Now I don’t mean to brag, but in the little more than two years I’ve been a small business owner, my entrepreneurial experiences have made me an expert… in yoga pants.
As a work-from-home mom, I’m genuinely confused why athleisure is referred to as workout wear. Strike the out, because it’s my daily work wear. In fact, I’m not sure any of my current collection has actually been to yoga. (Does that make me a poser, or would I actually have to strike a yoga pose to be called that?)
Today’s athletic wear has been carefully designed to be “performance enhancing,” and it totally works! Uninhibited by unrelenting buttons, zippers and waist lines, my mind and body are free to take on anything that comes my way.
While athleisure has many benefits – primarily glorious comfort – there’s a side effect to wearing it too many days (or two years) in a row. Routinely clothing yourself in a soft, stretchy polyblend pant is likely to lead to some personal growth – in your waistline. Unless, of course, you actually work out in them. Can you imagine?!
ROOM TO GROW
My ability to expand to the space allowed is not limited to yoga pants, mind you.
When my husband and I were first married, we bought the sweetest 1,200-square-foot bungalow in an up-and-coming historic neighborhood. It was the perfect size for two newlyweds, but we quickly ran out space when our daughter – and the 786 onesies, 254 burp cloths, 4,862 diapers and 2,946 bottle parts that came along with her – arrived. Not long after, we moved into a larger home with ample room for every Pasqualone and our possessions. It felt so open and organized! Fast forward a few years, and every nook, closet and cranny of this place is filled to the brim.
Perhaps my capacity to fill all available space is best exemplified when I’m shopping at Target. Whether I grab a basket or commit to a cart, I WILL fill it up. (I’m fairly certain this is one of the laws of the universe.) Even when I bypass the buggies and make a beeline for one item, I find myself in the checkout line sheepishly juggling multiple items with my bare hands and wondering what happened.
Bottom Line: If I am given space, I will probably fill it up. But while I’m happy to cruise through Target with the big buggy, I don’t always give myself ample room to expand my mind or my skill set. Can you relate?
YOGA TO LEARN TO EARN
When my biz bestie and I started our business, we devoted the first few weeks of work to researching and learning new things. Free of the demands that would come with our company’s launch, we allowed ourselves time and space to grow in a way that an hour of professional development here or a book there just doesn’t allow. We learned systems and strategies that we didn’t know existed when we started but that ultimately shaped our business. It was one of the most transformative times of my career.
While I’ll probably never have multiple weeks completely free again, I’m committed to making room to grow professionally and personally. And I’m not alone.
Pay attention to enough interviews of super successful people and you’ll notice a trend. Book after book, podcast after podcast and article after article, they attribute much of their accomplishments to their dedication to learning and growing.
Yoga to try it out too.
STRETCH YOURSELF
It’s so easy to think we don’t have the time to devote to personal growth, but let’s be real. How many of us are actually thinking, “Namasté right where I am for the rest of my life…”?
Practicing personal development is kind of like wearing yoga pants every day. If you routinely give yourself the room, you will grow.
This week, let’s stretch ourselves. What have you been wanting to learn or improve on? Is there a bestselling book you haven’t gotten around to, a new skill that could up your professional game or maybe a just-for-fun hobby you’ve been meaning to try out? (I’ve been dying to learn breakdancing for years… seriously!)
YOUR CHALLENGE: Make room to learn something new so you can grow. Try something new, read a book, take a class or enroll in a course… It doesn’t matter what you do. Just make sure to stretch yourself!
About the Challenge: I’m on a pursuit to live my best life by doing something to better myself every day. That’s why I’m taking on a different personal development challenge each week for a year. More importantly, I want to help others live their best lives too. Join me on the journey by signing up for my once-a-week emails below.
