Growth

Growth

Better, Not Perfect

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, February 15 2023

There is a great saying for anyone trying to get work done: "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." I say it all the time when trying to talk executives back from a perfect three-year plan to focusing more on a clear understanding of what you need to achieve and a plan that shows progress and value toward those outcomes over time vs. a...

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Growth

Life Is Getting Better Every Day

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, January 11 2023

It is easy to get caught up in the doom and gloom that the 24-hour news cycle perpetuates. In addition, there is always the reality as any individual ages that death is the end of the line and can come at any time. So, of course that combination can cause many people to become pessimistic and believe that life is sad and painful. But, as pointed...

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Growth

Happiness without Growth Is Like Getting an A without Learning

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, December 28 2022

One of the more (in)famous analogies from The Meaning of Life: A guide to finding your life's purpose is the relationship between happiness and growth being like the relationship between grades and learning. The reason for the analogy is that a large portion of the population is married to the idea that happiness is the meaning of life and so no...

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Growth

When Growth Goes Wrong

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, December 21 2022

The Meaning of Life: A guide to finding your life's purpose goes into a lot of detail about how growth is the point because all life strives to be in a better state over time. It differentiates this purpose from happiness, which is the indicator of growth, such as when you feel happy after eating, sex, sleeping, or physical activity. One of the...

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Meaning

Conflating Ethics and Meaning Can Create a False Sense of Progress

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, October 19 2022

Every well-adjusted person wants to be viewed as a good person. “Good” in this case means ethical. Everyone follows rules to live their lives optimally, and ethics are rules to follow when other people are involved to maximize your own growth while minimizing any harm done to anyone else in the process. But is that enough to find meaning and fulfil...

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Growth

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Is About Prioritizing Growth Opportunities

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, October 12 2022

Anyone who’s ever taken an introductory Psychology class knows Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The hierarchy reviews the order of priority of needs for humans’ growth. At the base is biological needs such as food and water. Without having those basic needs met, no organism will be able to survive for long. The second level is safety—again, this is abo...

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Growth

The Benefits of Rest

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, August 31 2022

Many people out there will hear that the meaning of life is growth and think, “Well, then, I’ve gotta get to it!”  A short time later, you’ve burnt yourself out.  Don’t conflate growth and effort; let’s explore. Everyone knows that to accomplish your goals in life, effort is required.  Students study, employees and entrepreneurs work, and investors...

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Growth

Your Failures Aren't a Waste

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, August 24 2022

Do you remember your first steps? (Probably not) Do you remember someone else’s first steps, such as a child’s?  In either case, there was a lot of failure involved in the process.  Maybe the child wasn’t strong enough yet, or maybe they fell a bunch of times.  Maybe they were scared.  Yet no one remembers that nor points to their failures while le...

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Growth

New, Better, More

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, August 10 2022

If someone were to ask me what their life mantra should be, I would suggest, “New, Better, More”.  Why?  Because that’s what keeps life interesting, engaging, and meaningful.  Let’s discuss. This blog and the book, The Meaning of Life, talk a lot about growth.  Growth is ultimately the point of life, as all living organisms strive to grow and it ma...

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Meaning

And Then What?

Nathanael Garrett Novosel, August 3 2022

When talking about the meaning of life, you always have to start by defining your terms.  Why?  Because people almost always equivocate when you don’t.  You can look up the definition of life in the dictionary, for example, and no one will claim that that’s what they meant.  In addition to the literal definition of life, other meanings of “the mean...

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