4 reasons why personal growth is important

Lately, almost no day goes by where we don’t hear the words ‘personal growth’. I think sometimes there is a misuse of this word, which is why it tends to get a bad reputation in some people’s minds.

The ‘personal development gurus’ tell you so many different things that it’s hard to say what is true, what is brainwashing, and what is simply a straight lie.

As a former personal growth ‘hater’, I completely changed my mindset around it, and in fact, I became very passionate about it, and now I believe that it’s an essential element of our lives.

In this blog post, I want to share with you some useful information on personal growth, as well as why it’s important for your life.

What is personal growth?

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According to the good old Wikipedia, personal growth “consists of activities that develop a person’s capabilities and potential, build human capital, facilitate employability, and enhance quality of life and the realization of dreams and aspirations”.

I really love the last part of this definition, where it says that it enhances the quality of life and the realization of dreams and aspirations.

I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that hundreds of thousands of people live unsatisfied lives. Unfortunately, for some this is due to the conditions they were brought up in, and whilst I’ve read incredibly inspiring stories of people who came from nowhere with nothing and made it, I’m not here to talk about them today. I’ve never been in their shoes, so I won’t pretend that I know what it feels like.

However, the kind of dissatisfaction I’m referring to is the one that other people have. People who have a decent life, but don’t aim for higher, and as a result, they feel stuck and unhappy with where they are.

Many of these people are totally unaware that personal growth is even a thing, which is why they don’t know how to get out of those cycles of frustration.

Embarking on a journey to personal growth will be completely life-changing, and it will absolutely add to your life and make you a better human.

Who should work towards their personal growth

I personally think that personal growth is for those who are hungry for more. Those who see where they are and who want to change their circumstance.

Those who have developed enough self-awareness to recognise that they have certain patterns and habits which are not beneficial for them, and want to change them.

Bear in mind that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all process and that what works for me may not necessarily work for someone else.

However, if we are both moved by the desire to have more, achieve more, and improve our life, we will be successful in the journey.

You may be interested in this post on getting your life together in 10 steps.

Why is personal growth important

In this section, I have highlighted for you four reasons why I believe that personal growth is important, if not, essential!

You can overcome bad habits

As much as we don’t like to admit our flaws, we all have some. Embarking on a journey of personal growth will force us to acknowledge those habits, and start working on them.

I hear many people say ‘well this is just the way I am and there’s nothing I can do about it’, but I really disagree with that.

When it comes to our attitudes, behaviours, character and habits, there’s always room for improvement. Being willing to do the work and make those changes helps us to become better people, and live a more fulfilled life, both personally and professionally.

To learn more about breaking bad habits, read this post.

You increase your confidence

Many people (especially women) struggle with their self-confidence. Sometimes this is due to low self-esteem, the lack of knowledge of our identity, and other issues that make us feel small and irrelevant.

However, when you decide to start working on your personal growth, you’ll be able to identify some of the causes of that low confidence, and by tackling the issues, you’ll be able to resolve the problems and boost your confidence.

When you know who you are, what you stand for, and where you’re headed in life, you’ll be able to walk straight and confidently in every space you go to.

You open yourself to new opportunities

I believe that the lack of personal growth, equals a very closed mind, and therefore it results in missing some incredible opportunities.

I know this first hand, because when I was growing up I was surrounded by people with a closed mind, who had no self-awareness and no idea on how to improve themselves – or even be aware that they needed to!

Unfortunately, that led them to miss out on some opportunities that could have completely changed their life, so right now they’re living based on what they get, instead of building a life getting what they want.

You live a fulfilled, purposeful life

Just to continue to highlight this point, there’s nothing better than living a life of purpose. So many times I read quotes that said that it doesn’t matter how long you live, but it’s HOW you live that makes a difference.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on living a small life settling for whatever comes to me, instead of working hard to build a fulfilled life.

As a believer, I know that there is a godly plan for my life, and I don’t want to miss it!

I firmly believe that being on a personal development journey can help anyone to build a meaningful life, become a better person every day and grab the best opportunities around.

Personal growth will be uncomfortable

Just to give you a warning though, personal growth will be uncomfortable. I don’t say this to scare you, but just to make you aware that it’s not as easy as some people make it look, and it’s not all cute journaling sessions and self-care nights.

To truly see results, you’ll need to be committed, do the work, acknowledge where you fall short and admit that you need to work in certain areas, and be consistent no matter what.

How to start a personal growth journey

If you’ve read up to here, you’ll probably want to know how you can begin this journey.

I personally think that the first thing to do is to understand clearly what you want from your life.

Is it a successful career? A family? Financial freedom? Time freedom? All of these options?

Once you identify what you want, you need to understand what’s preventing you from getting there.

If you want a successful career, maybe you need to improve your skills, network more, and aim for a promotion.

If you want a family, you might need to put yourself out there, work on your confidence, and work on your weak areas to make sure that when someone comes around, you won’t push them away.

If you want financial freedom, maybe you need to start budgeting, get a promotion or get a better job, and start to look into having multiple streams of income.

Do you understand how it works?

When you know what’s stopping you from getting where you want to be, you need to map out the steps that will help you to solve your problem/improve the situation, and work at it consistently.

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