Throughout life, an individual goes through many stages, ranging from childhood to old age. Where activities may start, pause, resume or stop depending on the age, learning and development never stop. Because ultimately, life may be about winning or losing, but it is more inclined towards experiences, self-care, and satisfaction that counts as life success.
Personal life is where people yearn most for happiness and success, and growth in this aspect is what leads to the fulfillment of those yearnings. Thus, personal development is essential to life and life goals.
Personal Development comprises activities in the daily life of an individual that ranges across spiritual, mental, and physical aspects. It concerns life-long learning via the development of capabilities, skills, aptitude, and a positive attitude. A positive attitude aids the process of personal development immensely since whatever you believe in, it comes to you in unexpected ways.
Personal Development helps in potential building and enhancing the quality of life, while one takes that one step closer to the goal. Moreover, it also helps define personal vision more clearly, while setting objectives and achieving targets with boosted productivity.
One of the most important ideas surrounding the concept of personal development is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow argued that people’s personal development occurs through ‘self-actualization’. It is a process where needs and wants are met, and one can only move forward if the needs that come first are completed first.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs includes the following elements (from the bottom to the top of the pyramid):
- Physiological Needs
- Safety Needs
- Love and Belonging
- Esteem Needs
- Cognitive Needs
- Aesthetic Needs
- Self-actualization
This hierarchy suggests that all individuals aim at being their best selves and that they need to see themselves competent and in full autonomy of their lives. Moreover, each individual has enormous potential for growth that can lead to a fulfilled personal development provided that the potential is fully and completely utilized.
Have you ever wondered why personal development is important? Or How you can improve skills to aid in personal development? Read on to find out the 7 most important pillars of personal development.
Pillar One: Drink More Water
One cannot stress enough the importance of drinking enough water for the day. It is the most essential fluid that the body needs to function. Water speeds up the metabolism rate, detoxifies the body, hydrates the skin, and delivers essential nutrients to the body. In contrast, less water intake can cause dehydration, dry skin, and many other severe medical issues.
You must be wondering what it has to do with personal development. Well, a body that functions well is more likely to work towards goals with confidence and rigor.
Water helps you keep hydrated and focused so that you can achieve your goals efficiently and effectively. Although how much water you want to drink depends on your activities, how much water you need is scientifically suggested and works in your favor.
For your personal development, you need to take good care of your mind and body. Eat well and drink a sufficient amount of water every day to function efficiently.
Here are some ways that can help you drink more water;
- Set a daily water goal
- Set reminders
- Keep a water bottle on you at all times
- Try replacing other drinks with water
So, never forget to drink water because as W.H Auden says “thousands have lived without love, not one without water”.
Pillar Two: Keep Track Of Your Daily Activities
An essential element in personal development is scheduling your days down to the minute. Keeping track of whatever it is that you do throughout the day helps assess many things. It is a measure of how much energy you have spent on a certain activity, and if that activity proved to be fruitful or not. It also works in your favor in terms of assuring maximum productivity and yielding better results.
In a world that is developing at a rapid pace, one can keep up with just enough things in life. While juggling responsibilities, you need to make sure that you fulfill those that help take you towards your purpose. Ensure that you do not waste time on things that have no use in your life goals, and only prove to be detrimental to your personal development.
Stay focused, organize your tasks, and remain grounded and consistent.
For your personal development to flourish, it is essential that you practice keeping track. Tune your life to activities that you know will aid your strive for personal development. Whatever you do and say, write it down. Compare it to what you did and said yesterday, or a week ago, and measure your progress. Be the judge of your own life and take responsibility for whatever you do. Do not hide away from mistakes, because in doing so, you hide away from yourself and your personal development.
“Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Keeping a journal of our thoughts, experiences, insights, and learnings promote mental clarity, exactness, and context.” _
Stephen Covey
Here are some personal development goals you achieve when you keep track of your activities;
- It helps prioritise the important tasks
- It helps maintain a healthy routine
- It helps keep track of goals
- It helps avoid unnecessary, inessential activities
Thus when you keep track of your time, it keeps track of your goals and personal development for you. It helps you reflect and reassemble, and make better decisions based on previous experiences.
Pillar Three: There Is A Time For Sleep
We all have heard the famous quote of Benjamin Franklin that goes by “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. Sleep is the essential tool that allows the human body and mind to relax, refresh, and recharge. It not only facilitates the body in functioning well but also aids the process of personal development. Sleep significantly impacts brain function that directly affects your performance in more than one way.
Sleeping less can they put their brain’s input ability at risk along with their overall health.
“Sleep is a period during which the brain is engaged in a number of activities necessary to live—which are closely linked to the quality of life,” says Mark Wu, Johns Hopkins’ sleep expert and neurologist.
Sleep helps improve creative patterns, thus allowing you to put your rich imagination to work. But after a good night’s sleep. Effective sleep patterns also help maintain a healthy weight which is essential to personal development. It improves mental clarity by allowing your brain to rejuvenate.
Just like you need to track your time and the activities that you do, make sure that you track how much sleep you get in a day and at what time patterns you do so.
For your personal development to boost, take charge of your sleep patterns and help your body heal from the day’s workload and stress.
Going to bed at a good enough time helps your physical and mental state of the body to relax. Likewise, getting up early enough helps you prepare for the day ahead.
Here are some of the things that you can do after waking up early;
- Exercise for improved stamina
- Read for improved knowledge
- Take a nice warm bath to freshen up
Sleep after and before a long day for improvements in your personal development process.
Related: 6 Tips to Increase Your Mental Strength
Pillar Four: Meditate And Heal
Any activity that helps you relieve stress and clear your mind also aids with the process of positive personal development and self-growth. The growing body of research has made guides and sources to meditation easier and more accessible. It has also become an essential part of personal development. More and more people wish to take a break from the busy world and indulge in positive self-care. Apart from heavy exercises, meditation has now become a way out for people to focus on self-improvement and personal growth.
Meditation greatly aids the process of personal development in many proven ways. It relieves anxiety and stress, makes room for positive thoughts while eliminating the negative loop of thoughts. The many ways of meditation build your mental capacity and help you concentrate more on the task at hand. Thus proving to be extra beneficial towards individual growth and personal development.
Moreover, when you meditate you not only take a step closer to personal growth but also spread positivity in your surroundings. It promotes a sense of kindness in you, thus putting happiness and hope out into the universe. It also helps you heal from any past experience that may have affected you adversely.
Here are some pro-tips for you to stop procrastinating and start meditating;
- It does not take any rigorous effort
- Sit in a comfortable position and breath
- Make time for yourself
- Allow yourself to heal through various meditation techniques
Meditate, heal, and let heal. It will increase your chances of success and personal development dramatically.
Pillar Five: Never Stop Reading And Learning
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”
Richard Stele
We are often intrigued by new information. It is inherent to human nature that we want to keep learning, however in ways that may differ in process and function. Personal development is a never-ending process of progress. It does not end with learning a single skill or adapting to a single positive habit. It keeps going on for as long as one lives.
“Learning never exhausts the mind” _ Leonardo da Vinci
Likewise, learning is a life-long process. You never stop learning, even if you wish to ( but don’t wish to stop learning – who knows what karma is up to). Learning is what fills your life with experiences; mistakes and lessons alike. It is what takes you through the journey of life, helping you exhibit what you have learned before and also helping you learn new things. It takes you through to personal development, growth, and teaches you self-care.
One of the best ways to learn many of the things out in the big world comes with reading. When you read, you allow your mind to expand, just like breathing does to the lungs. Reading helps you discover a world that may or may not exist, and take you places. It is the finest and the most comfortable way of traveling.
Reading and learning new things is crucial to personal development. Here are a few things that reading and learning aids;
- Improve concentration
- Build perspective backed by reasoning and logic
- Build amazing vocabulary
So, read, learn, and grow.
Related: 10 Best Entrepreneur Books for Starting a Business
Pillar Six: Let Go Of Fear
It is not your lack of a certain skill that proves to be a hurdle in your way towards personal development. Rather, it is the fear of losing at whatever it is that you wish to achieve. Fear is your greatest enemy and the worst thing you can do to yourself. It prevents growth and progress and keeps you from your goals.
Let go of the fear that you do not possess some skills, because as discussed earlier you can learn for a lifetime. Let go of the fear that you will fail, it will only create further barriers in your personal development. Rather, learn self-love, self-care, and practice confidence.
Step out of your comfort zone and delve into a world of never-ending possibilities and experiences. Do not avoid difficulties, be fearless and confident in the face of whatever comes at you. Because life does not deal with people in a tranquil way, it is similar to unexpected currents that rise and fall in the ocean.
Here are some tips for you to consider if you fear losing;
- You have plenty of choices
- You lose, you learn
- Do you hit a dead end? Well, it’s just a detour
- Do you face an obstacle? Look for the opportunity it brings
- Regret that decision? Well, now you have plenty of experience
Let go of the fear and focus instead on personal growth and development
Pillar Seven: You Are Your Only Competition
Do you dread getting into your favorite field of study because there is just so much competition out there in the job market? Or do you feel that you cannot put out your best? Well, that is because you need to recognize that the only competition of you that exists in the world is looking right back at you in the mirror.
“Your competition is not other people but the time you kill, the ill you will create, the knowledge you neglect to learn, the connections you fail to build, the health you sacrifice along the path, your inability to generate ideas, the people around you who don’t support and love your efforts, and whatever God you curse for your bad luck”
James Altucher
Identify your skills and build on them. Build new skills and improve upon them. Execute whatever it is that you learn, and help yourself with your personal development.
while many of us are headed towards similar goals, every one of us is headed there in a different manner. Your purpose is your personal development, and no one else is going to do it for you.
