In general terms, personal growth can be understood as self-improvement of your skills, knowledge, personal qualities, life goals and overall outlook.
It can look different for everyone and may change day-to-day.
Personal growth is improving upon the areas we have previously identified (as important to us) as often as we can. Making sure we are working towards the goals we have outlined while becoming the best version of oneself.
However you seek to better yourself – whether it be in your temperament, communication, education or maturity, you are working towards personal growth.
The areas of personal growth can include: physical health, mental well-being, spiritual/personal development, relationships and connection to others, recreation/hobbies, finances, career, home/family.
Alongside the value of gaining new insight/skills and advancing oneself; the act of personal growth is becoming greater than we are and will help distinguish us from others.
Even if you are just getting started and have not previously sought personal growth – this desire will push you to higher levels and reinforce any and all supportive drive that compels you. You will immediately strengthen your will and your output.
How can we pursue personal growth?
- Know yourself – take inventory and be honest with where and how you are. Make sure you know what gets you excited and motivated as well as what deters or disrupts you. Self study is synonymous with personal growth and is the basis of of how we can improve. Try performing a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats) analysis and identify what you need to work on most. Commend yourself for what’s working.
- Learn about personal growth – there are many wonderful resources that explain what personal growth is and how to achieve it in our life. There are countless books, articles, seminars and training programs that teach personal growth. Finding a mentor and working with them can be an excellent avenue to streamline personal growth.
- Study the journey of someone you admire or of other humans that may have a similar story or background to you.
- Surround yourself with people who have your best interest in mind and who want to see you grow and improve. Take an honest look at who takes more energy than they give and who hurts you more than they help you.
- Experiment with various techniques – examples include: visualization, repetitive speech/mantras/affirmations, mindset development and mindfulness/meditation. Use a journal and keep track of what works and what doesn’t.
- Maintain a gratitude practice and celebrate any and all progress along the way.
- Avoid comparing yourself to others and make sure to stay focused on your own journey.
- Stay open and make an effort to meet new people and welcome new ways of thinking despite any level of prior achievement. The day we stop learning and accepting new possibilities is the day we lose the most.
- Eliminate and avoid attachment – purging is a healthy practice of eliminating what we no longer need. The simpler the better – this is best path to personal growth — take what is useful and leave what is not. This instills the phrase “less is more” and helps with practicality and maintaining a steady progression in our individual growth.
- Develop a sense of wonder and rediscover the world for the first time. We never know it all nor have we ever seen it all. Keeping awe and wonder alive helps us feel the zest for life and is the muse for endless creativity as well as fulfillment.
Let’s ask ourselves:
- What does my dream look like?
- What scares me the most?
- How can I approach what scares me in a proactive manner?
- What am I most grateful for today and everyday?
- What is absolutely essential to my life?
- What does my morning look like and how do I awaken to each new day?
- What drives me? What’s my why?
- Who do I value the most in myself and in others?
- What do the people that matter most to me admire about me?
- What do the people closest to me wish to see more or less of from me?
Personal growth is central to how we live our lives. It enables us to live and contribute in ways in which we feel most valued, and allows us to share our unique gifts. Growth is a life long process and we never reach the ultimate level of completion. There is always something to learn and improve upon. If we keep an open mind and focus on what’s important to us, we will continue to grow, improve and realize our full-potential.
What does personal growth mean to you?
With Gratitude,
David Reveles
Origins Meditation
