Do you want to be a better version of yourself? Do you have big goals and dreams for your life but you haven’t been taking action? Or do you feel like your life is stagnant?
If you found yourself nodding to any of those questions, then that’s a sign that it is time to be intentional about self-growth.
Self-growth is sometimes referred to as personal growth or personal development so I may use those terms interchangeably in this article.
Why is Self-Growth Important?
Self-growth refers to the process of developing or improving your attitudes, actions, habits and skills. This development can help you to:
- Achieve your goals
- Have better relationships
- Contribute more to society
- Increase self-awareness
- Be more resilient
What are the Areas of Personal Growth?
Whenever you’re embarking on a journey of personal growth, it may be helpful to focus on 6 key areas. This will help you to take a holistic approach so you can develop or improve all aspects of your life.
So as you take this journey, make sure you’re considering your:
1) Physical Growth
You need your body to carry out several activities throughout the day. So you have to make sure it is well-equipped to fulfill the demands you’re placing on it. This means that you need to prioritize healthy eating, exercise and sleep.
2) Spiritual Growth
Every human being has a body, soul and spirit so you have a spiritual side that needs to be cultivated. As you connect to God and learn more about His will and ways, you will grow spiritually. You will also realize that your life will have more meaning and purpose.
If you feel like your life is meaningless, check out this article where I share what to do when life feels meaningless.
Recommended Article: What To Do When Life Feels Meaningless?
3) Mental Growth
Have you ever heard that “you’re what you think”? People often say this because how you think affects your attitude and your actions. If you really want to make a positive change in your life, you have to change the way you think first.
4) Emotional Growth
Managing your emotions is a key skill that is important for your success, resilience and relationships. This will also influence your well-being so it is a critical area if you want to be more positive.
5) Social Growth
You may have noticed by now that relationships are an integral part of your life. When I say relationships, I’m not talking just about romantic relationships.
I’m also referring to interactions with family members, co-workers and friends.
If you want to form and maintain healthy relationships, you have to work on your social skills like communication and empathy.
6) Financial Growth
Let’s face it. Money is an important part of our lives. It is necessary to meet our basic and secondary needs. It can even help us to acquire modern conveniences and have fun experiences. Money is also a tool that you can use to help others.
There are many people who are stressed and anxious because they don’t have the financial stability they desire. Therefore, this is a key area of your life that deserves your attention and intentionality.
What are Examples of Self-Growth?
So now you know what self-growth is, why it’s important and the key areas. Let’s look at some activities that are related to self-growth. I have decided to organize the activities based on the key areas.
Physical Growth
- Exercise
- Sleep 7-9 hours
- Eat balanced meals
Spiritual Growth
- Read the Bible
- Study the Bible
- Pray
- Read Christian books
Mental Growth
- Reading a nonfiction book
- Listening to a podcast
- Taking a course
Emotional Growth
- Journal
- Talk to a pastor, counselor or therapist
- Identify your triggers
Social Growth
- Learn about emotional intelligence
- Volunteer
- Practise active listening
- Learn about boundaries
Financial Growth
- Track your expenses
- Build an emergency fund
- Start a side business
Does Journaling Help with Self-Growth?
Journaling can definitely help you with self-growth. It helps you to keep a written record of the areas that you want to develop and improve. It can also help you to track your progress.
Journaling is a great tool for self growth because it is much easier to sort through written words than abstract thoughts in your mind. Therefore, it will help you to stay organized.
How Do You Journal for Self-Growth Examples
So how do you journal for self-growth? Here are a few steps and some examples that will help you to get started and make progress.
1) Write your goals
If you want to use journaling for self-growth, the first thing you need to do is identify your goals. Take a minute or two to answer this question: What areas do you want to grow in?
Remember the key areas of personal growth are:
- Physical Growth
- Spiritual Growth
- Mental Growth
- Emotional Growth
- Social Growth
- Financial Growth
Do you want to lose weight? Then your goal may be to lose 20 pounds within the next 4 months.
Or do you want to read the entire Bible? Then your goal may be to complete a Bible reading plan by December 31.
Do you want to grow socially? Well, your goal may be to talk to 1 new person each week. Or it may be to spend at least 15 minutes talking to a friend each week.
And if you want to grow financially, you can start by building an emergency fund of US $5,000.00.
It’s okay if you have more than one goal. But make sure you don’t overwhelm yourself by setting too many goals.
2) Make a plan
Now that you know your goals, it’s time to decide how you will achieve them.
Take a minute to think about the specifics and what resources you will need to make those goals become a reality.
Do you want to lose weight? Then take some time to think about what you will need to do.
- What diet changes can you make?
- Will you exercise at home, outdoors or at the gym?
- What type of exercise will you do?
- Which days will you work out?
- What time will you work out?
Then write down those answers in your journal so you can remind yourself and keep yourself accountable.
So you may write something like this:
- I want to lose 20 pounds within the next 4 months.
- I will jog at the community park for 30 minutes from Monday to Friday after work.
3) Track your progress daily or weekly
You can choose to track your progress daily or weekly based on what works best for you. Some people may find it challenging and overwhelming to journal daily. While others may find it enjoyable or relaxing.
Whether you track your progress daily or weekly, may also depend on your goal. Some goals need daily tracking while others can be tracked once per week. Tracking your progress is extremely beneficial so don’t skip this step.
During these journalling sessions, try to answer the following questions:
- What achievements did I make?
- How do I feel about my progress?
- What challenges are hindering my progress?
- How can I overcome those challenges?
Your journal entry may look like this:
I exercised 4 times this week and I’m am really happy that I exercised most days. On Thursday, I wasn’t able to exercise because I felt really sleepy. I think that’s because I stayed up late the night before watching Tik Tok videos. Looking back, I realize that it’s important to get a good night’s rest for my workouts. I will ensure that I go to bed by 10:00 every night.
4) Celebrate your growth
Remember to celebrate your growth. This may be simply writing your down in your journal. But it could also look like sharing the good news with your family and friends.
You can also celebrate major progress by doing something that is fun for you. Just make sure that fun activity doesn’t affect your progress.
So if your goal is to lose weight, don’t celebrate by eating a high calorie meal. Or if your goal is to save money, don’t make any unnecessary purchases. Stick to your budget.
Takeaway
Are you ready to take your life to the next level? Well, it’s time to be intentional about it and journaling is a great way to keep a written record of your goals, efforts, challenges and victories.
You can buy a fancy journal or you can just grab a regular notebook and start writing. Make sure you keep your journal in plain sight so you can remember to make your entries.
Your life can be richer, fuller and happier but you have to take the steps to grow. So choose the areas that you need to grow and start being your best version.
Level up physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, socially and financially!!!
If you want to learn more about journalling, check out this video.