The 4 Important Lessons I have Learned in Life For Personal Growth & Success

There are many lessons I have learned this past year to appreciate where I am in life, which I will apply moving forward. I hope to pass on to you, my readers, and people in my inner circle. 

I like to share the little lessons learned the past year that can help you become more successful in your relationships, work, and whatever big dreams you have.

 Here are the Four important life lessons I have learned:

1. Fear is Your Friend

One of my biggest fears in life is to fail. Fear of failure to be productive in life, failure in relationships, failure to do my job to the best of my abilities, fear of not making the best financial decisions, fear of being financially broke. I could go on and on for days about my worries.

They have been many times this year when I’ve been afraid to achieve specific goals that I’ve set for myself. Especially whenever my mind indulged in future business plans, marketing strategies for new clients, or planning content for this blog. I automatically got caught up in unneeded anxiety. 

But what this does is stop you from taking action and being successful. The lessons I have learned from this is that fear hinders me from potential opportunities that would have led to growth in certain areas of my life.

By overcoming some of these fears, I now know what I’m truly capable of, got to understand my strengths and weaknesses, become more focused. I have learned the power of persistence and understood why taking risks in life sometimes is essential.

So whatever keeps you from pursuing that business opportunity, taking on new responsibilities at work, or leaving that toxic relationship, believe in the power you hold. Know the root cause of your fear. Is it because you do not have the required skills to go after that job? Is it because you are not experienced enough to start your own business? 

Replacing that fear with commitment and ACTION to work on whatever you think you are lacking is a great start to overcome fear.  

Also, let fear become your friend. Fear indicates a change and growth. It is part of life. So embrace it, keep trying; one day, success will find you.

2. Choosing Yourself is Not Selfish

In my 20’s I used to care so much about what everybody thought about me, what my friends, parents, siblings, colleagues at work, would think about who I was. But I have become bold this past year. 

There is so much power in finding yourself and putting yourself first when it comes to the people you hang around with, the type of job and company to work for, and the clients you choose to work with. 

 I’ve come to realize choosing myself is not selfish. I REPEAT, Choosing Yourself is NOT SELFISH.

Because the truth is you will not always be a priority to others. You will not be a priority to the company you work for; everybody has their agenda, which is why you need to be a priority for yourself, take care of yourself, be your support system, and meet your needs.

I am no longer a prisoner to what everybody wants me to be for them. I stopped accepting people in life with negative actions or behaviors. I have become very opinionated about who I want to be and where I want my life to go accepting the FACT that I’m not perfect.

It is essential to find that aspect of your personality and see if it fits with those you bring in your cycle. Does your job fit in that personality? Do you share the same values and beliefs as the company you choose to work for? Do your actions align with your values? 

You do not want to be in an environment where you are a pushover. Neither do you want people to walk all over you because you choose to compromise all the time.

This year has taught me much about self-love , self care , and just being there for me. Being content with knowing that I am not the smartest, the funniest, the prettiest, the most talented person in the room, and that’s okay.

Related Post: If you want to read more about why Choosing yourself is important, go to this post by Rebecca on “Minimalism Made Simple” Blog.

3. Adapting To Change Is Hard But Can Be Worth It!

” The Secret of Change Is to Focus All of Your Energy, Not on Fighting the Old, But on Building the New ” – Socrates

One of the most significant changes I have experienced in life was moving from Africa to the USA about ten years ago. The move to a new country impacted my personality and livelihood, both positively and negatively, but made me resilient.

I became more flexible and open-minded to different cultures and diversity in my career. I have since worked in over four various Industries in 5 years that sharpened my professional knowledge and experiences, resolving conflict among other things. However, 2021 was different from anything I have experienced before. 

Because of the pandemic and just not knowing what to expect next, it was hard for me to sit down have a solid life plan.

There are so many significant ways in which my life has been altered and transformed due to leaving in a global pandemic which has driven dramatic shifts in my well-being, financial stability, how we spend our time.

Having to cancel vacation plans and having no sense of anything can be depressing. 

At some point, it seemed like most of us were only surviving but not thriving, so I had to think about how I could live outside my comfort zone to embrace this change.

Instead of running from reality, I’ve learned to embrace it and flow with it. 

I didn’t know what working from home full-time would mean, and it was overwhelming at first.

But it eventually became freeing. I do not have to spend an extra hour a day commuting.

 I came up with a daily routine that works great for me. There is now plenty of time for me without social pressures. I’ve enjoyed the down culture, not having something to do with every evening.

I believe working from home remotely permanently feels much more doable now, and I am much happier.

4. Comparison Kills Success

This article has taken me over two months to finally start writing because I let it turn from being a passion to a tedious task. The reason for starting this blog was not to make money, rather a safe place I created for people like me who are into self-development and personal development. 

But I think the translation got lost along the way when I started comparing myself to other bloggers. The content I began to write was not aligned with my vision but theirs. 

I got discouraged because I couldn’t keep up with other bloggers who earn $10000 a month from their work while it isn’t happening for me YET. 

Taking time off from writing gave me time to learn that circumstances are different for each of us. We all do not have the same priorities, purpose or resources. 

And, who knows, there could be debt, anxiety, or stress that I am not seeing behind those big dollar numbers. 

This is about enjoying what I do and not doing it for others.

It has been imperative to understand and not compare myself to other people’s success, block out all the negativity, and stop thinking where I should be instead of being happy with where I am.

Now that you have read some of the most important Lessons I have Learned in life for personal growth & success, what are the most important life lessons you have learned along the way? Please share in the comments.

Happy New Year, 2022. I wish you the healthiest, wealthiest, and happiest year ahead.