Scott H Young

I feel my explanation of the differences between vertical and lateral growth deserve a little more attention. I wrote it rather in a surge of ideas, so much so that I forgot to even mention why I am referring to them as vertical and lateral.

Vertical objectives are those that require us to reach high. Anything that is in the form of a specific objective is likely a vertical goal. Earning more money, losing weight, starting a business, overcoming fear, even building confidence are all vertical objectives.

Society tends to recognize this form of growth the most. Ask someone who they think is successful and they will likely say someone such as Bill Gates, Donald Trump or Tiger Woods. People we usually associate with money, skill and excellence. However growth, and success, are not represented on a linear scale.

Lateral growth extends the linear thinking of personal growth into another dimension. A two-dimensional view of growth encompasses much more of what we need in order to consider our lives excellent. Lateral growth involves experiencing new things, traveling to new places, even falling in love.

I call this type of growth lateral growth because it generally doesn’t require a challenge. Usually this kind of growth allows us to experience or recognize something that was there all along. In a sense, this type of growth comes from broadening our experience of life. In a sense, this forms an axis that runs perpendicular to vertical growth.

Any growth we experience can vary from being highly lateral or highly vertical. The key to using this to have a great life is to discover that it is the total area we seek, not the height or width.

Look at this diagram.

This would represent a person who is primarily devoted to vertical growth. Such success oriented people are generally rich and powerful. They are disciplined, motivated and set goals. Ultimately, however, these people lead narrow lives. They don’t enjoy things and spend most their time pursuing things that will all be gone when they are dead.

In essence, the total area of their graph is rather low, even if it is very high.

Now look at the above diagram.

This would represent a person who is primarily devoted to lateral growth. These people tend to explore, have fun and be spontaneous. Unfortunately, these people are also restricted in the quality of their lives. They lead shallow lives without meaning, never feeling any real sense of achievement or satisfaction. In the end they rarely create a true impact others lives.

Now I want you to look at the diagram of a balanced set of personal growth.

As we can see, the total area of this persons graph is far greater than either of the two before it. These people live lives of greatness, success and hope. These people live lives filled with exploration, discovery and beauty. These people are both happy and fulfilled.

You may have noticed something unfair about my graph. In the third graph, the person has the same level of vertical growth as the former and the same level of lateral growth as the latter. Certainly there has to be a tradeoff?

I believe that this tradeoff does occur. Often the richest, most successful people end up working a lot harder and have less time to truly enjoy life. Those who live life as a wandering exploration tend not to achieve as many meaningful objectives.

There is however, two important points to consider.

The first is that, even if we halved the lateral and vertical growth to create a graph that was 50/50, it would create a shape with more area, that is to say, a better life, than either of the other two graphs. In this case, the tradeoff is not linear. Achieving a closer to equilibrium state is the key for a maximum life.

The second point is even more subtle. As you try to increase your vertical growth without increasing your lateral growth, you create an unstable life. This life eventually means that in order to make even small increases in lateral growth, you must make larger sacrifices in lateral growth and vice-versa. By changing your schedule from an 80 hour workweek to an 85 hour workweek, you may have to cut out all time to spend with family or to try new things. This small tradeoff for increased vertical growth has cost you heavily in your lateral growth.

My point is simple. By achieving a balance between the two forms of growth you have a far, far better life than you would if you focus exclusively on one or the other.

Is the balance 50/50? I think that depends on each person. Just remember that by shrugging off one form of growth to focus exclusively on the other will only lead to a life that is far less than you are capable of experiencing.

I’m going to leave you to think about that. Tell me, are you primarily vertical or lateral? Do you feel you have balance?

Here is a question open for discussion, in which I’d love to hear your response:

I’ve talked about vertical and lateral growth. Two dimensions. Could there possibly be a third dimension to personal growth? If so, what would it be? What do you think it is?

Yesterday I confronted myself with a difficult question. What is personal development? How can I define certain tasks as being related to personal development, and not others. Is personal development just goal setting and pushing yourself?

My response to that was a resound “No!” A component of personal development definitely involves using goals and pushing yourself, but I would consider taking part in activities that broaden our experience of life to be growth as well. So how can I define personal development or growth?

Then it hit me. Personal growth doesn’t really fit nicely into one category, so I decided to write this post about what I feel are the two different types of personal development. Both are necessary for our development, but they differ considerably in the approaches and tools used to get them.

Vertical Growth

This is what most people think of when I talk about personal development. Vertical growth is the process of achieving, pushing ourselves and ambition. This type of development is characterized by facing challenges, struggle, pressure and pain. Ultimately this type of development also gives us our greatest triumphs and victories.

Techniques such as goal setting are ideal for vertical growth. Setting goals can allow you push yourself harder than you would normally. Goal setting is the process of identifying exactly what you want, and taking the actions required to get it.

Vertical growth is the most talked about form of personal development. I think most people could benefit from some serious vertical growth, the kind that would get them to see the amazing power they can wield to shape their own life. Vertical growth creates fulfillment, challenge, and triumph.

Ultimately vertical growth is the archetypal hero’s story. We are sent on a journey. We meet up with a wise man who teaches us and gives us weapons in our journey. We encounter horrible monsters in our journey such as dragons, trolls or goblins. Ultimately we slay the dragon, rescue the princess or return with the fabled treasure.

People love this story. It is in every ounce of literature, and it is basically the story of vertical growth. Ordinary people taking on extraordinary tasks. This is the kind of growth that inspires, motivates and fulfills.

Lateral Growth

There is, however, another form of personal development which is easy to neglect. This is what I will call lateral growth. Goal setting, drive and motivation are not the primary tools of this kind of growth. For those of you who are over-achieving goal setters, this kind of growth might be a little foreign to you. Simply because the tools we are so used to, don’t work as well as they do in this new arena.

Lateral growth is the expansion of experience. Lateral growth means exposing ourselves to new ideas. Lateral growth means increasing consciousness itself.

This type of growth can take many forms. Traveling to foreign countries to experience a different culture. Taking up a new hobby or pastime. Reading a different genre then your normal habits include. Meditation and quiet reflection.

I have read a book called Goal Free Living by Stephen Shapiro. In the book, Shapiro identifies that we shouldn’t set goals. He mostly goes on to say that we should always keep our options open, looking for new opportunities and always be trying something new. Being an avid goal setter, I was a little troubled about his ideas, simply because a lot of them made sense.

But now I realize that Shapiro was only partially correct. Shapiro was trying to identify lateral growth as the primary form of personal development. Just like success authors who attribute vertical growth as the only kind, he was giving a lot of truths but missing the complete picture. We need both to have a great life, not just one or the other.

Shapiro consistently said that goal setting was the problem. That having too many goals cuts off our ability to explore multiple options or routes. This goes against all of my research and personal experience with goal setting, so at first I was a little concerned.

But now, I understand that he was right!

Goal setting doesn’t really work that well with lateral growth. Motivation, achievement and discipline are not the tools of this area. Setting a goal to expand your consciousness likely won’t lead anywhere. Setting a goal to improve this type of growth would be like using a carefree attitude to become a millionaire!

So if goal setting and discipline aren’t the tools of this growth what can we use to capitalize on this form of personal growth?

The tools are varied but simple. Awareness, passion, spontaneity and exploration are the key components of this kind of growth. Becoming more passionate and observant is critical to using this kind of growth to your full abilities. An opportunistic attitude is necessary, as well. Whenever you see opportunities to improve this form of growth, you need to take advantage of them.

I’ve given a lot of attention to the second form of personal development in this article, does this mean I prefer it? Certainly not. Both are absolutely necessary to have a great life. Without vertical growth you live a purposeless life without any real sense of genuine challenge, fulfillment or drive. Without lateral growth you live a narrow life focused on objectives and deadlines, living a life that is narrow in experience and bland.

I mention lateral growth because I think a lot of people believe that my own personal obsession in to personal growth means I focus exclusively on the vertical. They then infer that means I never really get to experience and enjoy life from a variety of angles. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

People are varied. Some people will prefer to lean to the vertical side of personal development, while others lean to the lateral side. Despite your preference, you need both to live the richest life possible. Even within your own life you will likely go through phases that shift focus from one type to the other.

The biggest lesson to take home all of this is that both these types of growth require different tools, skills and concepts to be effective in them. Goal setting and achievement philosophies are easier to come by nowadays, so those who study personal development may unintentionally neglect the skills needed to improve lateral growth.

In the end, a big question that comes up is how do you balance achieving with enjoying? How do you balance achieving your goals with really enjoying the life you have? The key is a balance between these two forms of growth. Instead of taking a vacation from your busy goal-setting schedule by cutting off personal growth entirely, why not take a trip to the other side of personal development and have some lateral growth?

Harness the tools of vertical and lateral growth. Master goal-setting and discipline for the former and creativity and awareness for the latter. Live a life with both sides of personal development and get the most out of your life!