Practical Growth Through Conversation: My Interview with Michal Stawicki
On a recent episode of my podcast, The Life Unscripted with Rosabel, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michal Stawicki, an author and personal growth advocate from Poland, known for his pragmatic approach to self-improvement.
Michal shared how his journey into personal development began unexpectedly when he stumbled across Jeff Olson's book, The Slight Edge, while visiting family in Ireland. He described how the book’s concept—success and failure resulting from simple, consistent actions—deeply resonated with him and prompted him to make meaningful changes in his life.
During our conversation, I was intrigued by Michal's creation of a personal mission statement inspired by Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Michal explained that crafting this statement became his compass, guiding him to align his daily actions with his deeper goals. His advice on how listeners could create mission statements through introspection felt particularly insightful.
I asked Michal about balancing practical methods with abstract concepts like visualization and gratitude. He initially admitted to feeling skeptical about these methods but eventually recognized their power through personal experience and scientific research. Michal emphasized gratitude as particularly transformative—a sentiment I deeply connected with based on my experiences.
One topic I was especially curious about was Michal's transition from his career in IT to becoming a full-time author. Michal candidly shared his significant challenges, such as replacing a stable salary and dealing with skepticism from friends and family. He highlighted the importance of community support, reinforcing my belief in building a supportive network.
Michal and I discussed extensively how family influenced his personal and professional growth approach. He explained his strategy for balancing work and family life by adapting his writing schedule around his commute and creating a flexible business model. This conversation resonated with my own experiences in balancing ambition with family responsibilities.
I found Michal's philosophy of taking small, sustainable steps particularly relatable and valuable. He illustrated this with his personal story of overcoming shyness by breaking down his goal into manageable actions, reinforcing the powerful message that incremental changes can lead to significant breakthroughs.
I asked Michal how he recommends listeners track their personal growth. He suggested practical metrics, emphasizing the consistency of actions over immediate results, particularly in less tangible practices like gratitude. This helpful advice seemed immediately applicable and beneficial for our listeners.
Our conversation highlighted continuous learning. Michal shared his preference for reading to stay updated on personal development. He encouraged listeners to find methods that resonate with them, an idea I fully support based on my learning journey.
Finally, we discussed Michal's future goals. He mentioned his current focus on mindfulness meditation techniques he's learning from a client, reflecting his ongoing commitment to personal growth. Michal’s key takeaway—that passion grows through consistent action—was a message that deeply resonated with me and provided valuable inspiration to our audience.
I hope this conversation with Michal provides practical insights and inspiration for our listeners, highlighting how consistent, small actions can drive transformative results.
To explore more of Michal’s insights, visit ExpandBeyondYourself.com.
