What does growth mean to you?

growth means more, but more is not always better.

in our personal lives more is clutter - stress - worry - mental overhead - brainspace - anxiety. if we grow our commitments, schedule, workout routine, or delivery order too often, we explode.

in business, more can be good or bad.

service models means 2 new clients in, 1.25 new team members out. so your income is variable (clients) while your expenses are fixed (personnel). it's a juggling act that every agency and freelancer has to learn for themselves.

recurring subscription models like SaaS web applications means 100 new clients in, 0 new team members out. it's sort of a magic trick. but even then, more is accompanied by cancellations, bugs, fires, and bad reviews.

in other words, growth is a double-edged sword. the fisherman's parable captures this sentiment by illustrating that once you've grown "enough," you're likely to wish you were back where you started, tinkering and having fun. mixing gratitude with amibition can help.

at my companies, of course i want to grow. but i want to grow sustainably. i don't want 50 customers in, 49 customers out. i want raving fans. i want evangelists who share my products not for a referral fee, but because it makes them look good.

in my personal life i want to grow my skillset. that's why i'm teaching myself Korean, earning a six pack, and recording original music. these endeavors have nothing to do with money. it's growth reformed -- not more, but better.