10 Different Ways to Grow
The world has so much to offer. Experiencing new events can help you exit your comfort zone and explore new ways to apply your strengths. With so many activities available, avoiding new experiences can easily hold you back from finding all the ways to enjoy an authentic life. Applying this strategy exposes you to new activities and hobbies as well as amazing people who can boost your confidence and assist you in times of need.
2. What Can I do to Make Tomorrow Better?
This is an incredibly important question, as it helps you identify areas of need. If you ask yourself how to improve for the next day, do not view yourself as inadequate. Part of having a growth mindset is realizing there is always room for improvement, but still remaining confident in your strengths. Once you determine how to improve, you can take actionable steps to reach your goal. Thinking in this way discourages bad habits and encourages far more productive habits.
3. Learn to Really Listen
Give a voice to others and help them bring out their inner strength. Even if you are uninterested in a conversation or disagree with someone, give them the respect they deserve and truly try to comprehend what they state instead of making assumptions. Listening can become more natural if you visualize what the other individual states, and confirm their feelings after they finish speaking. This activity improves your relationship-building skills and builds upon your empathy.
Reading a book exposes you to many new cultures, ideas, and ways to possibly improve yourself. It is arguably the best way to start intellectual growth. Both nonfiction and fiction help boost your memory power and can also give readers a profound sense of enjoyment. Fiction increases one’s empathy as it puts you into the shoes of a character. Nonfiction can help you reflect on past tragedies or mistakes made by others, thus increasing your awareness and giving you a powerful lesson you can easily remember. Make reading a habit instead of unproductive activity.
It is often stated that laughter is the best medicine. This thinking certainly applies to growth. Instead of fretting about your inadequacies, laugh at your mistakes. Acknowledge what you did wrong, but do so in a lighthearted way. Disassociate negative feelings stemming from missteps to your self-worth, another key aspect of the growth mindset. This keeps your confidence high but allows you to be in tune with your strengths and weaknesses, which is highly beneficial to your development.
Giving back to your community boost levels of dopamine, thus increasing positive feelings and happiness. Donating time or money, helping out an elderly person, or simply buying more ethical products are all forms of giving back. Doing so aligns your actions with your beliefs and develops a sense of meaning.
7. Set Meaningful Goals and Take Ownership of Your Future
If you create vague goals, formulating a strategy can be difficult and ineffective. Develop specific goals and create a list of ways to achieve them. Ensure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. This means having deadlines, making goals achievable, and learning from any mistakes you make.
Since we get used to the many wonderful aspects of our everyday lives, those items and people may be taken for granted. Create a habit out of listing all the individuals and items you are thankful for. Let others know if you appreciate them. Doing so makes them happy and builds a stronger bond between you.
9. Learn to Stand Up for Yourself
Letting your desire to be liked to overtake your priorities can lead to uncomfortable situations. You must learn to prioritize your wellbeing and happiness as opposed to always pleasing others, even if the latter is instinctual. Let others know when you feel unsatisfied or if they are too demanding; do not assume they understand your emotions. This turns a bad situation into an opportunity to express your thoughts and grow to reach a conclusion between both parties.
10. Forgive Others, and Yourself
You probably feel regret when recalling some events. Perhaps you may have even thought of what you would do differently if given the opportunity to change the past. While that is unfortunately impossible, you should find ways to correct the behavior which placed you in a bad situation. Additionally, recognize that you are only human and that a growth mindset does not demand perfection. Learn to keep your own humanity in mind when judging yourself or others. Of course, this is not an excuse to dismiss bad behaviors, but it is simply a reminder not to be overly harsh.
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All to often, tough circumstances are used as excuses for not investing in personal development. It seems or may seem impossible for someone to grow when going through a stressful event, whatever that may be. Luckily, anyone and everyone can take these steps to better themselves, no matter what their current situation is. I have faith you'll grow into the person you want to be, as long as you give it your all, at giving your all, all the time. Good luck!
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