Personal growth is an active and intentional journey of self-improvement and self-actualization. Engaging in personal growth activities supports our existing well-being and capacity to thrive through the creation of meaningful, value-driven lives. Psychologists, counselors, and coaches recognize the importance of becoming aware of our motives, values, personality, and behavior and being able to view them in a positive light. Continued personal growth is essential for well-being, supporting us as we encounter challenges, changes (both expected and unexpected), and daily experiences. Such growth initiatives have been associated with higher levels of psychological well-being and lower levels of distress, such as depression and anxiety. Personal growth is vital for well-being because it feeds into our basic psychological needs. While it requires motivation, it also becomes a catalyst for change as we continue to meet our needs of relatedness (connection), autonomy (control), and competence (mastery). When we follow a journey of personal growth, we choose flourishing over languishing, replacing a sense of stagnation in our lives with one of hope and action. We move from feeling emotionally flat, our existence dictated to us by circumstances, to:
- Holding our emotions more loosely - Changing the stories we tell ourselves - Becoming more accepting of ourselves and others - Increasing our tolerance for stress and the pressures of life
Personal growth, particularly when combined with positive psychology, supports us in directing our energies toward meeting our deeper needs, and it promotes well-being.
Positive psychology is a theory of human strengths and potentials to which there are individual differences within the human species. As such, it supports personal growth and well-being, yet must be considered unique and specific to each of us. To move from languishing—a state of feeling flat, stuck, and uninspired—we must understand and reflect on what it might mean to us personally to:
- Follow our curiosity and learn new things - Build warm, deep, and trusting relationships - Appreciate and be grateful for ourselves and our place in the wider world - Find purpose and a profound sense of mattering (being significant) - Rediscover joy and play
When Martin Seligman became president of the American Psychology Association in 1989, he urged the field of psychology to expand its focus beyond fixing mental illness to promoting sustainable well-being. Seligman’s subsequent model for well-being, PERMA, has since become a valued and powerful tool for creating a life of flourishing and a yardstick for personal growth:
- Positive emotions—such as joy, happiness, hope, and gratitude - Engagement—flow; feeling wholly absorbed in a task - Relationships—building and maintaining positive and meaningful connections - Meaning—serving something bigger than ourselves - Accomplishment—achieving goals and a sense of mastery
The PERMA-Profiler is a powerful tool for measuring the five pillars of positive psychology and, ultimately, supporting personal growth. This valuable instrument can be used in research, counseling, and coaching to assess individuals’ dimensions of well-being (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment), compare their scores with where they wish to be, and set realistic goals. As a tool for personal growth, the PERMA-Profiler supports our clients as they identify areas of their lives where they can make changes, align actions with their sense of meaning, and focus their energies.
To incorporate personal growth into your daily routine, consider setting aside time each day to reflect on your emotions, engage in activities that promote learning, and connect with others meaningfully. Utilize the PERMA-Profiler to identify areas for improvement and set achievable goals aligned with your values. This approach can lead to a more fulfilling and balanced life.