Growth Is a Continuous Journey

There is nothing wrong with being content in your life; however, one should never become complacent. Being complacent can stunt your growth, thus leading you to a position of stagnation. Make it your personal mission to actively work towards an achievement or goal. As with most things, it is for you to decide which area of your life this action will take place. Some people are career driven. These individuals are always looking for the next rung as they move their way up the corporate ladder. Others find satisfaction in personal matters. They may challenge themselves to run a 5K, make a declaration to actively support a cause, or pursue a dream that has been deferred. Some people may elect to focus upon intrinsic traits. To work on intrinsic traits requires self-reflection, which equates to taking an honest look inward. We can all work on building our character or ironing out some characteristic flaws. Do you find yourself angry all of the time? Do you tend to have a negative outlook? Are you constantly judging others? These set of individuals look internally for areas of self-improvement. There are varying aspects of one’s life that can become a focus for continuing growth.
 
Everyone should strive to learn something new or look for ways of improving on an on-going basis. The great thing about learning is that it can be disguised in varying forms. Please do not think of the cookie-cutter form of education. You are absolutely free to think outside of the box. The great thing is that you can find things that truly fit your learning style. Are you an auditory, linguistic, kinesthetic, or spatial learner? Your learning style will dictate how you are stimulated. This will aide you in determining if your preference is to read, hear lectures, or perform hands-on activities. Again, this can be career driven or simply for personal satisfaction.
 
Periodically, conduct a self-review to chart your progress and update your goals. You should do this at minimum, once per year. It would be great, if you can perform this review once a quarter. The purpose of this review is to see where you are with your goals. Are you on target? Are some goals taking longer than anticipated? Is it time to add new goals?
 
Tips:

1. Being comfortable is not a destination. Map out your plan of life.
2. Be sure to avoid stagnation in your life. You are allowed to have downtime, but do not get stuck in a rut.
3. Growth and stimulation does not have to be directly tied to your job or career. Make it personal and something that drives you. Being the Chief Executive Officer of your own life is the perfect pursuit.
4. Always have a goal in mind. Once you accomplish or complete a goal, it is time to think and plan for what is next. Remember, to conduct periodic self-reviews to track your goals.
5. Think outside of the box. Check your local community college for continuing education courses. Major universities are now offering online courses at no cost (see Resources below). You will not receive college credits; however, no one can ever dismiss acquired knowledge. Learn and try something new and different - art class, baking/cooking class, karate or self-defense, writing class, etc.

​“I think it's dangerous to think that you're successful, because then you become complacent.” ~ Tommy Hilfiger
 
Resources:
Coursea Course Catalog - https://www.coursera.org/
MIT Open Courseware - http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/
Open Learning Initiative - http://oli.cmu.edu/
Udacity - http://www.udacity.com/
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