Your personal development is an important aspect of your life. Some who are fully immersed in the fast pace of their work oftentimes forget themselves in the process.
Personal development is important in your happiness and contentment. When you are content and happy, it also translates to your work. Whether it’s learning a new skill or checking off an item in your bucket list, a happy personal life is necessary for your confidence and happiness.
From listing down your goals to joining leadership training events, here are the things that you can do for your development.
1. Know what you want to improve and learn.
First off, you will need to identify the things that you want to learn and improve. List down your goals, and set deadlines to push yourself to achieve them. It can be as simple as learning how to cook to as complicated as learning a new programming language. It can even be as personal as being more minimalistic in your lifestyle or waking up early.
2. Read about the things you want to learn.
One of the simplest ways to learn is to pick up a book and read. Do you want to learn how to cook a decent meal? Buy and read a cookbook. Do you want to learn how to have a minimalistic home? Read a book that explains and gives you a guide on how to adopt this lifestyle.
3. Reflect and maintain a journal.
To take your personal development seriously, you’ll need to assess your self each day. How much have you achieved to reach your goal? What are the things that you still need to improve? What are the roadblocks that you have experienced and what can you do about it? You likely have a planner at work, so why not apply the same practice to your personal development? Jot down your achievements and thoughts for the day in your journal. By reflecting and writing it down, you become aware of your progress and where you still need to improve.
4. Look for a mentor.
Even in leadership programs, having a mentor is highly encouraged. Your mentor can be a friend, a peer, a sister, anyone who knows something that you want to know and learn as well. Do you want to learn how to dance? Ask your dancing best friend to teach you. Mentorship is one of the fastest ways to learn something new.
5. Develop new habits.
They say it takes doing the same thing every day to develop a habit. If your goal is to have a simple, decluttered, and minimalistic house, declutter every day by letting go of at least one item that you no longer use. Do you want to be fitter? Develop the habit of setting aside at least thirty minutes in your day for cardio and strength exercises.
6. Find a partner or a support group.
Along the way, you may get distracted or worse, dispirited from pursuing your goals. Find a partner who wants to achieve the same personal goals as you. Working with a friend or a group can make the process more enjoyable. Do you want to improve your running time for the next marathon? Join a running clinic in your community so you can train with other runners near you.
7. Measure your progress.
A progress that is not measurable is no progress at all. Assess your progress so that you will know for certain that you are going in the right direction. If your goal is to improve your running time, jot down your running time whenever you run the same distance. If you want to be a savvy cook, you can jot down the number of recipes that you know how to cook and be proud of the results.
8. Be consistent.
Working towards a goal is not a sprint. It is a marathon that can take weeks, sometimes, even years. Know and accept that self-development is not an easy process. Be consistent in what you do. Make it a part of your lifestyle and daily routine until it becomes a natural part of your life.
9. Attend classes, seminars, and training.
In some instances, you may need to enroll in seminars to be able to achieve your goal. Attend a weekend cooking class to learn more expert tips. Attend a running clinic to learn more workouts and training routines that can help you improve your time and stamina. Enroll in an online course if you want to be proficient in a certain programming language. You can also join leadership training events to learn more about not just managing your work, but your life as well.
Nobody will take care of your personal development but you. Make it your mission to improve yourself, even in the littlest of ways. When you work on your self-development, you work on yourself which can lead to a more fulfilled and balanced life.
