When we’re growing up we can’t help but grow physically and mentally. Our bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles mature each year until we reach around 18 years of age. We also grow in knowledge of the world. We learn how to walk without falling down, cross the street without getting hit by a car and feed and cloth ourselves. All of this comes pretty naturally.
Then, something strange happens.
We enter into adulthood and we have to start exerting more and more effort in order to grow. We have to study if we go to college or technical school. We have to exert ourselves physically if we want our bodies to improve. We have to be extra careful not to get hit by cars as we wander across the street in iPod oblivion with a venti latte in our hand.
It’s a sad fact that many American adults hit their growth peak when they have lived only 25% of their life. How many people do you know actively push themselves to learn and do new things on a regular basis? How many people do you know continue to learn new skills and ideas beyond the bare minimum requirements to keep their jobs? How many married parents do you know who actually take the time to learn how to become better spouses and parents (reading books, researching, etc.)?
I think the majority of American’s would rather spend time out in their yards mindlessly picking through weeds and planting new things in their backyard gardens than learning or experiencing new things that would help them to grow as people.
Yesterday (Memorial Day in the U.S.), I took my dog for a walk through my neighborhood. As I passed each house, I couldn’t help but wonder what my neighbors were up to. Were they having fun with their families? Were they doing laundry? Were they any further to where they wanted to be in life on this Memorial Day versus last Memorial Day?
Making my way back home from my walk, I thought about what the warning signs would be that you need a growth spurt in your life. I came up with a Big 5.0 of them.
1. You know the hometowns of the American Idol contestants
Put down the remote control and pick up a book. Instead of plugging into The Matrix at night when you get home from work (or never leaving The Matrix), swallow the red pill and read a book. It can be a book about anything, just fire some neurons instead of letting them idly sit in your brain. Eventually you will let go a sigh of relief when you realize how fun it is to think for yourself.
2. You can’t remember the last time your heart rate exceeded 150 beats per minute
If you aren’t regularly exercising, you are missing one of the best parts of life. Exercising can help you push your personal limits, build confidence and give you unbelievable health benefits. Unless you are truly incapacitated, find some type of physical activity that will accomplish the following:
-make you sweat
-make you tired
-make you wish, at one point during, that you weren’t doing it (this is where the growth part comes in - making yourself do things you haven’t before)
I promise that you won’t regret this and you will find things out about yourself that you never knew.
3. Your child asks you who you are going to vote for and you quote Rush Limbaugh word for word
Turn off CNN and attend your next city council meeting. Most of the political changes that effect your personal life and jobs in your area are going to be at the local and state level. Your county sheriff’s and prosecutors help keep your streets safe and your city planning commission helps decide what buildings and new business developments are going to come to your town.
4. You can’t name 5 technological changes that will effect the future of your job and/or your business
This should be a no-brainer. In your heart of hearts, you know that technology is shaping the future of your career right now. You know that your skills could be rendered obsolete with the creation of the next great Google algorithm. If this is the case, then why aren’t you learning what those little dots on the horizon are so you can, at the very least, maintain your economic value and, at best, capitalize on these coming changes to be better at what you do?
5. You can’t remember the last time you did something crazy
Maybe you won’t go base jumping tomorrow, but you should try to do things on a regular basis that you might consider completely nuts. Why? Because it will get your blood moving and make you think about things a little differently, if even for just a second. But, thinking differently for that once second could the difference maker you need.
So, what would be something nuts? It all depends on your scale, but here are some suggestions:
-sing karaoke with the music turned down
-tell a few of your favorite jokes at open mic night at your local comedy club
-take a random sick day off for no reason in the middle of the week and read a book or newspaper at a coffee house
If any of the above applies to you, I suggest you get moving. If you are thinking of an excuse as to why you aren’t moving, please see my post from last week on excuses by clicking here.
