Personal Development; The Cost of Improvement.
Growth and Improvement. Everybody wants them. Yet sadly, not everyone may achieve both. One thing is certain. As living creatures, growth is inevitable. Should you decide to sleep every day, growth will happen. However, your improvement depends heavily on what you do with each day.
To most people, personal development is evidence of success. They only believe the idea of improvement that shows success at whatever cost. This is very obvious in the “social media” mentality where only “wealthy” people are “successful”, and allowed to discuss development. It is a cancerous psychology that promotes a “show-glass” mentality whereby people have to “show” themselves in order to be regarded as successful, and enjoy the benefits of their self-acclaimed success. However, personal development is more than showing off successful traits and lifestyle. Personal or self development is different.
Personal Development.
Self development is the continuous process of building a habit that involves routine practices that help you achieve a percentage of improvement every single day.
One thing is first required before self development can be achieved. And this is CONSISTENCY. In fact, it is safe to say that consistency is the key required to unlock personal development. This is exactly where the difference between growth and improvement comes into play.
To grow, you don’t need to do anything particularly important with your time each day. But to improve, there are particular things you have to incorporate into your routine activities.
I strongly believe that nobody can make another person improve. Before one can be ready to improve themselves, they must already know what it is they have in view, and the steps required to surmount their challenges.
However, here are some generic tips that are proven to positively impact improvement efforts.
Steps to take to assist personal development.
1. Improve your health.
You’ve probably heard this a million times. But that doesn’t change how true it is. Your health is your primary wealth because you need good health to build wealth. It’s that simple. You need to develop a routine that will help you stay fit physically and mentally. Jogs, gym sessions, home workout routines, whatever works best for you. Just make sure that each day, you’re doing something to improve your health. And don’t forget to add more water, fruits, and vegetables into your daily consumption.
2. Prioritize work.
How else will you improve if you don’t spend quality time improving your work? Plan each day according to the things that are of daily priority to you, and allot hours according to their relevance. As you already know, practice makes perfect. How much time you dedicate to improving your skills/work will greatly influence your improvement rate, and how much stronger your proficiency will be.
3. Continue to study.
It is said that humans, as intellectual animals, we die the day we stop learning. Allocating time to study will not only help you improve over time, but also keep your brain sharp and exploring. Are there courses you’ve always wanted to take? Or a new degree you’ve been hoping for? It will be greatly beneficial if you take on those course and programs while working to improve yourself. Even better, you can take professional courses that will be important to help you upscale at work. Win-Win.
4. Improve your mental health.
Happiness is the best medicine for your mental health. What makes you happy? Who makes you happy? Maintaining happiness and positivity is (almost) all you need to help your mental state or mind. Connect with loved ones, touch grass, and have fun. However, ensure you do not get lost in the frenzy of consistent fun, then you fall into a trap pit.
5. Reduce screen time.
I know this might surprise you, but staring at your screen all day does not do anything to help you improve. In fact, extended screen time and social media has proven to adversely affect its “addicts”, causing up to 25% decline in productivity. Truly, we live in a digital age, so it can be difficult to stay away from your computers for extended hours. However, you can easily solve this by taking short breaks periodically each day. This is also beneficial to your eyesight as it reduces the stress your brain is exposed to. Read more on the effect on social media on productivity here.
6. Rest.
Although sleep is the best form of rest, you could always rest between your day. When you take screen breaks, read a book, take a nap, hold a quick in-person chat with a friend, or do something else to ease your brain activity. It is also scientifically proven that work breaks help to maintain productivity and reduces the chances of getting worn out. You need that too.
It is important to note that although you can receive guidance helping you to develop new positive habits, your consistency in the new lifestyle is your sole responsibility.
That is the only secret.
