Personal development is defined as a process by which individuals improve their skill sets. This is most commonly associated with growth in the workplace, however, personal development can be applied to all aspects of life.
Understanding how to embrace personal development is a powerful tool for creating positive change within your life. It can be used to turn weaknesses into strengths and take skills you are sufficient in to the next level.
Personal development is best embraced with an open mind. It is not about beating yourself up for being insufficient, it’s about seizing the opportunity to improve wherever it presents itself. If you are interested in personal development know that it is never too late to get started.
As long as you are motivated and committed to your development there will always be an opportunity for growth.
What Skill Are You Looking To Develop?
Personal development is best accomplished when there is a clear goal. It is most efficient to choose an area in which you see room for development and then hone in on a specific skill.
The area you chose to focus your efforts on could be anything from personal finance to coding, or even relationships. If you take some time to consider the areas in your life where progress can be made then the way in which you want to develop will become apparent to you. There may even be multiple areas that you are interested in, but it is best to start with one. This will allow you to concentrate your efforts and create the most impactful change.
Another way to assess areas in which personal development would be beneficial is to look for change. Anticipating change in certain areas of your life will allow you to develop skills that will make you more apt to cope with the results of change. It could be a new job, expecting a newborn, or beginning your journey with a start-up company. With a complete understanding of personal development, you will be ready for any challenge life offers.
The next step is identifying a key skill to build within your area of focus. Perhaps you want to perform better at work. This would mean that work is your area of interest. To find the skill that is most useful to develop consider how you could do better at work.
Maybe learning to code would allow you to participate in more projects and therefore better your performance in the workplace. In this example, the skill would be coding.
There could be a multitude of other skills that would also benefit your area of focus, but it is best to single out one that is greatly impactful and interesting to you.
Why Do You Want To Develop This Skill?
Motivation is necessary to achieve personal development in the skill you have chosen. Without it, staying focused and putting forth your best efforts will feel draining.
An easy way to assess how motivated you are to develop a skill is by asking yourself why you are doing so.
At the surface level, you may want to develop a skill as an effort towards a pay raise. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make a higher income, but it is important to question if money is a big enough motivator for you.
If you take the time to mull over your reasoning for developing the skill you have chosen you should find that the desires that drive you are strong. Progressing this skill could be instrumental in reaching a lifelong goal or taking a step towards your dream job.
Acknowledging deep desires like these is crucial to staying self-motivated when personal development becomes difficult.
Tip: Write it down! The area you want to develop, the skill you have chosen, and the purpose it will serve. Keeping this information within view will remind you of what you are working towards and will keep you on track!
How Can You Develop This Skill?
You have the “What?” and “Why?” for your personal development, but now you have to focus on the “How?”.
There are plenty of paths that can be taken to achieve advancement in any skill, so it is up to you to design your own. When deciding how you will develop a chosen skill there are many factors to consider. If you are at all uncertain about the path you will take, ask yourself a few questions.
- What experiences can exercise this skill?
- How can I expose myself to these experiences?
- How will I know that I am making progress?
- Is there a time frame in which I am looking to develop this skill?
The answers to these questions will start an outline for the path of your development. The more clear and concise this path is, the easier it will be to follow. If changes occur in life and this path is no longer viable, reconsider these questions to create a new path. If you are deeply driven to accomplish the advancement of your capabilities you will always find a way to persevere.
Tip: S.M.A.R.T goals can be applied to your path for skill development to create a well-structured plan.
Assess Your Growth!
Personal development can feel endless, so assessing improvement in skills that have been focused on provides a well-deserved sense of accomplishment. Try not to worry about being perfect, instead find or create a scenario that will put what you are developing to the test.
Note, all of the challenges you can now overcome as a result of your hard work as well as the challenges that still stump you. This provides an equal opportunity to celebrate your growth and recognize areas that still need improvement.
Chances are the skill you are working to develop will be tested in everyday life as well. A mindful examination of the events in which your development is tested will provide even more opportunities to feel accomplished and assess further improvement.
Tip: Focus on being analytical over being critical. Analyzing progress in a skill is meant to highlight opportunities for further progress. It is never meant to make you feel as if you are not doing well enough. Negative personal thoughts can hinder the process of self-improvement, so stick to the facts and keep a positive view.
Once you feel you have reached your goal in any one skill you can move onto the next. Personal development is an ongoing experience and by continuously embracing the need to grow you will become better adapted to life’s many facets. With some practice and a solid understanding of the ways you best develop skills and some professional guidance, it will become possible to focus on improvement in multiple areas of your life at once. There is always room for improvement, so never stop growing yourself!
Citations:
- PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/personal-development
- 4 Reasons Why Personal Development Should Be a Priority. (2018, October 12). Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.oxbridgeacademy.edu.za/blog/4-reasons-personal-development-priority/
- How to Create a Personal Growth and Professional Development Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2018/07/personal-development-plan