The Anatomy of Personal Change

The self-improvement industry in the United States, and the world for that matter, is prospering. Consider the following:

In 2024 the self-improvement industry in the US is estimated to be worth 13.2 billion dollars

Globally that same industry is valued at over 43 billion dollars

The industry is expected to grow globally at a rate of 5.5% annually through 2030

There are over 200,000 podcasts in the Self-Help/Personal Development category on Apple Podcasts

Clearly, the pursuit of personal development has contributed to the zeitgeist of our day. Countless many clamor for the next podcast, e-course, or Ted Talk that might inform and inspire their quest for wholeness and success. We long for the next right mindset, skill set, or toolset that will move us from where we are to where we want to be.

I think Heraclitus got it right when he said, “The only constant in life is change.” Life and all of its many parts are dynamic and ever changing. Much of that change operates beyond our consciousness and wholly without our awareness or consent. And yet, the change that coaches like me are wont to talk about is not the involuntary but the intentional, volitional and self-directed form of change. The dizzying array of philosophies, products, models, formulas, books and courses for making this change can be overwhelming.

So, in an effort to reduce this matter of personal change and transformation into a refreshingly simple and self-evident framework, let me offer the following:

Step One: The Present.

It all starts with a compassionate, honest assessment of what is.

Where am I?

Am I content being in this place?

Would I be more fulfilled and prosperous in another place?

Where am I thriving, where am I not?

What is real?

Step Two: The Future.

Now we engage in mindful introspection of what can be.

Where do I want to go?

What do I want to have, do or be?

What does my preferred state look like…and feel like?

Can I imagine it and visualize it?

What is ideal?

Step Three: The Plan.

And finally, a deliberate shift to what it takes to get there.

How do I get there?

What is the cost?

What is the benefit?

What resources do I have?

What resources do I need?

Where do I start?

Who can take that journey with me?

Perhaps in concept it really is that easy: what is real? What is ideal? And how do I bridge the gap from one to the other?

And perhaps you just start with creating time and space in your life to ponder on these matters. Find ways to get quiet on the outside, and on the inside. Your mind loves to work on the questions. Allow its unfathomable power to brood upon these weightier matters. Be open to the thoughts, feelings and impressions that will surely come. Write them down. Plant them in the fertile soil of possibility. Mobilize your unique endowments of self-awareness and imagination and see what emerges.

The breadth and depth of your inner wisdom just may surprise you…or even amaze you.

Till next time, my friends.