7 Days of Growth with Jay Shetty is a new 7-day series on growth setting. The series teaches listeners a new approach to achieving goals called growth setting. Calm is a mindfulness and meditation app that I start my day with, and I recently crossed two years of uninterrupted meditation using this great app. According to Jay, “Goals are about what you want to do in this world. Growth is about who you’re going to be in this life.” Goals are outcomes, like launching a business, finding a relationship, or earning a degree.
When you focus on growth, hitting your goal becomes inevitable.
In Jay’s new video series on Calm, Jay explores the topic of growth setting and how it can be a mindful – and effective – way of achieving your goals and doing the things you want to do with your life. The series comprises a new 3-minute video daily, where listeners learn thDaye following skills:
The skill of presence: A simple yet powerful tool to harness your attention at any moment
Day 1: The Skill of Presence
We focus on the results when we set goals, such as losing 10 pounds or making the dean’s list. Those are just outcomes; what about the process? When you focus on growth, hitting your goals becomes inevitable.
Personal Growth means being more present, focused and grateful. It means moving through life with more calm and confidence. Breathing is one of the most powerful tools for staying present and navigating the trying times.
“Goals are about what you want to do in this world. Growth is about who want to be in this life.”
Shift your mindset: See the immediate impact of Jay’s 3-step gratitude practice.
Day 2: Shift your mindset:
Focus on three things that you are grateful for. Reflect on something beautiful you experienced. Think of a friendly person you crossed paths with.
Reflect on A convenience, Something beautiful and A friendly person.
Setting daily intentions: Learn the habit of being intentional in everyday interactions.
Day 3: Setting Daily Intentions
Take a moment to check in with yourself, think of an interaction coming up, scan your emotions and reflect on the qualities you want to bring into that moment.
How to soften your emotions: Jay reveals the key to softening intense emotions.
Day 4: Creating Space
Create distance between yourself and intense emotions. The day’s challenge: Monitor your emotions and mentally note your feelings. Emotions are natural. Emotional distancing is not denying your emotions but putting them in perspective, creating space for them to become less overwhelming.
You are not the emotion that you are experiencing, rather you are a person with emotions.
Letting go of control: Try this 2-minute process to release control and respond wisely.
Things within your control: How you use your attention and respond to all the things you don’t control.
Reframing your self-talk: An easy technique to create a healthier relationship with yourself.
Day 5: Reframe Negative Thoughts
Most of our negative self-talk can evolve into unpleasant emotions, which can lead to engaging in unhealthy behaviours. Catch the thought, check the thought (evaluate), and change the thought (reframe).
Catch It, Check It and Change It.
Lowering your stress level: A quick sensory practice.
Here is a breakdown of how I faired in executing the above goals in May 2023:
Four Marathons in May
As part of my bigger goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, I set a goal to run across the 10 Canadian provinces (Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador). The month of May was the toughest of the schedule as I ran four back to back to back to back full marathons in a month. I visited three new cities and provinces.
I set these challenges yearly to keep me grounded and help me stay hungry. As the late former Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously advised in his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish,” I try to review my goals weekly and reaccess my commitment to the set goals. Some of the other goals and daily routines that I practice daily includes 5 AM Morning Routine (Study time for certification, SAVERS framework), Daily Meditation (400+ streak), daily gratitude journaling
I started experimenting with the Magazine reading challenge in 2021 and I have not really been consistent with reading the magazines weekly. I read 28 in 2021, 10 in 2022 and I aiming for more consistency in 2023.
Goal: Read 50 digital magazines by December 31st, 2022. Strategy: Read one magazine per week.
John C. Maxwellis a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, coach and speaker who has written more that 100 books which have sold more than 24 million books in 50 languages. John was named #1 leadership expert in the world by Inc. Magazine in 2014.
John C. Maxwell is my favourite non-fiction author especially on the area of leadership. As John often says “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” I am always looking for ways of getting better as a human, exploring the pursuit of excellence and greatness. John Maxwell writes some of the best books on leadership, he is a great communicator and story teller. In my bid to work on my leadership skill/self-leadership, I am committing to reading 50 John C. Maxwell books in 2023.
A biography is a detailed description of a person’s life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person’s experience of these life events. 1
Goal: Read 50 biographies by December 31st 2023 Strategy: Read and Finish one biography per week.
In October 2022, I started experimenting with listening to a podcast in french every day (French Language Listening Challenge). I have been able to listen to lots of spoken french daily, although I was not able to listen daily but have been able to schedule and maintain momentum.
Goal: Listen to 365 podcasts by December 31st, 2023. Strategy: Listen to one podcast per day.
I experimented with listening to one podcast episode per day in 2022 (365 Podcast Listening Challenge 2022), and I could listen to 365 podcast sessions throughout the year. I listened to my favourite podcasts, such as How I Built This with Guy Raz, Deep Questions with Cal Newport, THE ED Mylett Show, The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes, and The Rich Roll Podcast on a weekly basis. One of the strategies that enabled me to listen to the 365 podcasts is scheduling. I listen to the podcast episodes at the same time every day; immediately after I finish my morning workout session.
