The 6 Stages Of Personal Growth
Personal growth is a wonderful journey. Specifically, the 6 stages of personal growth are full of emotions,challenges, experiences and perspectives. This journey is not something that happens by coincidence, instead it’s a constant battle between triumph and demise.
For the sake of relatability, we compared each stage of personal development to the life cycle of a butterfly.
There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.
– R. Buckminster Fuller
This post is all about The 6 Stages Of Personal Growth.
Darkness – The First Stage Of Personal Growth
The first phase,darkness. This phase emphasizes the lack of awareness, consciousness and a sense of direction. The unknowing phase is a time period prior to your personal growth journey. Arrogance, lack of maturity and denial are rampant in this phase. You are unaware that you are in this phase to begin with. Think of this stage as the period of time before the “big bang” theory in the universe.
The reason the majority of people don’t make it out of this phase is due to denial. The harsh truth is, that people tend to run away from their problems and never really acknowledge them.
Denial is the sole reason a lot of people don’t evolve, grow and develop. When we refuse to acknowledge our problems, negatives and weaknesses we stay where we are.
On the bright side, this stage helps prepare you for the next one and hopefully the rest of your life. Without having weaknesses and problems that fueled us to become better and improve upon ourselves, the human race would never evolve. Our failures and immaturities are what humble us, transforming us in the process.
The Egg – The Second Stage Of Personal Growth
The caterpillar begins to crack the eggshell. Here is where you begin your first personal growth baby steps. In this stage, we are awakened and suddenly we begin to see the world including ourselves from a different point of view.
This awakening or “trigger” can be disguised in many forms, usually following a negative experience. For example, failing a semester badly is your “rude awakening” moment that propels you to become hungry for success and changing your life around.
In this phase, we become aligned with who we truly are, we begin to acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses. We start becoming more open to the idea of learning and experiencing new activities.
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While most people are well underway into there personal growth journey by this stage, some may feel stuck and find it difficult to proceed beyond this stage. This is due to negative emotions such as constant doubt and never fully trusting in your talents and abilities.
Furthermore, Fear is also very common in this stage, however the type of fear varies from one person to another. Some may become afraid of failing while others may feel afraid of succeeding. “What if I succeed and can’t handle it”? Nonetheless, fear is a big hurdle in this phase.
Related article(s) – The Importance Of Personal Growth
The Caterpillar – The Third Stage Of Personal Growth
In this phase, you have been practicing the art of personal growth for a while. You begin to accept the fact that you are not a person without flaws however, your flaws don’t lessen the person you are today.
Acceptance may appear to be something good and beneficial, but for some people, it can also be frightening and uncomfortable, particularly when it comes to things about ourselves and circumstances in our lives that are difficult to accept.
To be accepted, one must have a strong sense of love and respect.
The beauty in this phase is that it’s totally healthy! We all have things about us that we hate and wish to hide from the world, however we accept them and move on. Anger, disappointment and hatred towards the things we dwell about ourselves are non-existent in this phase. This is the essence of acceptance.
Alternatively, we can choose to waste our energy battling with ourselves and berating the world instead of accepting what is with neutrality and love and making improvements.
You begin to accept both the good and negative things that occur. You come to see that everything serves a purpose. The warning symptoms begin to appear. You keep picking up new information.
You are now aware that you are prepared for the major events to occur.
The Chrysalis – The Fourth Stage Of Personal Growth
At this stage in the game, you begin to realize that success and failure in this journey is all on you. You are aware that it’s your responsibility and yours alone to improve and push yourself day in day out. Knowing that no one is gonna help you achieve your dreams is an extra boost of motivation.
Taking responsibility also means that you have matured during your personal growth journey. It may seem hard and challenging even scary at moments but it’s a necessary challenge to conquer.
The idea that your goals and dreams are in your hands is a liberating feeling. It means that you are in control of your progress, it’s really a matter of hunger at this moment. How much are you willing to sacrifice and dedicate yourself to achieving your ultimate goals? Don’t tell me, show me.
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The Young Adult – The Fifth Stage Of Personal Growth
“Dreams without goals are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment”.
– Denzel Washington
This phase is about doing. You begin to act upon your dreams and goals by implementing the tools you gathered from the first phase until now. Motivation will feel infinite and abundant, however this is a game you don’t want to participate in. In other words, you should never rely solely on motivation as it is unreliable. What happens when you lack motivation on day X? Will you stick to it or quit?
Self discipline is one of your few weapons at this stage. Self discipline ensures that when you lack motivation, you don’t crumble. Instead, you stay the course and function as if you are motivated, knowing damn well you’re not. It’s easy when everything is going your way to stay focused and driven.
However, when the going gets tough it’s where things matter the most. Why do you think that some people in this world make it and others don’t? It all comes down to effort and how much you really want to achieve. We all have bad days and tough challenging times, but the very few who stay the course actually achieve success.
The Butterfly – The Sixth Stage Of Personal Growth
Finally, the 6 stages of personal growth are complete. Your purpose should be greater than all the obstacles in the world. This is a life rule. No matter what happens, your “why” will get you through it. All the hardworking men and women that feel “stuck” and hate their jobs for 30 – 40 years, how do they do it? Their “why’s” are far greater than anything in this world.
When you know why you are doing something, you tend to embrace it. A strong why provides a unique perspective of life that is only visible to you.
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche
Living with a purpose will set you apart from your peers by making you happier, more content, more successful, more graceful, better able to weather difficult times, more thrilled, and more alive.
Furthermore, in this stage you are fully equipped to achieve your greatest and wildest dreams. By implementing the tools and experiences from previous stages, you are ready to continually improve and evolve for the rest of your life. Moreover, your growth does not end with you, as you will more likely influence your kids, family and friends to work on their own unique journeys.
Conclusion
All in all, personal growth is a wonderful journey to embark on. Through all of it’s stages you will experience and learn a lot. The process can be compared to that of a butterfly, from an egg to a caterpillar and finally a wonderful butterfly.
Summary –
- The first stage, darkness emphasizes the lack of awareness
- The second stage, is centered around the idea of being ”triggered” to start your personal growth journey
- In the third phase, you begin to accept your strengths and weaknesses
- A sense of responsibility is the focus in the 4th stage
- The fifth stage, is all about taking action towards your goals
- The last phase, the butterfly is about embracing your ”why” or purpose of your personal growth journey
What do you think is the most challenging stage of personal growth? What are your personal experiences with personal growth?
This post was all about The 6 Stages Of Personal Growth.
References
- Hommelhoff, S., Schröder, C., & Niessen, C. (2020, January 23). The experience of personal growth in different career stages: An exploratory study – organisationsberatung, supervision, coaching. SpringerLink. Retrieved September 3, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11613-020-00634-y
- Personal growth and personality development: Well-being … – mospace home. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2, 2022, from https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/5667/research.pdf
- Woolley, K., & Fishbach, A. (2022). Motivating personal growth by seeking discomfort. Psychological Science, 33(4), 510–523. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976211044685
