The Growth Diet: Feeding Yourself for Personal Development
By: Tim Janes
What are you feeding yourself?
No, I’m not asking what you ate for lunch today – I’m not all that interested whether it was a salad or pizza (yum, by the way). What are you feeding your mind? What are you feeding your spirit?
Personal development is a life-long journey that requires a healthy mind and spirit. When we talk about personal health, we immediately turn to our diet. We examine the food that we eat to keep our body healthy. We should do the same for developing our mind and spirit; we should evaluate what inputs we use to achieve our desired outputs.
If you are reading this, you are likely on a journey of personal, professional, or leadership development. So, I ask you: What are you feeding yourself? What books are you reading to gain more knowledge or unique perspectives? What podcasts are you consuming to gain leadership insights? What communities are you partaking in to grapple with difficult topics?
Growth does not come by accident, and it does not come easy.
We must make an intentional choice to feed ourselves with media and experiences that will further our development. Sometimes that means choosing to read a book on leadership instead of reading a new sourdough recipe. Sometimes it means listening to a podcast in the car instead of the top 25 songs from the week. Sometimes it’s even seeking out uncomfortable experiences, because it’s in those times that we learn the most about ourselves and the world.
None of this is to say that there is any right or wrong thing for you to consume – I’m not here to preach to anyone.
The right thing to feed yourself is deeply personal and unique to you.
If you’re wondering whether something is the right thing, just ask yourself: “Will this help me grow? Will this book/podcast/community/etc. get me closer to my personal development goals?” If not, maybe it’s not right for you. Back to the example of the sourdough recipe, it’s clear that reading it would not get you closer to a goal of being a more compassionate leader.
If you’re looking for resources, there are thousands of books, podcasts, videos, and other media for almost any topic under the sun – do a quick search on the internet for your area of interest. There are also intentional communities that focus on certain subjects. I recommend joining a community simply because, in my experience, growth is best done in communion with others.
Of course, a great place to start for leadership development is right here with the Intentional Leader podcast! Check out our Intentional Leader Lab page on Facebook for a community of growth-minded leaders.
“Personal growth doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not an automatic process. If you want to guarantee growth, then you need a plan—something strategic, specific, and scheduled.”
If you’re looking for more resources, feel free to reach out to me for recommendations. Also, please drop some of your favorite resources in the comments (or the Facebook group), so other leaders can find them!
Tim is a young professional who chooses to lead himself and others intentionally. His life’s purpose is to create supportive communities so that others may thrive.