Self-Development

self-development on www.marianamcdougall.com

The journey of self-development is just that: a journey.

Improving who you are and continuously learning to become a better person is not a destination, it’s something we should work on throughout our lives.

Whether it’s examining how you act within your relationships, how you talk to yourself, or how you play the cards that life deals you, all of us can use a little guidance and push to become the best versions of ourselves.

Self-development is the act of consciously taking steps to improve who you are, on all levels of your being. Whether it’s by an examination of consciousness (and then acting on that examination), by being open to new perspectives, or by setting out on a new adventure to find new meanings, we all should take the time for personal growth.

This is the section of the blog where I write about becoming the best people we can become, through self-development, personal growth, and more.

Posts about self-development

New Year’s Resolutions to Make the World a Better Place

January 17, 2017July 5, 2018 Mariana

Did you make New Year’s Resolutions for 2017? How are they coming along?

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you purchase something after following a link on this post, I may receive a small commission. Rest assured that I only recommend products and services that I use and love, or that I want to use in the near future.

If you’re like most people, even if you’re doing awesome with your New Year’s Resolutions, you’ll fall off the wagon as soon as March (if not sooner). And it’s not surprising, really.

If you follow the blog, you know it’s no secret that I don’t like New Year’s Resolutions. Not just because they’re the most ineffective way to reach a goal, but also because they tend to be too near-sighted and belly-button focused. The majority of people who make New Year’s Resolutions are thinking only of themselves when they make them. Case in point: the top New Year’s Resolutions are “losing weight” and working on self-improvement.

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Start 2017 on the right foot

January 2, 2017July 5, 2018 Mariana

I’m committed to having my most organized, healthiest, most awesome year ever in 2017. I’m committed to setting SMART goals and making them happen this year. I’ve decided to quit making excuses for why I can’t do things, and remember that if I try my hardest, I can accomplish anything. I need to remember to take my own advice more often. I have followed my dreams and taken leaps of faith in the past, and it always ends well. It’s when I don’t take action that I get into a spiral of feeling sorry for myself, and I start to believe the word “can’t.”

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Your New Year’s Resolutions? They’re just not gonna happen.

December 18, 2016July 5, 2018 Mariana

I’m not fond of New Year’s Resolutions.

I never make New Year’s Resolutions, and with good reason. Every year-end, about 50% of the US population makes New Year’s Resolutions, hoping to accomplish everything from weight loss to debt repayment. Yet, only about 8% of resolution-makers actually fulfill their New Year’s resolutions.

The reasons for these failures are many, but one of the main problems with New Year’s Resolutions is the lack of planning involved in making them. When people do make a plan, it’s often not well designed. And when it is well-designed, there’s often a lack of commitment to making it happen.

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Live life on your terms

October 1, 2016July 5, 2018 Mariana

I have an amazing life and I know it. Even in my most dire financial times, I never wanted for food, shelter, or water. I am blessed beyond belief. Every time I feel like complaining, I remind myself of these three things: food, shelter, and clean water. And not just any food, shelter, and water, either.

I can afford to eat healthily and to indulge in treats. I live in a wonderful home with 3 flush toilets (yes, that is definitely a highlight), a comfortable bed, and even a bathtub. I also have functioning modern appliances that mean I don’t have to slave over a wash basin to do the piles of laundry that 5 people undeniably create. I have clean water that comes out of any tap inside my house. I can actually drink water from anywhere in my house without filtering it first (even if it does taste like chlorine sometimes, which is why we use a filter in the kitchen—oh yes, I can afford a filter! Another blessing).

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11 Valid Reasons for Rebelling Against Your Life

April 30, 2016July 5, 2018 Mariana

There’s a time and a place for rebellion. Here’s a list of 11 of them.

This post initially appeared on familyshare.com.

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Have You Settled for a Less-Than-Ideal Life?

April 30, 2016July 5, 2018 Mariana

This post initially appeared on The Huffington Post.

I pulled my hood over my head as I looked down into one of nature’s most magnificent creations, and one of my favorite things: a gorgeous waterfall.

We were ten kilometers into our hike at Yosemite National Park in California, and I wasn’t at all tired. I was energized, drinking in every moment, knowing that for the next month and a half, I had even more amazing experiences coming my way.

This was the trip of a lifetime – the trip I had been dreaming about for years, and now it was a reality. My husband and I were on the road for two months, travelling the perimeter of North America – from Ontario out west to Vancouver, from Vancouver to San Francisco, from San Francisco to Florida, from Florida to Newfoundland, and back to Ontario.

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Goals are not enough: identifying your whys

March 18, 2016July 5, 2018 Mariana

I remembered her sad face as she begged me to stay and snuggle for five more minutes. And I had said no. I said I would set an alarm for 2 minutes, and then I was leaving.

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New Year’s Resolutions? Here’s how to actually make them happen.

January 3, 2016July 5, 2018 Mariana

I’ve never been one to make New Year’s Resolutions, for a number of reasons:

A New Year’s Resolution is generally an ineffective way to reach a goal, as most people make their resolutions too generic.
Most people aren’t quite ready to make a change when they make a resolution.
I don’t see a need to wait until a new year to make changes for the better – you should be evaluating your life at the bare minimum every six months, but preferably on a monthly basis, and making changes as needed. This is especially true if you own a business.

But this year is different. I’ve realized that just because new year’s resolutions are usually ineffective, mine don’t have to be that way.

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Transform your dream into a goal… and achieve it.

November 6, 2015July 5, 2018 Mariana

We all have dreams. Whether they are dreams we’ve had since we were children, or dreams we’ve developed as we’ve grown older, we all have those things we wish we could do. We all spend at least part of our lives daydreaming about what could be. That’s no way to live… always wondering what could be. If there is something you really want to do, if there is a dream you’ve had for a long time, it’s time to stop dreaming and start planning.

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