This weekend I was sitting on the beach (yes, you read that correctly…Kathy and I took had a short get-away trip this past weekend) reading a number of different thoughts on success in life and work from the vantage point of several different authors. One article in Success Magazine (affiliate link) by John Maxwell was entitled Gearing Up for Growth. In it, he shares several thoughts on success in life and work, but the one that really caught my eye was his advice on how to “Change from Accidental Growth to Intentional Growth.”
Here’s what he says:
People tend to get into ruts in life. They get in an easy groove, and they don’t try to break out of it—even when it’s taking them in the wrong direction. After a while, they just get by. If they learn something, it’s because of a happy accident. Don’t let that happen to you!…How do you know if you’ve slipped into a rut? Take a look at the difference between accidental growth and intentional growth:
Accidental Growth
Plans to start tomorrow
Waits for growth to come
Learns only from mistakes
Depends on good luck
Quits early and often
Falls into bad habits
Talks big
Plays it safes
Thinks like a victim
Relies on talent
Stops learning after graduation
Intentional Growth
Insists on starting today
Takes complete responsibility to grow
Often learns before mistakes
Relies on hard work
Perseveres long and hard
Fights for good habits
Follows through
Takes risks
Thinks like a learner
Relies on character
Never stops growing
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes…In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” If you want to reach your potential and become the person you were created to be, you must do much more than just experiencing life and hoping that you learn what you need along the way. You must go out of your way to seize growth opportunities as if your future depended on it. Why? Because it does. Growth doesn’t just happen—not for me, not for you, not for anybody. You have to go after it!
Wow, some amazing thoughts on success in life and work. The one that struck me the most was the difference between Falls Into Bad Habits and Fights for Good Habits. I want to be known by my family, friends, and work associates as someone who fights for good habits!
Questions: What about you? Which of the thoughts on success in life and work from John Maxwell’s article do you want to be know for most?
