Three things you can do to grow—on purpose—this year

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.
(Eleanor Roosevelt)

I honestly feel like we’ve only celebrated New Year’s Eve yesterday, but February’s already just a week away.

I don’t know about you but when days go by this quickly, it’s sometimes hard to say how much of a difference a year makes in one’s life. You generally retain old habits, still hate the same thing you hated about yourself the previous year, and don’t seem to have gained anything during that time except experience and a couple of incidental lessons in life—plus a few extra pounds.

But things do not have to remain that way.

Don’t let growth “just happen”, hoping wisdom will find your life as you casually walk on by. Be intentional about personal growth, character building, and life learning.

You can start this year. You can start today.

Aim to make it so that by this time the following year, you know you’ve strengthened personal values, developed better habits, learned new skills, and grown in faith and wisdom.

There are many ways to do it, but here are 3 practical suggestions to get you started:

  1. Make a plan.

Plans set apart those who actively pursue personal growth and those who just wait for it to happen. Start by identifying exactly what you want to learn or develop this year. Is it a skill? A sport? A healthy habit?

Now count the cost. What will it take for you to achieve that? When you have that figured out, map out the year and align your monthly, weekly, and daily activities accordingly. Even if you don’t fully achieve your goal by year’s end, you’d have been closer to it than you were the previous year. The same principle applies when you’re looking at two-, five-, ten-year goals and so on.

Be the first person to actively invest in yourself. Why don’t you set aside a specific sum of money each year just for personal development? Why not schedule your office leaves for seminars and workshops, not just for vacation trips?

  1. Look for mentors.

I say this from my experience, specifically in the last few years. I’ve always thought figuring things out on your own was brave and remarkable. Now I know sometimes it’s just plain and stupid, especially when you reject sound advice from those who know better just because you want to learn things by yourself, and because a handful of your peers agree with you.

1 Kings 12 tells of the story of King Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon, who rejected the counsel of the elders who served his father, and listened instead to the young men he grew up with. And while God had decreed beforehand that the united kingdom would soon be divided, it was by means of Rehoboam’s foolishness that Israel was split into two kingdoms.

As it is, seeking counsel is a good thing, even from trusted friends. But there is also wisdom in seeking the counsel of mentors. Look for people you trust and hold in high regard. I thank God for surrounding me with such individuals. They will help build your character. Meet with them consistently and seek their help when you need to. Do so and you will grow not only in wisdom, but also in humility.

  1. Come to God.

Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses. In verse 12 his prayer goes, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom,” and he ends in verse 17 with “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.”

At the end of it all, God holds all our days. And our plans, if not for Him will fail. As we aim to make the most of the year and hope to be better individuals each day, let’s not stop at just making a plan and looking to people we trust. Come to God. We don’t always have a plan, but He does. Mentors can be wrong, but He never is. When it comes to personal growth, there’s no better person to turn to than He.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
(James 1:5 NIV)

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