I believe in growth, in development, but I also believe growth is a very personal thing. It can't be dictated by others, or it completely defeats the purpose. We all have our own individual journeys, so the ways and times we grow lie within each of us. But life isn't linear, and sometimes we'll get ahead and then fall back a bit. It's okay to not always be going forward. Failing and weakness are both part of growth, so don't get discouraged. Here are five ways I attempt to encourage growth within my daily tasks (though I don't do all of these daily).



1. Try new things. Whether at work, through adventure, or just what you're making for dinner - trying new things is one of the best ways I've found to grow, both as a person and a professional.



2. Read! Leaders are readers - that's the saying right? Fiction, nonfiction, professional development, whatever. Reading is a great chance to grow and learn. It makes you smarter!



3. Step outside of your comfort zone. This may sounds the same as "try new things," but it's not necessarily. For example, I've publicly spoken before but it makes me so terribly uncomfortable. Yet I do it fairly often.



4. Be confident in yourself. I went to a women's summit recently and we talked a lot about self confidence and imposter syndrome. One takeaway in building confidence was to "re-write the story of those closest to you without you in it." That was so powerful to me and made me think about how each of us are important to someone else, and we've got to realize that in some way, shape, or form.


5. Have meaningful conversations with people who are different than you. This could be so many different things, but I find meaning in conversations with my husband, with the students I work with, with my colleagues, through networking and professional development. There are so many ways to achieve this, but it should definitely be pursued actively.

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