Personal growth is the lifelong process of developing oneself to achieve one’s fullest potential. It is instrumental to your joy, accomplishment, and peace of mind.
You have ambitions and goals for your life, and you’re likely seeking significance, purpose, and joy. However, a great many people reading this blog are experiencing a life of discontent and lack of direction. Often, this is the result of poorly defined goals and habits for personal growth. In today’s popular culture, our society teaches you that success and happiness are found primarily in superficial ambitions like riches, personal and professional status, comfort, and the accumulation of material items. While none of these ambitions are bad in and of themselves, if they are the sole focal point of your life it will increase your likelihood of experiencing dissatisfaction due to a lack of significant goals that will equip you to overcome life’s trials, challenges, and obstacles.
The pursuit of growth anchored in 11 key areas of life will provide you joy by strengthening your foundation for emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual health.
- Your character and behavior
- Your attitude
- Your confidence in yourself
- Your relationships with family & friends
- Your love and service towards others
- Your mental and physical health
- Your professional work
- Your financial literacy
- Your commitment to lifelong learning
- Your hobbies and experiences
- Your faith in God
Intentional positive growth in these specific areas will provide your life with a new purpose. Although the journey of life is full of challenges, trials, and failures, creating a plan with attainable growth goals and habits will enhance the joy you experience each day by equipping you with a road map and destination for your life. The change in your mindset to focus on the joy found in active progress and not only finite achievement will radically change your life. The pursuit of growth is a lifestyle focused on small incremental successes in the foundational areas of life. This is why growth is the key! In opposition, primary emphasis on the pursuits of comfort, status, riches, or material items is a pathway to short term pleasure and long term emptiness. It’s your choice.
Do you have goals and growth strategies, either big or small, for the areas listed above? Why or why not?