The journey to personal growth is not easy – in fact, it can be really difficult at times. But trust us when we say that the rewards can be magical.
Personal growth and self-development are two of the most worthwhile things you can spend your time doing. Through investing in them, you increase your chances of long-lasting fulfilment and happiness.
There are many barriers that hold people back from becoming the best versions of themselves, and we discuss a few of them, as well as how you can tackle them below:
Fear
Fear feeds stagnation, and it stops people taking potentially life-changing opportunities. Many people are reluctant to make changes in fear of the unknown, and this holds them back from growth. Coincidentally, it’s often the actions and opportunities that we fear most that hold the key to transformative personal growth!
How to tackle it:
First you must identify your fear, and second you need to realise how it can serve you. By leaning into your fear, you can view it as a vital piece of information, instead of something that threatens you. In listening to fear, it becomes a great source of guidance on the path to reaching your full potential.
Lack of self-discipline
Personal growth requires self-discipline, and plenty of it! This might mean hours at the gym or late nights studying for a qualification in something you love. You might have really high expectations about what you want to achieve, but without discipline, you’re unlikely to achieve those goals.
How to tackle it:
Hold yourself accountable. Don’t allow yourself to make excuses and really try to push through any uncomfortable feelings. Just know that if you do this, the long-term rewards will be high!
Procrastination
Procrastination involves unnecessarily putting off tasks, decisions, and actions. When we do this, we stop ourselves from growing. This keeps us stuck in the same place we’ve always been and prevents us from moving forward. Often, if we just acted, we’d quickly see the benefits, and gain the momentum to keep going.
How to tackle it:
The first step to overcoming procrastination is to set small goals. Whether that goal is to run a little further each evening, or to spend one hour less on your phone each day – make each goal achievable. Plus, if you can create little rewards for yourself every time you hit a goal, you’re more likely to keep going!
Another helpful thing to do is to make your environment as conducive to taking action as possible. This might mean removing distractions from your home office, investing in a home gym or leaving little motivational post-it notes around the house!
Comfort zones
Ah that familiar comfort zone! Inside your comfort zone, everything is known and easy. Yet when it comes to stepping outside of your comfort zone, you start to challenge your beliefs and what you thought was possible – and this can feel really uncomfortable!
How to tackle it:
Be gradual. Practice small actions outside of your comfort zone every day, whether that’s making an effort to meet new people, trying a new hobby, or doing a presentation at work. Pushing yourself gradually will help make stepping out of your comfort zone easier.