What Intentionality and Growth Do to a Life Plan

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The only guarantee that tomorrow will get better is growth. I recommend becoming a growth-oriented leader. Growth requires many things of us, including effort. Growth is not always pleasant.

John Maxwell identifies five key areas of growth as:

  1. Accidental Growth – show up somewhere, be at the right place at right time, and growth happens 
  2. Purposeful Growth – intentional planning, products, experiences, books, events
  3. Personal Growth – example: my personal mission is personal growth
  4. Others Growth – example: your personal growth is my personal mission
  5. Team Growth – example: our personal growth is my personal mission

While it's important to have a plan for yourself, it's equally as important to have a plan for those around you. How are you as a team player? How well do you assure that those around you are experiencing personal growth?   

Do you consume training with the purpose of contributing or of growing? We all need to distribute, but we need to consume wisdom, knowledge and grow intentionally. Only then can we create enhanced value for those whom we serve.   

  • What are you personally doing to grow personally? 
  • Are you assuring your personal growth ?
  • Are you expanding your influence ?

Are you goal-conscious or growth-conscious?

  • Goals lead to a destination – Growth is a journey
  • Goals motivate people – Growth matures people
  • Goals are seasonal – Growth is lifelong
  • Goals challenge people – Growth changes people
  • When a goals reached, a plateau happens – When growth happens, we keep growing 

Leaders Develop Daily, Not in a Day (21 Laws of Leadership)

We tend to overestimate the event, and underestimate the power of the process. Leaders grow and develop daily. In the middle of life’s greatest accomplishments, there is a greater intentionality to those who are growth oriented, not goal oriented.  

Leaders ask two questions:

  1. What am I doing to develop myself?
  2. What am I doing to develop others?

  A plan for growth requires four things that we must set aside time to grow:

  1. Prioritize: How much time are you setting aside to grow?
  2. Clarify: Determine you area of growth.  What area of growth do you want to identify?
  3. Identify: What are the resources and plans you need to reach your growth objectives?
  4. Application: What is your plan to apply yourself toward your growth objectives?

Example: Identify three ways you can grow between now and Dec 31.

Build Clarity Around Your Objectives of Growth

Growth is like knowledge, the more we grow, the more we recognize the need to grow more. ABG – Always be growing.

Here are the four things growth requires of you:

  1. Responsibility: Resolve, if it’s to be, it’s up to me. As the tagline says – #Ownit! Your growth occurs because you take responsibility for it, personally and individually.
  2. Clarity: Where, how do you want to grow? Go away for a few hours and vision what you want a day in your life will be in five, 10, 20 years or more. Who are you, what is your vision and impact for the future, your family, those around you?
  3. Intentionality: What is your plan? What tools do you need? How do you get there? You will not reach your growth potential without intentionality.
  4. Accountability: We all need accountability. Who knows your plan and what role will they make in your personal growth.

Depending on when you're reading this, we all have X days until Dec 31. What area of impact do you want to grow between now and year end? What are your personal growth objectives for the next 90 days? Who are you connected with that knows your growth objectives? Who will you engaging with for accountability 1 on 1?

Art Linkletter once said, "I never want to be want I want to be, there is always something more out there for me."

More recently, Matthew McConaughey told us about chasing that guy he sees ahead of him, knowing he would never catch up, because the guy ahead of him is the vision and purpose of who he wants to be. It also keeps him growing. 

So, finally, in similar words to Winston Churchill, "I challenge you to never grow up. Never grow up. Never, never, never grow up." Always be growing.

Content and comments provided by George Williams, certified trainer, speaker and coach with the John Maxwell Team and adopted from the wisdom of John Maxwell and Mark Cole.   George also is an Advanced QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor, creating value and growth for business owners across America. For information, visit Boca Bookkeeping.