 Growing in any capacity can seem like an invisible process. When growing up, have you ever measured yourself to find that you are much taller than you were before? Much like your physical growth, changes can happen emotionally as well. These differences can be hard to spot, and you may not realize the small ways that you've progressed to help you unearth some of these small but big signs. In this video, we'll be looking at personal growth indicators. So, what is personal growth? Growth is subjective and looks different for everyone. One specific theory for personal growth and its objective is self-actualization. German neurologist Kurt Goldstein developed the theory, but it was popularized by Abraham Maslow. Both talk about the idea that self-actualization refers to the realization of one's potential, which is the process of self-fulfillment, peak experiences, and life appreciation. Maslow puts these into a pyramid-shaped diagram, detailing each step to achieving this. While we will be looking at some aspects of this theory in this video, we'll also be gathering expert opinions on personal growth as a whole. You're looking ahead. Life is unpredictable, at times messy, and it can be hard to think further ahead than dinner time when you're in a situation that's unstable and needs your constant attention. With an endless list of to-dos and loose ends, you may feel lost. However, finding yourself feeling that the future is not full of worries and dreads can be a sign of personal growth. That you're now in a place where you're comfortable, stable, and ready to take on new challenges. Psychiatrist Dr. Grant Brenner describes this as having good self-governance, being balanced in your ability to take care of your needs while also being able to appreciate the world around you. You're able to live your life without being overwhelmed. You find yourself excited when you wake up for what the day will bring and have control over your situation so that everything will not crumble around you. Maybe you're not quite at this point yet, and that's okay. Even the little things like looking forward to a nice fluffy donut or a dinner date with a friend are steps in the right direction. You're accepting. While you may be excited about the future and looking forward to what's to come, you also may find yourself living in the present. The future's great and all, but things are good right now, and you're going to enjoy it while it's here. You also can acknowledge your past and see how the parts of your history fit together today. This doesn't mean that you haven't struggled or minimized the bad, but you can now accept what has happened. Furthermore, self-acceptance is one of the points in Maslow's pyramid of self-actualization. Mind Body Green explains this point as the ability to accept her quirks and desires without needing to apologize for them. You're more emotionally intelligent. How would you describe your ability to handle your emotions? Are you able to process them better than before? Do you have a better handle on strong feelings like anger and can hold yourself back from lashing out? These are signs of higher emotional intelligence, or EQ. Luckily, EQ is highly malleable, so even if you get overwhelmed easily, there are strategies to build upon these skills through mindfulness and introspection. Corporate psychologist Dr. Patricia Thompson discusses how a high EQ is associated with emotional regulation, empathy and awareness of yourself and others. Being skilled in this area means that you're better able to manage your relationships and yourself. You know you're still growing. Personal growth is a continuous process, and there is no finish line. You can grow in a multitude of ways, some faster than others. However, one of the biggest factors to future progress is having a growth mindset. This is believing that you're able to improve yourself and your abilities no matter where you're at. A fixed mindset, on the other hand, is the opposite. You believe that you can only improve so much, if at all. Psychology Today explains how some studies have shown that having this mindset results in positive effects on students' GPAs. By understanding that you can improve yourself, you're keeping yourself open to learning new things, versus closing yourself off forever. Self-growth is an individual process, and you may not realize all the ways you've progressed until you look back. All progress is progress, so even acknowledging that something has improved slightly is a step in the right direction. Of course, personal growth is a journey, and there are steps you can take to improve it further. This can be from taking time to introspect, talking with a therapist, or coming up with a plan to improve different areas of your life. There are many ways to do this that are unique to you. Ask yourself, what can you do today to get started? Thank you for watching this video. If you enjoyed it, please give it a like and share it with a friend. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section, and remember to subscribe to Psych2Go to keep up with our uploads. Take care.