Is personal development for me?

We all share the need for sleep, shelter, nourishment and care; beyond that we need money to bring us choices in life and to thereby reduce our stress. There are many people in our society today that are very unhappy with their lives for one reason or another. Whatever reason they have for being unhappy, there is undoubtedly a way to change it. Sometimes it requires a change in career, or situation. Other times it is simply a change in the way that people think. Sometimes, it is both. This is what personal development is all about.

Personal development is the study and practice of improving one’s life, especially our career, education, relationships, health, happiness, productivity, spirituality, and other personal goals. Common aspects of personal development include goal setting, motivation, changing habits, improving awareness, identifying one’s values and beliefs, self-actualization and a lot more.

Personal development groups have tended to involve an 'expert/guru' and, by inference, less 'developed' or less 'enlightened' members of the audience.

Personal development really only involves becoming aware of what you are actually like, what you'd like to change about yourself, and if it is changeable, learning how to do just that!

Personal development does not involve diagnosing or treating an illness or injury.  A key characteristic of someone who wants to practice personal development is that they are generally healthy and normal individuals who are able and willing to move forward in their lives. In other words, they want to become peak-performing individuals.

There is a vast amount of information and resource on the internet, and in book stores on personal development plus its early influences including Ancient philosophy, Eastern and Western religions, Psychoanalysis, Hypnotherapy, and Humanistic Psychology.

But even with all this great information, many are probably confused on where they should get started. That is a big reason why I write on this blog.

One of the important steps toward personal development is to set obtainable goals. This is not to say that your dream is not obtainable. But if you constantly think about the goal of being a millionaire with a successful family, you will feel pretty frustrated and hopeless as that goal seems so far out of reach. Setting obtainable goals simply means that you set goals that lead to the ultimate goal.

It is really about taking steps. When you decide that you need food in your refrigerator, it does not automatically appear. You must make a grocery list, go to the grocery store, shop for items, purchase them, bring them home, and put them in the fridge. Obtaining a large goal is much the same way. You will not get there overnight. It takes going through a series of steps, or smaller goals, to find your way.

Keep in mind, however, that personal development isn’t necessarily for everyone. Some people don’t need this kind of material. And some people just actively refuse it. I like to respect everyone’s values and goals no matter what they may be (even if it is to have no values or goals).