One sentence can destroy your personal growth potential. It’s This won’t work because…
You’ve probably thought it, even if it’s not spoken out loud.
This little sentence can be problematic because it puts you on defense, fighting against change and trying to find a solution. Your life is unique, so most advice won’t apply to you. You miss out on the opportunities to learn and use what you don’t like about it.
Questions To Ask Yourself About Your Personal Growth Plan
These are the questions to ask yourself when you next read a book on a personal growth plan, take an online course, look for help on Pinterest or listen to Ted Talks.
1. What Can I do To Make This Work?
Your brain loves to solve problems. Instead of asking your brain for reasons why something isn’t working for you, let your brain work out ways to make it work.
Perhaps your schedule is too irregular to allow you the daily routine that your trainer recommends. Do not dismiss this advice. What can you do to make it work for your business? It’s about adapting what you have learned to help you succeed.
2. Which Part Of This Advice Can I Apply To My Own Life?
Although you might not be able to apply all of the information you have learned, you can still take some elements to use in your daily life.
Imagine that you are taking a course in Pinterest marketing strategy, but the focus is more on helping food bloggers. You also have a service-based business. You might not be able to use some of the strategies.
This doesn’t mean that the entire course is useless. Which parts of this course can you use to improve your marketing strategy? You’ll keep learning and growing if you are always looking for new information.
3. What Would It Look Like If I Could Do This For You?
Let’s imagine that the things you learn could be useful for you. How would that look? Sometimes, we can get so ensconced in our routines and habits that we believe they are permanent. This question can help you to reevaluate your life and put a fresh perspective on it.
Perhaps you find the suggestion that your morning routine should include meditation, exercise, and 20 minutes of reading. Amazing, but impossible. There are many reasons this won’t work. Imagine if you could make it work. How would that look?
You might need to get up earlier, rework childcare support, get to bed earlier or go to work later. Although you might not want to do all or some of these things, imagining how it can help you see more possibilities for your life. Instead of feeling trapped in your current situation, you can decide what you want to do.
You can’t learn and grow if you think “This won’t work for you because…”. You lose out on little bits of goodness that could be applied to your life.
Instead, you can ask these questions:
- What can I do to make this work?
- Which part of this advice can I apply to my own life?
- What would it look like if I could do this for you?
These questions will help you get your mind going and allow you to think about what you can do.