.

    • Hi Anne! We have the same favorite exercise and struggled with the same exercise as well! It was so easy for me to envision the life I want but so hard to admit that the life I was living wasn’t aligned to that (as made evident with my low numbers during self-rating). I wish you the best on your journey!

  52. My favorite exercise was writing my ideal life narrative. I went in great detail and dreamed big to create the life I know I deserve to live.

    I struggled most with rating how I act out my values. It was tough for me to admit that I place value on certain things but don’t put any action behind them. The activity was difficult and even made me feel a bit sad at times, but I’m using this as motivation to do better.

  53. What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    That I’m so self-aware but that I rarely take action to improve the things I need/want to. I’m all talk and no action and I’m doing myself a disservice. I’m unhappy because I have not progressed…and I haven’t progressed b/c I have yet to start the engine.

    What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    Listing the values. Because I had to take an honest look at my life and the things that make me tick, make me passionate, the things I act out and fight for. As it turned out, I truly do respect myself a lot. It was very fulfilling to realize that the person I am is someone I respect. I need to do a better job of demanding that respect from others and ensuring that those around me realize what my values are based on my actions.

    Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    The personal mission statement. It took me two days to write this. If I’m honest with myself I was afraid write something that encompassed the person I want to be and then find myself on a daily basis failing miserably at living that mission. I knew what I wanted to say, I think I was just afraid to hold myself accountable for it. I remember feeling the same way when my mom asked me to get baptized as a teenager…”so…if I do this, I have to behave differently, don’t I?” After finally having completed it, I feel better actually. I feel this is something I can get behind, something that can motivate me. More than that, something I can compare my actions, decisions, the people in my life to and say “yes or no” to the question – Does this align with who I feel I am meant to be? I’m glad I pushed through it.

    • This was such a powerful reflection Libryia, and I’m glad you shared it. “I’m glad I pushed through it”: I completely agree with you on that sentiment, particularly when I started to get behind! I think this season (and this activity, by extension) is calling on us to get real about working for the change we claim we want! We can complain, but can we dream, and then wake up and work for those dreams?! That’s what I think the Universe is asking of us; as a result, I believe this is really going to bless the lives of those who do it fully and take it seriously. I’m looking forward to seeing all the beautiful strides that are made as a result!

  54. I have learned that I fear looking ahead. I think I fear it because something always seems to pop up.

    My favorite exercise was writing out my life narrative. It was fun, and I wrote some silly things and some real things.

    I struggled with writing down my values. I felt like I was taking a quiz at first, and like I was going at it the wrong way. I realized that the assignment was for me, not to be evaluated, and I should relax and do it my way.

  55. What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    That I have not been honest with myself and that is wrong. I have been letting fear control my life and today was the last day.

    What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    My favorite exercise was Day 7 because it awakened me, its like I am meeting the real me for the first time today, everything else has been a cover up.

    Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    I struggled most with Day 7 and I explain why on my blog. To make a long story short…I have been afraid to dream and actually look forward to amazing things. I relaized today that its nothing wrong with expecting the best and going after only the best in life.

    • “I have been afraid to dream”…is such a powerful statement. Most would assume everyone wants greatness, right? But to be honest, it’s sort of scary. There’s the fear of disappointment, there’s the fear of failure, there’s the fear that the better you’re doing the more people expect of you. You realizing that one thing is such a powerful breakthrough it gave me chill bumps.

      Clearly I don’t know you, but I’m sincerely hoping that you remain on the path to find and live out your dreams. You deserve every bit of it…every.single.bit.

    • thanks for sharing. I have problems looking forward, too. I feel like something will always pop up, so what should I look ahead for?

    • Its amazing how so much that is holding us back for fully shining is not being honest with ourselves…whether that’s about what we want, where we are in our lives, where we really want to be, etc. The challenge really holds up a mirror to how we’re living our lives. Live fearlessly!

    • I believe I commented on that blog post of yours today. I can totally relate. Fear is a crimpling state of being.

  56. 1. What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    * This week I have learned that I accomplished more than I give myself credit from. Things could be a lot worse and I’m grateful that I have come this far and look forward to the long journey ahead.

    2. What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    * My favorite exercise so far is the life narrative. As a filmmaker it is important for me to be a visual person. There is always a movie in my head. It was interesting to create a mini movie about myself.

    3. Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    * I struggled with honestly rating my Top Ten Values. I was forced to take my mask off and be honest with myself about my priorities. I spend the majority of my time acting like I live this fulfilled life when I recognized that I might need to reevaluate things and reorganize.

  57. My reflections:

    What was the most important thing you learned about yourself this week?
    * I learned that while I’m on the road to success, until I believe in myself it won’t happen. I need to start being my own cheerleader.

    What has been your favorite exercise so far?
    * The life map has been my absolute fav, even though it took me a minute to replicate my map in Powerpoint. LOL

    Which exercise did you struggle with the most and why?
    * Day #4. Our values & actions. It was so crazy to see things that I hold in high regard and realize and recognize that I’m not giving them the full attention in my life that they deserve. It was definitely an eye opener and now that I know better, I will do better.

    • Sounds like me. “I need to be my own cheerleader” I am terrified of failure so sometimes I give up. It is just scary to say “Hey, I want to be a millionaire” (for example) then to always have people watching you judging rather or not you are doing the things you need to do to become a millionaire. Sometimes it is just easier to go with the flow than step out on your own.

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