“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

Personal growth should be a lifelong commitment, regardless of our age. However, we cannot just say we want to grow and leave it at that. 

By creating a suitable personal growth plan, we can prepare ourselves to tackle the obstacles in the way of our goals and work towards becoming the best possible version of ourselves.

Remember: Without clear goals, we cannot create an efficient plan and will likely feel unfulfilled in our endeavors.

Luckily, we can tailor some simple habits to our own life to ensure continuous growth.

• Identify what you want

Think about what you want. Your reasons need to be clear and compelling. You must discover the deeper “why” of your goals. E.g.: healthier relationships, less stress, improved health, increased productivity, enhanced self-control, greater success, improved peace of mind, better parenting, and greater happiness or resilience.

• Identify obstacles

Take a look at what you perceive as roadblocks on your path. Examine how you can either remove them or reframe and use them to achieve your goals.

The invention of the Post-it note is a great example of turning a roadblock into an opportunity.

3M corporation had a problem with a glue it had invented due to it not sticking things together effectively. The glue was considered to be a failed product until Arthur Fry thought of a way of combining the glue with a bookmark.

A “low-tack”, reusable, pressure-sensitive adhesive became the basis for the Post-it note, which was a massive success.

• Align yourself with your growth plan

Most of us experience inner conflicts that lead to self-sabotage. 

So, before you take the next step forward, it is very important to unblock from these conflicts and get yourself into alignment with the plan. 

You need to be willing to get out of your comfort zone. Successful personal growth requires motivation and the willingness to strive to make changes. 

Once you are aligned you will focus on what you want and know and, consequently, you will find yourself taking action that leads to success.

• Write your plan and track your progress

Put in writing your plan and follow up on your progress. This method will help you increase focus and limit unnecessary distractions.

At the end of each day, take your time to write about what you worked on. Write down both your small wins and setbacks.

At the end of the month, check out your notes and see how far you’ve come. It surprises the clarity you get from seeing your progress over a considerable period.

Remember: Tracking your progress is the easiest way to ward off feeling swamped and checking that you are moving in the right direction.

• Surround yourself with like-minded people

“Show me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.”

Surrounding yourself with people who also actively seek self-improvement can help you to accomplish more than what you set out to achieve, and vice versa.

The key to surrounding yourself with like-minded people is knowing what kind of people make you feel most secure, inspired, and confident.

WEEKLY VOCABULARY 🗣

📌Self-sabotage: behavior that creates problems in daily life and interferes with long-standing goals.

📌Obstacle: a thing that blocks one’s way or prevents or hinders progress.

📌Unfulfilled: not carried out or brought to completion.

📌Like-minded: having similar tastes or opinions.

📌Setback: something that happens that delays or prevents a process from developing.

PHRASAL VERBS ✍

📌Go about: to start to deal with a task or a problem. 

“You should always professionally go about your business.”

📌Aim at: to hope to achieve something.

“He aims at being general manager one day.”

IDIOMS 📒

📌Swamped with work: overwhelmed with too much to do.

📌 Don’t let the grass grow under your feet: be continually active; do not stand still or be idle (thus giving the grass a chance to grow where you’re standing).

Related Articles:

📌4 tips to boost your productivity: https://www.englishpriority.com/4-tips-to-boost-your-productivity/

📌Learner Autonomy https://www.englishpriority.com/learner-autonomy/

📌Self-awareness https://www.englishpriority.com/self-awareness/

Want to practice even more?…