Alexandra Plesa
Technically speaking, personal growth is an ongoing journey.
Every once in a while, however, it’s possible to find yourself stuck.
Each new day resembles the last, and you realize you don’t have much to look forward to.
When that happens, it’s crucial to accept the fact that you’ve reached an impasse in order to find a way to move forward with excitement once again.
If you recognize these 8 feelings, you’ve stopped growing as a person.
Reignite your inner flame.
1) Complacency
Feeling comfortable in your current circumstances and reluctant to explore new opportunities may indicate that growth isn’t at the top of your priority list right now.
Sometimes, that’s fine.
After you reach a milestone or fulfill a dream, it’s normal to rest and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Complacency only becomes a problem when coupled with a general lack of fulfillment.
While reaching an objective makes us feel good for a while, it can’t sustain us forever. After a time, you inevitably notice that you’re no longer as happy or as passionate as you’d want.
With change being the only constant in life, long-term fulfillment comes from embracing challenges.
You have to live with yourself day after day, year after year. Leveling up ensures that boredom won’t be part of the equation.
2) Fear of failure
I’ve wanted to write a fiction book for years.
I have the topic, the characters, the beginning, and the end. I don’t have the middle. If I would actually start writing, it would maybe come to me.
The ugly truth is that I’m scared it won’t.
That I will fumble and fail.
And that, finally, I will have to make peace with the fact that writing fiction isn’t in the cards for me, which would be demoralizing.
Fear of failure can manifest as intense anxiety at the prospect of not meeting your expectations or the expectations of others.
It’s like an ugly monster that shows up with the express purpose of bringing your life to a standstill:
- It discourages you from taking risks, even when the potential rewards are significant
- It prevents you from trying new things and learning from experiences
- It undermines your confidence
- It can push you to take the path of least resistance, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction
I’m trying my best to defeat the monster and finally pursue that monumental goal.
If you’re in the same boat, I hope you are, too.
3) Disconnection from goals
If you no longer feel connected to your goals, there’s a good chance you stopped growing as a person.
Goals serve as guiding lights, propelling you forward on your journey of growth and self-discovery.
When the light dims, you lose your way. So, it might be time to reassess what you want to accomplish. As we change over the years, our priorities and dreams shift.
We have to discard objectives that no longer serve us to make room in our lives for those that do.
When you’re busy chasing after goals you made when you were 12 but that no longer align with your values as an adult, you miss opportunities better suited for what you want now.
Reflect on your emotional connection to your goals.
Are you still excited and invested in achieving them?
If the answer is no, go back to the drawing board and review your life plan. A complete overhaul might be in order.
4) Fixed mindset
Many people who stop growing do so because they believe they already fulfilled their potential. They decide that they’ve learned all they need or achieved all they can.
This belief that growth has reached its limit stems from a fixed mindset, a perspective that suggests abilities are static. In reality, this mindset is a massive barrier to personal development.
The journey of personal growth is limitless, offering numerous opportunities for those willing to explore them.
Ditching your fixed beliefs for a growth mindset can open the door to embracing life-long learning.
You can always learn, adapt, and evolve.
Look at the people who go back to school, change careers, or take on new hobbies later in life.
That could be you – as long as you’re willing to expand your horizons.
5) Self-doubt
Self-doubt is similar to fear of failure, but it unfortunately affects more areas of your life.
Becoming your best self is hard when you constantly doubt your strength, resilience, and abilities.
Rather than moving forward, you become stuck.
You want to make ambitious plans for the future. But whenever you try to, your internal monologue puts you down rather than cheering you on.
Moreover, self-doubt permeates deep into your emotional core:
- It discourages you from persevering in the face of setbacks
- It reinforces your negative beliefs, like thinking that success is unattainable
- It clouds your judgment, so you can’t recognize and celebrate your qualities
- It makes you second-guess your choices, leading to indecision or settling for safer options
Worst of all, self-doubt convinces you that you’re okay with where you are and what you have. There’s no reason to strive for more because you surely wouldn’t get it.
That’s nonsense.
You may not be able to get all you’ve ever dreamed of, but not everything is out of reach.
You just need a confidence boost.
Once you become more self-assured, going after what you want won’t feel as intimidating.
6) Apathy
You get out of bed in the morning and immediately want to crawl back under the covers.
Your partner takes you out on a date, and you tag along disinterested. You’re working on a new project for work, but your heart isn’t in it.
If this sounds familiar, you might suffer from a severe case of apathy.
While occasional moments of disinterest are nothing to worry about, chronic apathy can easily lead to stagnation.
When you’re disengaged, you’re also less likely to pursue new opportunities or strive for self-improvement.
Overcoming your disinterest in life is an uphill battle, and it starts with figuring out why you feel like this in the first place.
There’s usually an underlying cause that robs your life of joy.
Chronic stress, mental health issues, even a lack of sufficient sleep.
Understanding the cause is key to developing effective strategies to overcome it.
If you can’t get to the root cause on your own, reaching out to a trained mental health professional is a good idea.
There’s no shame in asking for help.
7) Resistance to feedback
Feeling defensive or resistant to constructive criticism impedes personal growth.
Regardless of how reflective and prone to introspection you are, we all have blind spots.
If the feedback is delivered with empathy and care, it serves as an excellent tool for illuminating these blind spots and refining your self-awareness.
On the other hand, when you don’t listen to what others have to share about your personality and behavior, you remain stuck in your ways.
Constructive criticism isn’t an attack on your character; it’s an opportunity for improvement.
We all have areas to work on. Don’t let your pride stand in the way of your growth.
8) Lack of curiosity
Finally, if you’ve stopped feeling curious, you’ve stopped growing as a person.
Curiosity is what prompts you to seek diverse viewpoints and persuades you to venture beyond your comfort zone.
We often evolve because we’re curious about what that improved version of us would look like:
- If I become more productive, could this new me finally get a grip on their workload?
- If I become more organized, could this new me experience less stress on a daily basis?
- If I learn a new skill, could this new me score a promotion?
- If I put myself out there, could this new me actually find love?
When you’re no longer intrigued about how your life would change if you made an effort, you do nothing to change it.
As the kids say, you stop doing things for the plot, which leads to stagnation and complacency.
You’re more likely to grow when you act like the main character of your own story.
Indulge your sense of wonder. You’d be surprised by how quickly it will motivate you to make positive changes in your life.
Bottom line
Getting discouraged?
Losing perspective?
It happens to the best of us.
Once you reach a plateau, the important thing is to ride it out.
Reconnect with your goals and find a way to crawl your way back to your most enthusiastic self.
Life will feel that much sweeter.
