The power of community
Goal Setting | Implementing New Goals | Personal Growth
New month, new theme. October will be dedicated to implementing all the goals you set for yourself last month. Consider me your cheerleader, your kind friend or maybe your kick in the ass. 😉 Whatever you need to start implementing your goals.
This month is also the official start of the Growth Club. All the founding members already gathered last week, set their goals, and so October is also the start for them to start implementing their small actions and work with their accountability partner.
On top of that, I just signed up for a programme myself (incl. accountability groups and regular live calls) and so the topic of community came naturally to me. It’s true that it’s about your goals, but wouldn’t it be easier to have a supporting community cheering you on? Wouldn’t we all benefit from having a caring and supporting community having our back when working on our personal and professional development (or life in general)?
I have saved the following post by Thrive and I like to look at it from time to time, and it also motivated me to launch the Growth Club. It’s a perfect summary of how you can stay committed to a long-term goal.
What does community mean to you?
It’s hard to describe what community actually means and I also won’t share any official definitions with you as they don’t matter. What truly matters is what it means to you. So if you have a moment, maybe you want to grab a pen and paper and start answering the question what community means to you.
Maybe it’s about your circle of friends, or about your theatre group. Who are the people you can count on to hold you accountable? Who is there to cheer you on and to also tell you that you could do better (in a kind and loving way 😊)? What would you like to start doing and is there already a community out there?
And don’t despair or feel ashamed if you don’t have an answer right away. You might be searching for your community right now and that’s totally fine.
A video I go to regularly is the following one: This Speech Will Make You A Better Leader. It is a summary of a long interview with Judah Smith. It’s from 2018 (and I’m a bit shocked that this is 5 years ago…) and he speaks about leadership, compassion, community and accountability. The longer interview with him has a part where he says (and I’m paraphrasing) “Even if you didn’t find your community yet, then find it. It doesn’t have to be people you know, it can be someone you look up to - listen to their podcasts, read their books, surround yourself with their energy.”
When I heard that phrase back then, I felt relieved. Finding “my people” hasn’t always been easy and I also feel like it’s a constant process. Nonetheless, don’t give up and keep on going. 💪
How to find your community?
When you know what you are looking for, it will be much easier to find it. (This doesn’t only count for a community, by the way.) Or if you want some “GPS metaphor” - “Next destination: your community.”
Your best friend in this endeavour is…drumroll please…the internet (What a surprise, right?).
There are Facebook groups, Meetups, associations and clubs for probably everything you could think of. If you don’t find a group directly in your city, why not join an online community? I once also made a great connection with someone thanks to a LinkedIn group we were both active in. Our shared interest and exchange turned into a friendship and he even helped me with my PhD proposal (yes, I actually considered doing a Phd at one point in my life).
You would be also surprised what would happen if you shared your wish with friends and colleagues. Sometimes you would be surprised to see what your colleagues do in their freetime or who your friends know. Don’t be afraid to talk about and even if it’s just about hanging out after work or having a coffee together. The worst thing that can happen is that they say no, but if you don’t try, you never know.
I mentioned the Growth Club at the beginning and it is my newest baby so to say. So of course I have to mention it here again. You can find out more about this (virtual) place to grow, reflect and connect with like-minded people here. And although the founding members special is closed, I opened a waiting list for the actual launch next year, so you can put your name down in case you are interested in working on your personal and professional growth.
Receiving and giving - pay it forward
This is maybe for some of you who are already more advanced in their community searching endeavours, but nonetheless a topic I wish to mention in this context.
Keep in mind that you are not the only one feeling lonely sometimes and looking for people who are there for you, who you can have a good time with, and who also share some of your interests.
On top of that, I’m sure that you have many talents and skills that others would love to have. So why not share them with the world? Volunteering for a cause you feel passionate about can be extremely rewarding and fulfilling. It gives you a feeling that you cannot buy with any amount of money.
Full disclosure: I’m very biased here as I quit my job and accepted a part-time job to dedicate the other part-time (but let’s face it, it was more than that…) to an NGO I co-founded, because I simply believed in it and wanted to take it further. I wasn’t paid for it and also struggled financially at one point, but I rarely felt as fulfilled and in line with my values and purpose than during that period of time.
So try it out as you might find your community (and so much more) going that way.