Help Me, I Want to Grow

7 Keys to Reaching Your Full Potential

I want to grow. And I believe if you are reading this, you want to grow too. You want to become a better leader. You want to become better in your business, your career, your relationships, and your calling. Most importantly, you want to become everything God created you to become.

I am a lifelong learner. I never want to get to the place where I think I have arrived and there is nothing left for me to learn. The biggest room in my life is always the room for improvement. God created each one of us uniquely. He gave each of us a purpose, an assignment, and a race to run. I do not want to get to the end of my life having become only half the person God created me to be. I do not want the good or simply the acceptable. I want the perfect will of God for my life. So how do we get there? How do we reach our full potential? Let me give you seven things that I believe can help us.

1. Get a Picture of Who You Want to Become

You have to have a picture. You need a destination. You need an image in your mind of the person you believe God has called you to become.

Ask yourself: What does the best version of me look like?

I work out with my sons Daniel and Steven, and every year we set goals. I have asked them to find me pictures of men my age who are fit and strong. I want an image of what I am working toward. Why? Because pictures move us. Pictures motivate us. Pictures inspire us. Pictures guide us. Think about putting together a puzzle. It is much more difficult if you do not have the picture on the box showing you what you are building. Leadership works the same way. What kind of leader do you want to become? What kind of spouse? What kind of parent? What kind of businessperson? What kind of follower of Christ? Get the picture before you start putting the pieces together.

2. Build the Habits That Will Make You That Person

A picture is where we start, but a picture alone will not get us there. We have to build the habits that will turn that picture into reality. Habits take us from where we are to where we want to be. If I want to become physically fit, there are certain habits I have to develop: Exercise, nutrition, sleep, and daily routines. The same principle applies to leadership. We are, in many ways, the result of the habits we have developed up to this point. If we want to change who we are becoming, we have to change what we repeatedly do.

Look at the person you want to become and ask yourself, “What does that person do every day? What do they read? What do they know? How do they spend their time? What routines have they developed?” Then begin building those habits into your life. You do not become the person God created you to be overnight. You become that person through the right decisions and habits repeated day after day.

3. Develop a Relentless Solution Mindset

If you are going to reach your potential, you have to understand something. Life is not always going to be easy. Life can be unfair. Life can be unpredictable. Life can be hard. There will be setbacks, disappointments, obstacles, and things you did not plan for. That means you need what I call a relentless solution mindset. When something goes wrong, we do not quit. We do not give up. We do not make excuses. We do not become victims. Instead, we ask, “What is one thing I can do today to begin turning this situation around?” I love that question. You may not be able to solve everything today, but you can do something. There will be bumps in the road, and sometimes boulders, but legendary leaders develop grit. They bounce back. They keep looking for solutions.

4. Connect With People Who Have Done More Than You

Relationships are huge. If I want to get better, I need to get around people who can make me better. I do not want to always be the smartest person in the room. I want to connect with people who know things I do not know and have accomplished things I have not accomplished yet.

“Walk with the wise and become wise.” Proverbs 13:20

That is a leadership principle. Find people who have been where you want to go. Learn from their wisdom. Let them help you avoid mistakes. Let them challenge you. Let them inspire you. The right people will not allow you to stay comfortable. Your relationships can help determine your achievements, so be intentional about who you allow to speak into your life.

5. Keep Growing and Keep Moving Forward

Never lose your desire to learn. Read. Listen. Learn from teachers. Attend webinars. Join cohorts. Find coaches and mentors. Make everything a lesson. The good things can teach you. The bad things can teach you. Even the ugly things can teach you. I learned this early in life. In junior high, I was dealing with a bully. Eventually, I got tired of it and decided to improve myself. I asked my parents for a weightlifting set. I started working out. Later in high school, I joined a gym and worked with a personal trainer who was a champion weightlifter. Why? Because I wanted to get better, and I understood that someone who knew more than I did could help me. I still believe that today. Keep learning. Keep adapting. Keep moving forward. Do not live in the past. Do not stay stuck. Do not become stagnant. Be a lifelong learner.

6. Guard and Develop Your Inner Life

What is happening on the inside of you will eventually show up on the outside of you. If you are going to grow your leadership, you must grow your inner life. Pay attention to your self-talk. Guard your heart. Develop your spirit and your soul. Proverbs 4:23 says to guard your heart because everything flows from it. I like to say it this way: how big I am on the inside determines how big my world gets on the outside. If the pressure around you becomes greater than what is developed within you, the pressure will eventually win. So work on the inside. Spend time with God. Renew your thinking. Watch what you allow into your heart. Develop the character required to carry the opportunities you are praying for. Healthy leadership on the outside always comes from growth on the inside.

7. Maintain an Attitude of Gratitude

Finally, stay thankful. Celebrate every win! Even the small ones.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in everything.

Notice, we do not give thanks for everything. We give thanks in everything. Gratitude shifts perspective. It reminds us of what God has already done while we are believing Him for what is next. In leadership, it is easy to focus so much on the next level that we forget how far we have already come. Do not do that. Be thankful for the people around you. Be thankful for open doors. Be thankful for what you are learning. Be thankful for every opportunity to grow. Maintain an attitude of gratitude.

Your Potential Is a Lifelong Pursuit

I believe we will be working on these seven areas until our very last day on earth. That is what growth is all about. Get a picture. Build the habits. Develop a solution mindset. Connect with wise people. Keep learning. Guard your inner life. Stay grateful. Maybe you realize you have work to do. That is okay. You do not have to change everything today. Start with one.

Ask yourself, “What is one thing I can do today to move toward the person God created me to become?”

Then do it. And do it again tomorrow. Keep growing. Keep learning. Keep moving forward. I am praying that something clicks for you that clarity comes, ideas come, and action follows. Legendary leader, do not settle for average. There is more in you. Keep growing into everything God created and called you to become.

Leadership Challenge

Now let me challenge you like I would if we were sitting face to face. Do not just read this. Do not just agree with this. Do not just feel inspired by this.

Act on this. This week, choose one of the seven areas and go all in. Not all seven. One. Write it down. Put it in front of you. Pray over it. Talk about it. And take one intentional step every day in that area.

And here is the real challenge:

Ask yourself every morning: What would a growing leader do today? Then do it. Even when you do not feel like it. Because growth does not come from intention alone. It comes from discipline, obedience, and consistency. And I am telling you right now. There is a stronger leader in you than the one you have seen so far. So rise up. Build it. Grow it. Become it. Because the world does not just need your potential. It needs your maturity.