Growing On Purpose
- Written by Nikki Nettleton Nikki Nettleton
- Published: 11 January 2023 11 January 2023
I love the transition from one year to the next. It’s a great time to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. We’re told to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18, NIV). Thoughtfully planning how we might grow on purpose is an exercise in stewarding our lives for God’s glory. In Global Partners, we have an organizational rhythm of refreshing personal growth plans (PGPs for those of us who love our acronyms 😊) at the start of a new year. It’s an expression of our value to nurture a culture of learning, increasing our capacity for fruitful and lasting cross-cultural ministry as we keep growing.
But how do we develop personal growth plans that go beyond ticking a box to motivate and lead us to grow on purpose? There are several ways to approach growth planning, but here is a process I’ve found helpful to pray through:
- Reflect on the past. Take some time to reflect on the previous year. Consider the goals you set last year. It can help to capture the significant events and experiences of each month and the lessons you learned along the way. What went according to plan? What was unexpected? What growth areas surfaced last year?
- Be mindful of the present. Take stock of your life. How are you physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, socially, and professionally? Consider your relationships and responsibilities. What has God been speaking to you lately? What is stretching or convicting you? What do you wish was true of you now but isn’t yet?
- Envision the future. Think about what you know about the year ahead and how what you have reflected on from the past and present might impact you going forward. What’s on the calendar? How might it require you to grow? How could you build on what you learned last year? Which growth areas or themes make sense to focus on in the coming year? What do you want to be able to say is true of you by this time next year? Note any words, phrases, or verses God draws your attention to.
I spent several hours following this process last week. Last year’s growth goals were about listening and discernment, but a lot did not go as planned. Those were still good themes, but the growth I saw did not necessarily come in the way I thought it would. I didn’t read every book on my list, but that’s okay. I can see growth. Some lessons that shaped me in 2022: I learned a lot about forgiveness as an act of hopeful grace and humble trust. I learned that peace in ambiguity is found in surrendering the need to know and understand what is uncertain or the desire to agree with what is already known. When I let go of the need for clarity, I can appreciate the assurance that God is in control and good. I don’t have to know how everything will play out to believe that God will work things out according to his good purpose and plan. I also learned that there is a difference between caring about something and carrying it. I do not need to carry everything that I care about. This is one I need to grow in more.
As I think about the year ahead and what I should build on for next year, I see more transitions ahead. I need to learn to operate in shalom (or peace, wholeness, and completeness) with others, God, and my various roles in life and ministry in the season ahead. I wonder how I could intentionally grow in peace in 2023.
After reflecting on the past, being mindful of the present, and envisioning the future, it’s time to make a plan. For this, I find Steve Moore’s growth planning steps to be a helpful tool. So, with his permission, we’ve adapted them into this worksheet. Here’s a brief explanation with some examples from my own plan for this year.
1. Growth Goal- A focused statement for a way you would like to grow spiritually, personally, and professionally in the next 12 months. I recommend phrasing this as a statement you hope will be true(r) of you a year from now. Since I like to carry the word or theme of the year through the three life areas, each of my goals has to do with shalom (peace, wholeness, completeness). Here’s what I have so far:
Spiritual goal: I am nurturing my sense of completeness in Christ, no matter how complicated my circumstances are.
Personal goal: I am restoring physical, emotional, and relational wholeness.
Professional goal: I engage from a place of peace and bring peace to conversations and situations.
2. Growth Plan- The specific combination of growth assets that will help you stimulate growth toward this goal. What are the strategies, experiences, and books for meeting that goal over the course of the next year? I find it helpful to think of things that I’m already doing that I could do with greater intentionality. It doesn’t all have to be new! Less is more. I also like to reach out to people who model what I’m hoping to learn. I’ll ask if I can buy them a cup of coffee and pick their brain.
For example, for my spiritual goal, I’ll continue my existing daily and monthly times of connecting with God and make sure to be on the lookout for lessons about peace. I have a notebook ready to capture them. One way I’ll chase my personal goal will be to do stretching and breathing exercises after work 3-5 times a week. For my professional goal, I’m going to start scheduling 10 minutes of quiet before meetings so that I can slow my breathing and pray before I meet with people. I’ve also got a leader in mind that I’ve noticed brings the calm presence that I’d like to have in meetings. I’m going to ask them how they go about balancing their passion with peace.
3. Growth Partners- The specific people and accountability formats you plan to use to keep you focused on this goal over time. Who can help you reach your goal? Who can inform or come alongside you? For me, I usually choose a combination of people I work with, live with, and mentor or lead so that I get 360 feedback.
4. Growth Check-Up- The time frame and evaluation process you will use to measure progress in relation to this goal. When will you meet? The quarterly review process provides a built-in rhythm for this step. I also like to think about questions I’ll ask myself and my growth partners to assess my progress. These are questions like: What difference is resting in the peace of God making in my outlook, stress level, and relationships? How have you seen me lend peace and calm to a situation?
Again, there are multiple ways to approach growth planning, but I hope this peek behind the current of my thought process gives you some ideas you can build on for your life. May the Lord help each one of us to learn and grow together in Him this year!