Chris Mance II - Mental Skills Coach

Personal Growth is the process of finding ways to be better. I like to measure better by comparing this year to last year, and sometimes this month to last month. Other people like to say personal growth is about being better today than you were yesterday, or “1% better every day.”

I personally think the “1% better every day” mindset is unhealthy. My advice is to not listen to those who try to get you to focus on short-term gains vs. long-term progress. The reason why I think it’s better to view personal growth in months and years instead of days is summed up perfectly in one of my favorite quotes.

People overestimate what they can do in a day and underestimate what they can do in a lifetime.

This little pithy quote is a great reminder that daily progress goes against the nature of progress. Progress is not a smooth line up and to the right. There are days when you make progress, there are days when you go backward, and there are days when you are stagnant.

Consistency over months and years nearly guarantees your progress line will go up and to the right. However, there is absolutely nothing you can do each day to guarantee daily progress.

Expecting “1% better every day” kills consistency over time. Motivation decreases each day you don’t go 1% forward, and ceases when you go backward. Simply put, the unrealistic expectation of daily progress is counterproductive.

Therefore, true personal growth is a long-term, lifelong pursuit. At every stage in life, it looks slightly different, but the pursuit of growth stays the same. Moreover, this pursuit of personal growth provides you with the vitality to continue to grow even as you pass your prime. It’s not only the best gift to give yourself because it’s a gift that keeps giving. But it’s also the best work to do for yourself because it’s work that will work for you.

With that said, everybody would be smart to have a plan for their personal growth. An extravagant plan is not necessary either. The simpler the better.

1. Make one decision on what you want to be better in your life next year.
2. Figure out how you will measure what better looks like.
3. Break down that measurement into smaller chunks of realistic monthly progress.
4. Plan to do something every day that will get you to that monthly progress milestone.
5. Don’t beat yourself up when you don’t make progress or when you get off track.
6. Focus on consistency.