Successful people don’t grow by accident, they grow by design.
When you schedule personal development time on purpose, you are making time to design the life you want.
You are essentially who you create yourself to be.
Once you embrace the “growth” habit, you will improve your way of life.
You will think differently.
Your approach to situations and problems in life will change.
You will question your daily choices because you will expose yourself to different models of thinking.
Your perspective and worldview will shift.
You will be able to deal with setbacks or obstacles better.
You will become your best self when you focus on YOU!
In the words of Lao Tzu, “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”
Know yourself and seek improvement.
When you make your personal goals as important as your professional goals, achieving balance is a natural result.
Design yourself. Design your future
Your current self versus your ideal self.
How are they similar and how are they different?
A better you, won’t just happen!
In his new book, High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way Brendon Burchard said, “Often, the journey to greatness begins the moment our preferences for comfort and certainty are overruled by a greater purpose that requires challenge and contribution.”
My approach to life and living it has changed in recent times because I respect “me” time. My ‘personal development’ is important to me because it keeps me relevant.
Take time for “you” because, the better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals.
There are so many ways to embrace the lifelong learning habit that can make you a better person.
I personally enjoy taking productive breaks on purpose, making time to think, taking long walks, reading books and articles, watching TED videos, and listening to podcasts.
A lot of the time when I am not writing, I am reading. It’s personally fulfilling.
I do anything to make me a better person than I was yesterday. Choose activities that inspire you, fulfill you, or help you meet a personal goal.
There are courses you can take.
Never stand still. You should constantly search for more effective approaches in life and better ways to solve the same problems.
Go back to cultivating your curiosities. Nourish your dormant talent.
It will also facilitate an understanding of yourself.
Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change said, “But until a person can say deeply and honestly, “I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,” that person cannot say, “I choose otherwise.”
Embrace intentional learning.
Even if you are just learning something new for the fun of it, it’s a good idea to do so with an end goal in mind.
Isolate the most important areas of your life for growth — the ones that will help you develop the kind of life you really want — and hone in on those.
To really make personal growth a habit and help you stick to a daily or weekly plan, try reserving certain time slots in your week for those activities.
Instead of planning to squeeze in personal development activities when you have a free moment, make them a priority.
Personal development is a journey, not a destination.
Taking time to regularly focus on you will help you start improving all the various areas of your life.
Choose two or three-time slots each week if you can, add them to your calendar, and then stick to your schedule.
In many cases, there is no other solution but to make yourself a priority.
Henry David Thoreau once said, “You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”
Whatever you expect out of life, you must deliberately pursue.
Make time for just 15 minutes of learning every day.
15 minutes isn’t a lot of time compared to how much time you spend “working”, and it’s short enough for you to actually commit to it even during a commute.
The time you invest in yourself is related to your success.
Next time you wonder why you have not achieved your goals, think about how much time you dedicate to your professional and life goals.
True personal development enables you to identify your lifelong goals and pursue them.
Before you go…
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Originally published at journal.thriveglobal.com