A few months ago, I looked over my life and decided I was nowhere near my potential. So I made the decision that even though I may not be the most intelligent, the most creative or the most street smart, I could commit to growing, and I could commit to growing fast. If I couldn’t be number 1, I could definitely be the most improved. I was going to grow so fast and consistently that if you only bumped into me every 6 months, you would see a marked difference in my life. I made a commitment to growth.
The commitment to growth understands the power of the growth mindset – the idea that success comes from work and effort and not just innate ability. It is similar to the idea of kaizen – of continual improvement. It allows time to work for you, so even as you work and get things done, you are receiving the compound benefits of consistent action.
It’s a powerful idea because it allows you to start where you are. Committing to growth brings you to peace with the fact that right now, you are probably fucked up. You are not doing enough, you are not where you should be, and you are inadequate. There are things you don’t know; your ocean of ignorance is vast. But that doesn’t matter, because from here on out, your trajectory is on the up and up. You are not worried about looking good or preserving your ego, you are too focused on learning.
A commitment to growth is a commitment to yourself. It is a firm grasping of your potential. It is taking responsibility and knowing that at the end of the day, the life you live and impact you have, boils down to your execution.
It is a process driven mindset. It understands patience and taking the long view. You are less concerned with the finish line and more focused on doing the daily steps better than you did them yesterday.
This growth can be slow or fast, depending on how much of yourself you can lay on the line. But as long as the commitment is there, even if you are only taking a tiny step every day, it builds the habit of continual improvement. As it becomes second nature, you can push hard on the pedal and shoot for a 10x or hockey stick growth curve. But the commitment is the foundation.
Commitment to growth means:
- Owning yourself. Own who you are. Know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Know what you bring to the table and double down on the value that’s unique to you. Bring your true self, your unique energy to every situation unapologetically.
- Being goal focused. Be stubborn about outcome, be flexible on the tactics. Know what’s most important to you and the goal you are working towards. Keep it in mind always, let it be a north star, tie yourself to its masts before you are dragged off the calls of the sirens of society.
- Playing at your edge consistently. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Do the things that frighten you. Stretch yourself. Its not a nice feeling, it can be exhausting over time, but you will keep moving, you will get better, you will get stronger.
- Learning all the time. Read books, listen to the podcasts, observe your heroes, build relationships with mentors. Be curious, seek to absorb as much as you can all the time.
- Experimenting and executing. Try new things, explore new things, increase your skills and your mental toolset. Actually do things and make sure to learn from your feedback.
Make this commitment and you will become more effective, happier and fulfilled. Soon enough, you won’t even be able to recognize yourself. It’s a foundational concept for success.
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