The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

Live Them and Reach Your Potential
by John C. Maxwell | Center Street © 2014 · 288 pages

Do you want to reach your potential? If you’re reading this then the answer seems clear. The path to do so is pretty obvious as well: We must grow. And, as Maxwell advises, we must be intentional about it. Big Ideas we explore include a couple uber-powerful questions, Discipline as the bridge btwn your goals and accomplishments, trade-offs, and the magic of “Do it now!”

It occurred to me that if you focus on goals, you may hit goals—but that doesn’t always guarantee growth. If you focus on growth, you will grow and always hit goals.
John C. Maxwell

Listen

PNTV

Big Ideas

“Potential is one of the most wonderful words in any language. It looks forward with optimism. It is filled with hope. It promises success. It implies fulfillment. Potential is a word based on possibilities. Think about your potential as a human being and you get excited—at least, I hope you do. What a positive thought. I believe in your potential just as much as I believe in mine. Do you have potential? Absolutely. …

Since you are reading these words, I believe you have the desire to reach your potential. So the question becomes, how do you do it?

I have no doubt that the answer is growth. To reach your potential you must grow. And to grow, you must be highly intentional about it. This book is my effort to help you learn how to grow and develop yourself so you have the best chance of becoming the person you were created to be. My desire is to help you develop the right attitude, learn more about your strengths, tap into your passion, become more in touch with your purpose, and develop your skills so you can be all you can be. …

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.”

~ John C. Maxwell from The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

Do you want to reach your potential? If you’re reading this then the answer seems clear. The path to do so is pretty obvious as well: We must grow. And, as Maxwell advises, we must be intentional about it.

In this book, John Maxwell (one of the world’s top leadership experts who has sold over 24 million (!) books) shares his 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth—providing a ton of Big Ideas on how we can optimize and actualize.

It’s easy to see how he’s sold so many books—his writing style is clear, inspiring and super practical. The book is packed with wisdom (get a copy here) and I’m excited to share some of my favorite Ideas so let’s jump straight in!

“How far can I go?”

“The first year that I engaged in intentional personal growth, I discovered that it was going to be a lifetime process. During that year, the question in my mind changed from ‘How long will this take?’ to ‘How far can I go?’ That is the question you should be asking yourself right now—not that you will be able to answer it. I started this growth journey forty years ago, and I still haven’t answered it. But it will help you set the direction, if not the distance.

Where do you want to go in life?

What direction do you want to go?

What’s the furthest you can imagine going?

Answering those questions will get you started on the personal-growth journey. The best you can hope to do in life is to make the most out of whatever you’ve been given. You can do that by investing in yourself, making yourself the best you can be. The more you’ve got to work with, the greater your potential—and the farther you should try to go. As my dad used to say to me repeatedly when I was a kid, ‘To whomever much is given—much shall be required.’ Give growing your best so you can become your best.”

That is SUCH a powerful distinction and question.

Think about your personal growth and ask yourself this question: “How long will this take?” Feel that? Great. Now, think about your personal growth and ask yourself, “How far can I go?”

Slightly different energetic response, eh?

—> “How far can I go?”

This is a VERY worthy journal question. Let’s take a moment to reflect on it further.

Where do you want to go in your life? What direction do you want to go? What’s the furthest you can imagine going?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

So… How far can you go?

People say there are two great days in a person’s life: the day you were born and the day you discover why. I want to encourage you to seek what you were put on this earth to do. Then pursue it with all your effort.
John C. Maxwell

Do it now!

“In 1974 I attended a seminar at the University of Dayton, where W. Clement Stone spoke on the subject of having a sense of urgency. Stone was a business tycoon who had made his fortune in insurance. His session was titled ‘Do It Now,” and one of the things he told us was this: ‘Before you get out of bed every morning, say ‘do it now’ fifty times. At the end of the day before you go to sleep, the last thing you should do is say ‘do it now’ fifty times.

I’m guessing there were about eight thousand people in the audience that day, but it felt like he was talking to me personally. I went home and, for the next six months I actually followed his advice. The very first thing every morning and the last thing before I went to sleep, I repeated the words ‘do it now.’ It gave me a tremendous sense of urgency.”

Want to most powerfully hold and navigate that dynamic tension between how far you can go and where you are right now?

Try this on:

Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now.

Just reading that creates a tremendous sense of urgency, eh?

When I interviewed Phil Stutz and Barry Michels about their great book The Tools (see Notes + chats), they both told me their favorite Tool was the first one which is all about “reversing our desire” to avoid pain/fear/etc.

They teach us that, rather than hide from the things that freak us out a bit, we need to lean into them—silently (yet powerfully!) saying to ourselves, “BRING IT ON!!!” “I LOVE PAIN!” “PAIN SETS ME FREE!”

Why? Because, as we’ve discussed many times, our infinite potential exists on the *other side* of our fears that lock us into our comfort zones. We need to tap into the Higher Force of Forward Motion by training ourselves to LOVE those uncomfortable moments that give us such a wonderful opportunity to GROW.

I think they’d like this little “Do it now!” mantra.

P.S. For your reference, here’s your AM script: Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now.

And here’s the PM script: Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now.

Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. That’s the Law of Consistency. It doesn’t matter how talented you are. It doesn’t matter how many opportunities you receive. If you want to grow, consistency is key.
John C. Maxwell
No one likes it when they’re in the middle of a bad experience. It’s usually just painful. But if they manage the experience well, then they enjoy talking about it afterward. It becomes a great war story.
John C. Maxwell

Discipline = Bridge btwn goals + Accomplishments

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. That means developing great habits. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments, and that bridge must be crossed every day. Over time that daily crossing becomes a habit. And ultimately, people do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future. …

What are you doing daily that needs to change? What needs doing? Maybe more importantly, what needs undoing? Advice columnist Abigail Van Buren quipped, ‘A bad habit never goes away by itself. It’s always an undo-it-yourself project.’ What are you willing to change doing today in order to change what you will be doing tomorrow?”

This is from the chapter on the Law of Consistency.

Maxwell repeats this phrase a number of times throughout the book: “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.”

And I LOVE (!) the image of discipline as the bridge between goals and accomplishments.

Remember: We need to cross it daily.

Reminds me of my interview with Navy SEAL Commander, Mark Divine. As we discussed his mental toughness classic Unbeatable Mind (see Notes), he told me that SEALs need to earn their trident every day. The training and testing to become a SEAL is the most grueling on the planet.

But that’s only the beginning. Then they need to cross the bridge every.single.day.

The same is true for us.

So, let’s get specific here.

What do you need to change in your daily routine?

What’s the #1 thing you need to START doing that, as you build the habit of doing it DAILY will have the most positive impact on your life?

#1 +1 = __________________________________

And, what’s the #1 thing you need to STOP doing that, as you completely (!) eliminate it from your life, will have the most positive impact on your life?

#1 -1 = __________________________________

Fantastic.

Here’s to cultivating the discipline to cross the bridge from our goals to accomplishments.

Every.Single.Day.

Anyone who does what he must only when he is in the mood or when it’s convenient isn’t going to be successful. The secret is following through.
John C. Maxwell
You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.
John C. Maxwell

Thanking those who dug the well

“A Chinese proverb says that those who drink the water must remember those who dug the well. Everything we do, every accomplishment we have, every milestone we pass has come in part because of the efforts of others. There are no self-made men or women. If we can remember that, we can be grateful. And if we are grateful, we are more likely to develop good character than if we aren’t.

Confucius asserted, ‘Humility is the solid foundation of all the virtues.’ In other words, it paves the way for character growth. And that sets us up for personal growth. These things are definitely connected.”

That’s from a chapter featuring The Law of the Ladder: Character Growth Determines the Height of Your Personal Growth.

Reminds me of Patricia Ryan Madson’s brilliant wisdom in Improv Wisdom (see Notes) where she challenges and encourages us to wake up to see all the “silent gifts” we receive throughout the day.

It’s a really (!) powerful practice.

Are you reading this on a computer or a phone or a piece of paper?

Pause for a moment and imagine the incredible array of human beings who came together to bring this moment to life for you. Can you see them? Can you thank them?

Same thing as we drive on the roads and take the showers and enjoy every aspect of our lives.

I deliberately practice this nearly every time Emerson and I hang out. As we see Ernesto (our local garbage guy), we say “Hi!” and thank him for all his hard work and help keeping everything nice and clean (and for waving at us every time we wave at him as he drives by!). We say “Hi!” to and thank Alfonso and Francisco for keeping the park so clean (laughing as I type that because Emerson often prefers helping them clean up the playground more than actually playing on the stuff there—hah!—who’s to say what’s “fun,” eh?).

So many silent gifts.

As we drink the water that is our astonishing 21st century lives, let’s remember those who dug the well.

And, as per the final chapter on the Law of Contribution, let’s do our own digging to the best of our ability.

Comparing yourself to others is really just a needless distraction. The only one you should compare yourself to is you. Your mission is to become better today than you were yesterday.
John C. Maxwell

Allow yourself to grow slowly w/ deep roots

“I’m aware that I’m an especially impatient person, but I think all people naturally desire for things to come to them quickly and easily, including personal growth. The secret isn’t really to want more or want it faster. It’s to put more time and attention into what you have and what you can do now. Give three times the effort and energy to growing yourself. And allow yourself to grow slowly and with deep roots. Remember that a squash vine or tomato plant grows in a matter of weeks, produces for several days or weeks, and then dies when the first frost comes. In comparison, a tree grows slowly—over years, decades, or even centuries; it produces fruit for decades; and if healthy, it stands up to frost, storms, and drought.”

That’s from the chapter on the Law of Design: To Maximize Growth, Develop Strategies.

The #1 strategy to maximize growth? We need to be in the game for the long run.

Maxwell references Darren Hardy and his Compound Effect (see Notes) a number of times throughout the book. As Darren advises: “The Compound Effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices. What’s most interesting about this process to me is that, even though the results are massive, the steps, in the moment, don’t feel significant. Whether you’re using this strategy for improving your health, relationships, finances, or anything else for that matter, the changes are so subtle, they’re almost imperceptible. These small changes offer little or no immediate result, no big win, no obvious I-told-you-so payoff. So why bother?

Most people get tripped up by the simplicity of the Compound Effect. … What they don’t realize is that these small, seemingly insignificant steps completed consistently over time will create a radical difference.”

In short: “Small, Smart Choices + Consistency + Time = RADICAL DIFFERENCE.”

Remember: Tomato vines grow quickly and die quickly when challenged. Let’s allow ourselves to grow slowly with deep roots so we can be in the game for the long term as we allow the benefits of our hard work and wise choices to compound over time!

P.S. Another big strategy? Ask yourself: “What is the most valuable use of my time right now?” Then do that.

Master the basics. Then practice them every day without fail. Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.
John C. Maxwell

Trade-Offs

“Most people try to take too many things with them as they journey through life. They want to keep adding without giving anything up. It doesn’t work. You can’t do everything; there is only so much time in a day. At some point, you reach your limit. Besides, we need to always remember that if nothing changes, nothing changes!

A lot can be learned about trade-offs from a checkers game. As someone once said: Surrender one to take two; don’t make two moves at one time; move up, not down; and when you reach the top, you have the freedom to move as you like. If you want to reach your potential, be ready to make trade-offs. As author James Allen said, ‘He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much.’”

The idea that we can “Have it ALL!” is a myth. Everything comes with trade-offs.

The question is: Are we aware of the trades we’re making and are they consistent with our deepest values and highest aspirations?

Are you trying to do it all and, in the process, unconsciously making trades that just aren’t worth it? Unless you’re a Saint (congrats!), the answer, of course, is almost certainly yes.

What’s one wiser trade you can make?

“Can I?” —> “How can I?”

“At first glance, the questions Can I? and How can I? may appear to be very similar. However, the reality is that they are worlds apart in terms of results. Can I? is a question filled with hesitation and doubt. It is a question that imposes limitations. If that is the question you regularly ask yourself, you’re undermining your efforts before you even begin. How many people could have accomplished much in life but failed to try because they doubted and answered no to the question ‘Can I?’

When you ask yourself, ‘How can I?’ you give yourself a fighting chance to achieve something. The most common reason people don’t overcome the odds is that they don’t challenge them enough. They don’t test their limits. They don’t push their capacity. How can I? assumes there is a way. You just need to find it.”

Immediately after typing that I busted out my notepad and asked myself “How can I?” regarding a creative project I’m working on. I had been asking (albeit unconsciously) “Can I?” And, as expected, that led to hesitation and doubt. As I reflected on “HOW can I?” I shifted my attention to precisely what I’d need to do to make it happen. There’s no question I CAN do it, it’s just a question of HOW. A little astonishing how powerful that is, actually.

Can I? —> How can I? = Super powerful.

The difference between where we are and where we want to be is created by the changes we are willing to make in our lives. When you want something you have never had, you must do something you’ve never done to get it. Otherwise, you keep getting the same results.
John C. Maxwell

About the author

Authors

John C. Maxwell

Bestselling author and speaker on leadership.
Become a Heroic Member