Tangibles and Teachables: The Two Pillars of Growth
Success is built on two key pillars: Tangibles and Teachables. Whether you’re striving for personal growth, professional excellence, or spiritual fulfilment, understanding the difference between these two concepts can help you create a balanced approach to achievement.
Tangibles
They are the measurable, visible, and concrete outcomes of your efforts and at the same time they are also examples of the consequences of your choices and lived experience. They are the results that you can touch, see, or quantify. Tangibles give you a sense of progress or failure, they are a clear indication of the level of your effort but they are only part of the equation.
Teachables
They are simply the lessons learnt wrapped in wisdom, and character-building experiences that shape who you are. They include learning from failure and setbacks, development of patience, resilience, and discipline; they are the strengthening of faith and deepening of spiritual insight and lastly it is the gaining of emotional intelligence and wisdom in all types of relationships.
Teachables are the intangibles. They are the things that cannot always be measured but are equally (if not more) important than tangible success.
Tangibles Vs Teachables
Many people focus solely on tangibles, chasing results without valuing the journey. Others embrace teachables but struggle to translate their lessons into action. The key to sustainable success is to balance both and here are some tips to achieve this successfully:
For every tangible goal, ask yourself: What do I need to learn to achieve this? If your goal is to increase your income, the teachable might be financial literacy or better time management. If you want to deepen your faith, the teachable could be learning to trust God in uncertainty.
A promotion is tangible, but the leadership skills you develop along the way are teachables. Celebrate both and acknowledge your wins but also reflect on how you’ve grown in the process.
A mentor provides tangible guidance (skills, opportunities), but they also share teachable lessons from their experience. Likewise, as you grow, mentor someone else by passing down both knowledge and wisdom.
At the end of each month, ask:
By consciously balancing tangibles and teachables, you create a life cycle of progress, fulfilment and purpose.
Success isn’t just about what you gain, it’s also about who you become through the process. As you walk through the next month, learn to chase your goals with intention and don’t overlook the lessons that shape your journey.
In the comment section below I welcome you to share some of the biggest teachables you’ve gained in life and feel free to reshare this article in your timeline to reach someone who needs to hear this message!