Understanding Personal Development

                                                                                 

Words inherently carry meaning. We often hear the term personal development, but what does it truly mean? 

What Is Personal Development?

Personal development refers to a life long process of looking inward to achieve something.

Cambridge Dictionary describes it as “the process of growing or changing and becoming more advanced.”

It is something you do in pursuit of different factors such as purpose, clarity, which can be done through a couple of activities designed to improve various areas of your life like your career, the self, potential, financial wellbeing, etc.

But why does personal development matter? Well, personal development is crucial for your overall well-being, as we all deserve to live a life worthwhile that enables us to achieve our full potential, or better yet, exceed it.

You owe yourself to live better; you ought to strive for personal growth in every aspect of your life, and it’s your responsibility to make this happen, of course with support from different platforms such as seeking resources from platforms like StriveJunction, or your social circle, to name a few.

Personal Development key components encompass emotional growth, physical growth, mental growth, social growth, and spiritual growth.

Origin Of Personal Development

Like any terminology or concept, there ought to be a trace of how it came to be, right?

There are number of descriptions explaining its origin, and one of them is attributed to Greek philosopher Aristotle, who is believed to be the brains behind modern Western personal development as a concept. He defines personal development in Nicomachean Ethics, as a category of phronesis or practical wisdom, where the practice of virtues leads to eudaimonia, commonly translated as "happiness" but more accurately understood as "human flourishing" or "living well", as per Wikipedia.

Purpose Of Self Development

To cultivate a mindset of continuous growth, personal development has to be involved and some of its core purposes include the following:

i) Self Awareness

One of the best things you can ever do for yourself is being self aware. It allows you to introspect about yourself from your beliefs, strengths, values and weaknesses, as well as areas for self improvement while looking inward, which in turn enhances mindfulness for both yourself, others, and your environment.

ii) Improved Mental Health

Health is wealth, be it physical health or mental health, you need to be in healthy state of mind to achieve literally anything that applies to your life, thus when you seek self development, improved mental health is one of the key purposes you should aim for.

iii) Skill Improvement

We live in a fast-paced work world, where skills development is critical for accessing opportunities and improving the self. Being able to learn new skills, especially technical and transferable skills and refining existing ones not only enhances your professional growth, but also advances your personal growth.

Conclusion

One thing is for sure; taking action today as far as your personal development essentials are concerned will help ensure a rewarding quality life as you navigate your life professionally and personally. Hence, whether you are a newbie remote worker just getting started, or a seasoned one, the opportunity to take on personal development as a lifestyle is here. Each step you take gets you closer to realising your goals. Be decisive and deliberate with your actions by planning ahead, execute with discipline, and keep seeking ways to improve yourself.