Prepare for Growth
The adjective ‘growing’ can be defined as increasing, or becoming greater in quantity, size, extent or intensity. When we consider the biology of plants, once they reach a point where growth stops they actually begin the process of dying. The same logic and thinking can be applied to our own lives – if we are not growing, then we are going backwards, decreasing and even dying.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German Playwright) is quoted as saying ‘he who moves not forward, goes backward’. Some will perceive this as incredible wisdom, others will see it as simply stating an obvious truth.
I see wisdom.
As humans, we do not naturally equate the lack of growth with moving backwards, but rather we tend to view things in the terms of ‘leveling out’ or ‘plateauing’.
If you have ever been cycling, you will know that you only have 2 options – either to pedal and increase or maintain speed, or to stop peddling and allow the bike to stop. Of course momentum will continue to move you forward. However the process of stopping has already begun.
Another man of great wisdom, Albert Einstein, said “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death”. To have a lifestyle in which we thrive and enjoy success, constant growth is a mandatory discipline.
5 Keys to Growth
1. Evaluate your circumstances
If you have ever used a global positioning system (GPS) to navigate a city, you will know the importance of finding your exact starting location. I have found that when driving in a large city with narrow streets and large buildings that block the signal, the device can often place me on a parallel street or the incorrect corner. The instructions it then gives me are incorrect and result in the GPS becoming even more confused and lost than I am!
Take a breath, stop and consider your current circumstances. Honest assessment of where you are currently, is the first step to moving forward and growing. Knowing the real starting point is critical to building a plan for where you want or need to be.
2. Look for opportunities
The reality is that opportunity isn’t always the one to knock first – often the responsibility lies upon us to knock, unlock the door and sometimes kick it down and force our way through!
I remember as a child playing the game ‘Connect Four’ where the object is to beat your opponent in creating a line of four tokens before they do. If you are familiar with this game, you will know the trick to winning is to play slowly and evaluate all the possibilities you have. Too often I played too quickly and saw the opportunity to win, only after I had played my turn and missed the chance. Growth is about looking for opportunities that advance our situation, or win us the game. We can only see them when we take the time to evaluate and look for opportunities, and not run aimlessly past them.
3. Think one step ahead
In competitive motor rally sports, every car has 2 people – a driver and a navigator. Whilst the driver is focusing on maneuvering the vehicle around the tight bends, the navigator is reading a chart and giving instructions to the driver. Considering many of these events are held in mountains and along the edges of cliffs, I would certainly appreciate having a navigator if I was driving. What I would appreciate more though, is the fact that the navigator is telling me about the next corner coming and not the one I am currently hurtling around.
Being aware of what is ‘around the corner’ allows you to prepare and anticipate for it now. Ensuring that you handle the current corner properly to set yourself up for the next – not over steering, not coming in to slow or fast and not causing a dangerous reaction when it appears.
4. Consistent Action
Sometimes the most de-motivating action I can do is to plan out the steps to achieve something. Whether it be to grow or learn in an area or the steps to complete a project, the reality of seeing what is involved can often fill my mind with thoughts of “I’ve bitten off more than I can chew”.
This is always a great time to remind myself of the method to use when eating an Elephant – one bite at a time. Large achievements are made by consistent small actions.
If there is one home handyman task I despise it has to be painting. Recently we built an outdoor patio and my job was to paint it after a carpenter friend helped put it together. This was a challenge for me as it involved three things – painting, heights and a task that felt as daunting as eating an elephant. I conveniently put off the task for as long as I could.
Ultimately, I completed the painting by using regular and consistent action. The idea of a full day and a half of painting seemed terrible, however an hour a day for 10 days made it achievable and easy to fit into my schedule.
5. Get a clear vision
I love watching the new brand of televisions shows about ultimate survival. Lost in unfamiliar and potentially deadly environments. One of the first steps the survival experts take is to climb a mountain or a tree to get a clear vision of where they are and where they need to go.
It’s easy for us to get lost in the underbrush and the tree canopy of every day life and work, but getting that higher perspective can make trudging through the swamp worthwhile.
Prepare for Growth
The adjective ‘growing’ can be defined as increasing, or becoming greater in quantity, size, extent or intensity. When we consider the biology of plants, once they reach a point where growth stops they actually begin the process of dying. The same logic and thinking can be applied to our own lives – if we are not growing, then we are going backwards, decreasing and even dying.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German Playwright) is quoted as saying ‘he who moves not forward, goes backward’. Some will perceive this as incredible wisdom, others will see it as simply stating an obvious truth.
I see wisdom.
As humans, we do not naturally equate the lack of growth with moving backwards, but rather we tend to view things in the terms of ‘leveling out’ or ‘plateauing’.
If you have ever been cycling, you will know that you only have 2 options – either to pedal and increase or maintain speed, or to stop peddling and allow the bike to stop. Of course momentum will continue to move you forward. However the process of stopping has already begun.
Another man of great wisdom, Albert Einstein, said “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death”. To have a lifestyle in which we thrive and enjoy success, constant growth is a mandatory discipline.
5 Keys to Growth
1. Evaluate your circumstances
If you have ever used a global positioning system (GPS) to navigate a city, you will know the importance of finding your exact starting location. I have found that when driving in a large city with narrow streets and large buildings that block the signal, the device can often place me on a parallel street or the incorrect corner. The instructions it then gives me are incorrect and result in the GPS becoming even more confused and lost than I am!
Take a breath, stop and consider your current circumstances. Honest assessment of where you are currently, is the first step to moving forward and growing. Knowing the real starting point is critical to building a plan for where you want or need to be.
2. Look for opportunities
The reality is that opportunity isn’t always the one to knock first – often the responsibility lies upon us to knock, unlock the door and sometimes kick it down and force our way through!
I remember as a child playing the game ‘Connect Four’ where the object is to beat your opponent in creating a line of four tokens before they do. If you are familiar with this game, you will know the trick to winning is to play slowly and evaluate all the possibilities you have. Too often I played too quickly and saw the opportunity to win, only after I had played my turn and missed the chance. Growth is about looking for opportunities that advance our situation, or win us the game. We can only see them when we take the time to evaluate and look for opportunities, and not run aimlessly past them.
3. Think one step ahead
In competitive motor rally sports, every car has 2 people – a driver and a navigator. Whilst the driver is focusing on maneuvering the vehicle around the tight bends, the navigator is reading a chart and giving instructions to the driver. Considering many of these events are held in mountains and along the edges of cliffs, I would certainly appreciate having a navigator if I was driving. What I would appreciate more though, is the fact that the navigator is telling me about the next corner coming and not the one I am currently hurtling around.
Being aware of what is ‘around the corner’ allows you to prepare and anticipate for it now. Ensuring that you handle the current corner properly to set yourself up for the next – not over steering, not coming in to slow or fast and not causing a dangerous reaction when it appears.
4. Consistent Action
Sometimes the most de-motivating action I can do is to plan out the steps to achieve something. Whether it be to grow or learn in an area or the steps to complete a project, the reality of seeing what is involved can often fill my mind with thoughts of “I’ve bitten off more than I can chew”.
This is always a great time to remind myself of the method to use when eating an Elephant – one bite at a time. Large achievements are made by consistent small actions.
If there is one home handyman task I despise it has to be painting. Recently we built an outdoor patio and my job was to paint it after a carpenter friend helped put it together. This was a challenge for me as it involved three things – painting, heights and a task that felt as daunting as eating an elephant. I conveniently put off the task for as long as I could.
Ultimately, I completed the painting by using regular and consistent action. The idea of a full day and a half of painting seemed terrible, however an hour a day for 10 days made it achievable and easy to fit into my schedule.
5. Get a clear vision
I love watching the new brand of televisions shows about ultimate survival. Lost in unfamiliar and potentially deadly environments. One of the first steps the survival experts take is to climb a mountain or a tree to get a clear vision of where they are and where they need to go.
It’s easy for us to get lost in the underbrush and the tree canopy of every day life and work, but getting that higher perspective can make trudging through the swamp worthwhile.
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