August 17, 2020
For most of us, the changing reality of this pandemic makes remaining motivated and staying on track with what we had planned for this year more difficult than ever. Personal development can help you to set smaller but realistic goals and make you feel a little better about yourself. This week we asked entrepreneur Ghizlan Guenez, who had set up the Modist in 2017 and who has always been a seeker for self-development, to share her insights with us hoping it will inspire you.
What are your 3 favorite self-development books?
I have quite a few books that I treasure, and I mostly only read self-development books. Some of my favorites are:
“Think and Growth Rich” by Napoleon Hill, which is a curation of the 13 most common habits of successful people,
“Grit” by Angela Duckworth who teaches us that talent may be overrated, and if you want real success, what you need is this: grit.
And I recently started reading a large book called “The Laws of Human Nature” which I’m taking my time to digest but it is quite educational thus far. This book helps you understand why people do what they do and how you can use both your own psychological flaws and those of others to your advantage at work, in relationships, and in life.
What is a quote you live by?
“Live and let live” and “You give life to what you give energy to”.
How do you practice self-care and what are wellness practices that you recommend to keep a stable mental balance during these difficult times?
Self-care is very personal but ultimately it is about loving yourself and that’s a journey that we are all in. Being kind and good to ourselves is the ultimate self-care; whether it is how we speak to ourselves, how critical we are about ourselves, how we view our body, etc. If we try to control our own thoughts and to speak to ourselves just as kindly as we do to our best friend, we would come a long way.
At a more practical level I have a morning routine which I follow and to me that’s my daily self-care regardless of what I have planned:
- I meditate for 10min
- I journal about anything that comes to my mind but I always include what I’m grateful for.
I put some good music on when I’m getting ready or a good podcast / book that I’m reading.
Ultimately you have to find what your personal concoction of self-care looks like and apply it.
