5 Reasons Why Personal Growth Also Boosts Business Achievement Turns out, when you grow internally, you grow externally as well.
By Jose Flores Edited by Maria Bailey
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You've probably heard it said that the greatest investment anyone can make is in themselves, and this is unquestionably true. Certainly with respect to business, before you can effectively engage in anything or with anyone, investing in yourself is mandatory. This process can consist of reading and attending conferences and seminars that cater to your niche or industry — learning from people who are already crushing it and/or enrolling into a mastermind of like-minded individuals who have the same or similar goals.
We all know that growing any business is not an easy feat. However, there are several ways to make incredible things happen along the way, and they all start from within.
1. It transforms your outlook
The right frame of mind changes everything because it shapes how to look at things. When you learn, grow and better comprehend, you are more open to reflecting upon and taking lessons from challenges and other life experiences. A proper mindset allows you to process productively when problems arise — to incorporate knowledge and experience to make better decisions and ultimately find solutions, which is always great for business. The ability to transform a mindset gives you a fresh perspective — the ability to come up with creative ways of doing things. One of my favorite quotes from Wayne Dyer, Ed.D., a self-help author and motivational speaker, is, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
2. Strengthens self-esteem
One of the greatest payoffs of personal growth is an increased level of confidence in personal worth and abilities. Self-esteem impacts so many areas of life, including relationships, decision-making processes, emotional health and overall wellbeing. Once you develop yours, you'll begin to have a higher sense of self-respect — will walk with head high, shoulders up and chest out (and not a cocky way), which leads directly to the next point.
Related: 3 Things You Should Be Doing Daily to Set Yourself Up to Win
3. Builds confidence
Confidence and self-esteem are similar with respect to individual abilities and qualities, but the difference between them is that self-esteem makes you feel good about yourself and your abilities, but confidence provides the courage to actually take needed action. In business, it's common to have a "gut feeling" about something, but if action is never taken, nothing ever happens. The more confidence you have, the less fear there is of failing because there is faith in the ability to bounce back — and oftentimes even stronger than before. Additionally, consumers not only love doing business with companies they like, know and trust, but also with those that are confident in themselves and their products and services.
4. Develops mental toughness
This quality is a dependably terrific added value in personal and business life. It's the difference between caving in when the going gets tough and managing and overcoming doubts, worries and other circumstances that short-circuit success. Entrepreneurs are constantly under pressure, and so developing mental toughness is extremely important. I like to say that it makes it possible to "push through until you get through."
Related: Why Every Leader Needs Mental Toughness
5. Improves communication skills
Effective communication is without question the key to success in any area of life — the main component in getting things done, or not. When you begin to improve your skills in this area, the chance of getting the results you're looking for improves dramatically. Communicating in a clear and concise manner allows all parties to understand what steps need to be taken in order to execute properly and get any job done.
Related: 14 Proven Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills
As you begin to activate and practice these five ways to increase your personal and business lives, the resulting personal and professional growth will benefit not only yourself but also your relationships with friends, family customers and clients. Cheers to your growth!
