I've been toying with these two terms, as we move on in to our next adventure with CreateWriteNow. We talk so much about using journal writing to achieve personal goals, and we use self-growth and self-improvement pretty much interchangeably.
Maybe we can gain new perception if we differentiate these two intentions.
Let's consider the reasons a person might embark on a program to change (or modify) the way they are. It's either because something about your person or personality irks you or because you want to become more aware of your potential. These are two very different motivations.
If you want to change because you are unhappy with your current status quo, indeed self-improvement is your goal. An aspect of today's You is unsatisfactory, so you determine to create a better tomorrow You. You will probably find journaling to be an indispensable tool for achieving your goal.
A great deal of our work at CreateWriteNow is in providing tools to help people put their journals to use for self-improvement purposes. So far, we have approached such topics as weight loss, finding a job, managing money, dealing with grief, and more.
Facing a personal challenge is nothing short of heroic. It's supremely hard to admit you have a problem in the first place. And then, to make the decision that you are going to change is another gigantic step. When you actually begin your new regimen, it takes everything you've got to stay on track.
But the job can be made significantly easier if you journal your experience. By keeping a journaling log, you'll create a coach who will help you see progress, get over setbacks, and persevere until you have triumphed.
So if you have an issue, obviously a journal can help get you past it. Suppose, though, that you are not identifying a particular problem that you want to address. What if you're feeling relatively confident and okay with yourself? What if you're even slightly offended by the suggestion that you should improve yourself?
That's where self-growth comes in. While self-improvement journaling will involve a lot of documentation, self-growth journaling is done more for the purpose of discovering new things.
We are all always growing and changing. Keeping a journal that's focused on your self-growth allows you to be cognizant of these changes. It also leads you to become more self-aware: you'll recognize more clearly what influences you and become more familiar with why you react as you do.
Self-growth is a lifestyle, one that values awareness and seeks to continually expand it. Self-improvement is more project-oriented and time-bound.
In sum, while many may undertake self-improvement initiatives at various times, everyone can benefit at any time from self-growth journaling.
image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/handolio/5038075713/
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