As we grow older and experience more in life, self growth becomes inevitable. Whether we are looking for opportunities of personal development or they just present themselves, self improvement has become a way of life. How can we accept change and put it to good use?
Many people fear change. It's not easy changing. Valerie Young, career change expert, says "Anyone who has ever ventured out of their safe little world will tell you they had doubts. But when it comes to making a major life change, not only is a certain amount of fear perfectly normal, it's actually helpful. For example, it's our healthy fears that keep us from jumping off cliffs. And the great thing about fear is that there are ways to get around it."
As we seek self growth, we often think of setting goals. Sandy Reed, small business expert, puts goal setting in perspective. Sandy says, "If you're trying to improve your quality of life, the first place to start is to spend time thinking about what is really important to you, and make those items your priority. I have discovered that when I know I need to do something, in my business or personal life, and instead of making that a priority I work on 'busy work', my life becomes much more stressed and generally not fun.
"When you're not being true to yourself, by doing what's important to you, the Universe will eventually give you a wake-up call. I found that to be the case when I experienced my first anxiety attack on the freeway. Needless to say I learned a valuable lesson, one which I am still working on every day. While goal setting sounds good, it doesn't get to the real heart of the matter. My advice to anyone who wants to improve their life in any way is, take care of what is important to you first (or as close to first as possible!), or you won't have the mental and physical health and energy to give to anyone else."
One very important item to remember when making changes is that lifelong learning is a key to self improvement. Terri Zwierzynski self employment expert states, "I think the most important self-improvement activity anyone can do at any age is to *always* be learning something new--learn how to play the piano, or make html updates to your website, or read a book that stretches your mind. When your brain is accustomed to constantly forming new thoughts and memories, I think it stays more flexible -- leaving you more open to new ideas and capable of embracing change. Plus, it's fun! You'll have something to talk about with friends, and you might even meet some new friends as you branch out in new directions."
Dr. Neilll, alcoholism expert, reminds us, "Contrary to popular belief, we all want change. We all want to grow. We are hard-wired to seek happiness, bond with others, reproduce and make our lives better. The inevitability of change comes with the territory of life."
Change can cause anxiety in many of us. If we look at self growth as an adventure instead of a burden, it makes change easier to accept. What opportunities do you have for self improvement today?
Keywords: self growth, goal setting, self improvement, lifelong learning, fear change, personal development
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Self Growth: Is it worth the Effort?