Move Forward in Humility

This post is Part 12 in a 12-part blog series on humility and growth. (If you missed the first post, you can find it here.)

We all want to grow and be better. We all have things in our life that we would like to change or be different. But sometimes, try as we might, it just doesn’t happen. We stay stuck.

Why We Stay Stuck

One of the big reasons for our “stuck-ness” is a lack of humility. We all have a deep motivation to feel good about ourselves and see ourselves in a positive light. This motivation infiltrates all parts of our lives. But it doesn’t help us grow and change. To achieve any meaningful growth or change, we have to consistently combat this natural tendency with humility.

It’s natural to blame others or outside circumstances for our problems. Humility says the problem is inside us.

It’s natural to focus on our strengths and ignore our weaknesses. Humility says it is essential to acknowledge and own our limitations.

It’s natural to want to “blaze your own trail” and do things on our own. Humility says it’s important to get a coach.

It’s natural to ignore, discount, or come up with an excuse for any negative feedback we might receive. Humility encourages us to consistently invite negative feedback about ourselves, because this information is key to improvement.

It’s natural to stay at a place where we are comfortable. Humility says it’s important to work at the edges of our ability, because that is where the real growth and change happens.

Move Forward in Humility

At every step of the way, humility offers a counter-intuitive strategy for growth and change that is supported by science. It isn’t easy. But it works. If you want to grow, engage the process with humility. If you want to make a change in your life, put humility in the driver’s seat.