How can you measure the impact of meditation on your personal growth?

I'd caution against making meditation something you have to measure and analyze. The whole point is to open you up to the side of yourself that isn't pure logic or irrational fear but rather just simply you. If you want a goal make it to simply practice allowing. Let go of the need to do and just be.

Use your vision plans (Whether that is a vision board, journal etc) and pick which vision you wish to meditate on as a goal for now. Personally, when doing this I use a journalling/meditation combo where I meditate and journal what comes up in my thoughts. I can then intuitively work on each action, or refine the thoughts as they come up. I work on 1 at a time but typically have 10-14 vision statements or goals at any point in time. Sometimes I rotate which I work on daily; others, I will concentrate on one and see the progress I get. It depends on my mood and my comfort level with the goal.

Meditation involves freeing our minds and living in the present moment, without attaching ourselves to specific goals. In the long term, we may begin to notice results as we practice mindfulness in every aspect of our lives.

I use a journal to assess my feelings. I'll journal as much as I remember coming up after the meditation session. Even noting the "silly" or "unhelpful" feelings I get. These help me judge the quality of the session I have had. It also allows me to see progress. The more sessions I mediate on the goal, the clearer the action steps are, and the more I feel I achieve. I also copy the action steps to a to-do list, so that I can track progress over what it is I need to do each day/week/month, etc. A combination of emojis, or colour inks, help reflect my mood. And particularly unhelpful feelings go into my "burn journal" (To burn in a shamanic fire ceremony when the book is full)

I often review the results of my meditations weekly, typically, on a Sunday. I look at what progress I have made, also noting any additional resistance or blocks I find. Any unfinished todo's get analysed. E.G. was it too big for a week? Did I procrastinate? If so, why? Often, this takes my Sunday meditation time up nicely, although occasionally I do this as an additional session. I then give the week a mark out of 10. Anything below a 5 is poor. 5-7 is "making progress" and 8-10 is "massive progress". I only score myself a 10 when I complete a goal/vision and update my vision board. I aim for 7 or 8 most weeks. This shows great steady progress. I've used other systems, and other more specific ways, but for me, this works best.

The following traditional zen story and quote seem pertinent, given the tenor of the rest of this article... A meditation student went to his teacher and said earnestly, “I am devoted to studying your system. How long will it take me to master it?” The teacher’s reply was casual, “Ten years.” Impatiently, the student answered, “But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice every day, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?” The teacher thought for a moment, “20 years.” "Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti