Personal growth isn’t a destination. It’s not something you master and check off a list.

It’s an ongoing process of building, layer by layer, based on where you are right now.

But here’s what most people miss: growth isn’t about reaching some perfect end state. It’s about identifying the minimum requirements for moving forward.

What Are Minimum Requirements?

Think about how buildings are constructed. Before the walls go up, there’s a foundation. Before the roof goes on, there’s a frame. Each layer has minimum requirements that must be met before the next can begin.

Personal growth works the same way.

Minimum requirements aren’t roadblocks. They’re welcome signs - signals that show you exactly what needs to be built to move forward.

When you understand your minimum requirements, you get:

  • A practical blueprint for where to focus
  • Sustainable progress aligned with your current reality
  • Clear direction when you feel stuck

No guesswork. No waiting for the “right time.” Just intentional movement.

The Problem with Chasing Mastery

We’re sold the idea that personal growth means becoming a master at everything - productivity, relationships, health, mindset, all of it.

But that’s not how growth works.

Major life changes can send you back to earlier layers. A new job, a relationship shift, a move to a new city - any of these can require revisiting foundational requirements before you can build upward again.

And that’s not failure. That’s how sustainable growth happens.

The Layers of Forward Motion

Growth happens in layers. Each layer has:

  • A minimum requirement (what you need to build)
  • A corresponding drag (the resistance holding you back)

When you identify the drag in your life, you can flip it to find your minimum requirement.

Feeling disconnected from people? Your minimum requirement might be initiating one meaningful conversation this week.

Struggling with follow-through? Your minimum requirement might be keeping one small commitment to yourself.

Lost in overthinking? Your minimum requirement might be taking one concrete action before the day ends.

The minimum requirement is always the inverse of your drag.

Why This Framework Works

Most personal growth advice assumes you’re starting from zero or that everyone needs the same things.

But you’re not starting from zero. You’re starting from where you are - with specific drags, specific circumstances, specific layers already in place.

Minimum requirements meet you there.

They’re not about perfection. They’re about identifying what’s actually needed to move forward from your current position.

This makes growth:

  • Practical - Based on real obstacles, not theoretical ideals
  • Sustainable - Built on what you can actually do, not what you “should” do
  • Aligned - Connected to your life as it is, not as it might be someday

How to Find Your Minimum Requirements

Here’s the simple framework:

  1. Pick 1-2 areas where you feel stuck - Don’t try to fix everything at once

  2. Describe the drag - What’s the resistance? What’s holding you back?

  3. Identify the inverse - Flip the drag to find your minimum requirement

  4. Take one action - Do something small and concrete to address it

For example:

  • Drag: “I research endlessly but never start”
  • Minimum requirement: Take one imperfect action today
  • Action: Spend 15 minutes on the project, messy and incomplete

Or:

  • Drag: “I set goals but never follow through”
  • Minimum requirement: Build one small proof of reliability to myself
  • Action: Keep one tiny promise today, no matter what

The specifics matter less than the movement.

Growth Is Continuous, Not Complete

I used to think personal growth meant reaching a point where I’d “figured it out.”

But the truth is simpler: growth is about continuous, intentional progress based on what’s required right now.

The layers change. The minimum requirements evolve. And that’s exactly as it should be.

You’re not broken when you need to revisit earlier layers. You’re building sustainably.

Your Turn: Identify One Minimum Requirement

What’s one area where you feel stuck right now?

What’s the drag - the resistance holding you back?

Flip it. That’s your minimum requirement.

Now take one small action to build it.

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Always… follow your compass.

- Josh