What is Personal Growth:
An Overview of Major Concepts

Whether you seek to answer the question "what is personal growth" because you feel stagnant and looking for something new . . .

Or because you find yourself in the middle of a growth experience and wonder what's happening. . .

Or because you know you have enormous potential inside of you and seek a way to express it and live more fully. . .

Clearly answering the question "what is personal growth" and understanding the process can provide you an invaluable road-map to accelerate your efforts.

So, we begin: What is personal growth? What does it mean? How do you define it?

Many different definitions exist. You will get a different answer depending on who you ask and which lens they use (psychological, intellectual, emotional, moral, physical, career, interpersonal, etc).

For the purposes of this site, I define it as the following:

Personal Growth is both a conscious and unconscious process of developing and bringing forth inner gifts - in the domains of the mind, emotions, body, spirit, creativity, and interpersonal relationships.

It is a conscious process because you can proactively work to grow and develop. It is also an unconscious process because you evolve simply by living life - just as organisms, species, and civilizations evolve over time.

If you'd like to see how others have answered the question "What is Personal Growth," please view my personal growth quotes page.

While we start with a basic definition for our question, "what is personal growth," conscious personal growth has several key ingredients.

Key Ingredient #1 - Learn How to Learn:

Think about your own life. Do you know how you learn best? Do you know how to reflect and learn from your experiences? Adult learning theorists stress that self reflection is the core ingredient in conscious personal development and transformation.

That means that experience itself does not make us grow; it's our ability to learn from it and make meaning out of it that causes growth.

Key Ingredient #2 - Know Thy Strengths:

Discovering and using your strengths is the second key ingredient in our answer to "What is Personal Growth." While understanding your weaknesses is important, when you can integrate your gifts, purpose, and place in the world and universe, you may reach what theorists call self-actualization or peak experience. Or, simply put, living fully and living well.

Key Ingredient #3 - Know the Map of Adult Development:

Understanding the overall process of adult development is the third key ingredient in our answer to "what is personal growth."

Both developmental psychologists and the world's wisdom traditions have answered the question "what is personal growth" by mapping the personal growth process, and come to the unmistakable conclusion that people pass through predictable stages of development as they mature.

And, these stages occur in various lines of development, such as moral, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, kinesthetic, etc.

These major stages, and the smaller stages within these, can provide a roadmap for your development, and help you answer the question, "What's next? What do I grow into next?"

Key Ingredient #4 - Understand Your Personality Dimensions:

Although adults pass through these stages in their developmental journeys, core personality traits remain relatively stable. And, these core traits generally influence the way you "show up" in the world.

Although many theories of personality exist (think Freud, Jung, Buddhist, etc), the one I am most impressed with is the Five Factor Model of Personality.

The Five Factor Model of Personality maps human personality characteristics into five categories:

• Need for Stability
• Extroversion
• Originality
• Accommodation to Others
• Focus on Goals

Normal personality types fall on a continuum, or bell-curve, for these categories. Learning to understand how you are hard-wired and learning to make the most of it plays a large part in your personal growth process.

Key Ingredient #5 - Self-Motivation:

Now, all the theory in the world is not useful if it won't help you change your behavior.

And, let's be honest. Motivational speakers and self-help gurus will get you psyched up, but the reality is this: changing behavior is hard. Many barriers to personal growth thwart your progress. These include busyness, fear, "tyranny of the shoulds," and many other things.

Therefore, self-motivation is a fifth key ingredient in answering our question "what is personal growth." By "self-motivation" I do not mean some silly trick or technique. Rather, I am speaking of the ability to tap into the energy and drive that comes from deep within you. Quite simply, the carrot and the stick are nothing compared to the fire within.

So find that fire within. Find your burning inner passion and cultivate it. Nurture it. And build it into a roaring bonfire to help you live a rich and full life.

So, we started with a basic answer to our question, "What is Personal Growth?" and have examined some of the key ingredients.

We acknowledge that personal growth contains many different dimensions, approaches, and schools. Yet, all these true paths lead to one place: an authentic, vibrant, and joyful life for you.

Amongst these many choices, however, avoid losing yourself in theory.

Rather, use contemplation to inform your action and to craft a path forward on your journey.

I hope you will continue to explore this site to discover some of the most effective actions and practices for your growth.

Cheers,
Adam

Leave page About Growth and return to About Personal Growth Main Page

Site Map

Related Articles:

• About Growth:What is Personal Growth?
• Adult Development
• Barriersto Personal Growth
• Behavior Modification
  
• Learning
  
• Personality Dimensions
• Self Reflection
  
• Using Your Strengths