Blog Post #2: The Starving Baker

What is your biggest hinderance to taking time for personal growth? -- One of the biggest hinderances that get's in the way of my personal growth is listening to what other people say. Good or bad. I tend to let what other people thing affect me and it can have a negative impact on my personal growth. If someone tells me I'm too slow, I tend to get down on myself rather than using it as motivation to get faster.

Why do you think we fail to sharpen the axe? -- I think we fail to sharpen the axe because we are preoccupied with what other people are doing. We get distracted by what other people are doing rather than what ourselves are doing. If you take care of yourself and figure out what you need to do to be successful it will reflect on the people around you.
Why does it seem like a waste of time? -- It seems like a waste of time because you would think that if you started right away that you would accomplish things much faster. Though the truth to it all is that the sharper the axe, the more prepared you are as a leader, the more successful you will be later on. It's who ends on top that matters.

Why is it we often feel guilty when we stop to take care of ourselves? -- I think we feel guilty because we view taking care of ourselves as a selfish act. We think that the people around us can't be successful if the focus is on ourselves. Or at least that's how I view it.

Staying "sharp" can mean a lot of things. How do you do it? -- Reading, watching the news, engaging in academic discussion and debates, and exposing myself to different cultures are all ways in which I stay sharp.
How do you feed and refresh yourself? -- I think staying active and healthy on top of getting enough sleep are all ways in which you can refresh yourself. Habit and repetition I fell like help refresh and feed the brain as well.

1. Reading- 6
2. Solitude- 7
3. Simplicity- 5
4. Relationship- 8
5. Personal planning- 9
6. Physical exercise- 10

I think I am strong when it comes to planning. I feel like I prioritize everything in my head and when I need to do certain things. I also think I am strong in physical exercise because I would go crazy if I didn't get it. I am weak when it comes to reading. I have never liked it so it's definitely something I struggle adding into my lifestyle.