{"id":18843,"date":"2025-07-15T09:16:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T07:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/?p=18843"},"modified":"2025-08-01T08:55:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T06:55:43","slug":"to-grow-or-not-to-grow-that-is-the-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/grwth-idea-en\/to-grow-or-not-to-grow-that-is-the-question\/","title":{"rendered":"To Grow or Not to Grow \u2013 That Is the Question"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

“The pain of growth is temporary, but the pain of unfulfillment lasts forever. On your path, choose what pain you\u2019re willing to carry.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Let\u2019s imagine we\u2019re a seed. We can stay buried in the soil \u2013 it\u2019s warm, comfortable, and safe. But if we stay there, we begin to rot. Because being alive means growing. Growth is not really a choice. To grow is to live.<\/p>\n

My mentee, friend, and coach Sandra Boskovi\u0107 \u2013 a professional athlete and entrepreneur \u2013 once shared something with me that deeply resonated. She explained what happens when athletes or even recreational exercisers take a break. And in her explanation, I recognized something I often say to my clients. Sandra used a vivid metaphor that I want to share with you.<\/p>\n

What Happens When We Stop<\/h3>\n

Sandra said, “Once someone reaches a certain fitness level, even a break longer than two weeks leads to stagnation and a decline in physical abilities.”<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019d say this pattern applies far beyond physical training. It touches every aspect of our lives \u2013 our careers, relationships, emotional intelligence, creativity, leadership, and problem-solving skills.<\/p>\n

Our bodies are efficient machines, Sandra explains. If we don\u2019t give them stimulus, they quickly begin to shut down anything they deem unnecessary.<\/p>\n

But what about our minds? Our hearts? Our souls?<\/p>\n

Mental capacities and emotional skills may decline more slowly than muscle mass, because they took longer to build. But they do<\/em> decline. We may not notice a mental dip after two weeks, like we do with cardio endurance, but months of stagnation will erode our critical thinking. Years without reading, curiosity, or leaving our comfort zone, and we lose the sharpness we spent decades cultivating. We lose the courage we fought hard to build. We lose our mental fitness and cognitive wellness.<\/p>\n

Why We Fear the Pause<\/h3>\n

Deep down, we know what Sandra is saying is true.<\/p>\n

I know brilliant managers who stopped investing in their growth. They believed they had already achieved enough and that their knowledge and skills would last forever. Today, they\u2019re shadows of who they once were. Not because they made mistakes, but because they stopped<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I know people who had beautiful marriages, but thought they could stop nurturing their relationship. \u201cEverything\u2019s fine,\u201d they\u2019d say. Today they\u2019re divorced \u2013 or living like roommates under the same roof.<\/p>\n

And then Sandra added something that struck me:
A break of just two to four weeks leads to a significant drop in physical capacity \u2013 strength, cardio endurance, speed… which then leads to muscle loss and increased body fat.<\/em><\/p>\n

Translated into our metaphor: when we stop growing, we don\u2019t just lose what we had \u2013 we regress to a level below<\/em> where we started. Because while we stand still, the world does not. Technology advances. Standards rise. Expectations grow. What was \u201cenough\u201d yesterday won\u2019t be tomorrow.<\/p>\n

But beyond the world \u2013 stillness is harmful for our brilliant minds.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Cost of Coming Back \u2013 or Why It\u2019s Better Not<\/em> to Stop<\/h3>\n

Sandra\u2019s insight about returning to previous form is painfully true for life, too:
“It takes at least half the length of your break to regain your previous fitness level \u2013 as long as the break wasn\u2019t longer than two months. So, if your pause lasted one month, you\u2019ll need at least two weeks of consistent training to get back on track.”<\/em><\/p>\n

And in life? The math is often worse.<\/p>\n

When we pause our professional growth, it can take twice as long to catch up. When we neglect our emotional intelligence, it takes even longer to rebuild the ability to understand ourselves and others. Because while we pause, others move forward. While we wait, the world evolves.<\/p>\n

And if we\u2019ve been on pause for longer than \u201ctwo months\u201d?
Sandra says the time needed to return grows to a 1:1 ratio. In life, it\u2019s often even worse. Sometimes we can\u2019t return to the previous level, because it no longer exists.<\/p>\n

This is especially true in relationships with friends, family, or partners. Even if we want to come back, we may find there\u2019s nowhere left to return to.<\/p>\n

So What Can<\/em> We Do?<\/h3>\n

Sandra offers a practical tip:
“Short aerobic sessions every 3\u20134 days can help slow down performance decline. A 30\u201340 minute bike ride, brisk walk, jog, or swim \u2013 it all helps.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Translated into life terms: small, consistent doses of growth keep us in shape.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t attend a big leadership seminar? Listen to a podcast while you walk.
Can\u2019t do couples therapy? Ask your partner a meaningful question tonight.
Can\u2019t finish a whole book? Read a page a day.
Can\u2019t switch careers? Learn one new skill per month.<\/p>\n

The key is consistency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Better five minutes every day than one hour once a week.
Because just like muscles, the brain remembers continuity<\/strong>, not intensity.<\/p>\n

The Question Isn\u2019t If<\/em> \u2013 It\u2019s How<\/em><\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve never met someone who said, \u201cI regret working on myself so much.\u201d<\/em>
But I\u2019ve met many who said, \u201cI wish I had tried harder to stay at my best.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Growth is the hygiene of existence. Growth is the daily workout of the successful. Growth is life.<\/p>\n

Saying \u201cI don\u2019t have time for development\u201d<\/em> is like saying \u201cI don\u2019t have time to breathe.\u201d<\/em>
You can hold your breath briefly, but long-term, you\u2019ll suffocate.<\/p>\n

Sandra closes with this:
“Fitness declines quickly after a full stop, but even light cardio can slow the decline and help you bounce back faster when conditions improve.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Gaga\u2019s Message to You<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t wait for the perfect moment to grow. The ideal moment is now.
Don\u2019t wait to \u201cfigure it all out\u201d<\/em> before working on yourself.
Growth is<\/em> what helps you figure it all out.<\/p>\n

And before you go, here are a few questions to keep your mental fitness sharp:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    In which area of your life have you been \u201con pause\u201d lately?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    What did you stop doing, even though you know it used to help you be better?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    And more importantly: what can<\/em> you do today \u2013 even just 30 minutes of light \u201ccardio for the mind\u201d \u2013 to stop that form from fading completely?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Because, as Sandra reminds us, you can<\/em> take a break, but think carefully about how much it will cost you to come back.<\/p>\n

    And I\u2019d add:
    Will you even have the strength to come back?
    Will there be<\/em> anything to come back to?<\/p>\n

    Now those<\/em> are questions worth reflecting on.<\/p>\n

    With gratitude to Sandra Boskovi\u0107<\/strong> for sharing her expertise and giving me a deeper understanding of how physical and personal growth are so deeply intertwined. And for inspiring me to keep training \u2013 both my body and my stamina for life \u2013 every day.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    “The pain of growth is temporary, but the pain of unfulfillment lasts forever. On your path, choose what pain you\u2019re willing to carry.” Let\u2019s imagine we\u2019re a seed. We can stay buried in the soil \u2013 it\u2019s warm, comfortable, and safe. But if we stay there, we begin to rot. Because being alive means growing. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[789],"tags":[844,845,843,810,846],"class_list":["post-18843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-grwth-idea-en","tag-emotional","tag-intelligence","tag-mental-fitness","tag-personal-growth","tag-self-improvement","odd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18843"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18863,"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18843\/revisions\/18863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draganadjermanovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}