In a nutshell self-development is the process of taking action and improving yourself. There are countless ways and reasons people improve themselves.
But one thing that is constant is by improving oneself, you make make your goals possible, You open yourself up to achieve greater success, happiness, and live a more fulfilling life.
There isn’t a map anyone can use. In fact, there isn’t any two journeys that are exactly the same for two people. Self-development is a personal journey, and we can either choose to evaluate it ourselves, or use the help of a professional.
Some of the skills we need to develop to help us improve overall include;
- Being a better listener.
- Having a greater understanding for others.
- Developing more confidence and being comfortable trying new things.
- Improving focus and motivation.
- Knowing how to set, and achieve realistic goals.
The number one reason people don’t work on these skills is the time and effort it takes. It’s not easy first of all admitting you want to better yourself. Then achieving it can be incredibly difficult.
Why would you throw out the comfortable balance of your day to day life? Because bettering yourself is absolutely worth it. We are nearly all striving for more success in our lives. Beit at work, on personal relationships, hobbies, we all want to do better.
Self-development is possibly the number one way to be more successful. In this article I have narrowed down five of the most important aspects to help you with finding success through self development.
Finding Success through Self Development
Being Honest and Aware of Your Weaknesses
One of the most obvious flags that someone has worked on their own self development is that they are aware of their weaknesses and are working on them.
It’s hard to face up to what we are weak at, and more so put in the time and effort to strengthen those weaknesses.
It’s possible to be aware of what you’re weak at, and still have high self-esteem and the willingness to step outside of your comfort zone.
For example, a lot of people are disorganized and carry on living in such chaos. While some people hit this head-on and start to take a few minutes a day to organise themselves. Set some goals, write down what they need to do, and tidy their workspace.
Learning More about Yourself
You have to learn more about yourself and what makes you tick if you’re going to improve and be more successful. This is tied into happiness, if you don’t feel happy or can’t make yourself happy, how can you help make others happy?
Have you ever evaluated what you really want from life? This are tough questions to face up to, and a lot of people never actually do. They just drift day by day and take it as it comes.
But unless you take the time to ask yourself this question, and really search for the answer – how do you measure your success?
A classic example of this is staying in a job that neither satisfies or challenges you. It’s estimated that around 85% of people don’t like their jobs, so where is the success in staying. Even if you’re promoted.
The real success here is landing that dream job that you really want. It is possible. But first you need to identify what it really is, then set yourself the goals to land that job.
Which leads me on to my next point:
Setting Career and Life Goals
In the pursuit of happiness and success you’re going need goals. This means knowing what you really want, and what makes you happy as talked about already.
I’ve spoken about how to set goals before. They need to be very clear, achievable, and realistic. Something you can work towards, and enjoy doing so.
People who do not have any goals are just aimlessly living. Personal relationships need to be continuously worked on to keep them fresh and healthy. As does careers, without having goals you’re not going to find professional success.
Change is a scary thought for most. But these are people who are holding themselves back. It’s time to start studying, joining clubs, and expanding your horizons.
Start Being a Valuable Asset to Others
With self development comes confidence, self-esteem, and self-awareness. Others will pick up on this just as well as you do.
You will find people becoming interested in you and this new found confidence. There is a certain envy attached to seeing other people driven to achieve goals and becoming more successful.
You will a momentum shift take place. Once you start on a journey of self development you will see things around you improving. This is partly due to your positive outlook, but also your hard work taking shape.
You Will See Your Relationships Improving
As you work on the above mentioned you will shed those negative people who have been holding you back. On the flip side you will be meeting people who share the same passion for self development.
All your existing relationships will improve. You will not only be bringing out the best in yourself but you will inspire others to do so too.
Embrace this and help them in any way you can. Everything is easier with the help of others, and healthy relationships are a fundamental of success.
Remember too that this is a lifelong process. Don’t expect miracles overnight, you should always be striving to push a little harder and set new goals. It’s a lifestyle, and a healthy one at that.
Phil lives in England, UK, and has around 20 years experience as a professional life, career and executive coach. He started this blog to help others find and define their own self development journey. Blogging about a wide range of topics to help facilitate a better future.