“I'm continually trying to make choices that put me against my own comfort zone. As long as you're uncomfortable, it means you're growing.” ~Ashton Kutcher 

Defensiveness is the biggest deterrent to learning, professional and personal growth and positive change.  Most of the time we don’t recognize when we’re standing in the way of our own progress.

Here’s the number one way you can tell if you’re stopping yourself from learning and becoming more.  When someone makes a suggestion, do you respond by explaining why you do what you do?  If so, your internal mental Border Patrol is making an argument for your status quo.  Justifying your behavior is a sure way to stay stuck in old, outdated patterns.

Another way you thwart your own growth is when you tell others they don’t understand your situation or circumstances, you’re limiting your ability to make progress with your life.

If you’re at cause for lackluster progress in your life, stop justifying your behavior and start identifying more with your vision for your life.  Tell a new story.