The Quest for Personal Growth: Why it Matters and How to Get There

The Quest for Personal Growth: Why It Matters and How to Get There

Written by Courtney Rosenfeld

When was the last time you were truly and definitively happy for an extended period? Chances are it was when you were younger. As Current School News can confirm, children tend to be more joyful by default than adults. There are likely several reasons for why this is true – one of the major ones being they are continuously growing.

Children are constantly learning new things, seeing new things, and becoming more every day. It adds meaning to their life, fulfills them, and makes them happy. This is growth in a nutshell - it’s a way of being that adults can (and should) strive to emulate.  

We cover personal growth in this article (something many adults tend to obsess over), covering why it matters and offering some pointers on how you can achieve it, regardless of where you might be in your journey:

Why personal growth matters

As we mentioned previously, personal growth is tied to happiness. No one is content to see, do, or experience the same things every day, forever. Growth is newness. It adds some flavor and meaning to life. There are many reasons to pursue personal growth:

● Better relationships: Having and maintaining relationships, long-term, requires personal growth, maturity, and skill.

● Better careers: Career growth brings with it personal satisfaction, fulfillment, security, and sometimes money and fame.

● Better health: Health can always be improved. Being in good shape gives you more energy, makes you more attractive, and helps stave off ill health.

If you ever feel the need for a better life, essentially, personal growth is what will get you there.

Achieving personal growth

Here are some suggestions on how to grow in your life:  

Prioritize health and wellbeing  

Good health is something you have to grow into. Some ways to find good health are having a self-care routine, picking up a physical sport or fitness exercise, eating healthy, meditating, and generally looking after yourself. When you’re in good health, it not only makes you happier but also gives you more energy, which you can put to good use in growing in other areas in your life.

Work with professionals

Other people have been where you are at. Many of these people are professionals who can teach you how to achieve the personal growth you seek. They can motivate you, train you, and give you concrete goals to achieve (much like personal trainers help you to get fit at the gym). This work often involves serious mental and emotional shifts (and healing), which is often impossible to do alone. Professionals like life coaches, fitness trainers, and therapists can make it easier. You can also refer to books, YouTube videos, and online resources if working with professionals isn’t an option.

Be in touch with yourself

Everyone has different priorities and values in life. Some people want to be doctors and serve people directly, while others want to entertain and make people happy. It’s important to be in touch with yourself and figure out what you want out of life (forget about what other people want for you). This can both be in the short-term (a new hobby or a vacation) and long-term (a better career).

Move in a more fulfilling career direction  

You don’t necessarily have to follow your current career your whole life. This is especially true if you’re unfulfilled or your work is impacting your wellbeing. You can always move to a different, more fulfilling direction (regardless of your age). All you need is a good attitude, the willingness to learn, and a polished resume (it helps make a good impression). You can create a stellar, professional-looking resume conveniently if you use this resume builder for free. Choose from a library of professionally-designed resume templates and add your own copy, photos, and colors, according to your tastes.

Be in touch with nature

As IUCN puts it, everything is connected in the spirit of nature. Being in nature is an important part of being healthy, and can aid your quest for personal growth. Nature is constantly changing, growing, and becoming more (think of a bud blooming into a beautiful flower). Being in nature gives you insight into the way the world works. It can refresh, soothe your mind, help you de-stress, and grow.

Introduce nature-wellness at home

When you lead a busy life, you can’t always be outside in nature. Fortunately, you can bring nature home. We recommend letting in more natural light, getting potted plants, and maybe planting a garden. Furthermore, you can try Wellness Home products from Choice to meet your body’s needs in a natural, holistic way. They reduce body burden, help you hydrate, nourish you, help you sleep better, and put you in touch with critical nature energies (from negative ions to beneficial infrared energy frequencies).  

Find and maintain a positive life-balance

Growth is a process. It involves setting and achieving goals consistently while living your life and taking care of your needs. We recommend focusing on creating and maintaining a good life balance. A good way to achieve balance is to prioritize work, rest, learning, and fun, in no particular order. It’s all important.

Personal growth won’t be easy. In fact, it can be downright painful (there’s a reason why they call them “growing pains”). However, it’ll be the good kind of pain (the kind you experience when developing muscles) – you’ll be thankful for it in the long run.

Conclusion

There will always be something more to achieve, learn, or be. Remember – there is more than one path to the top of the mountain. The road you take doesn’t matter; personal growth is more of a journey than a destination. The important part is getting started and staying the course. Believe in yourself and keep going!  

Image via Unsplash