5 Important Elements for Your Journey of Personal Growth
Isn’t there more to life? Is this it?
Have you asked this question before? Well, there certainly is more to life, and you will start to find it once you start asking these questions. Personal growth or self-discovery is a wonderful journey and not a destination because we will never stop learning and improving there will always be more to know and learn.
This article is not to put more pressure on people to be more, do more, achieve more, more, more, more! But rather to set people on this self-discovery and growth path so that they can experience a fulfilled life.
Many people are quite happy the way things are, some say that they are happy but maybe feel a secret discontentment and others are actively looking to know and be more. How can you start on this path, where do you begin? Or maybe you feel stuck and not sure how to get back on track.
Here are 5 elements that are very important for personal growth and self-discovery
1. Reading
This is one of the easiest things you can do and start doing now. Reading books, articles, news and more contributes a great deal to a person’s growth. Here it's important to read many different kinds of topics and viewpoints. Don’t read any nonsense, be picky about what you read and keep an open mind. Form your own opinions and be open to different ideas and change. Stick to things that are applicable to your life at the moment. Read stuff that challenges you, this will help you to learn new words and expand your understanding.
If you don’t already, it’s a very good idea to read news and articles. Many people really need to brush up on their general knowledge. You will be surprised at the big difference this makes in your day to day conversations.
2. Experiences
Exposing yourself to lots of different kinds of things is one of the best ways to see what’s really inside. If you find things you don’t like, change it. Set little goals for yourself. These experiences can be anything from a road trip to adventure activities, meeting new people, trying a new hobby or sport or travelling to name a few.
Be open to new experiences. We have a natural tendency to avoid things that are outside of our comfort zone. Usually, this is caused by a fear of failure and worrying about what other people will think. That is a fixed mindset. Put yourself out there, don’t always say no to invitations, try new things, especially those things that scare you.
3. Travel
There are very few things in life that open up your eyes like travel. You realize how small you really are and that there’s a big big world out there with so many different cultures and ways of life. Travel expands your ways of thinking and your views on life.
Travel does not have to be expensive overseas trips, it’s a great idea to start exploring your own country first anyway. Go to new places that you haven’t been to before. Many people keep going to the same place over and over, there is nothing wrong with that, but we are talking about personal growth and that’s not going to happen by visiting the same old places over and over.
Here, again, you need to be open to new experiences, tastes, smells, people, cultures…
4. Explore
This leads to the next point which is to explore. Always be inquisitive. Try to understand things and never be afraid to ask questions. Explore places, explore your own personality, explore new opportunities or hobbies. The Latin root of explore is explorare, meaning "investigate or search out." Develop a curious attitude.
5. Invest
One of the best ways to grow personally is to invest in other people or causes. Give back, do something for other people. It’s important to fight against our natural tendency to be self-centred because we have to realize that there’s a bigger picture. Get involved in community projects or conservation efforts by volunteering at an NPO. Giving back teaches you about what is really important in life. When you grow personally, your values will change. Things that seemed meaningful or of utmost importance might seem irrelevant later.
Remember, growing is a process and it's not always easy, so stick to it even when things get difficult. A great book to read on this topic is Grit by Angela Duckworth. Grit is to have courage and resolve; strength of character. Pushing yourself is good, but also give yourself space to process things and to work things out for yourself.
Have a look at our Life Skills Courses which will assist you on your personal growth journey.
Article by
Madelein Wolfaardt
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