Many people are ever looking forward to the day that they grow until it actually happens. Growth often leaves you in an awkward space in which you feel like you no longer fit in with many of your friends, the places where you used to have fun, and the things you used to do. Growing is a natural part of life, however, for many, the most painful part of growth is changing. Growth and change go hand-in-hand. No one would think it is normal for a baby to stay the same size; if that were to happen, people would be deeply concerned, running tests to try to determine what is wrong.
As an adult, if you tried to squeeze into an outfit that you wore when you were 12, you would look ridiculous. Despite these revelations, many hesitate to let go of people, places, and things they have outgrown. They see the discomfort in these situations to be different than the discomfort of trying to wear jeans that are three sizes too small. The fact is, the discomfort is the same. This brings me to my first piece of advice for growing.
Visualize Your Growth in Very Simple Terms
When you feel like you need to cling to something, someone, or a place you have outgrown, simply visualize yourself walking around in a t-shirt that is three sizes too small. While this will provide you with some comic relief, it will also help you to put things into perspective.
Focus on the Positives of Your Growth
Rather than focus on what you can’t do anymore, look at what your growth allows you to do now. Though it may be difficult to see, there are benefits to your growth, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Sometimes your growth is simply applying a hard lesson from the past when you run into the same situation again. Growth does not always feel good, but that does not mean it is not good for you.
Celebrate Your Milestones
Celebrating milestones is something that people don’t do often enough. This is why changing to a healthy lifestyle is so hard for many people. They do not celebrate milestones and treat their goals as if they are the prize that is waiting at the finish line of a marathon. Buy the dress and eat the ice cream! Buy the new cologne and have a pizza night. Reaching a milestone should not feel like punishment, or a reminder you still have 40 more pounds to go. If you lost ten pounds you are not going to gain it all back in one day because you break away from your healthy habits for one day. Reward yourself and treat yourself with kindness.
Grow With Purpose
Too often people take on goals that do not align with what they really want for their lives. While they may gain a new skill or a new position, the growth they achieve has no purpose in their lives. This type of growth mirrors the effect of cancer. As you know cancer is a growth that is not needed by the body. There are many people that have aggressively grown down the wrong road. It is very important to grow with meaningful goals.
Use Your Growth
You would be surprised how many people have grown in a purposeful way, but they are afraid to use or apply their growth out in the open. People do this for many reasons, but most people do it because they are fearful that they will not succeed. The shame of it is, you can tell these people have spent their lives perfecting a talent that they will never openly use. This is how people like, Susan Boyle, live nearly, their entire lives with a spectacular talent that is discovered nearly at the sunset of their lives. Leave no regrets on the table, use your growth and use it often!
As you travel from change to change in your life, using these five tips will help you to embrace change like a champion and live for growth in a fulfilling way. After all, you have nothing to lose but people, places, and things you have outgrown.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings