THE INVALUABLE LAWS OF GROWTH- JOHN MAXWELL



The Invaluable Laws of Growth

 

Live Them and Reach Your Potential

The first word as stated in the introduction of the book is “Potential” which is one of the most wonderful words in any language. Potential as defined by the Advanced Learners Dictionary as someone’s ability to develop, achieve or succeed. Reaching your maximum potential implies fulfillment and not reaching your potential is like dying with the music still inside of you. Following the Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell will help you grow and reach that desired potential.

These 15 laws are important for an effective next generation leader who is committed to self development. These laws serve as a blue print for your growth.

1. The Law of Intentionality

 

In all your dreams, goals, or aspirations, you need to grow to achieve them. Growth can be accidentally or intentionally. Accidental growth comes with your experience in life and hope that you learn what you need along the way. The following growth gap comes with accidental growth;

 The Assumption Gap – I assumed that I will automatically grow.

 The Knowledge Gap – I don’t know how to grow.

 The Timing Gap – It is not the right time to begin.

 The Mistake Gap – I am afraid of making mistakes.

 The Perfection Gap – I have to find the best way before I start.

 The Inspiration Gap – I don’t feel like doing it.

 The Comparison Gap – Other are better than I.

 The Expectation Gap – I thought it would be easier than this.

 

Growth doesn’t just happen; it begins with a process (planning) and ends up with what most people call luck.

The formula that most successful people use to create their own luck is;

Preparation (growth) + Attitude + Opportunity + Action (doing something about it) = Luck

To attract this “Luck” to your life; you need to create and implement strategies for intentional growth. Write a specific plan for your strategy and take the first step of the plan today.

2. The Law of Awareness

 

To reach your potential, you must know where you want to go and where you currently are. To grow, you must know yourself; your strength and weakness, your interest and opportunities.

The gist of this law is given in a single quote – You have to know who you are to grow your potential. But you have to grow in order to know who you are.

3. The Law of Mirror

 

Question: Why do many people fail to grow and reach their potential?

Answer: Low self-esteem.

Self-esteem is the single most significant key to a person’s behavior. Your self-esteem place a lid on how far you will be able to achieve your potential. According to the law of mirror, we can do very few things in a positive way if we feel negative about ourselves and Zig Ziglar agreed with this by saying “It is impossible to consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with how we see ourselves”.

A few advices mentioned on ways to improve your self-esteem are:

 Guard your self-talk by speaking positive words of encouragement to yourself.

 Stop comparing yourself to others.

 Move beyond your limiting beliefs.

 Take responsibility for your life.

4. The Law of Reflection

 

Everyone must established a time and place to pause. Reflection turns experience into insight and allows you to put your experience into perspective and plan for the future.

A quote from Henri Arnold states that “The wise man questions himself, the fool other”

5. The Law of Consistency

 

Definition:

Consistency – When someone always behaves in a similar way.

Question: What brings about consistency?

Answer: Discipline.

Everyone wants to be encouraged and enjoys being inspired but motivation and encouragement gets you going but discipline keeps you growing.

It doesn’t matter how talented you are, it doesn’t matter how many opportunities you receive. If you want to grow, consistency is key.

6. The Law of Environment

 

There comes a point in the life of every one that a change of environment is needed in order to grow. If you want to grow and reach your potential, you must be in the right environment and that usually requires us to make changes in our life.

When it comes to environment, the following choices need to be considered in order to put you in a better place for growth.

 Assess your current environment.

 Change yourself and your environment.

 Change who you spend your time with.

 Challenge yourself in your new environment.

 

 

 Focus on the movement.

 Move forward despite criticism.

 

To have a faster and more successful growth, change your environment and yourself.

7. The Law of Design

 

To maximize growth, develop strategies to see the big picture.

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you will fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much” – Jim Rohn

8. The Law of Pain

 

According to John McDonnell, “Every problem introduces a person to himself”.

Question: How do you usually respond to bad experiences?

Answer: ??????????????????????????

Each time we encounter a painful experience, we get to know ourselves a little better but what we do with that experience define who we become.

How to turn your pain into gain

 Choose a positive stance

 Embrace and Develop your creativity

 Embrace the value of bad experiences

 Make good changes after learning from bad experiences

 Take responsibility of your life

 

*It is one short step from “why me” to “woe is me”.

9. The Law of the Ladder

 

Character growth determines the height of your personal growth.

Simple put in an equation:

Character Growth = Personal Growth = Personal Success

“Achievement to most people is something you do…

to the high achiever, it is something you are”. – Doug Firebaugh

Your character determines who you are.

 

10. The Law of Rubber Band

 

Rubber Band has different uses but whatever a rubber band is used for; it can only be useful when it is stretched.

Unlike a rubber band most people rarely apply their full ability to stretch thereby limiting them to reach their full potential. Too many people are willing to settle for the average life by not stretching fully (Category “C” People).

Indian statesman Mahatma Gandhi stated, “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems”.

In school you have been taught the virtues of meeting specific expectations, once you fully answer every question the teacher asked, it is an A-plus performance. To get an A-plus performance in business you have to expand the organization’s expectation of you and the exceed them.

Improving yourself is the best way to help your team. Successful people set themselves apart because they initiate the improvement others need.

11. The Law of Trade-Offs

 

The dictionary meaning of trade-off is “an exchange that occurs as a compromise”. The law of trade-offs is exchanging something we have for something we don’t.

Everybody makes trades throughout life, whether they know it or not. The question is whether you make good ones or bad ones. The outcome of a trade will determine your level of success.

Generally unsuccessful people make bad trade-offs.

Average people make few trade-offs

Successful people make good trade-offs.

You have to give up to grow up.

12. The Law of Curiosity

 

Curiosity helps a person to think and expand possibilities beyond the ordinary that leads to extraordinary living. We grow by asking questions.

If you know all the answers, you are not asking the right questions. Every day we should seek to learn something new. The law of curiosity has task us to rethink the popular phrase “we will cross the bridge when we get there”. This world is owned by people who have crossed bridges in their imagination before anyone else has.

People with curiosity keep asking questions and as a result they keep learning. To acquire knowledge, you have to stop looking for a right answer and think outside the box.

13. The Law of Modeling

 

The most important personal growth-phrase you will ever hear a good leader say to you is “follow me”.

We become like the people we admire and the model we follow. For that reason, we should take care when choosing a mentor. They must not only display professional excellence and possess skill sets from which we learn, the must also demonstrate character worthy of emulating.

Criteria for choosing a mentor to follow:

 A good mentor is a worthy example

 A good mentor is available

 A good mentor has proven experience

 A good mentor possesses wisdom

 A good mentor provide friendship and support

 A good mentor is a coach who makes a difference in people’s lives

 

“Self motivation is helpful, but evaluation from someone else is essential”. – Andy Stanley

14. The Law of Expansion

 

The possibility of our potential is only limited by our thought. In the world we live in today, “there is no finish line”, there is always room for expansion but most people are limited by their thought.

The following are ways to increase our thinking capacity and push boundaries:

 Stop thinking more work and start thinking what works?

 Stop thinking can I? and start thinking how can I?

 Stop thinking one door and start thinking many doors.

 

The greatest challenge you will ever face is that of expanding your mind.

15. The Law of Contribution

 

As we grow, we are enabled to help others grow. We should think of ourselves as rivers, not reservoirs. We should not just take in; we ought to give out.

By learning the laws and then living them, you will be on your way to reaching your potential. If you keep learning and growing every day over the course of many years, you will be astounded by how far it will take you.