"The unexamined life is not worth living." – Socrates
Carving out time for effective self-reflection is key to living a fulfilling life. When we reflect internally, our train of thought can end up unclear and scattered. Plus, any insights we do have are easily forgotten. This can lead to us feeling stuck.
An alternative? Setting goals using the GROW model.
The GROW model is a four-step process for guided introspection that leads to increased self-awareness and profound personal insights. It's particularly helpful for people who:
- Feel stuck, overwhelmed or stressed
- Lack clarity about what it is they want to achieve
- Are prone to overthinking
- Struggle to take action and create long-lasting change
Planning Your Way to a Better Future
Sir John Whitmore and his colleagues first outlined the GROW model in Coaching for Performance back in 1991. Coaches use the GROW model as a structured framework for guiding conversations and facilitating goal achievement. The model can also be used as a self-coaching tool. GROW is an acronym that stands for:Goal
Reality
Options
Will
Step One: Goal
What do you want to achieve? This step is about digging deep and discovering what it is you really want, as opposed to what you think you should want.Example Grow Questions
- Where do you most want to see change in your life?
- What do you really want, in an ideal world?
- Reflect on when you've felt the most content in life. What was happening?
- What would your life look like if other people's opinions didn't matter?
Step Two: Current Reality
Step two is the part that’s usually missing from every day conversation, as we so often jump straight into our options. Reflecting on the present helps you develop a greater understanding of your current situation, which often generates new insights. These insights then naturally feed into exploring your options.Example Current Reality Questions
- What’s happening right now?
- What impact is this having on you?
- What are your reasons not to change? What are you gaining from how things are now?
- What will happen if you don’t take action?
- What are your options?
- What would be the easiest first step?
- What’s worked for you in the past?
- If achieving this was easy, what would it look like?
- How committed are you to this on a scale of 1-10?
- How could you make doing this more enjoyable?
- What do you think would need to happen for you to be more committed?
- How can you break this down into small action steps?
Step Three: Options
When you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and where you are at the moment, you move onto considering your possible action steps.Example Options Questions
Step Four: Will (or Way Forward)
The final part of the GROW model is to decide on your small action steps for creating positive change. You also reflect on your commitment levels and consider whether there's anything you can do to feel even more committed.Example Will Questions
A Workbook for Using The GROW Model
The GROW Planner (25 page PDF)
- Like the sound of the GROW model? Begin your practice today with The GROW Planner, included in The Mental Wellbeing Toolkit.
- Includes 64 GROW model questions for profound personal insights.
- Gain clarity and develop a stronger sense of life direction and purpose.
- Keeps your focus small so you feel inspired and motivated – not overwhelmed.
- Stay consistent and make change happen - includes phone reminders to give you quick and easy access to key information on the go.
Are you a therapist or coach? This tool is for personal use only. You can access our professional license toolkit here.