Personal growth is not a new journey or path. It’s been there since the time of our forefathers. As humans, we say and decide where we want to take our lives. Most of us want to grow. Some of us decide to commit to personal development while others are not bold enough.

It’s not cakes and ale all the way. One has to overcome many obstacles.

Are these obstacles bad? They’re good. They test you and make you stronger. Obstacles push you towards constant growth and development. To realize growth, obstacles must be overcome in every stage. Let’s look at the stages of personal growth to understand and appreciate the process.

1. Pre-adult

Most adults are not found at this stage. It’s the stage of extreme dependency. At this level, individuals cannot take care of themselves. They can’t keep a job and don’t have enough social skills. Most people at this stage worry about what’s happening today and their next meal. They have no future plans and aren’t proactive.

2. Unawareness

People at this stage lack of personal fulfillment, fear and mundane pleasure. They worry about making money. And when they make it, they want more. Most of them want to meet people, have many partners and have a good time. In case they make mistakes, they blame others.

3. Old habits awareness

You realize your old habits have been stopping you from achieving personal growth. You start noticing and highlighting bad habits.

4. Deep self-awareness

At this level you are ready to explore your identity at a deeper level. You start asking what’s important in life. As a result, you start discovering new values.

Your values may differ from that of your family and friends. It’s a stage of introspection. Discovering what’s important sets you apart from the crowd. At this stage, you become less concerned about what others think. Your identity becomes clear. You know what you want. You become more selective.

5. Commitment

In this stage, you begin making changes. You start altering your life and belief system. You realize you need to know more. You begin exploring and taking actions in the meantime.

6. Resistance

Resistance is a recurring pattern. You experience doubt, fatigue, sickness, dullness and other obstacles. At some point, you may even resist your own will. Although you made a commitment, your body and mind resist. It’s a test that will either push you away from your commitment and forward. Those who persist, come out stronger.

7. Judgmental

In this stage, you become more allergic to anything that seems superficial. You’ll be judging although you promised yourself to become a better person. Even when your friends go watch a movie, you judge them as superficial. You’re understanding what’s right and wrong according to your book.

8. Acceptance

At this point, you’ve created new habits and acted towards growth. You’ve overcome a few obstacles and you know are coming. You’ve nurtured inner strength that propels you. Now you’re ready to get over judgmental state and embrace acceptance.

Acceptance is the stage where you’re a new authentic person. You appreciate that everyone has faults like you, and accept them that way. You’re not pushy with them. You accept everything has a purpose, and that good and bad things happen. You begin seeing signs and continue learning. You’re prepared for big things.

Author's Bio: 

Author, Freelance writer