Like with anything in life, you can actually be growing in a way that you don't care about. Assess your direction and progress periodically to check for whether you are growing in a way that you find meaningful and significant.
You decide what meaning the events in your life have to you.
https://yourmeaninginlife.com/blog/you-can-find-meaning-in-whatever-happens-to-you
Asking where you see yourself in five years is a good exercise to determine both where you're going and what you want to be doing today to reach your desired future state.
https://yourmeaninginlife.com/blog/where-do-you-see-yourself-in-five-years