How to Maintain Consistent Growth in Multiple Areas at Once

If you’re like me there’s been times where you’ve truly felt overwhelmed with so much to do on your plate and not sure how you’re going to get it all done. Between family, friends, work, school and church, life can easily become overwhelming. Things that should be on the forefronts end up on the back burner, areas get neglected and you’re no longer thriving you’re surviving! So how do you balance all these areas of your life well enough to actually see growth rather then decline and neglect? I’m glad you asked! I’ve discovered 3 Keys to Holistic Growth and here they are – 

1. Develop a Growth Mindset – 

If you want to see consistent growth in multiple areas of your life you have to develop a growth mindset! A growth mindset is like that of a student eager to learn, to grow, to improve! A sad reality is that many in this day and age have become critics! It’s easy to find dirt in a gold mine! Just like it’s easy to complain and be a critic in life but the moment you become a critic you’re no longer a student! You stop learning, growing and improving!

Another way to put it is this – develop a learning lifestyle, where you read regularly, listen to podcasts, sermons, etc. You invite mentors to speak into your life. You set goals and go after them. You not only seek your growth but you also seek to help others grow. A mindset and lifestyle like this will surely set you up for great success in every area of life!

(A growth mindset is plainly seen in the Gospels, the book of Acts and each one of Paul’s epistles. Proverbs 1:5 specifically stands out, “A wise man will hear and increase in learning.”)

     2.  Think Strategically – 

With a growth mindset you’re off to a great start but it doesn’t stop there! You have to think strategically – how are you going to grow, improve, get better in all these areas of life? How is your marriage going to get better? How are your finances going to get better? How are things at your job going to get better?

Personally I’ve created “accounts” so to speak, I determine what needs to be done in my work account, family account, finances account, etc. Once I’ve established my goals for each account I create a plan to make steps toward my goals. If I see an “account” that needs my immediate attention I make whatever necessary changes I need to. However this happens less and less once a plan is in place and followed.

(Strategic thinking is clearly seen all throughout Scripture, from Moses to Joshua, Jesus to Paul! God’s given us all great minds and we’re called to use them.)

      3.  Schedule Time – 

In order for both a growth mindset and strategic thinking to really work well it’s absolutely necessary to schedule time in your day, week, month and year for each account. First you must schedule time to determine your goals and create a plan for each “account” in your life. These times are almost like drawing the blueprints, you have to first establish an end goal or a final destination – where are you wanting to go? You then create a map – how are you going to get there?

Once your goals are established and your plan is created then you have to schedule actual time with each account. So if my goal is to have a closer friendship with my wife by the end of the year I’m not only going to take the time in planning special dates and intentional conversation I’m going to then also go on those special dates and set time aside for that intentional conversation. You must schedule time for both! Planning and implementing those plans!

(We’re called to make the most use of our time for this life is but a vapor (Ephesians 5:15-17, Psalm 39:4-5, 90:12), may we number our days and redeem the time.)

        Summary –

I’ve used these key principles to establish ministries, write books, plan family vacations and take my work to the next level! If you commit to having a growth mindset, where you think strategically and schedule time for both planning and implementing those plans you will see consistent growth in all areas of your life!

And if you’re looking for more helpful strategies on holistic growth visit my Resource Page where you can download free ebooks or become a JSM Partner and join my monthly mentoring calls! And if you haven’t already received my FREE audio training Create A Life You Love, sign up for my weekly emails and it will be my gift to you!