I often ask myself, “Am I growing?”  This question is so important to me because it’s easy to stop growing. We tend to be good at seeing other people’s problems, but most of us struggle to see where our own faults lie.

[pullquote] “We tend to be good at seeing other people’s problems, but most of us struggle to see where our own faults lie.” [/pullquote]

Being self-aware can help us grow. And being self-aware can help us have more grace for others’ weaknesses. To be a life-long learner I think you always need to be doing the following:

1. Seek Feedback

As leaders we constantly need to be asking for feedback on our leadership and communication. This feedback can be hard to hear at times, but an openness to feedback leads to growth.

2. Absorb

To be a life-long learner we must also seek knowledge and truth. And with our incredible access to information via web, video, and books, we can constantly be absorbing information to challenge our thinking and behaviors. Let’s  learn everything we can from speakers, teachers, bloggers and thought leaders.

3. Take Risks

We learn so much from life experience, but we don’t learn from doing the same old things day in and day out. Take risks. Commit to changing things up, and see what you learn. Even do someone else’s job for a week … anything to bring you new life experiences.

We become more self-aware when we receive feedback, absorb new information, and take risks outside of our comfort zones. And this kind of self-awareness can lead to growth in both our skills and character as well as our awareness and appreciation of those around us.