We expect anything alive, over time, to show changes. Some of those changes are predictable—growth, wear and tear, ageing, improvement, or eventual decline. These are the natural rhythms of life. Of all these changes, growth is perhaps the most fascinating to observe, even though it is rarely visible on the day to day inspections.
I have two boys, aged one and three, and it amazes me to watch their old videos and pictures. They are growing at a remarkable pace, yet I do not notice the changes when they wake up each morning. It is only after months that, when I revisit those memories, I truly see how much has changed. That, to me, is a powerful lesson.
If you are working on something and expect to see results overnight, you will likely be disappointed. Daily checking often leads to discouragement because the changes are too subtle to detect. That is why many people grow frustrated and quit early, believing that nothing is working.
Yet growth is rarely absent—it is simply unseen. There are indirect ways to recognise it, and these can give you the courage to continue. Consider the universal principle of a seed: once sown, even as it breaks down beneath the soil, it is preparing to grow. In time, it pushes through the surface, develops leaves, and eventually bears fruit. Your role is simple but essential—keep nurturing it. Water it. Remove distractions. Stay consistent.
Growth, in its truest form, is often uncomfortable. That discomfort is not a signal to stop but an indication that something is stretching within you. The sleepless nights, the anxiety of trying something new—these are not signs of failure but evidence of expansion. Over time, you will notice that challenges which once felt overwhelming begin to feel manageable. That is growth revealing itself.
Another way to recognise progress is by what you leave behind. Growth requires release. You cannot evolve while holding on to everything you once were. Old beliefs, outdated patterns, limiting identities, even certain relationships, some of these, you have to shed to make room for who you are becoming.
In truth, growth is often invisible in its early stages. You may not feel different while it is happening. It is only in hindsight—when you reflect on who you were months or years ago—that the transformation becomes clear. A conversation you can now handle. A reaction you have outgrown. Evidence that change was happening all along.
If discomfort fuels growth, then comfort can quietly prevent it. Comfort keeps you in familiar spaces, within the safety of what you already know. It traps you in a state of mild dissatisfaction—where things are not ideal, but not uncomfortable enough to force change. That space can hold you still for years.
So, flip the script. Get comfortable being a beginner. Get comfortable being wrong. Get comfortable not having everything figured out. That is where growth begins.
At the same time, remember that growth does not always demand a grand celebration. It is not always loud or obvious. But that does not mean there is nothing to acknowledge. Learn to recognise and celebrate small wins—they are the markers of progress.
If there is one thing to remember, it is that the strongest evidence of growth appears slowly, not suddenly.
Do something today that stretches you—something that leaves you slightly out of your depth. Start something new. Have the conversation you have been avoiding. Try the skill you keep postponing. Step into the discomfort; that is where growth begins.