We’ve had quite a few discussions with Addie about the roles we all have as a family unit.  If you ask her why mom and dad work – she will tell you – and very frankly I might add –  to pay our bills. We keep our explanations simple and to the point – she is only two and half (the half is something she likes to add).

Someday I will be sure to elaborate on the purpose and the heart of working and doing good work but for now she knows our jobs help pay our bills and that her role is to go to school to learn.

We want her to grow to love learning for learnings sake – and providing her with ample opportunities to have fun while learning is of the utmost importance to us. One of my hopes for her has always been that we can encourage her to be a life-long learner – someone who will seek out growing opportunities – and not just because it’s required.

There is something unbelievably valuable about learning for the seemingly simple purpose of growth – let me elaborate.

 

My interest in the role of sought-after-education was peaked after listening to an episode from the Creative Well Podcast last year. At one point in the episode, the host, Katie, started to discuss the concept of pursuing curiosities.

The life long learner in me was intrigued – in adulthood this notion of pursing curiosities – sounded, well fun.

For the podcast host, it took on the meaning of having interests outside of your industry – and using this pursuit of knowledge to foster growth and possibly influence your work in unique ways.While I certainly value this approach (and truthfully agree with it), my thoughts on pursuing curiosity continuously are slightly different.

As someone who spent many years working towards educational degrees in the traditional sense, this idea that entrepreneurship could have a similar yet uniquely different yearning was fascinating. So what exactly does the continuous pursuit of curiosity look like? What will it entail?

Well friends – it’s a journey I am embarking on this year, one that encompasses many facets of my 2019 goals and truthfully one that I hope will be completely transformative.

Pursuing Curiosity Continuously

As I mentioned last week – in this post on the journal and in affirmations discussed here – I have big hopes for 2019 to be intentionally life changing.  It’s one thing to desire transformation and another to have an action plan – enter my thoughts on the continuous pursuit of curiosity. For me this experience will be marked by a variety of resources and a desire to foster something more than just an acceptance of the way it is suppose to be. I want my growth to be multifaceted – that for this journey to nurture growth in business, my relationships, motherhood, my home, and to encourage the development of time spent focused on wellness.

So what exactly does this approach look like? The following 5 philosophies will guide the journey ahead – all of which align with the various facets of my 2019 goals.

Learning | to spend more time getting lost in books – of all genres – for both professional and personal development

Action plan: 2019 Reading List (with some being audio books – for those upcoming late night nursing sessions). I just finished the first part (through the chapter on January) of The Life Giving Home and plan to share some of my preliminary thoughts this week! Spoiler alert – it is so so so good! If you are looking for a transformative approach to your building a home, then I highly recommend this book!

Building | to build more community – in a truly authentic not after the numbers kind of way

Action plan: I am not sure about you but the algorithm on instagram really throws me for a loop and truthfully exhausts me. It takes the joy out of sharing and makes one’s desire to post more about pushing content for reasons that extend beyond being social. My approach to instagram will be radically different this year (and all social media for that matter) – I’ve given myself permission to let go of numbers and find joy in posting because I have something of value to share. The focus will be on building community, sharing inspiration, and the heart that resides in the words and images that I hope will resonate with the community that follows along. The pressure to curate has robbed many of the joy of connection and so this year I am determined to evaluate the value I bring with all forms of social media on whether it is a reflection of heart and the quality of engagement with those that choose to follow along.

Acting | to act from a desire of individualized growth and impact rather than a pursuit of another’s prescribed how to

Action plan: so much of this stems from this notion of comparison – something that has been discussed numerous times as being the thief of joy. Its so hard not to fall trap to this but in an effort to allow my heartfelt desires to guide my personal development this year, I want to be keenly aware of the influence I let into my heart, mind, and home. I want my actions to align with goals that are grown from a place of purpose and meet the needs of my life, my family, and my business. I am excited to watch this one take shape this year!

Exploring | To try something new – outside my comfort zone – monthly

Action plan: this stems from my heartfelt desire  of fostering new hobbies. I realized while reflecting in December that I sadly couldn’t name a hobby that I currently enjoy. I have spent so much of my young adult life in school and working that I haven’t had time to seek out things that I enjoy just for fun. I hope to make a big dent in this area of my life.

Nurturing | To nurture dreams – without fear

Action plan: starting early in 2019 I plan to start researching, practicing, and seeking out learning opportunities to foster a new facet of my business I have dreamed about growing since I started. For what seems like far to long, I’ve put off this aspect of my business – one that brought great joy – out of fear, not good timing, lack of resources (one of which includes space (which actually is a big one)) but I am looking forward to diving into this adventure.

 

I plan to share monthly here on the journal the ways in which my efforts here are being shaped by the idea of continuously pursuing experiences and opportunities that promise to be transformative. My hope is that many of my goals this year will be nurtured by these approaches listed above. But most importantly, I hope that this new approach to growth can result in a truly intentional year – one that will reflect balance, wellness, profitability, transformation, and legacy both outward (as a reflection for what my business and I stand for) and for my children and their future relationships with educational pursuits.