John Maxwell theory of growth states that there are fifteen laws of growth namely law of

intentionality, awareness, law of the mirror, law of reflection and law of consistency to name
a few. All fifteen laws map out an outline and steps a person needs to take towards self-
improvement. John Maxwell also says that contrary to popular belief hard work does not
always guarantee success but focusing on personal growth sharpens your focus and helps you
improve character wise.

The law of intentionality it covers how far you can go not how long you can take to achieve
personal growth. Growth is a continuous process from point of realisation to when you die.
Focusing on how long it will take will discourage you and shift your focus from the important
life skills you need to acquire. In order to grow you must know yourself first, explore your
character and focus on your passion. John Maxwell describes three types of people, l would
like to flatter myself into thinking l am the type of person who know what they what to do
and how they want to ii and they work in areas that move them closer to their purpose.

Moving on, after scrutinizing yourself and effectively wanting to change and grow comes the
law of awareness. You need to realize what you want to do and know your strengths and
weaknesses. The talents and opportunities you possess in order to achieve growth. John
Maxwell also says you need to find your muse and motivation.

After, law of the mirror this law basically encompasses what you first see when you look at
the mirror. One of the leading causes of failure to grow is low self-esteem. John Maxwell
asked a question in his book “If you knew you would not fail what would you do ?” this had
my gears turning at first l thought l would play the lottery then l realised l could even run for
president. My ambitions kept going higher simply because l was confident that l would
succeed. With the right amount of confidence the sky is the imit. When you invest in yourself
you will realise your value. He also mapped out some steps to build yourself confidence,
which are practice small discipline, stop comparing yourself to others and celebrate small
victories.

After looking at the mirror you see your reflection. The law of reflection states that you need
to pause and allow the lesson to catch up to you not only to learn but reflect and implement
what you have learnt. Always add value and exceed expectations, reflection turns experience
into insight. The law also add on that you must reflect with intention to learn not to pause
under the pretence3 of learning. Follow effective with quite reflection to get even more
effective action-Peter Drucker.

Lastly the law of consistency. In my opinion it is one if the hardest things to do. John
Maxwell says that motivation gets you going and discipline keeps you going. The mistake
people often make a mistake of biting off more than they can chew. It is then hard for them to
remain constant; the solution is to celebrate small victories. Seek motivation that aligns with
your personality type and patience is key , impatience stems from unrealistic expectations and
the causes you to give up too soon

Chickering’s psychosocial theory explains how people grow and develop. It focuses on self-
reflection and interpersonal dimensions of students’ lives. It maps out how identity evolves
over stages tasks or crisis points. His theory is divided intoseven vectors namely developing
competence, managing emotions, developing autonomy, establishing identity, freeing
interpersonal relationships, developing purpose and developing integrity.

When l joined university l gained intellectual, physical and interpersonal skills. l joined the
tennis club which gave me a chance to improve my physical skills keeping my health in
check and also helped me gain interpersonal skills through interacting with my colleagues. In
my first year of study l failed to keep up with assignments due dates bot now l can manage
my time effectively also learnt how to be responsible about my emotions. l have finally
understood that logic wins over raw emotions. Sometimes it is necessary to take a step back
and assess the situation accordingly. l often felt down casted when l received low marks for
an assignment l had worked hard for.

Moving through autonomy towards interdependence, this was a hard one to overcome.
Transitioning from being a spoon fed teenager to an academic environment where lecturers
have a hands off approach when teaching. l learnt to solve my problems independently it also
dawned on me that my goals and achievements need to be accomplished largely through my
own decisions rather than reliance on my peers and parents . Developing mature interpersonal
relationships, l have acquired the ability to accept and tolerate people who have different
ideologies from mine. l have always had the error of speaking in absolutes and passing my
own opinion as facts changing this mind-set has helped me gain and maintain healthy
relationships.

Lastly , establishing identity l have grown comfortable with who la am as a person in terms of
appearance, gender, ethnicity ,cultural heritage, sexual orientation and my well-being. This
has improved my self-esteem and wellbeing. It has enabled me to accept and be able to help,
advice and couch those who struggle with their identity have also developed my purpose, l
have set clear vocational goals towards my career and set commitment towards my interest
and relationships.

In conclusion, growth should be intentional and aligned with your passion and purpose. If
not, you run the risk of being busy without meaning. Be honest with yourself take consistent
action based on insights from self-reflection. Design your growth to match your goals and
consistently have tension between where you are and where you want to be. Manage your
environment to help you and be grateful for all the support by developing your talent to serve
others.

REFERENCES

R.Robert,(2014).15 Invaluable Laws of Growth<https://www.embracepossibility.com.[26

March 2022]

J.Maxwell.(2012).The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. Central Street .New York

T.P Lyon, J. Maxwell (2020). Corporate Social Responsibility and the environment: A
Theoretical Perspective. Journals uchicago. Chicago

J.Maxwell. (2014).How Successful People Get Ahead in Life. Haclette. United Kingdom

J.Maxwell. (2016).How to Become a Better You.<https://www,nationbuilders.org.[26 March

2022]