Life is a continuing journey of self-growth. You are able to add to your abilities and become better when you open yourself up to the journey of self-growth. It would entail evaluating yourself—how you behave towards others and yourself, your general attitude, and how you react to different situations in life. Self-growth not only helps your personal life; it can also propel you to achieve career growth. For example, if you begin to read regularly or write down in your journal, you get to nourish your mind and/or process your thoughts clearly.
Indeed.com defines self-growth as “a process of developing new skills, behaviors, actions, attitudes, habits and reactions to benefit certain aspects of your life.” There are many ways in which you can help yourself grow, whether it be for your personal life, professional career, or both.
No one is perfect and we all need to change something in ourselves, especially if we are becoming a pain to the butt to work with. Each person will always have a personal trait they want to change. Don’t give up on yourself. As long as you still have life, it is very much possible for you to change and instill habits in your life that will open the room for self growth. You need to be dedicated and at the same time realistic, considering where you are in life at the moment. Growing and becoming better through experience and age will make you a great employee, coworker, manager, parent, friend, or partner for life. It will entail commitment for a long time paired with hard work. Here are the many aspects and or practices you can do to pave the way for self-growth.
1. Have a record of your habits.
When you track down your habits, you get to see how you’re currently growing. You may record it manually through pen or digitally in your tablet or phone. For example, you are no longer smoking, you would see in your habit tracker the progress that you have made. Maybe you also started getting into fitness, you may see from your tracker that you are getting your hours of exercise checked everyday. When you have a record of your habits, it’s easier to make a routine out of it and make these positive habits instinctive to you.
2. Look for a mentor.
Some people might not see the need for this but it’s important to surround yourself with people who are better than you. In your past job, you were clamoring for a mentor because in this way, you’d be able to get guided decisions in life before you say yes or no to anything. Choose the right coach to cater to what you need to improve. Depending on which areas you want to improve, working with a coach might be beneficial to you. There are many types of coaches in the market including a financial coach, leadership coach, or dating coach. You might be currently stuck before you even begin so don’t be shy to ask for help. You will need some time to be more comfortable with a mentor but eventually, you’ll earn rapport and be more open to each other.
You may also get a life coach or seek therapy from a licensed professional to help you deal with problems in their town.
3. Allot time for meditation.
Have you meditated before? It simply is a practice that helps one be more self-aware and present in his or her environment. It will allow you to escape from your thoughts for a while and focus your attention on what certain body parts are feeling at the moment. When you meditate, you can calm down, have better sleep, you get to improve your productivity and sharpen your focus. You can meditate for as short as a minute to more than an hour, depending on your need and your current level of practice in terms of meditation. Practicing meditation on a regular basis will help you be more mindful. Using it when you’re stressed has the ability to calm you down.
4. Write in your journal regularly.
When you think of them, write them down. Get into that habit of writing down your thoughts, what you did during the day, and how you felt. You will get a higher sense of self-awareness as well as improve your behavior. Once you write them down, many things are revealed to you which helps you solidify your identity and how comfortable and confident you are to be yourself. Journaling also helps reduce stress because you get to be more expressive with your personal feelings without fearing that you will be judged. Be honest as much as possible, especially that it’s only you who’s going to be able to write in your journal.
5. Read a book.
If you are seeking new knowledge with fewer distractions, pick-up a book and study. There are many out there about self-growth, leadership, and growing a venture in life. If not a physical book, there are many articles online that can help you broaden your knowledge. First, identify your problem. What do you want to grow in, a specific trait of yours that you want to change? Most likely , you will reach out for a book or a title to help you out. Reading is not just about improving your skills but also to broaden your knowledge that you can even pass on to everyone.
6. Celebrate your triumphs.
You become more inspired to grow when you celebrate your victories. Reward yourself for the small and the big wins. Why not buy ergonomic furniture so that you can grow even further and boost your productivity at work? This can pave the way for more self-growth in your professional career.
7. Be appreciative and grateful of what you have and how far you’ve come.
You will become a much better person if you appreciate what you have. To build this mindset, allot time in a week to reflect on your life and what in it you are currently most grateful for. It can be as simple as being grateful for the good weather and having a roof to sleep under everyday. Or it can be big milestones in your life such as graduating from university or getting promoted in your company from your current job post. You will have a better outlook of your life when you recognize the things you are grateful and appreciative of.
