Small Yet Significant Ways to Grow as a Person

To change and to grow as a person is what life is about. Abraham Maslow once said, “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again and fear must be overcome again and again.”  You can grow physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually as you change your habits and choices. You can bring a change in your life, by focusing on the following aspects – 

1) Practice forgiveness 

Forgiveness is letting go of anger or blame towards someone who has harmed us in some way. It does not mean forgetting the harm but choosing to free ourselves from the negative emotions that keep us stuck in the past. Forgiveness is more about you than about the other person. Forgiving someone doesn’t make you weak but strong. It takes a lot of emotional strength to forgive someone for what they have done to you. Being angry is not good for your physical or mental health as holding onto a grudge takes a lot of mental energy and that energy drains you and leaves you feeling stressed or depressed. 

2) Learn New Things 

Learning new things will expand your experience and knowledge. Staying on trends will help you adapt to any situation. Generally, people appreciate those who know many things and can help solve particular problems. Once Roy Benett said, “To learn something new, you need to try new things and not be afraid to be wrong.” When you are not trying new things and failing it means you are not growing in life. You are currently stuck and unable to proceed.

3) Practice Mindfulness 

Mindfulness refers to focusing one’s attention on the present moment without any judgment. It means being aware of your thoughts and feelings. By practising mindfulness, you can learn more about what is going on inside you and become aware of your thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness meditation involves deep concentration that makes you unaware of the outside world and makes you reach a different state of consciousness. 

4) Ask for Feedback 

Ask for feedback from people you trust like friends, family or your mentors. Others may see things from angles you haven’t thought of and they can give you useful information about your strengths and areas to improve. Even if the feedback is hard to hear, use it as a chance to think about yourself and grow. 

5) Strength and Weakness Analysis 

Personal growth includes recognition of your strengths, weaknesses, hidden talents, skills, likes or dislikes. The strength and weakness analysis begins with knowing yourself first. Self-awareness will help in converting your weaknesses into strengths and strengths into an exceptional talent. By understanding yourself, you can know what you can do or cannot do. Based on that information, you can plan the next step to improve yourself. By improving you will become confident in what you do. 

6) Self Motivation 

It is a force that pushes you to achieve your goals and improve your quality of life. For example, in the story of the hare and tortoise, the tortoise won the race despite being slow because the tortoise never thought less of itself and stayed motivated even though it was lagging. But slowly it crossed all hurdles and continued the race without being demotivated. There can be two types of motivation; Internal Motivation is when you do things because they make you happy, healthy and feel good. External Motivation makes you do things because it gives you respect and appreciation.

Read More: The Psychology Behind Self-help Books

7) Goal Setting 

It is an essential factor in your personal life. The process of goal setting in your life helps you decide how to live your life where you want to be and how you want to be in the future. Goals help in focusing on the result instead of less important work just makes one successful in career and personal life.

How to Set Goals? 

You can set goals by using *SMART Method.* 

• Specific: A specific goal answers the questions like, Who is involved in the goal? Where and when do I start? Why am I doing this? 
• Measurable: A measurable goal answers the questions like, How much? How many?
• Achievable: You can achieve a goal by breaking down bigger goals into smaller ones.
• Realistic: A realistic goal is something that you want to achieve and can work towards.
• Time-Bound: A goal should have a timeframe by which the goal needs to be achieved. 

Read More: Psychology Behind Growth Mindset

Final Word 

In conclusion, embracing change and nurturing personal growth are essential elements of the human experience. By practising forgiveness, learning continuously, cultivating mindfulness, seeking feedback, understanding strengths and weaknesses, staying motivated, and setting goals, we embark on a journey of self-discovery and fulfilment. As we navigate life’s twists and turns, let us remember that growth is not a destination but a continuous process, and it is through our willingness to evolve that we truly flourish.