By Kristine Sanabria

I was the youngest of five children, with two brothers and two sisters and my mother and father. Given the significant age gap between me and my siblings, negotiation became a way of life. I met every request with discussions and decisions involving my siblings and parents.

Over time, I became accustomed to my siblings serving as our family’s executives or board members, my mother as the CEO/CFO, and my father as the COO. What I have also grown accustomed to is my passion for self-growth and self-care. I invest in my self-love journey and embrace my maturity, always seeking new challenges and opportunities to showcase my potential.

When boarding new chapters in our lives, particularly at the start of a new year, we often think of the distinction between self-care and self-growth as the same when they are different. We can’t blend the two and think the efforts are the same. However, self-care and self-growth have different lanes and mean different things that seem similar,

and we can easily blend the two into one.
In this article, I will delve into the differences between self-care and self-growth and guide you in establishing a balanced approach that leverages both strengths for the new you into the new year.

Two in three people in America do not practice self-care, and only 39% of men say they consistently make time for it, while 32% of women say they do.

Self-care implies regular practices and activities that individuals engage in to reduce stress and maintain and enhance short- and long-term health and well-being. Self-care shows up in various activities, from getting enough sleep and eating healthily to engaging in leisure activities that relax the mind and body. Some examples of self-care include, but not limited to can be: exercising, healthier skin & hair care, salon care & beauty, and spiritual activities.

As (CSMs), we’re not just experts in meeting our customers’ needs but also consumers of products and services. We gain firsthand insights into our needs and expectations through our customer journey. For instance, scheduling an appointment with a nutritionist. Consider that appointment being a kickoff meeting and custom a weight loss meal plan to be your success plan, effectively transitioning into a successful customer experience.

These experiences involve a meal plan or a success plan that can lead to positive outcomes within 30 to 90 days after proper onboarding, education, prescriptive approaches, and regular follow-ups.

Occasionally, if a service does not meet our expectations related to self-care goals, we may churn and share our negative experiences with others. We endorse and potentially provide positive feedback through customer satisfaction and referrals.

Next time you think about self-care, I invite you to explore some examples of how you can create boundaries and protect your well-being.

In customer success professions, If you’re wondering how to incorporate
self-care into your work routine, here are some examples that contribute to overall well-being:

• Adequate breaks throughout the workday – don’t eat lunch at your desk!
• Have walking meetings where you take meetings outside.
• Create a work environment that supports your physical health.
• Build a routine that promotes mental wellness.
• Set communication time boundaries – don’t answer emails/calls after hours!

In contrast, self-growth (or personal growth) refers to improving oneself by acquiring new skills, knowledge, and experiences that contribute to personal development and self-improvement.

Studies indicate that up to 70% of individuals fail to accomplish their goals, often due to closed-mindedness, self-doubt, and self-limiting beliefs (characteristics of a fixed mindset).

Self-growth encompasses a variety of experiences and challenges that push an individual beyond their comfort zone. It involves setting personal goals, developing talents, and learning from failures.

As a CSM, create a path for yourself as a brand and thought leader within your domain. I invite you to develop custom key performance indicators (KPIs) and plan your success to foster growth.

Now is the moment to unleash your potential while your mindset is open to transformation.

In preparation for my transition to post-sales, I took a gap analysis on myself and made a plan a year in advance during my tenure at my previous company. Driven by my growth mindset, invested in upskilling within my domain, connected with communities, learned from other professionals, and invested in coaching to understand my strengths and gaps.

I gained valuable insights into my preferences and motivations and am continuing the journey. Growth has no time stamp because I am passionate about being a learner. Self-growth has failures, challenges, mistakes, successes, no plan, learning lessons, and gap analysis.

As CSMs, we have capacity planning tools for every account; I invite you to exercise these tools for yourself as well. Observe the gaps and the areas that need work. Once you know the gaps, be intentional about your path towards self-growth.

In customer success professions, next time you are thinking about what self-growth may look like, I invite you to explore some examples of how you can create opportunities to explore your highest potential of self-growth practices:

• Get comfortable with developing self-awareness and a gap analysis about yourself.
• Do it Now.
• Face the fear and do it anyway.

Customer success professionals possess a unique perspective as they continually prioritize the interests of both the customer and the organization, making their role highly visible to an organization. By being strategic with yourself and your values first, you will become even more powerful in serving others. Remember that self-care and self-growth are not mutually exclusive; they complement each other in creating a journey transforming yourself to reach your highest potential.

Start becoming unapologetically selfish because you have only one version of yourself. When you create a better version of yourself, clarity will appear in every choice and interaction you make. Keep leading!