The Growth Process: Generation Z.

Hello family. It’s Dee again. I missed you all so much! I took a not-really-deserved break but I think I’m back on board now! I hope you all are good and that 2021 has been wonderful so far? I’m rooting for you whichever way.

A week ago, Twitter was on fire with banters from Millennials and generation Z. While Millennials think the latter is rather immature and over-privileged, Generation Z thinks they’re too uncool and might have walked in the footsteps of older generations. Just so you know, I’m here offering moral support to Gen Zs😘

Millennials are those born in the mid-80s to the mid-1990s while Generation Z are born between 1997 to 2012 (23-9)

To be completely honest with ourselves, we all can’t grow without personal development. And as much as we need all-round growth in every area of our lives, there are vital areas we should really prioritize. Today, I’ll be sharing 4 important areas we need to grow as Generation Z (you’re welcome 🤗)

1) Physical Growth.

This is the development of body composition, stronger bones, and muscles.

Practical Tips on How to Enhance Physical Growth.

• Eat Healthy Foods: The same food that does magic and nourishes the body can harm you when taken without careful consideration. Stay away from junk if you want to have a healthy lifestyle. Take in more vegetables and fruits. You could be creative with this and do a fruit salad. Instead of carbonated drinks, try blending fruits to make juice or make smoothies.

• Exercise Daily: You don’t need to own a gym membership card before you can exercise. Jog around your neighborhood. There are several stay-home exercises on the internet. I’ll recommend you check out Chloe Ting on YouTube. Brace yourself up though for a memorable experience. But if like me, (*hides face in shame*) you can’t handle Aunty Chloe, then you could get a skipping rope and challenge yourself daily. It’s important to know that you don’t necessarily exercise to shred weight but to keep fit.

• Staying Up Late is NOT the New Cool: I know this could have been arguable if it was in the era of midnight calls and extra cools (Sorry, Nigerian millennials) We’re Gen Zs and we have WhatsApp calls and FaceTime. Lol. Healthy sleep duration is for seven to eight hours a night. Not the next morning. That’s why God created the night, you know. Sleeping early legit makes your day better by far and if not for any health reason, do it to wake up less grumpy in the morning.

• Laugh More: According to research, laughter is the best medicine for human health. Imagine having to do away with Paracetamol or even worse, Coartem, because you laugh so much. What a blessing!

• Be Positive: Have a positive attitude. Smile always. Do good to yourself and everyone around. Only entertain positive thoughts. You’re not a failure. You’re a blessing. A success. A trailblazer.  Reserve your energy for better things than quarrels or keeping malice with another person. This will drain you. Finally, my brethren, resist the urge to use the F-word on haters, or rather, 8ters.

2) Emotional Growth.

This refers to understanding what our feelings and emotions are and how to manage them effectively. I hear some people say Gen Zs are most likely to turn out spoilt (when we’re not fried rice😒) I think it’s wrong. Maturity in this area depends on how intelligent you are emotional.

Practical Tips on How to Enhance Emotional Growth.

• Accept Responsibility: It’s not a weakness to be responsible. Know when to say sorry and to apologize when you’re wrong. Ignoring or avoiding responsibility only shows how immature you are.

• Own Your Mistakes: Hard! I know how you feel. Nobody likes to be criticized, scolded, or punished. But that’s exactly what you might get when you own up to your mistakes. The good news is that it allows you never to make the same mistake again.

• Setting Healthy Boundaries: This has to deal with the people you relate with. Set standards for people even your friends. Don’t just keep going with the crowd, but intentionally choose who you call friends and set boundaries. If you’re not comfortable with the way they tease you, the jokes they make, the things they do towards you, let them know! If some people’s toxicity is too much for you to handle, let them go!

• Manage Your Negative Emotions: I know how passionate you are, that whenever you’re angry, your words could burn down an entire village. I know what happens when you’re overwhelmed, you try to shut every person out of your life. It’s best to know how you react in certain situations and work on them if they are not good enough. Try talking to a close friend or even a sibling when you’re overwhelmed. When you’re angry, try breathing practices (Old but golden!) Examine what you want to say in your mind and have a meaningful conversation with the person that offended you.

3) Academic Growth.

This involves the improvement of things related to learning and studying in a school or college environment.

School na scam, school na scam, but everybody wants to have a profession, and undergraduates want a magna cum laude result. (Graduating with honors)

Practical Tips on How to Enhance Academic Growth.

• Set a schedule for study time. Let this schedule include the subjects or topics you would like to go through, set a preferable time for each subject. Go through questions from previous exams to test yourself.

• Recognize your weakness in subjects or topics and effectively work on them. You could ask for help from senior colleagues or classmates who are good in those areas.

• Do not be an island of knowledge. Get friends that have the same goals as you, which I think should be to succeed. Start a study group with them. Together, you all can achieve more and be better.

• Discipline is the Key: It’s one thing to say “I’ll do it.” It’s another thing to actually do it. Be disciplined enough to let go of procrastination and laziness and actively focus on your studies.

4) Spiritual Growth.

Of course, I saved the best and the most important for the last. This is the advancement of the relationship between God and Man. The best kind of relationship everyone must have, I tell you.

Practical Tips on How to Enhance Spiritual Growth.

• Pray Daily: Prayer is communion. It’s worship. It’s loving God. It’s for self-edification and it promotes spiritual growth. Prayer should be done intentionally. Leave it to your feelings to make time for you to pray and you’ll find yourself not praying for weeks. Find a STABLE place and choose a FIXED time when you want to pray. Then you remain consistent and show up daily!

• Study The Word: Studying the word is as important as prayer is. The word is what sharpens our life, gives us direction and clarity, and guides us on the journey of life. Make out time to study God’s word. Not just reading it but meditating on it and applying it to your life. That’s where your all-round growth lies.

• Listen to Sermons: You know what’s better than having a great leader and preacher of the Word? Two or more great preachers!! I’ll recommend Pastor Mike Todd. Pastor Emmanuel Iren and Apostle Joshua Selman. Their sermons are available on YouTube.

• Read books by Christian authors. You don’t where to start from? Try Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, then come say thank you later. Read works of Karen Kingsbury, Opeyemi Akintunde, and other beautiful Christian writers. You can follow my blog too for edifying stories and articles☺

• Keep a gratitude journal. Write down how faithful God has been to you, write down testimonies of what He has done for you. It’s your track record of God keeping His word.

Growth is a process, as we all know. A journey. Sometimes smooth. Sometimes like a rusty vehicle on a bumpy road. Still, we strive and work hard to become better versions of ourselves.

I’ll be rooting for you, as always.

I love you all❤