Never stop growing

3 lessons from a life of 1% daily growth

I was sitting in my car, smelling the Febreze Car Fresh air freshener mounted on the AC vent.

Staring out the open window at a palm tree next to my storage unit.

Slight breeze on my face. 

I’ll never forget this moment. 

I had just decided to start a journey of self discovery. 

And the journey was starting with journaling. 

I had to establish my guiding principles. Learn what made me tick. 

The first step was writing down my thoughts as they struck.  

So I opened my notes app and typed: 

"Always progress. Be 1% better every day. Never stop growing."

My first journal entry.

So why was continuous self improvement the first principle that came to mind?

Let’s rewind the tape 10 years…

“I hate mediocrity.” I said to my wife on one of our first dates. 

Yes, I’m aware how cringey that sounds now. 18-year old Swanagan was very melodramatic. How embarrassing. 

But the point is, continuous self improvement has always been important to me. 

I blame it partly on growing up poor. The only way out of poverty was to expand my sphere of awareness through constant learning and voracious curiosity. 

Some manifestations of this combo:

• Started playing guitar at 15; was touring the US in a professional band at 17. 

• 1st generation college grad; promoted to senior level engineering position 1 year into my first job out of college. 

• Was 60 lbs overweight in high school; lost it all with diet and weight lifting, and have stayed in shape since. 

• Worked a 9-5; started and operated a service-based business with 30 customers on the side.

So, exploring my curiosities to a very deep level of growth has always been part of my life. 

But two years ago, that first journal entry poured gas on my continuous improvement flame. 

I started the daily process of journaling, trying new things, and taking note of the energy-giving activities. I found my passion: writing.

And I’ve written every day since. 

My thoughts are clearer, my actions more intentional, and my life is on a totally different trajectory. 

I don’t settle for a static understanding of myself; instead, I actively seek out what energizes me and pursue it.

So down to the nitty gritty. 

I’ve found at the end of the day, the hard part of consistent, compounding growth is mental warfare.

Here are the top 5 lessons I've learned that help me get over the mental barriers and hack my brain for maximum, daily gains. 

1\ Write everything down

Track every goal by writing them down. This is non-negotiable. 

“What gets measured gets managed.” - Peter Drucker

It’s the same principle as tracking calories. You are way more likely to turn down that donut if you have to put in your calorie tracking app.

When you write, your mind gets clearer. 

Putting it on paper makes it real.

2\ Improving 1% every day doesn’t feel like progress. 

Sometimes it feels like failure. 

And it’s never comfortable. 

Until you hear “Wow, you made that?!” 

Or, “Dang, someone is on steroids” (it’s just creatine, mom)

Then it feels like progress.

3\ Competition is an amazing tactic for personal growth

There’s nothing like the drive that manifests from seeing your peers doing better than you. 

Definitely be happy for them. Genuinely. 

But use that fire in your belly to push further up your own mountain.

4\ Establish a starting point

Sure, you want to get 1% better everyday. 

But better than what? What’s your starting point?

Figure that out first. Introspect. Be brutally honest with yourself. 

The first step to leveling up is understanding which level you’re on. 

Then start from there.

5\ Pain loses its power when you are working hard

Reason #333 to put the hammer down on your goals. 

Life is always going to be full of pain. Don’t make it an excuse.

Instead, use this pain as a propeller to get you to the next goal and then the next.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

“When your life becomes a process rather than an outcome, the perception of your daily life reflects that, and your suffering decreases. If you are the project, and each subsequent project presents a certain level of challenge that can be met with lifelong learning, your life is structured for maximum and sustained enjoyment." - Dan Koe

Let’s get it. 🚀