I am constantly in the process of working on myself. There are moments when I feel like I’ve got a good handle on things until the moment when stuff comes up. Those moments can be painful but important moments to check in to make sure that you’re in alignment with how you want to live your life and how you want to be perceived by others.
As I work on my finances and double-down on the process I’ve had a wake-up call that happened unexpectantly when I was supposed to meet my mom…and was late. Not a little late, but really late.
The thing is, I respect people’s time and believe that time is money. I had to ask myself has this become a habit and what’s going on…with me?
Umm…I’ve Become That Girl
Who floats in on my own time table. Is a little distracted and is a little inconsistent. This is a problem. The weird thing is that I used to be the girl who: was ALWAYS early, always did what I said, and could be depended upon when the going got rough. And, for a long-time other people depended on me during their tough times. Being the dependable one can take a toll and be tiring. I feel like on a subconscious level I decided to take a break from being “that girl.” Because being “that girl” is the harder road than being a slacker in the short-term.
However…
There is something to be said about integrity, about doing what you say, and being in alignment with your actions. While I’m sad that I pissed off my mom (trust me-she was not shy about expressing her displeasure with me) I look at this moment as a gift. Sometimes you need a “wake-up moment” where you have to spend some time focused on the type of person you want to be.
I spent some time thinking about the past year and looking for some patterns in my interactions with people and patterns in my actions. I didn’t like what I found.
About Money
I’m in the process of paying off debt and a huge part of that process is consistency, being true to your word, and doing what you say you will do. On the heels of my FinCon16 experience I am spending a lot of time assessing my goals, who I am as a person, and where I would like to go next. I won’t meet my goals if I’m inconsistent, am out of alignment with my word, and lack integrity.
The Election
Before I make the following observations I will say that this post is not political in any way. But, that we have a lot to learn from both candidate’s stumbles.
- Beware of the company you keep.
- People don’t change…unless they want to.
- Your past actions may catch up to you.
- Integrity matters-regardless of what people may say.
- Actions speak louder than words.
- You never know who is paying attention to your actions.
- Be careful what you say.
I am seriously working on becoming the best Michelle that I can be. It is a process and it’s hard to acknowledge when I’m being less than my best. When I watch the election and other people in the public eye I’m reminded that I’m more and more in the public eye. But, it doesn’t matter. The actions that you take when other people aren’t watching are the most important.
Fortunately tomorrow is a new day and I look forward to starting fresh. Just like your credit report, you can clean up bad actions over time and people will eventually believe you based on your track record.
What character flaws (if any) do you find yourself needing to work on? How do you feel about it? Me: a little embarrassed. But, I’m not perfect and I’m a constant work in progress.
Do You Reflect On Your OWN Personal Character?
How Is Your Character Affecting Your Life?
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I reflect on my character all the time. It’s amazing how things change in a few short years. I am totally different from my 25 and 30 yr self. I’m on the right track, but I know that I’m not there yet. I lose focus sometimes, but the good thing is that my discipline is probably the best that it has ever been.
I’ve always tried to be a good person and from time to time I have to do a personal check in to make sure I’m on the right track. Recently, I’ve realized that in some areas I’m rocking it…and in others…not so much. Need to do some adjustments ASAP.