Have you ever felt stagnant or like your life has plateaued? President Owen, a member of my stake presidency recently said, "There really is no such thing as stagnation. If an individual is not progressing, they're digressing." Sad, but true. This can be in any sphere of life: professional, spiritual, interpersonal, etc. In my experience, if I don't feel like I'm growing or progressing for an extended period of time, it can be challenging to feel the Spirit or feel like I'm fulfilling my mission in life.
In my opinion, when we are progressing in work, relationships and other roles of responsibility we feel more life-satisfaction. Progressing in any of these areas enhances our ability to feel the Spirit and be better contributors in our spheres of influence. It is like being a "profitable servant" or a "good steward" who is returning on an investment of ability the Lord has placed inside each of us.
Onward & upward,
Ali~
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Progressing - Heading Happily Onward & Upward
Plateaued - Stuck, Stagnant & Flatlined
Extended Plateau - Discouragement & Digression
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I live in an area where a lot of people are wonderfully high achievers. 15% of my previous singles ward were temple ordinance workers. Nearly 70% of the sisters were returned sister missionaries (which is not necessarily an indicator of a higher achiever but which does correlate with worthiness, service and sacrifice). Most individuals had graduated with at least a bachelor's degree and many with post-grad degrees. This group likes to grow.
For this group, it seems like when progress plateaus, it is a foreign and extremely uncomfortable circumstance. So what do you do when you experience a plateau? Change everything up? Change your paradigm? Move?
RESOURCES FOR PROGRESS:
Some of the best counsel I have received on going forward & upward in life was given by Bishop Steven Roy to his ward on a 5th Sunday. You can read his counsel here. Some of the best books I've read related to what to do when experiencing plateau have been How will You Measure Your Life, The Dip and Who Moved My Cheese. Some of the resources and things that have helped progress in various areas of life are
- WORK:
- Taking surveys that helped me identify the work fields I'm most interested in and skilled at.
- Strong Interest Inventory Assessment
- Myers Briggs Type Indicator Assessment
- Discover
- Campbell Interest & Skill Survey
- Self Directed Search
- These surveys can be found in university's career planning centers. Some of them cost a few dollars while others are free. Here is a link to all a brief summary of all of the the surveys the Career Center offers.
- RELATIONSHIPS:
- Readiness Survey: This academically research-based survey measures your personal readiness to be in a dating relationship and illustrates that readiness for you in a personalized report with bar graphs and printed information.
- Foster Closeness: Rather than searching through hundreds of Facebook friends to find someone to do something with, identify who you are "close" to in mindset, interests and personality. Intentionally plan play time with these kinds of friends.
- Set Goals with Close Friends or Family Members: My parents and I try to set monthly goals together. We write them on three big post it notes and put them on the fridge in their home where they see them frequently. Doing this together helps us see what is currently really important to each other and gives us a "support group" or "fan section" to cheer us on with our current efforts towards our goals. Sharing your goals with a close friend or group of friends can help you feel supported and motivated in the areas where you're trying to make progress.
- SPIRITUAL:
- Adjust my scripture study to have it meet whatever my present needs are
- Counsel with Home Teachers, Visiting Teachers, parents or a Priesthood leader
- Frequent temple worship and service
- OTHER AREAS OF LIFE:
- Create a life vision board
Onward & upward,
Ali~
You commented on a quote, "'There really is no such thing as stagnation. If an individual is not progressing, they're digressing.' Sad, but true." I have a slightly different take on this.
ReplyDeleteI see us going through life as if we're on an escalator. It's going down. But, we're trying to reach the top. While we briskly walk up the downward flowing escalator, we make slow progress toward our goal. If we stop, we digress. However, if we don't make enough effort, such as a regular walking speed, then we'll, in fact, stagnate. We go nowhere, neither up or down.
I think we should be seeking to make leaps and bounds at as fast a pace we can to get to the top of the escalator, not just walk briskly. Life will be opposing us, but it builds character, stronger muscles, greater endurance, healthier bodies, and more overall fitness when we take it on with full speed ahead.
And, while we're at it, try to grab as many willing people who are faint and stagnating, or even digressing, and carry them on our shoulders and under our arms as best we can while we rocket toward heaven's gate at the top of the escalator.
(Of course, as we do so, we only come to realize that our strength to go full speed ahead while carrying others comes from the One whose Spirit is within us giving us strength beyond our own to be instruments of salvation to others)
ReplyDeletegreat information....thanks for this post...
ReplyDeletedating sweet younger women