The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth
-Live Them and Reach Your Potential

                                                                  John C. Maxwell

Introduction

Potential is one of the most wonderful words in any language. It looks forward with optimism….

What about unfulfilled potential? That phrase is as negative as the word potential is positive….

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…You cannot change your life until you change something you do every day. By learning the laws and then living them, you will be on your way to reaching your potential. If you keep learning and growing every day over the course of many years, you will be astounded by how far it will take you.

The Law of Intentionality: Growth Doesn’t Just Happen
Life is in session. Are you present?

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Making the Transition to Intentional Growth

Ask the Big Question Now
Do it Now
Face the Fear Factor
Change from Accidental to Intentional Growth

2. The Law of Awareness: You Must Know Yourself to Grow Yourself
“No one can produce great things who is not thoroughly sincere in dealing with himself”—James Russell Lowell

3. The Law of the Mirror: You Must See Value in Yourself to Add Value to Yourself
“Personal development is the belief that you are worth the effort, time, and energy needed to develop yourself.”—Denis Waitley

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Steps to Build Your Self-Image

Guard Your Self-Talk
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Move Beyond Your Limiting Beliefs
Add Value to Others
Do the right Thing, Even If It’s the Hard Thing
Practice a Small Discipline Daily in a Specific Area of Your Life
Celebrate Small Victories
Embrace a Positive Vision for Your Life Based on What You Value
Practice the One-Word Strategy
Take Responsibility for Your life
4. The Law of Reflection: Learning to Pause Allows Growth to Catch Up with you

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”—Peter F.Drucker

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The Power of Pausing

Reflection Turns Experience into Insight
Everyone Needs a Time and a Place to Pause
Pausing with Intention Expands and Enriches Thinking
When You Take Time to Pause, Use Your I’s

5. The Law of Consistency: Motivation Gets You Going—Discipline Keeps You Growing
“The hallmark of excellence, the test of greatness, is consistency.”—Jim Tressel

6. The Law of Environment: Growth Thrives in Conducive Surroundings

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment you first find yourself in.”—Mark Caine

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Change Depends on Your Choices

Assess Your Current Environment
Change Yourself and Your Environment
Change Who You Spend Your Time With
Challenge Yourself in Your New Environment
Focus on the Moment
Move Forward Despite Criticism
7. The Law of Design: To Maximize Growth, Develop Strategies

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much.”—Jim Rohn

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Life Lessons

Life is Very Simple but Keeping It That Way is Very Difficult
Designing Your Life Is More Important Than Designing Your Career
Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal
In Planning Your Life, Multiply Everything by Two
8. The Law of Pain: Good Management of Bad Experiences Leads to Great Growth

“Every problem introduce a person to himself.”—John McDonnell

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How to Turn Your Pain into Gain

Choose a Positive Life Stance
Embrace and Develop Your Creativity
Embrace the Value of Bad Experiences
Make Good Changes after Learning from Bad Experiences
Take Responsibility for Your Life
9. The Law of the Ladder: Character Growth Determines the Height of Your Personal Growth
“Achievement to most people is something you do…to the high achiever, it is something you are.”—Doug Firebaugh

10. The Law of the Rubber Band: Growth Stops When You Lose the Tension Between Where You Are and Where You Could Be

“Only a mediocre person is always at his best.”—W.Somerset Maugham

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The Benefits of Tension

Few People Want to Stretch
Settling for the Status Que Ultimately Leads to Dissatisfaction
Stretching Always Starts from the Inside Out
Stretching Always Requires Change
Stretching Sets You Apart from Others
Stretching Can Become a Lifestyle
Stretching Gives You a Shot at Significance
11. The Law of Trade-Offs: You have to Give Up to Grow Up

“People will cling to an unsatisfactory way of life rather than change in order to get something better for fear of getting something worse.”—Eric Hoffer

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Trade-Offs Worth Making

I Am Willing to Give Up Financial Security Today for Potential Tomorrow
I Am Willing to Give Up Immediate Gratification for Personal Growth
I Am Willing to Give Up the Fast Life for the Good Life
I Am Willing to Give Up Security for Significance
I Am Willing to Give Up Addition for Multiplication
12. The Law of Curiosity: Growth Is Stimulated by Asking Why?

“Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.”—George Bernard Shaw

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How to Cultivate Curiosity

Believe You Can Be Curious
Have a Beginner’s Mind-Set
Make Why Your Favourite Word
Spend Time with Other Curious People
Learn Something New Every Day
Partake in the Fruit of Failure
Stop Looking for the Right Answer
Get Over Yourself
Get Out of the Box
Enjoy Your Life
13. The Law of Modeling: It’s Hard to Improve When You Have No One but Yourself to Follow

The most important personal-growth phrase you will ever hear a good leader say to you is “follow me.”

14. The Law of Expansion: Growth Always Increases Your Capacity

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How to Increase Your Thinking Capacity

Stop Thinking More Work and Start Thinking What Works?
Stop Thinking Can I? and Start Thinking How Can I?
Stop Thinking One Door and Start Thinking Many Doors

15. The Law of Contribution: Growing Yourself Enables You to Grow Others

If you’re not doing something with your life, it doesn’t matter how long it is!