Why Growing Alone is Harder
Growth is never a straight line. It’s messy, full of unexpected challenges, and often requires us to push past deeply ingrained beliefs. But one thing is certain: growing alone is much harder than growing with support.
Jorge Padilla’s journey with Growdie over the past month is a perfect example. I’ve seen firsthand the progress he’s made—it’s been incredible. Was it perfect? No. But that’s the point. Growth isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing up, adjusting, and refusing to quit.
If he had been doing this alone, would he have made it this far? Probably not.
Challenging Excuses & Breaking Old Beliefs
We all have excuses that hold us back—stories we’ve told ourselves for years that keep us from taking action. For Jorge, one of those beliefs was that working out with less than 6-7 hours of sleep would do more harm than good.
When he brought this up, I asked him, “How many times have you slept more than 6 hours and still didn’t work out?” He laughed, realizing the flaw in his thinking. So I said, “This feels more like an excuse. You need to break that now.”
That morning, he almost quit on the treadmill at minute five. But then he thought, “These are the moments to push yourself, to train your mind to do a bit more.” By minute 12, he felt energized.
If he had been doing this alone, who would have challenged him? Who would have pushed him past that excuse? Without accountability, he might have walked away from the treadmill and continued believing that belief for another decade.
Navigating Setbacks Without Losing Momentum
Growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Life happens—emergencies, travel, unexpected disruptions. One day, a dental emergency threw Jorge’s entire schedule off. It would have been easy to let it derail him completely. Instead, he reframed it:
"These are the days that can easily throw one out of routine. Your text message was a reminder that I need to be aware that days like these will happen and have a plan to pivot my routine."
If he had been doing this alone, he might have let that setback knock him off course for days, maybe weeks. That’s how most people lose momentum—not because they fail, but because they don’t have a system to help them get back up.
Even after a golf trip, he didn’t just fall off completely—he planned how he’d integrate his priorities and pick things back up when he returned. That level of commitment didn’t happen overnight. It happened because accountability made him aware of the patterns that used to hold him back.
The Power of Accountability & Community
At the start, Jorge was figuring things out on his own. But as the month went on, his level of engagement grew—and so did the support around him. This week, he had a moment that perfectly illustrated how much accountability had become part of his process.
Another Growdie member and I were on a call with him, helping him set up his habits, correct course, and keep his momentum going. He had a mix-up with his Growdie habits and debated whether he should fix it or just move on. At first, it seemed like a small thing. But then he realized:
"Small things matter, and fixing things in the moment is part of the growth process."
If he had been doing this alone, he might have just let it slide. And sure, one small mistake isn’t the end of the world—but those small things add up. That’s the beauty of accountability. Over the course of the month, Jorge went from trying to do everything perfectly in the app to embracing the process, experimenting, and allowing himself to enjoy the journey.
He’s no longer just completing activities—he’s actively engaging with a community that challenges and supports him. And the impact of that has been clear:
"Because of Growdie, I started this week strong and ready to grow."
Why Growing Alone is Harder
The truth is, Jorge had tried growing alone before. He had the same goals, the same knowledge, and the same motivation—but what changed this time was accountability.
Without it, he might have…
Let old excuses keep him stuck.
Allowed setbacks to derail his progress.
Gotten caught in perfectionism instead of taking action.
Quit on the treadmill that morning instead of proving to himself that he could push through.
But because he wasn’t alone, he kept going.
Final Thoughts
Jorge’s story is proof that growth isn’t about getting everything right the first time—it’s about staying in the game. And that’s the hardest thing to do when you’re on your own.
The real challenge isn’t just forming new habits; it’s learning how to keep going when life gets in the way.
And that’s why growing alone is harder.
Having a community, accountability, and a system that helps you pivot instead of quit? That makes all the difference. 💯