Musings on Personal Growth

Musing is a period of reflection or thought. As another year comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the personal growth I have experienced this past year.

My intentional pursuit of personal growth includes interruptions. Interruptions can consist of emergencies, fire drills, last-minute schedule changes, and an overinflated to-do list. It sometimes feels like trying to drink water out of a fire hose. The first word that comes to mind is resistance.

There is no time to stop and smell the roses, and it would be irresponsible to tiptoe through the tulips. The schedule demands that I charge the hill and don’t quit.

Personal growth does happen through this process of being busy. Your capacity expands, and your ability to juggle increases for sure. However, it does not always feel intentional or productive.

Stopping long enough to evaluate the experience and seeking counsel from others that have already charged the hill feels more like an intentional approach to growth. When I give up, I miss out on some essential lessons built into my busy life.

Intentional evaluation of our experience can produce the opportunity for personal growth. Wisdom comes from sitting down just long enough to receive the gift of learning a lesson.

My best days this year have been when I put down my phone, turn off the computer and sit and think about what I am doing. I ask myself, “why am I doing this” more often as I grow older.

Suppose I am going to spend a tremendous amount of energy. I want to know where that will take me. I look at all ten steps before I decide to take the first two steps.

I love watching professional pool players because they are looking 3+ shots ahead. They evaluate all the balls on the table before deciding which one to hit into the pocket.

Your personal growth is getting better at hitting balls into pockets and improving your strategy to set up the next shot.

Being in sales, I sometimes want to get the next deal into the “pocket” without considering the next moves available on that particular “table” of opportunity. If I can’t get to the eight ball, what is the point?

Thinking things through before following through is worth slowing down to consider options.

I had lunch with a wonderful friend and mentor in my life. This man listened to me, encouraged me, and challenged me. He took the time to help me grow. Personal growth comes when I intentionally slow down and ask the questions that will require me to dig for the correct answer.

I gained wisdom because I listened to a wise person. I now have the choice to take actions that line up with the goal. If I take massive action, more personal growth will happen in my life.

Things will not go smoothly, and mistakes will happen. Hard decisions will have to happen, and life will throw curve balls at me from every direction. However, if I keep moving forward without giving up, I will grow and learn from resistance caused by the next set of circumstances.

That word again is resistance. It is a love/hate word. On the one hand, we do not want it because it is uncomfortable and slows us down. On the other hand, we need it because pushing through it causes strength and growth.

Bodybuilders who consistently push and pull the weights with the heaviest resistance tend to build the most strength—physical strength and growth you can see once the work is done. The same is true for personal gain.

Working through trials, problems, and resistance will allow you to grow. Please do not run from problems; learn how to deal with them and solve them. Much like a bodybuilder resting between workouts, do the same with your schedule. Take time to rest, think and grow between each set of circumstances you handle.

To your success.