John C. Maxwell - How Successful People Grow: 15 Ways to Get Ahead in Life

P otential is one of the most wonderful words in any language. It looks forward with optimism. It is filled with hope. It promises success. It implies fulfillment. It hints at greatness. Potential is a word based on possibilities. Think about your potential as a human being and you get excitedat least, I hope you do. What a positive thought. Do you have personal potential? Absolutely. Your personal potential is what you could bethe person you can become.

Since you are reading these words, I believe you also have the desire to reach your potential. So now the question becomes, how do you do it?

The answer is growth. And to grow, you must be highly intentional. This book is my effort to help you learn how to grow and develop yourself so you have the best chance of becoming the person you were created to be. My desire is to help you develop the right attitude, learn more about your strengths, tap into your passion, become more in touch with your purpose, and develop your skills so you can be all you can be.

What exactly do I mean when I write about growth? That will be as unique as you are. To discover your purpose, you need to grow in self-awareness. To become a better human being, you need to grow in character. To advance in your career, you need to grow in your skills. To be a better spouse or parent, you need to grow in relationships. To reach your financial goals, you need to grow in your knowledge about how money works. To enrich your soul, you need to grow spiritually. The specifics of growth change from person to person, but the principles are the same for every person. This book offers fifteen ways for you to grow so that you can reach your potential. Each is a key that unlocks a door to a better future. You will have to put in the work to actually grow.

My recommendation is that you tackle a chapter of this book every week. Discuss it with some friends. Do the application exercises at the end of each chapter. Keep a growth journal. And incorporate what youre learning into your everyday life. You cannot change your life until you change something you do every day. If you keep learning and growing every day over the course of many years, you will be astounded by how far it will take you.

H ow do you get better at what you do? How do you improve your relationships? How do you gain more depth and wisdom as a person? How do you gain insight? How do you overcome obstacles? Work harder? Work longer? Wait for things to get better?

If you focus on goals, you may hit goalsbut that doesnt guarantee growth. If you focus on growth, you will grow and always hit goals.