5 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself on the Path to Growth

This week, I have the great honor of visiting world class female athletes as they come together for the first Women Shred bike festival in the Ozarks. At the same time, the Bentonville Film Festival will be happening, championing inclusion in all forms of media.

My company, EarthKind, was asked to participate in this event, along with Clif Bar and other like-minded businesses. I’m bubbling with joy to support women with big goals, and eager for the opportunity to protect these high-performance athletes from the distractions of biting insects on the OZ trail. 

Lately, I’ve been thinking deeply about what makes some of us go hard for the prize, while others stay in their comfort zone? It’s true that the decisions we make and the actions we take today are what creates our tomorrows. Wouldn’t you agree? 

For those of us who want to live with purpose, pursue dreams, and find deep meaning in our lives, this blog is for you. I share this picture alongside, because it’s the closest thing I’ve ever seen to show what we go through on the path to growth, both personally and professionally. 

Here’s the top 5 questions that can lead us from the left to the right; from comfort zone to growth zone. 

  1. What can I learn from this?

It’s true that it takes 2000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. There are no shortcuts. We can’t expect there to be. What we learn today will help us tomorrow. One step at a time, gets us there.  If you have any doubt about what’s possible, check out these amazing ladies at Women Shred

  1. What’s great about this problem?

Face it, problems can either be seen a setback, or as a set-up for a comeback. It’s all how we think about it. The bikers here this week didn’t see their early ‘crash and burn’ failures as obstacles, they saw them as a beautifully painful opportunity to learn and grow, getting them closer to the prize. 

  1. What is not perfect yet? 

John Ruskin says that, “When love and skill work together, we can expect a masterpiece.” When I say perfection, I’m talking about the masterpiece you are working on, whether that’s living your purpose 100% of the time, or pursuing your dreams, or building a company that manifests your vision. Again, there are no shortcuts here. The masterpiece is a work in progress. What it looked like at 10 is far different than what it looks like at 30 or 60. 

  1. What am I willing to do to make it the way I want it? 

Calvin Coolidge observed that “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not, genius will not, adulation will not, persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”  

Whether you realize it or not, you’re up to the challenge of anything, if you persevere. And with God’s help, that’s exactly what you’ll do. You’ll persevere. The most successful people always say: “Just keep going!” 

  1. What am I not willing to do to make it the way I want it? 

Letting go of the old to make room for the new requires creating new habits. Did you know it takes weeks to create a new habit? Whether that’s giving up time each week to work on your bike skills or selling everything you owned to start a business like I did, it all takes intention. New research says learning new habits takes even longer today with the many distractions we face, leading to an average 3 second attention span. 

Find Joy on Your Journey

The chances of you being born you are 1 in 400 trillion. Think about that for a minute; kind of changes things, doesn’t it? Knowing I am a miracle certainly helps me keep an attitude of gratitude and look for joy in the everyday moments.

A funny thing happened to me a few years back when I decided to make a conscious effort to find joy in every moment. I suddenly and unexpectedly began to experience joy. Not as a thing outside myself, but rather as a reward for listening to my heart as much as my mind. 

Please share your comments to add to the discussion here for seeking growth and going for your dreams. In appreciation of all the contented achievers out there. It’s not easy to do. 

 

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Cheryl

    Kari, I love what you said about finding joy. We have to look for it and then it becomes almost glaringly apparent after we find it. Deep down joy is so different from happiness. Happiness may be momentary or last for hours, days, or months; for me, joy is deep down and joy demands my attention. I enjoy your work and your words. I look forward to your next thing. Your joy will force you to that next thing—I believe.

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