The 4 Different Types of Personal Growth

We all experience personal growth every day throughout our lives.

In his book Road to Purpose, Kenneth Behring shared how his life went through four phases of personal growth.

Personal Growth: 4 Phases

The first phase was more – more money, more success, more friends, etc.

The second phase was better – a better home, better possessions, better vacations, etc.

The third phase was different – new experiences, new possessions, etc.

And the final phase was purpose – meaning, fulfillment, contribution, and making a difference in other people’s lives.

Behring claimed to have moved through these phases in linear order, but you have more flexible options here.

You can shift among these four different types of personal growth throughout your life. You could be living a very purposeful life and still want to explore more, better, and different, for instance.

Your growth journey

If you think about which type of growth most appeals to you now, which of these four would you pick? What feels most important to you? Where do you sense the greatest need or desire?

When you have a primary desire or focus, do your best to avoid opportunity blindness to the other three modes of growth. Realize that different could lead to better. Purpose could lead to more. And so on.

If you get stuck trying to make progress with your preferred mode of self-development, try broadening your perspective, and consider the other three modes. One of them may hold the key to releasing that stuckness.

(Originally published on StevePavlina.com)