The Four Phases of Growth

Personal and Professional growth is essential, but sometimes it can be hard when you’re in the middle of it. It helps to have a framework for where you are on your growth journey. This can apply to mastering a new hobby, studying a new subject, or learning a new skill or job. The four phases of growth are:

1. Unawareness: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
2. Discovery: You Know What You Don’t Know
3. Development: You Know and It Starts to Show
4. Mastery: You Know and You Simply Go

Doesn’t make sense yet? That’s okay. Here’s a great application of the concept: the story of a young child learning to tie their shoes:

• In phase 1, you’re content wearing Velcro shoes. No one pays any attention to anyone’s shoes. Ignorance is Bliss!
• In phase 2, you notice some of the other kids wearing shoes with laces. You begin to think about how you want to wear laces like those, but you become uncomfortable with the idea of having to learn to tie them. Discontentment Grows!
• In phase 3, you are learning to tie, but you must really focus on each step of the process in order to be successful. This is the “messy middle” where you’ll make mistakes, but you must be okay with that. Effort Required!
• In phase 4, you simply tie those laces with out even thinking about it! Growth!

The Takeaways?

• Think about your blind spots and potential areas of growth that you may have not yet considered. Craft a vision for your future and what you can become.
• Move yourself from phase 2 to phase 3 with a system (“bunny ears, bunny ears, playing by a tree…”), and stick to it!
• Keep working at your skills until they become second nature. Then you will really thrive!

How have these four phases applied to you and your personal or professional growth journey?