Previously, I posted about the first phase of becoming a Me-EO.
This first phase was all about becoming SAVVY about ourselves and our future vision.
The second phase of a Me-EO life involves moving from vision to action.
The acronym for this phase is GROWTH.
I chose this word for two reasons. First, because of the definition:
“The act or process, or a manner of growing; growing; development; gradual increase The process of developing or maturing physically, mentally, or spiritually. The gradual beginning or coming forth.”
The second was this description from Transend Health describing personal growth:
“Personal growth is the process of an individual becoming aware of the ‘self’ in its entirety, followed by taking steps to address the behavior, attitudes, values, actions and habits that they wish to change.” – Transcend Health
To become a Me-EO we move from our SAVVY self-awareness to taking steps for change.
This phase of Me-EO life is transitional. We need to commit to our personal GROWTH.
The Acronym
So, what is the GROWTH approach?
G = Goals: The growth process starts and focuses on goals. Pulling from the vision and yearning from the SAVVY phase, the first step is to select 1-3 goals for the next year. This goal can and will be broken down over the timeframe, but the first step is to define where you want to be in 12 months.
R = Reality: The next step is to be honest about the reality of our lives and determine where we will work in the time and have the energy to work toward the goal. For this step we remind ourselves of what we learned about ourselves in the Approach step of phase one. In addition to our time and energy, we dive into the “season” of our life – both our life stage and the current time of year.
O = Options: Often, there are many paths to the goal we seek to achieve. This step has us brainstorming and considering our options. We evaluate the choices and select those to move forward with based on the probability of success.
W = Willpower: Once our path(s) is selected, we need commitment. Again, going back to the approach phase, we can explore our approach step results on what motivates us and how we meet expectations. These results will give clues on how to keep our willpower going when times get tough. We develop strategies to be ready for when we falter along our growth path.
T = Testing: The next phase is all about testing. We likely won’t get a groove right away when it comes to implementing a path to our goals. We aspire to a daily activity, but it takes a while to determine what that daily activity should be. We work with the time of day that this activity works best in our schedule. We may go back to our options and change the path entirely.
H = Habits: Once our testing indicates a path and general plan that can work for us, it’s time to dedicate ourselves to habits and routines. Habits are often described as “automatic”. When it comes to personal growth, the automatic piece is to do the work…. The work is not always easy.
Your Turn
Have you tried any of the steps in the GROWTH approach?
Do you think the SAAVY foundation is important to make this phase successful?
Which steps described here are most difficult for you?