Why We Say We Want Growth, But Resist Everything That Creates It

We talk a lot about growth.

We post about it. We plan for it. We say we want it.

But when growth actually shows up, it rarely feels exciting.

And that’s exactly why we resist it.

We’re addicted to the feeling of progress — the dopamine hit of a new planner, a new habit, a fresh goal.

But the real work of growth isn’t exciting.

It delivers discipline. And that’s where most people check out.

Here’s the Truth:

We want to be grown, but we don’t want to go through the growing.

Because growing often looks like:

• Feeling exposed

• Getting bored

• Choosing discipline when nobody’s watching

• Letting go of what used to work

• Continuing even when motivation fades

Most people quit too soon — not because they’re incapable, but because they expected it to feel good the whole time.

For me, it takes about three months to fully integrate a habit.

Not 21 days. Not even 30.

I give habits time to get challenged.

I want to see if they can survive travel, stress, disappointment, and schedule changes.

That’s how I know it’s real — not just something I do when life’s easy, but something that holds even when it’s not.

Paul’s Growdie Journey:

Since January, Paul has logged 2,820 growth activities inside Growdie.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Priorities completed: 506

• Habits completed: 2,254

• Challenges completed: 56

• Goals completed: 4

But what makes this powerful isn’t the number, it’s the type of activity.

Paul’s most consistent actions weren’t big moves or public milestones.

They were the foundational habits most people overlook.

Here are Paul’s Top 10 Most Logged Activities (January–April):

1. Write down 10 things you’re grateful for

2. Sit in tech-free silence for 5+ minutes

3. Write a journal entry

4. Read a passage of Scripture

5. Read an article

6. Set aside 5+ minutes for prayer or meditation

7. Sleep for 7+ hours

8. Weigh yourself

9. Workout for 30+ minutes

10. 10,000 steps a day

There’s nothing life-changing about doing any of these once.

But doing them over 200 times?

That starts to produce something in you that’s worth it.

So Ask Yourself:

• Where have I confused excitement with progress?

• What habits have I abandoned because they didn’t feel good fast enough?

• What would change if I gave my habits 3–6 months instead of 3–6 days?

Growth won’t always feel good.

It’s supposed to stretch you.

But if you stay in it long enough, you’ll become someone stronger, clearer, and more grounded — not just when things go right, but when they don’t.

Let the boredom do its work.

Let the habit get challenged.

Let the growth stick. 💯