Personal Development

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”, says Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Almost every successful personality has given utmost importance to personal development and growth.

They have depicted personal development as a pathway leading to skills, attributes, and qualities needed to live an efficacious and prosperous life.

Personal development is defined as a lifelong process. The Business Dictionary defines it as, “The process of improving oneself through such activities as enhancing employment skills, increasing consciousness and building wealth.”

 Personal development involves self-care which includes all those activities that help us to evolve in our self-best.

As George Bernard Shaw once said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

Personal development is not something that can be achieved overnight; rather , it's an evolving process that includes several steps.

Starting from establishing our personal vision of life to understanding where we are now. Once we are able to comprehend our current standing then we can move ahead, and identify the areas where we need to work.

Areas of Personal Development

There are several areas where we can start grooming ourselves for personal development. These areas are: physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Let’s go over them one by one.

Physical Development

A healthy body and a healthy mind, two essentials to ensure before taking on an expedition/journey, whether it’s an actual, physically-demanding journey, or your life journey!

Our physical well-being is an important ingredient in leading a blissful life. It’s not only about doing exercise, rather it’s about having a balanced diet that includes proper nutrition, getting proper 7-8 hours of sleep, and maintaining body weight and BMI levels.

When we are physically fit, we tend to have more energy and we can utilize this zealous energy in achieving our life goals, seamlessly.

Social Development

Smiles are contagious, so are positive vibes. Living in a society that demands social interaction and effectively communicating with people can help boost our self-confidence and self-esteem.

Talking to different people not only helps in enhancing our confidence but also awareness of  worldly scenarios.

People we connect with play a vital role in our lives as they implicitly impact our thought processes and moods.

Therefore, interacting with the right people, learning new languages, and active listening can be helpful in our own development and growth.

Mental Development

When we learn something new, our brain tends to generate new neural pathways to hold onto the information.

Mental development is most important in personal development because it helps to create a cushion for new skill sets and qualities to develop.

Mental development activities include reading a book, taking online courses or training, or watching informational and motivational YouTube videos.

Not only these but also relaxation, keeping our mind tension-free can help in boosting our mental activity.

Emotional Development

Many people nowadays are more focused on Emotional Quotient (EQ) rather  than Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

This is perhaps, because people with high IQ might not be able to survive under high-pressure situations whereas people with high EQ are seen to be more stable, focused, and better achievers.

In today’s fast-paced environment, it’s necessary to be emotionally stable and not be hyped by unanticipated circumstances.

Emotional development can be done via having a counselor/therapist, journaling things down, or even, talking to a friend!

Spiritual Development

People often confuse spirituality with being religious, whereas one’s religion has nothing to do with being spiritual.

Spiritual development involves being fully connected to all five senses of our body. It is about synchronizing our doings with our thought processes. It is about creating coherence between our body and soul.

Spiritual development can be achieved through yoga, meditation, or praying if you are religious.

A deep connection to your soul is a deep connection to your awareness, which enables you to recognize and take on the correct actions towards achieving your ultimate personal development.

Take-Home Message

You are not just a body, nor a brain… And quite frankly, you are not just a soul.

In fact, you are an intricate mix of all those things, and this is perhaps why you, as a human, are able to do and feel so many things.

Personal development is a life-long journey that simply represents the goal of improving your mental, physical, spiritual, emotional and social development, thus enabling you to achieve the best version of yourself.

And so, are you ready for your new, best self?