It’s been a minute since I’ve shared a favorites round-up. “Favorite”-themed emails are some of my, well, favorites to receive, so I hope you enjoy this one. In it, you’ll find what I’m currently loving when it comes to podcasts, productivity, mindset, faith, and family. At the end, please be sure to check out my giveaway!
Productivity
I have two apps to recommend. The first is called “Headway,” which boasts “bite-sized” nuggets of information in the form of fun challenges and thorough summaries of bestselling books. The content is personalized based on a few preliminary questions the app asks to assess what your current goals and interest are. I have learned so much by listening to just 15 minutes of a summary a day while putting my makeup on in the mornings!
The second app is “7 Minute Workout,” which is pretty self-explanatory. Like Headway, it’s customized based on your fitness goals and current fitness level. I’ve been doing one workout in the mornings to help energize me for the day! (Also still drinking coffee, though, lol…)
Fitness Inspo
Speaking of fitness, I recently saw this quote from one of my favorite doctor-influencers (docfluencer? @Drjamesdinic:
“I’ve never seen a person who improved their physique and didn’t start improving every other area of their life. Major lesson there. The body is our foundational connection to our reality. When you build a strong foundation, every aspect of the building becomes stronger.”
Before reading that, I hadn’t considered the direct relationship between fitness and self-improvement, but after thinking about it, I’ve definitely observed the exact same overall positive changes in myself and those I know who have prioritized physical fitness. What about you?
Mindset
Another great quote as we wade into the New Year and are perhaps trying out new things…and failing at them:
“Errors are the gateway to neuroplasticity.” – Andrew Huberman
Failure is the catalyst for actual learning. But we can’t fail if we don’t act first, and profitable action requires humbly accepting that failure is nearly always guaranteed any time we bravely step out of our comfort zones. Fear not the failures that precede breakthroughs and blessings!
Might as well follow that up with this power-packed quote from Jordan Peterson:
“If you’re not willing to be a fool then you’ll never start anything new, and if you never start anything new, then you won’t develop. And so the willingness to be a fool is the precursor to transformation.”
I’m asking myself, “When was the last time I was willing to be a fool?” The answer is, “right now.” I have several ideas that have been percolating in my heart and head for a while now, but I haven’t acted on them because, admittedly, I’m afraid I’ll fail. Afraid the ideas will flop. Afraid they will prove to be exasperating wastes of time. Afraid the learning curves surrounding their executions would be way too steep.
What about you? When is the last time you acted “foolishly” for the sake of personal development?
I once read (I forget where) that a failure rate of 15% is ideal, meaning that when it comes to learning, there’s a sweet spot. We learn best when the challenge is just hard enough to make us squirm a little, but not difficult to the point of discouraging us to give up. It’s best to increase the difficulty level slowly and incrementally so we can achieve an advantageous balance of success and failure.
Podcast Rec
My husband Ben and I have both felt the Lord steering us toward content (books, podcasts, YouTuber videos) that teaches dynamic biblical parenting. We’ve both been so encouraged, and challenged, by Isaac and Angie Tolpin’s podcast, “Courageous Parenting.” If you’re on Instagram, their accounts @resolute.man and @courageous.mom are fantastic!
Here are the names of a few of my favorite episodes so far:
“2023 Predictions That Parents Should Consider”
“How to Handle Whining”
“Are You Scared for Your Kid’s Future?”
“Don’t Be a Performance-Driven Parent”
Faith
I’ll leave you with this quote from Christian author Douglas Wilson and pray it will comfort you throughout your next storm or struggle:
“Rather than lament our troubles, we should lean into them. God is up to something really good, and while the grace is sometimes challenging – it is always grace. The reason we can have smooth wood is because of rough sandpaper.”
“’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” – 2nd Corinthians 12:9, NIV
Thank you, as always, for your support of my writing! Feel free to reach out at any time. I love hearing from you!
