Fundamental of Achievement
Personal
Growth
If you want to live a better life, you must become a better person. That’s why personal growth is one of the key elements to a life well lived. Very few—if any—of us are born into ideal situations. Yet all of us have the ability to become worthy of attaining our dreams and aspirations.
Tier
What Is Personal Growth?
Personal growth is the process of changing attitudes and/or behaviors in order to enhance the quality of one’s life. This typically includes improving habits, skills, and thinking patterns. Such self development is used to unlock one’s potential in the pursuit of one’s goals.
Why Personal Growth?
Personal growth is the path to your ideal future. The only way to get what you want out of life is to become the type of person who is worthy of it.
I don’t claim to be an expert on anything I write about.
Hell, I hardly claim to be an expert on myself. 😂😂😂
These breakdowns are largely for me. I use them to record and reference. Unlike most others on this site though, this personal growth page might actually be useful to the outside observer.
No promises. You can tell me.
Becoming a Goal Getter
In order to get the things you want in life, you have to become worthy of them. Pay the price success demands.
Deciding Your Destiny
The power to determine your future is in your hands. Personal agency is one of God’s greatest gifts. Embrace it.
Force for Good
The better we are, the better the world around us will be. Your actions help tip the scale of humanity’s virtue.
Better You Better Life
Almost always, the better person you become, the better your life gets. Be worthy of the outcomes you desire.
There’s a lot that goes into becoming the best you. Here’s a quick look at what the self development journey has been like for me.
Learn with Me
Like all of us:
I’ve been on a personal growth journey from the day I was born.
But unlike most people, I’m kind of obsessed with it. Starting at around 20 years old, I really started to feel the weight of my potential and begun the task of reprogramming myself.
At one point, I listened to the audiobook for 7 Habits of Highly Effective People every single time I drove my car.
This lasted for several months or maybe even a year. 😅
Nowadays, I’m slightly less deranged. However, I’m still a major personal growth junkie. At my best, I start my days with self-help audio and consume copious amounts of personal growth podcasts and interviews.
I strive to get better everyday, as you can see on This Site.
My Experience
I’ve come quite a long way.
Yet I’ve still got quite a long way to go.
I see self development as a continuous ascent toward my peak self. Even if it were possible, I wouldn’t want it to end.
It’s not just about what it can bring me.
Personal growth is an end within itself. I relish ever single step forward (and even some of the backward ones).
I’m far better than I used to be, on nearly every level. But thankfully, I’m nowhere near as good as I will be down the road. One might even say I’m addicted to the uphill climb.
I play that it never ends. 🙏
- Importance – 99%
- Passion – 92%
- Mastery – 25%
Journey Started: ≈2009
Good Life Foundation
Personal growth is the answer. The life you want is within your grasp. The question is, are you willing to make and remake yourself until you deserve it?
Where Personal Growth Fits
Personal Growth is a crucial piece in the Achievement and Character puzzles.
For me, it’s a “Tier __” concept, on the same level as ____, ____, and ____.
It is perhaps most closely tied to Personal Responsibility.
Goals are one of the most important pieces of the Achievement puzzle.
For me, they’re a “Tier 2” concept, on the same level as Mindset, Habits, Growth, and High Performance.
It is also closely tied to practices like Journaling.
1. Achievement
‣ 2. Goal Setting
3. Frameworks
3. Scheduling
4. Yearly
4. Monthly
4. Daily Planning
3. Business Plans
Success Habit Rank
Videos Watched
Mentions on My Site
Books Read
Pulling Threads: A Lion Chasing Rabbits
What the hell is This Site, exactly? A pointless stream of consciousness? A fanboy's ode to his Heroes? A psycho's Favorite topics? All three? Or maybe, it's just the result of a lion chasing rabbits. You might LOL... but this is how it works: I am destined to be the...
Growing Into a Better Person for a Better Life
For personal growth newbies:
Let’s start with the best advice up front.
Just get started.
Every step you take in the right direction is a good thing, no matter how small.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we’re all on a journey of self development. The path is dynamic: everchanging and often unpredictable. Every summit you reach reveals a new mount to climb. And that’s one of the most beautiful aspects of life, as long as you embrace it.
All you can really do is try to get better everyday.
If you stand still too long, the world will pass you by. There is no standing still. The world around us is always changing. In relation to that, you’re either making progress or falling behind.
What You Do Everyday
change your habits, change your life
Gamification
changing habits is the hardest and most fundamental
Habits have a direct effect on your Health, Mental Health/Happiness, Achievement
“The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”
—Samuel Johnson?
move to habit tracking?
Free Will: A Gift & A Curse
fed the line that people can’t change… in fact people can change, many just don’t (of their own volition/choices)… in fact you can change, if you don’t its your fault
In the end, you have to take Personal Responsibility for your life/who you are/what happens to you.
Tom Bilyeu and Gary Vee:
“Everything is my fault.”
nothing is handed to you in life… at least nothing good without strings attached (Jim Rohn, if you hit the lottery for a million dollars you better become a millionaire quickly so at least you get to keep the money)
what happens to you is not as important as what you’re willing to do about it
two sides of personal growth… developing virtues and shedding vices… wrapped up in your habits… character
- virtues – character traits, skill building, etc.
- vices – sacrifice the weakest parts of yourself on the altar of your future success
Here’s the magic:
With personal responsibility comes personal pride.
The Righteous Path
protagonist of your own story… the “good guy”
becoming the best you > living your best life… living a meaningful/fulfilling life/life of substance… you choose your own purpose…
to live the good life, you need to become a good person
Character
The comforts of the modern world tempt you with distraction and complacency. Its luxuries tempt you toward hedonism and materialism. Resistance is righteousness.
modernity tempts you with hedonism, materialism, distraction, complacency
hero’s journey?
not only does self improvement make your life better, it makes the world better
self development is the moral choice/a moral decision
How to Become the Best You Step-By-Step
01
Growth Mindset
The path to personal development begins with the Growth Mindset. In order to get better, you have to believe that you can first. This is both a gift and a curse, a hopeful message and an indictment. So the question is, what are you going to do with it?
02
Choose Your Why(s)
Most of the time, if you’re going to do something hard you need a reason. Better yet, look for multiple carrot-and-stick-style reasons. That is, identify both the things you want and the things you want to avoid. Intense Motivation is the starting point for radical change.
03
Self Awareness
We all have our own unique set of strengths. You don’t have to be great at everything. But you do have to know yourself well enough to identify which things to double down on and which to improve. Unfortunately, for many of us Self Awareness itself is a weakness.
04
Choose Your Targets
Once you know where you are, you can decide where you want to go. Set your sights then begin the pursuit. There are many levels of Goal Setting. It’s great to shoot for the stars but there is nothing wrong with starting small. The biggest key is to make them explicit.
05
Self Brainwashing
Once you know you what you want you have to become someone worthy of it. This is multi-faceted, for sure. But it begins in your mind. Leverage the wisdom provided by modern Neuroscience and Psychology to Brainwash Yourself into who you need to be.
06
Grow Everday
Ultimately, your life will be a reflection of the things you do every day. In other words, your behaviors have to match your ambitions. Make personal growth itself a Habit. Exercise Discipline and Self Control. Build Your Skills with Daily Practice. And do it every single day.
daily practice, discipline, learning, skill building… make it a part of who you are, self identity… habits
Learn and improve yourself every single day.
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07
Move Goal Posts
Some say the biggest reward you get for achieving a goal is the chance to set another one. And while shifting the goal posts is bad etiquette in a debate, it is a great thing in your personal life. Never let yourself get stagnant. Make progress a part of your Self Identity.
Remember: just start. By embracing self development, you’re on your way to making your life better, and the lives of those around you.
As soon as you start seeking self development you put yourself on track to get ahead of everyone who believes they can’t change.
The first time you put your goals on paper, you’re closer to achieving your dreams than 90% of the population.
My Favorite Personal Growth Videos
Everything you need to learn about personal growth can be found online.
I’m no self development titan. I stand on the shoulders of giants. I simply listen to what my Heroes say and apply it. Not everything sticks. But enough does to make a lasting impact.
Data
Dump
One of the main purposes of This Site is to catalog my learnings. I’m not that learned. But I’m working on becoming moreso. If you see a “data dump” on this site, you’re looking at unsorted information. It may be related or completely unrelated, depending on the topic.
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Four Decisions Changed My Life
Force Yourself to Suffer
Mastin Kipp on Impact Theory
The 5-Hour Rule
Les Brown on Impact Theory
The Death of Alex Becker
How I Use Fear & Pain | Alex Becker
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First Video
Category
These are some of my favorite short (30 minutes or less) videos about goals. If you’re new to setting goals, they’ll introduce you to some powerful concepts. If you’ve been setting goals for awhile, they can help you find a new angle of attack. Either way, they’re worth a listen.
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Second Video
Category
This one’s for the dream-chasing junkies like me. Not everyone is built to watch hour-long videos on goals. But we the few, well we’ve got sh!t to do. An hour (or two) weighed against the rest of your life really ain’t much. 🤷♂️ Once you’re serious, you might even watch them again.
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How I improve Myself to Create the Life I want
If you haven’t noticed, I take this stuff seriously.
You don’t have to do it like me. But maybe you wanna know. So I guess I’ll tell you. You might have picked some of it up by reading through this page or clicking on some of the links.
I’ll spell it all out here.
Stoking My Inner Fire
I’ve always had the desire for greatness in me. My small, still voice is not that small or still 😅 it’s often loud and judgmental 😂. Like most of us, I often struggle for Motivation, Willpower, Self Control, and Discipline. To help with this problem, I create systems, reinforce beliefs, and consume stories that help ensure that keep the fire in my belly burning hot. 🔥
Brainwashing Myself
Left unsupervised, my mind easily falls into chaos. I have to tend it like a garden. I get the best results with Moticuts, Affirmations, and Daily Planning baked right into my Morning Routine. It helps boost my day-to-day Productivity and even rewrite my Self Identity. I am constantly looking for new Protocols to help me become “the type of person who.”
Habit & Productivity Tracking
Over the last decade or so, I have devised a Habit Tracking framework that gives me hard data on what works for me. It makes it impossible to lie to myself about how well I am doing. I continually experiment and refine but it begins with a base of Bullet Journaling and the GTD sytem.
Hollistic Human Training
While I devote a lot of energy and attention to Productivity, I know it is not the only important thing in life. Mental Health and Happiness, Physical Health and Fitness, Spiritual Growth and Character—these all have their place. Plus, I continually try to grow as a Parent and Lover.
Building This Site
Personal growth is one of the primary purposes of This Site. The page you’re reading now was one of the first I ever started working on. It has since evolved into a whole constellation of pages covering various aspects of Achievement and Character. I also use things like My Content Challenges to instill Consistency and improve my Writing skills.
Favorite Coaches
Favorite Teachers
Favorite Entrepreneurs
My Personal Growth Posts
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