Personal Growth: 5 Things You Must Stop Doing Now

If you are not growing, this is why! How are you managing your personal growth? Do you feel stuck, despite constantly hard at work? For many professionals, personal growth can feel like an elusive goal. Growth isn’t just about adding more tasks to your plate—it’s about eliminating the habits and mindsets that unknowingly hinder our progress. If you’ve found yourself spinning your wheels but not moving forward, it’s time to take a step back and reassess your approach.

Today, we’ll break it down five things you must stop doing to unlock your personal growth—habits you may not even realize are keeping you stuck.

Whether you’re a busy professional in Singapore, Malaysia, or beyond, these habits could be the silent blockers that prevent you from achieving the success you’re capable of. Hence, we must start examining these habits and ask ourselves the right questions.

1. Personal Growth needs to plan, but overplanning just kills it

It’s natural that we need to plan for personal growth. And overplanning might seem productive, but it can often result in personal growth stagnation. Many professionals get stuck in the loop of “planning” without ever taking the first step toward execution. Then, procrastination creeps in at the intersection of fear, friction, and false productivity. Here’s exactly where it will hijack our progress.

This often happens when perfectionism kicks in.

• The problem: Overthinking and excessive planning can cause decision fatigue. According to a study by Roy Baumeister on decision fatigue, people are less likely to make quality decisions after a series of mental exertions.
• The truth: Perfectionism doesn’t lead to progress; it leads to procrastination.
• Possible scenario: A startup founder spends months tweaking the business model and website, but never launches the product because it’s “not perfect.” Meanwhile, their competitors are launching imperfect products and learning from real-time feedback.

Actionable Tip: Start with small steps. The best way to break the overplanning habit is to take Minimum Viable Action, however small. Embrace imperfection as part of your personal growth.

Sometimes, we need to own self check own self. Start by asking yourself: What’s one project you’ve been overplanning for too long? Take that first step today!

2. Stop Thinking Too Big—Small Steps Lead to Big Results

To empower our personal growth, we need to dream big and start small. Dreaming big must be contextualized. The ideology of dreaming big must be embedded in a grounding principle during planning. Thinking too big can often paralyze action. Many professionals aim for grand goals like “reaching six figures” or “launching a global brand,” but get overwhelmed by the enormity of the task.

• The issue: Setting large, overwhelming goals without breaking them down can lead to feelings of paralysis and subsequently demotivates the effort.
• The truth is that personal growth is more achievable when you focus on small wins and incremental progress rather than massive, overwhelming targets.
• The research: Kaizen, a Japanese principle that encourages small, continuous improvement, has been proven to foster long-term success. Small, consistent changes lead to exponential progress over time.
• Possible Scenario: A project manager decides to improve one small aspect of their workflow each week. By focusing on small improvements, they increase their productivity without feeling overwhelmed.

Actionable Tip: Break down your big goals into small, actionable steps. To stay emotionally invested, we need small wins. Each small action or small win contributes to your personal growth, moving you closer to your larger vision.

What’s one small step you can take today to begin making progress? What’s the small win you can achieve?

3. Staying in the Comfort Zone Destroys Personal Growth

Comfort zones can feel safe, but they also totally stunt your personal growth. As professionals settle into stable careers and routines, they often avoid risks, only to find that this stagnation can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction.

• The problem: Staying in a predictable routine limits the opportunities for personal growth. The fear of change is natural, but so is the excitement that comes with reinvention.
• The research: Studies on neuroplasticity have shown that embracing new challenges can allow us to continue to grow our brains and skills throughout our lives.
• Possible scenario: A senior manager in their 40s was stuck in a rut, staying in the same role for years. Once they learned new skills and undertook a new project outside their usual scope, they reignited their career and rediscovered their passion.

Actionable Tip: Identify one area of your life where you’ve been staying too comfortable. Challenge yourself to take a risk that will spark personal growth.

What’s one area where you’ve been avoiding change? Take a small step today to break free from your comfort zone.

4. Stop Blaming Time—Focus on What Truly Matters

“We do not have time”. We probably hear that too many times. Many professionals believe they lack the time to focus on personal growth. However, it’s not a lack of time—it’s a lack of focus and priority.

• The issue: Multitasking reduces cognitive control and can lead to reduced productivity.
• The truth is that focusing on one task at a time is far more effective for personal growth than trying to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Possible Scenario: You said to yourself, “I need to learn AI to improve my employability, but I really do not have time.” But once I started using AI for my work, my productivity went up, and I started prioritizing AI and exploring different possibilities with it.

Actionable Tip: Eliminate distractions and focus your energy on the tasks that matter most. Time audits and prioritizing high-value tasks are key to accelerating personal growth.

What are the tasks that are holding up your time?

5. Stop Chasing Everything—Focus on One Thing That Matters

In today’s hustle culture, we’re often told to “do it all” or not to put all eggs in one basket. But trying to hand-on multiple projects at once can actually hinder personal growth. Scattered energy leads to burnout and minimal returns.

• The problem: Dividing your attention between too many things reduces your effectiveness and limits progress on any task.
• The truth: Focus on one thing at a time. Greg McKeown’s studies on essentialism show that when we focus on fewer, more meaningful tasks, we accomplish them with greater precision and efficiency.
• Possible Scenario: A successful entrepreneur stopped juggling side projects and focused all their energy on their core business, leading to faster growth and greater success.

Actionable Tip: You can’t have all the money from the table. Narrow your focus and eliminate distractions. Commit to one meaningful project and give it your full attention to accelerate personal growth.

What’s one thing you’ve been chasing that you can now let go of to focus on something more impactful?

Final Thought:

Personal growth isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing less but with strategic intent. The habits you’ve been holding on to—overplanning, thinking too big, staying in your comfort zone, blaming time, and chasing everything—commonly and secretly prevent your growth.

By achieving personal growth strategies such as small steps, staying focused, and taking calculated risks, we can unlock our true potential. Growth doesn’t happen in a straight line, but with consistent effort, small changes, and intentional action, we can create the life and career we desire.

Start today. Focus on one thing that’s holding you back, and take a small step toward growth.