How To Be Intentional About Your Growth
Our theme on growth continues because naturally, we all ought to keep growing. Do you have a plan for your personal or business growth? Growth doesn't just happen you've got to be intentional about it.
What is it that makes you valuable? Do you have a plan to become a better person? To run a better business? For anything to grow you have to help it to develop, this involves preparing the right environment, providing the right nutrients, or protecting it from harmful substances.
Growing intentionally means having a plan and acting on it instead of waiting for something to happen to jolt you into activity. What actions are going to improve your business, service, or relationship?
Hitting goals does not mean you are growing. You are just good at hitting targets. But when we grow - hitting goals is a by-product.
In the book “As A Man Thinketh So Is He” James Allen wrote, “people are anxious to improve their circumstances but are unwilling to improve themselves. Therefore they remain bound”.
Every challenge and obstacle is an opportunity for promotion, growth, and increase - so when a challenge comes, look at it as an opportunity to increase in capacity, and you will overcome it when you become intentional about your growth.
There is a gap between where you are and where you want to be - John Maxwell calls this ‘the growth gap. He states that most people don't understand how easy it is to create gaps that keep them from growing and maximizing their potential.
That's where the law of intentionality comes in; you have to be intentional about what you do - this means to be deliberate, to do things on purpose to get the result.
Here are 8 misconceptions about the growth that might be holding you back, and how you can start intentional growth.
1. The Assumption Gap - This is assuming you will automatically grow just because we grow from children to adults, so we assume we’re automatically going to grow and get better. Well, life does not work like that.
The same for your business, growth won’t just happen.
Tip - To stay at the top of your game will require you to be intentional and cognizant of your intentionality. No one and no business improves by accident. It's your responsibility, own it.
2. The Knowledge Gap - This is when you lack the know-how to grow. Most people always choose the hard way of learning things, they first try without any knowledge then they fail, and then seek the knowledge after.
Tip - Go and get the knowledge - get the coach, get the mentor, do that course, and buy that product. Close the gap between what you know which is about 2% and what you don't know which is a staggering 98%.
3. The Timing Gap - It's not the right time to begin, but when is the right time? Have you heard of the law of diminishing intent? It says that the longer you wait to do something you should do now, the greater the odds that you'll never actually do it. Note that there is a difference between deciding to do something and doing it. Rightly or wrongly we just don't act as quickly as we should on things
Tip - DO IT NOW - take that action now, make that call, send that message, just do it - capture it, delegate it, act on it now, there’s no better time.
4. The Mistake Gap - Fear of making a mistake.
Intentional growth is about venturing into the unknown; it may mean not having all the answers and this can be daunting and can lead to fear of failure or embarrassment. Yet growing in itself means making mistakes, I love the quote ‘if you're not making mistakes, you're not maximizing your potential.
Tip - Shake off the fear, mistakes are a great indicator you are moving forward.
5. The Perfection Gap - “Everything has to be right before I start”. This will lead to procrastination.
Tip - The only way to perfect something is to do it first; you only make progress when you move forward.
6. The Inspiration Gap - “I don’t feel like doing it”
Do you know your feelings can lie to you? If you wait for external motivation, you’ll live in the land of inertia.
Tip- You have got to override your feelings and just do it - yes it's that simple - you've got to train yourself to do it anyway despite how you feel. Even in business, don’t wait, just do it.
7. The Comparison Gap - “Others are better than I am”
Have you ever been in a room and felt intimidated by other great minds - I have but I have learned that it's a great experience to learn.
Tip - If you shrink and avoid those environments you miss out; don't compare yourself, use it as an opportunity to learn from other great people.
8. The Expectation Gap – “I thought it would be easier than this”
Which great feat has been achieved easily? Your business success will not be easy because intentional growth starts with getting prepared and getting prepared takes time - every overnight success took years of preparation.
Tip- The sooner you decide to be intentional about your growth the clearer things will get and doors will open and things will accelerate.
Tips To Make That Change
Ask the right questions
Where do you want to go? How far do you see this business going? What direction do you want to go?
Invest in yourself and make yourself the best you can be. This will filter down to your employees, your customers, your products and services
Do it now
Nike was right – Just do it now, have a sense of urgency. Don’t put self-imposed roadblocks, do it even if it’s unfamiliar
Face the fears
No matter who you are, we all have some form of fear but we have to face the fear head-on with faith. Cultivate faith and strangle fear.
Change from accidental to intentional growth
Accidental growth vs. intentional growth can easily be told apart by the results. Don’t get caught up in a rut, it’ll keep you from what you want to achieve. Identify what you want and review your steps daily to see whether they’re taking you a step closer. You are responsible for the choices you make and the ones you don’t.
You can either hope for growth or be accidental in the process of learning from your mistakes or plan for growth learning before you make a mistake. Think like a victim or think like a learner and go and seek.
The choice is yours and the future of your life and business depends on it!
Growth simply doesn't just happen - you've got to go for it! Learn more through my intentional growth podcast.
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