My morning routine has a regular consistency. I get up early, drink water, and have my coffee mixed with MCT powder and protein powder. I then read and journal, writing down some observations and insights. I then take time to pray, meditate, plan the day and think. Often, I get an insight or two; below is one of them I would like to share. 

As I listen to people and observe their actions, I have concluded that almost everyone wants to make positive progress in their life but often they don’t know how. They try several things and often quite in frustration. Reflecting on my own life, I observed that I follow a definite pattern of growth and forward progress. My focus has moved from a goal-oriented approach to a growth-oriented approach. I still set goals for the month, quarter, and year but observed that I don’t just try to “go up” to success I seek to “grow” to success. 

Here are three steps I take to grow to success:

1. Get knowledge. I am a continual student and love to learn. It’s important to recognize that when an opportunity presents itself, it’s too late to prepare. I recently narrowed & focused my learning on three main areas. It’s my 3M approach to learning - Marriage & Family, Mission & Life Purpose, and Marketplace (Personal Leadership Growth). This focused learning has been a game-changer.
2. Get understanding. I take time to meditate and think about what knowledge I am currently gaining and how it might connect to what I already know. I then think about how to apply this knowledge with understanding and then add strategy and action. I ask questions about what could work and then develop an action plan.
3. Take action. I have discovered that thinking and planning are both important, but nothing changes without taking action. When you take action be ready to evaluate the outcome (positive or negative) and make course corrections along the way. Use the feedback to get better and then refocus the next action step moving towards success.