It’s June, and this is a great time to evaluate where we are in our life growth, or as the Bible would call it, FRUITFULNESS (Luke 13:6-9).
There are three areas of life that we can check for fruitfulness:
- Our Personal Life – this might include spiritual growth, our physical health (weight loss or exercise goals), financial goals, breaking bad habits, etc.
- Our Relational Life – this might include improving our marriage or dating relationship, deepening our friendships, creating and furthering our life and tech teams, etc.
- Our Professional Life – this might consist of honing our skills, setting and reaching KPIs, making progress on our BHAGs or WIGs, etc.
What is the Best Method for Learning and being Fruitful?
As we evaluate our fruitfulness, we might identify areas of life that need to grow and develop. I have experienced significant growth when I have applied the following three skills to my life.
FIRST: GATHER INFORMATION
When we identify the area(s) of growth we need in our life, it’s then time to gather new information. We can do this by reading books, signing up for a class, watching YouTube videos, or attending a seminar. The key is to identify the area of growth that needs attention and then finding the resources (information) we need to start changing the way we think about the area of development. John Maxwell puts it this way; “If we always do what we’ve always done, we will always get what we’ve always gotten.” To get NEW GROWTH, we need NEW INFORMATION. That is, we need a NEW WAY of seeing life around us.
SECOND: GRAFT THE INFORMATION TO AN EXPERIENCE
Getting new information is a significant first step. However, it’s not enough to gain the growth we are desiring. What typically happens is we read a book or attend a class and then forget nearly 90% of what we read, watched, or listened to. So to rewire the neuron paths in our brain, we need to graft the new information to a unique experience. For instance, earlier this year, I started to invest in the stock market. My first step before buying stocks was to GATHER NEW INFORMATION about potential stocks and how the stock market works. I read articles, watched videos, and took notes as I gathered new information. My next step was to make some money and begin to invest and BUY stocks (by the way, this is not financial advice, and I am not a financial advisor). I started to learn a new skill, and I began to see some growth.
BUT WAIT
I started to see some red too, as in, I began to lose some money. And this is where the third key is vital to growth.
THIRD: GALVANIZE THE GROWTH IN RELATIONSHIP
New information and New Experiences are great, BUT we live in a broken world, and life SUCKS at times. So we need to galvanize our growth IN relationships. Let’s go back to my stock market illustration. When I started to invest in stocks, I also joined a few social groups that talk about stocks. I called my financial advisor and asked him questions. I reached out to some friends who invested in stocks and spoke to them as well.
What did I learn?
Stocks go up and down.
You don’t lose money when the stock goes down IF you don’t sell.
You can make even more money (when the stock goes up) if you “buy the dip” price (this averages your cost per share down).
When the stock goes up (and it should if the company has good fundamentals), you will be in the green sooner.
BUT, there’s one more detail about the relationship. I got encouragement to keep at it, and I got coaching to see my blind spots.
It’s Your Turn
It’s time to evaluate your FRUITFULNESS and resource your next growth steps.
I want to help. I currently have four openings for new clients, and I want to work with you if you’re ready to experience further growth.
Let’s start the coaching engagement this month. Give me a call and set up your free consultation visit.
