All Personal Growth Starts with a Single Concept
By definition, personal growth is very personal. It’s not something a coach, teacher, or parent can force on someone. Yes, other people can influence personal growth, but ultimately it still must come from within.
With this in mind, all personal growth starts with self-awareness. The more self-aware a person is, the more opportunity that person has to grow and develop into a better version of themself. The fact is, you can’t become a better version of yourself if you aren’t aware that a better version exist.
A highly self-aware person can provide an honest assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, a highly self-aware person recognizes their emotional triggers and is honest about the impact of these triggers on their behavior. These three things are the starting point for all personal growth:
- Optimize and invest in your strengths
- Manage your weaknesses so they don’t get in the way
- Develop behaviors that put you in the best position for success
In short, there is no way anyone can do these three things unless they have the emotional intelligence to be self-aware.