Are you on a continuous journey of personal growth?

And what control do you have over your personal growth? The Dalai Lama in a New Year message said;

“I now see the new year as a progression. I no longer believe I should start from scratch at the beginning of every year. Instead, I continue my goal for personal growth”

I completely agree with him, that our lives are a continuous journey of growth and discovery. Our physical bodies grow old naturally and there’s not much we can do about that. Fortunately, the way we grow personally is absolutely within our control. Each of us has the power to decide who and how we want to be in our life. You can choose to just drift along without any clear direction, content to land up anywhere. Or you can choose the direction and destination you want and have a plan to get there. As the old adage goes, 

‘If you don’t know where you want to go, you won’t go anywhere’.

How you choose depends on a great deal on how you think, your attitude and your mindset. People with a growth mindset believe they can build on their inherent qualities and talents to make progress. With determination, resilience and sheer hard work they continually strive to improve. They embrace the challenge, make mistakes, reflect, learn, develop new skills and grow. So I urge you if you already haven’t done so, clear some time in your diary to evaluate where you are now and where you want to go next. Think about where you want to be this time next year. What do you want to achieve? What do you want to be doing, thinking, feeling and hearing?

Next, establish where you are now and identify what you need to do over the next year to achieve your goal. Look back on the past year and recount everything you’ve done. Remember your achievements and write them down. They’ll be a powerful motivator whenever you’re feeling discouraged. Reflect on the things that didn’t go so well. Consider what you’ve learnt and think about what you could do differently in the year ahead. Write down the lessons you’ve learnt, and resolve not to make the same mistakes again. You are on a journey of personal growth, progressing from this year into the next.  The Choices you make today will directly impact on your life, your relationships and your business.

Personal growth is a lifelong journey. What is the next step you need to take to reach your destination and achieve your goal?