Not All Personal Growth is Created Equal
I read a powerful article by author Scott Mautz this week. The article is titled Want to Be Super Happy? Make These 5 Smart Investments In Yourself.
I highly recommend you spend 10 or so minutes reading it. I am focusing on just 1 of the 5 recommendations Mautz’s makes : Seek conscious growth versus growth for the sake of it.
Mautz’s states the following:
We all enjoy personal development and growth. We love learning new things, experiencing new challenges, and building our skills. But not all growth is created equal. You should view the process of pursuing personal development and growth as a critical step in the journey of becoming who you’re meant to be–as opposed to pursuing growth for the sake of it…
(bold emphasis added by me)
This is such a profound point once you unpack it. Often times ambitious people bruise their way through life like a bull. They charge through goals, opportunities, and achievements full steam ahead. However, if you never take a moment to create clarity in purpose, you may still lead a life with no meaning.
A great metaphor for this is the example of chopping down an oak tree. If you hit a oak tree a thousand times in a thousand different places it won’t fall. On the other hand, if you hit it a thousand times in the same spot in will come crashing down. This latter is how you must attack personal growth.
In order to hit your oak tree a thousand times in the same spot you must have a mission statement for your life. You must have a vision and a purpose. Without these things you don’t have a target. If you have no target, you can’t truly make progress.
In the words of Helen Keller:
The most pathetic person in the world is some one who has sight but no vision.