In celebration of Women’s History Month, I am writing aloud about my own history. Telling your story is a true eye-opening narrative packed with past events in your life. The point that I want to make is how important it is to keep a journal of your life’s history. This becomes your story. Whether it is from humble beginnings or heroic strides of excellence on your journey. Being able to share it is liberating and may be helpful to others.

The experiences of my life helped to shape my own identity. I was raised by my father for most of my life who taught me valuable lessons at a young age. I found the path of faith with his guidance and the importance of gratitude. Both prepared me for the journey ahead. I was the first Black student to graduate from my high school during the civil right movement. That unforgettable experience was a giant step moving forward in my life.

After completing studies at a business college and attending a legendary finishing school, my entrepreneurial skills became refined and grandeur. I was empowered with the proper decorum of knowledge to advance my professional achievements. Personal development training became the forefront of my career master planning. Corporate employment was good experience for a short stint in various roles as I gradually launched a successful business practice. Over thirty years in different service capacities, Personal Dynamics, Inc. continues to operate. It has enhanced my personal growth to include authorship, life coaching, and motivational speaking. That is my story!

We all have a story and how you want it told starts with you. It takes courage to tell your story and the truth is, you may have more than one. The most powerful one is the one that best defines you and your life. It is important because your story is your history. Becoming an expert at knowing facts about yourself with confidence will help you to reconcile the events of your life. When you tell your story, you leave people with a memory or a compelling life experience. You become empowered to influence, inspire, or motivate by telling your story.

The art of storytelling has become one of the most power business communication skills. It is the new marketing tool learning to speak about your professional work history. People respond to well told stories that create a sense of togetherness. A good story adds a human element content that can give value to your conversation and strengthen the trust listeners have in your personal brand.

Your story expresses the who, why, and what of your life.  It tells who you are, why you did it, and what you love about it. You know your life better than anyone. Own your true story. Tell your story so it fulfills an intellectual and lasting memorable experience that builds your history.

Our first breath introduces us to human life and learning. This natural act sets forth innate coaching for life that will become paramount to our traits, talents, and overall development. Life as we know it is the conscious existence that processes our experiences and evolves through growth. The reasons that we live are many and go beyond the basic idea that living gives us happiness and pleasure. We live because we love, we live because we believe, and we live because we learn. The reality is each of us lives, pursuing the subsistence of our livelihood and finding fulfillment. We seek to build human capital that leads us to enhance the quality of life and to facilitate the realization of our dreams and aspirations. Personal development proves to be the framework that empowers us to take a new direction to discover the remarkable transformation and uniqueness known as our best self.

If you want to make lasting life changes and need someone to help you identify your goals or help develop a plan, life coaching provides the support and encouragement with practical advice that is invaluable. A key benefit is it can be effective in helping you to develop important people skills.

There is a special connection between life coaching and personal development characterized by the affection to establish a collaborative relationship. To put it simply, together a dynamic support system works to upgrade our way of life and level of influence. A profound impact of excellence from this union is embraced to assure the potential of success to become the best one can be. If this in part grips your attention or sounds enthralling, read on to learn more about the essence of both life changing forces.

The ongoing pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons is important throughout life. It is about being open to innovative ideas and new perspectives to achieve personal fulfillment. Lifelong learning can help you to improve and continue growing through your own spiritual seasons in life. You could very well be a lifelong learner and never thought of it as such. Some people are always advancing to new opportunities, involved in practical physical activities, challenging the start of a project, obtaining a certification or higher degree, and let us not forget social media blogging and podcasting among the movers and shakers to initiate and build influence. There are countless ways to characterize the act or experience of a lifelong learner.

A 2020 Trend Magazine article on lifelong learning by the Pew Research Center, Source an internationally known public opinion research center, reported as we live longer and workplace requirements expand, continued learning and retraining are becoming essential. “The most valuable workers now and in the future will be those who can combine technical knowledge with human skills and adapt to the changing needs of the workplace.” As the economy moves deeper into a knowledge-focused age, significant changes are reshaping the American workplace. The fastest-growing occupations demand an evolving set of skills, and that new reality is prompting many workers to upgrade their own skills and contemplate learning as a lifelong commitment. A survey conducted found that a majority of workers recognize new demands, and that future job success may rest on learning new skills. “Americans think the responsibility for preparing and succeeding in today’s workforce starts with individuals themselves.” Key Takeaway – A new learning ecosystem is needed to address the evolving demands for new knowledge and training throughout our longer work lives.

Personal development is the process of learning anything that strengthens your mind and builds self-confidence that heightens your ability to grow. Professional development, in contrast is learning transferable skills to market your value in a particular industry. In either case, an innate curiosity serves to inspire your thoughts and motivation to learn. Understanding the benefits of both professional and personal development can be applied by effective methods to become the best type of lifelong learner. To become a lifelong learner, you must be committed and enthusiastic about the pursuit of learning and believe that learning is a journey and not a destination.

This is the time of year for many of us who connect our values to traditions and meaningful experiences. Values will guide us through our experiences as we embark upon a new year. Connecting our values can bring us together in unity with those we love and care about to express gratitude and appreciation for them. Everyone has values, and some people are more aware of their values’ importance than others.

Your values help form the foundation of your life that will influence your decisions and they are needed in every imaginable situation. The relationships that you have with others are primarily centered around your values for guidance and motivation. Values are instrumental to an individual’s growth and development. They are important and help us to create the future we want to experience.

Most of us follow or choose to continue with the values that we grew up with and internalized as a child. The positive attributes and role of family members serve as empowering factors. We all have our own personal dominate values developed through society like good and bad, right, and wrong. These are beliefs and views that are widely shared among multiple cultures and can stem through family, religious organizations, workplace, institutions, and media sources. We learn to live by the values we accept or until we uncover the ones that are vitally important to us. Values matter because we are more likely to feel better living in accordance with them.

Over the past two decades, researchers have shown how enduring influence can shape cultural values. They were able to trace differences in personalities to early childhood. The broad societal values influenced by how parents raise their children were explored to study how different parenting styles shape the behavior of children. The differences in this study are not surprising because our values are generated early, and we individualize them as we grow and develop. Integrity, empathy, resilience, gratitude, and lifelong learning are among the foundational principles deeply ingrained and integral to our identity.

The role of values is often observed in people with leadership positions. It is what they say and do that puts their character in public view when using guiding principles. Leaders facilitate others to make a positive difference that contributes to a greater good. If you have ever had to direct a group, coordinate a team effort, manage an organization or be the leader of any important tasks, your values were important and mattered. The one main thing in influencing others when leading by example is to remember that people are always watching and listening. Using the power of your values will help to sustain a level of clarity and understanding.

Identifying your core values can increase your confidence and help in making decisions because you know if a decision aligns with your values. Knowing your values can help with achieving goals and, most importantly, help you to improve personal relationships that build a better rapport with others. How would you identify your values? To get started think about who you are and how you live. Consider your beliefs and the things that are most important to you. Values can be determined based on your experiences, your approach to making decisions, factors that have contributed to your feelings, memorable events, and what gives you happiness.

Knowing your values, you will discover what is profoundly important to you. Your values show up in the way you live, work, and play. Values are the roots that keep you grounded to grow towards becoming your best authentic self. They are capable of powerfully influencing our emotional state of mind. Embark on the threshold of a new year by defining your values. Reflect on your experiences and create a list that resonates with you to select values that describe your feelings and behavior. Here is list of personal values for consideration. Review, prioritize, and add to your list, then put it into practice.

To be characterized by humble beginnings is often the springboard that pushes us in a different direction. Experiencing big obstacles in life is one of the primary reasons that people choose personal development as a course of action for self-improvement, motivation, and growth. Another rewarding practice instrumental to influencing professionals is mentoring.

Whether it is done in a traditional setting of one-on-one, distant mentoring, or group mentoring – the expertise is valuable on life’s journey. I know of cases with positive outcomes and career advancement achieved through mentor relationships. Mentoring is a powerful tool for personal development and empowerment.

As much as you would like to have immediate results and realize the benefits of a mentorship sooner than later, you must be willing to put in the work first. A good example is to look at the length of time it takes for anything to grow and develop into near perfection. We see it in all levels of professionalism on a personal development journey. Mentors may enter a long-term relationship or function as an independent source of career advice and support. At a minimum, mentors and mentees should meet at least one hour per month for six months to a year. A mutual agreement is important to have open and honest discussions to determine if both parties have achieved objectives.

Managing your career development in life through effective mentoring will gain benefits over a lifespan. Effective mentors encourage mentees to focus on the essential framework for a successful relationship through communication, collaboration, and coaching. The rewards of mentoring go beyond teaching jobs or career skills. One of my most memorable mentoring experiences involved helping an employee who coped with her self-esteem. We worked on ways to improve her confidence by taking bold steps on her journey to believe in herself that increased her competence and heightened her performance level.

After forty years of dedicated entrepreneurship and management, I remember the special networks and shared connections that I received as a form of mentoring during my early business years. Then, it was important to be involved in professional associations and groups that provided support, education, and guidance. In those days, it was most essential for small businesses to seek mentoring through connections that were helpful in opening doors to collaborative opportunities for growth and development, leaving a lifetime of memories and relationships on the journey.

Is now a suitable time for you to have a mentor? Take a look at some reasons why you might want to have a mentor on your journey now. Personal Development; Source of knowledge or experience; Career Goals; Networking Connections; Honest feedback for changes in personal or professional life; Confidential Ally; Encouragement; or Someone who brings a fresh perspective on life and living with purpose. Whatever the reason, finding the right mentor takes time and research to find the best person. First, be clear about understanding your needs, second, define your why, and third, prepare yourself for mentoring to reach higher plateaus. Always be open-minded to the advice that will help you on the path to success and greatness.

Milestones are important to mark progress in life with accomplishments and creating fulfillment. Mentoring for life’s journey helps visualize the fulfillment that you want in life and adds more value to your personal development aspirations and lifelong learning. Whether you are working on your next accomplishment or seeking out the best in yourself to share with others, the pursuit can become a significant milestone with a good mentor.

The future of your journey for personal development and professional growth is driven passionately by your attitude and commitment to learning. Navigating the world of great opportunities throughout life will come with experience. A mentoring journey is having the support of an alliance that gives helpful guidance to your experience that provides meaningful and impactful connections. Fostering a culture of mentorship is a growing trend by thought leaders on the subject of developmental relationships for career advancement or skill-building.

The patronage, influence, and guidance in a mentorship are reciprocal and can involve social support factors through planned activities. Mentoring is a formal or informal relationship where a more experienced individual helps the less experienced individual in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking, often in an organizational setting. It is related to self-development, professional growth and career development of the mentee. The key components of an effective mentoring relationship will include open communications and accessibility, goals and challenges, passion and inspiration, mutual respect and trust, exchange of knowledge, role modeling, and a caring personal relationship.

Discovering the power of a successful mentorship can help unlock your professional potential. Important qualities to look for in a mentor include finding a leader who you admire and tapping into their unique experience and perspectives that will help to elevate and build your career and support your personal growth. A good mentor is interested in helping you without any official reward but is someone who genuinely wants to see you succeed.

Mentoring is the ultimate sharing of expertise, values, skills, and perspectives. Mentors function as a catalyst for positive changes and directions on an individual’s personal life’s journey. Our entire lives are a journey. Mentoring may move us in experiences with amazing life gifts along the way. The benefits of being mentored go beyond achieving career goals. Self-improvement and personal development are extended rewards for those pursuing a transformative journey and seeking fulfillment in life.

Mentorship has been advocated as a career and personal development practice for years. Mentoring became increasingly popular over the last two decades of the twentieth century. A mentor is a valuable teacher for any company. In addition, a solid mentoring program can be a fundamental cornerstone to a company’s success. More organizations are providing mentors in the workplace to help facilitate high potential leaders and as a learning and development initiative with a reported increase in productivity and profits. The benefits are vast for both the person being mentored and the person doing the mentoring. According to research, 84% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs, and 100% of Fortune 50 companies (Source). Ninety-four percent of employees said they would stay at a company longer if they were offered opportunities to gain experience and grow.

Personal growth and self-improvement have been around since the beginning of civilization. Every human consciously or unconsciously has a path of development. Mentoring can be an integral part of the path of your successful development journey. Great mentors have the ability to leave an enduring impression. Look for these traits and characteristics when considering a mentor. Enthusiasm and passion, time for you, motivation, candid and truthful, exquisite listener, self-awareness and values, empathy, clearly communicates, implements initiative-taking feedback, and cares genuinely.

If you are interested in seeking a mentorship program for personal development, self-improvement, career guidance, or professional growth, please contact me here or visit here for more information.

Original article published in Brainz Magazine on October 10, 2023.

In today’s fast-paced world where we are always on the go and constantly overstimulated, it can be more challenging than ever to focus on personal growth. Focus is a skill that can be tough to develop while thriving for self-improvement. It is a valuable skill to have and can be improved by avoiding frequent distractions from establishing a mindset for concentration. A helpful tip is to create a life of focus, purpose, and mindfulness with habit resilience. Fearless routines help to cultivate a deep focus for stronger commitments to personal development.

Preparing yourself for greater heights begins by investing in your abilities and talents for the work to come. The journey starts with awareness, action, and consistency to build a strong momentum for your personal development and growth. These are the elements of focus with a devoted commitment needed to feed the passion of your purpose, goals, and vision. You depend on each one independently and collectively while pursuing your mission to fulfill the heart’s desire. Focus is about intention. This is where you prioritize and choose to concentrate on the desired commitment.

Personal Development is personal. Your development becomes your life and is a personal evolution. Awareness should be observed in the pursuit of clarity to follow your dreams and aspirations. Staying focused on your commitment requires planning the possibilities in life with powerful enthusiasm to expect what you want. To know you have the potential to become better in life is beyond amazing. It is one of your remarkable skills of excellence!

The most successful people are more inclined to take self-improvement at a higher level. We see it often in celebrities and those who need to maintain a positive public image. But the challenge to many is the vast commitment involving a relentless motivation of time, energy, and space to manage personal development activities. The desire to improve requires some organization in your life. Developing a clear vision of where you want to be and outlining a plan is an important process.

Navigating personal development includes creating an action plan based on awareness, values, aspirations, goals, and relationships for self-improvement. It outlines the areas you may need to change, and skills needed in areas of weakness. It is a guide used as a tool for mapping personal growth. A Personal Development Plan, also known as a PDP helps bring your vision into a reality and holds your more accountable in the process. Think of it as a detailed roadmap throughout your journey to successfully achieving your goals.

The procedure for writing a personal development plan should start with a reflection on yourself and past achievements to plan for the future. Focus on your character, skills, and capabilities. It is the design of your own life that can be used in various aspects including career goals and professional objectives. The good thing is you can prioritize objectives that matter the most to you or that will deliver the greatest benefits in your life.

The personal success that you want to achieve in life will determine your personal development journey. How you plan to navigate through the particular zones will be important to your overall success. The process of identifying and knowing where you are is crucial to mapping out and taking the right steps. The path to self-improvement is a process that requires moving in a direction that is manageable and supports the goals that you want to reach. Every personal development journey will have a set of rules to follow in order to accomplish the desired achievement for personal growth and success. It is a lifelong process and by focusing on a plan of self-improvement, it brings many benefits at every stage of development.

Successful people always invest time to work on themselves. Some people dedicate up to thirty minutes of their time every day toward personal development. There are others who dedicate a significant amount of time continuing to learn. A good place to start is to begin every day with something that gives enlightenment, encouragement, and brings positivity in your life. Identify areas that can help you improve or maximize your potential. Feed your brain with positive things and new information on a regular basis.

The method and means of personal development are a framework for people who are committed to their own personal growth. It involves assessing yourself to measure your improvement and address practical ways to increase your ability and handle challenges as you move to higher levels of advancement. When you take the time to assess yourself you think about how you want to grow and ways to strengthen your abilities. Personal development should be a lifelong mission that is never complete.

In addition to patience and working smart, another necessary must-have in my opinion is resilience to manage any difficulties or challenges during the process. As you accept fresh responsibilities and enter into a new role working towards your goals staying focused on key priorities is critical to your accomplishment. The change in your mindset should serve as a constant reminder of the things you have to do, and the effort needed to keep the planning cycle in motion. Learning to trust and believe in your abilities is a major asset to personal development.

Life is about creating skills that recognize our values as we balance life, family, friendships, and all that connects the pathway on our journey. The elements of personal development will face spiritual qualities of humility, positive thinking, mental stability, physical, and social abilities.

Spend more time developing yourself as a person to appreciate who you have become. If you would like help on ways to improve your focus skills and strengthening your commitment to personal development, please book a complimentary call with me here.

Original article published in Brainz Magazine on June 12, 2023.