Top Five Opportunities For Growth
Top Five Opportunities For Growth
I recently reflected on what I view as my three top skills, which was an outside-my-comfort-zone experience for me. As a person with slight tendencies towards perfectionism (which I am definitely working on overcoming), it’s much easier for me to see what can be improved upon. However, that stretching experience was exactly what made writing that post so valuable!
Now I’m getting back into familiar territory with these five opportunities for growth! Normally people use the phrase “opportunities for growth” as a nice way of saying “they’re really terrible at this.” I, however, maintain that these are all traits that I already possess, have some sense of proficiency in, and merely want to develop further in an attempt to get them in the running for my next Top Three Skills post.
Therefore, in this post I will outline five character traits that I aim to develop in the coming months, with actionable steps on how I plan to do that immediately following.
1) Self-Discipline
What this looks like: Getting high-quality work done ahead of time and not waiting until the pressure of the last minute forces my brain to produce acceptable results. It also includes being on time, maintaining 12/24 hour correspondence standards, and creating a healthy sleep cycle.
How I’ll get there: This is essentially hardcore habit creation, so it’s going to take some brute force, I think. Something that I’ve started doing to keep myself on track is to log what I’m working on at a given moment in a Google doc named “The Praxis Progress Tracker Snacker” (it was named at 3 o’clock in the morning due to my lack of self-discipline in getting work done during the normal hours of operation for human beings). Therefore, the plan is to use a combination of a time tracker, daily to-do lists, and phone reminders in order to create this habit of self-discipline.
2) Intentionality
What this looks like: In relationships, going above and beyond in caring for and investing into the people in my life. In hobbies, not just defaulting to my phone, but digging into a skill or activity that truly brings me joy. In finances, purposefully managing and growing them, not carelessly spending or haphazardly saving. In work, not waiting until a crisis arises to make positive changes, but make preemptive improvements.
How I’ll get there: Set aside a chunk of time each day to pour into (texting, calling, checking in with) people in my life. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but consistency is key. Identify a new or forgotten hobby and get excited again. Create and stick to a budget. Make a list of what needs to be done for work and systematically complete them without waffling between issues.
3) Insight
What this looks like: “Having a clear, deep, and sometimes sudden understanding off a complicated problem or situation, or the ability to have such an understanding” is the dictionary definition of insight, which sums it up much better than I was able to. This trait is partially developed in my “digging” skills, but insight has an element of wisdom/life experience that I would like to continue developing. I want to become really good at this, because it’s such a powerful way of adding value wherever you are.
How I’ll get there: I struggle with this one because it seems like one of those that just naturally happens as you get older. However, I believe that being intentionally observant of the world around you, reading books with varying subject matter, and going out in the world and doing stuff (like Isaac Morehouse talks about in this podcast) is probably the best way to expedite the process!
4) Clarity
What this looks like: Being able to effectively convey information in a meaningful, succinct manner. This is a companion trait to my communication skills. In order to grow those skills even more, I need to develop a sense of clarity in how I think, write, and speak. If I don’t even know what message I’m trying to communicate, how can I be truly effective?
How I’ll get there: Taking the time ahead of time to establish a summarized form of what I want to say (as opposed to figuring it out as I go), has proven to be very helpful in the past, and is something that will take discipline and intentionality to do on a regular basis. Or, if I’m trying to write something short, I will write a messy, not-grammatically-sound paragraph in order to get all my thoughts on paper and then boil it down from there.
5) Fearlessness
What this looks like: Not being driven or led by fear, stress, anxiety, or confusion. Making informed decisions, but not being in stuck analysis paralysis. I tend to err on the side of caution, which isn’t intrinsically a bad thing, but it has led to missed opportunities in the past. I want to develop a sense of informed fearlessness in order to confidently try new things and build new skills – and not be held up by the fear of failure in the process.
How I’ll get there: Systematic desensitization to the fear of failure by. . . failing (and surviving). I can also start by setting a time limit on my decision making process, so as to not waste time in deliberations. Finally, I can do things on a weekly basis that make me uncomfortable and/or nervous (this kind of goes back to the desensitization thing).
That’s all for me and my growth opportunities. Tell me what you think! Have you struggled with any of these traits? Or do they come naturally to you? If so, feel free to share your wealth of knowledge and helpful tips with me (and the rest of the world) in a comment below!