Grab a cup of coffee and join me for a chat from my cozy corner of the world – my home office. I’m focusing on personal growth, specifically for women in our stage of life. But here’s something I want to reinforce: Personal growth isn’t about chasing perfection. We don’t inspire ourselves to grow and evolve from a place of self-criticism and doubting ourselves. We grow from self-acceptance, self-love and embracing the adventure of self-exploration. I throw these terms around a lot, but want to slow down and explain each for a moment.

Self Acceptance:

Self-acceptance is about looking in the mirror and saying, “You know what? I’m pretty awesome just the way I am. I’m ok right now.” It’s recognizing that every laugh line, every roll, and the sparkle in your eye is a testament to the journey you’ve been on and the life you’ve lived so far. It’s understanding that you don’t need to fit into any mold or meet any standard to be worthy of love and respect – especially from yourself.

Self-love:

If I could wish something for every woman, it would be to embrace self-love. This is simply where the magic happens. Self-love isn’t just about treating yourself to spa days. It’s about nurturing respect and affection for yourself. It’s about setting boundaries, honoring your needs and forgiving yourself for your mistakes. It’s from this place of self-love that helps us grow and have healthy, loving relationships.

Self-Exploration:

Lastly, a key area of personal growth is self-exploration. It’s about asking yourself, “What makes my heart sing?” and then having the courage to pursue it. It’s about discovering new passions, revisiting old dreams, and allowing yourself to evolve and grow. Self-exploration is giving yourself permission to try, fail and try again, always with curiosity and grace.

Here’s what I’ve learned in coaching: Growth isn’t a straight line. It’s a meandering path with ups and downs, twists and turns. There will be days when you feel like you’ve taken 10 steps backwards. And that’s ok. Because it’s on those days that you’re gathering the strength to leap forward.

Embracing our imperfections and setbacks is where true growth lies. It’s in the messy, imperfect, beautifully human moments that we find our strength and resilience. So, let’s throw out the notion that personal growth is about become someone else – a “better” version of ourselves. Instead, let’s focus on becoming more authentically US, in all of our flawed glory.