How To Manage Personal Development
You can take steps to improve your personal development on a daily basis. It’s an end to a start, in truth, as the process of personal development is a lifelong one. You will continuously assess your qualities, skills, and life as you grow and that means setting goals that align with where you are. Why is this important? We have an inbuilt need for development. It’s like Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
There are levels and as you fill each level of needs, you graduate to the next. In Maslow’s hierarchy, self-actualization sits atop the pyramid. What is that? Essentially, it’s the desire or need to fulfill your potential. On this journey, you will have to get into life fully and deeply. You have to experience everything that it throws at you.
Before we discuss 25 things you can do every day to improve your personal development, let’s cover how to manage your personal development.
- Develop Your Vision
It’s much easier to motivate yourself when you have a purpose when you have a vision. So, think about where you would like to be in three months, six months, and a year from now. What about five years from now?
- Plan to Improve
Once you have a clear picture of where you would like to be, then you can plan how you intend to get there. You don’t have to sit down and write out a personal development plan, but you should consider doing so. It makes it more concrete.
- Get Started
You can develop in several ways, whether it’s in your personal life, socially, romantically or professionally. We all learn in different ways, it’s up to you to determine which method is right for you.
- Track Your Development
When you achieve key developments make sure to note them down in your personal development plan. This is a wonderful motivational tool and also a great record to look back on as you consider where to go next in your personal development journey.
- Reviews & Revisions
You can’t just make a plan and walk away. It’s important that you review your plan and revise it as necessary.
The more you grow, the more you will realize just how much you still have to learn. There is an endless amount of knowledge out there and we just have to reach out and grab it. You have limitless potential so, you will never reach a point in life where you are done growing. Remember that as you think about personal development. If you think you’re good as you are, think again – you can be and do even better!
We all want something bigger from life. It could be to have a family, it might be to start your own business, perhaps to write a complete book. Then again, it could be as simple as producing an excellent chocolate souffle or upping your golf game. The idea comes to you and it’s something that you think about, maybe even obsess over, but without a plan in place, it will be difficult to achieve.
Why is personal development so important? One of the biggest benefits of personal development is the change in your self-awareness. As you grow, you get to know yourself, you have a deeper understanding of your beliefs and values, as well as your purpose. It also provides us with a sense of direction. You will have a clearer view of what you want and that will make it much easier to make the right decision.
Developing personally also offers clarity, which makes it easier to prioritize. You can expect to be highly motivated because when you know what it is you want to achieve, then it’s easier to take action. Likewise, it will make you more resilient.
You will bounce back from challenges because you are confident in your ability. Finally, improving your personal development makes your relationships more fulfilling. You recognize the relationships that are worth investing in and you give them your all.
Which is why today, we are going to offer you 25 things you can do every day to improve your personal development. These will serve your whole self and aid you in your development journey.
25 Things You Can Do Every Day For Personal Development
1| Exercise
Exercise is something that aids your personal development and it’s something that you can schedule into your daily routine. It doesn’t need to be a major gym session to count. You can toss on some old clothes and run through a cycle of jumping jacks, lunges, running in place, and sit-ups at home! The key to exercise is to do it regularly and make sure you break a sweat.
2| Enrich Yourself With An Audiobook/Podcast
Whatever you’d like to improve in terms of personal development, you can guarantee there’s a podcast or an audiobook that covers the subject. Find one that you enjoy and take time out each day to listen. It could be history, business, philosophy, marketing or just plain self-improvement. People who listen to podcasts love to share their recommendations, just ask someone who holds similar interests to you.
3| Join a Community
Don’t underestimate the value of community. Find a group or forum of like-minded people who are on the same personal development path as you. For example, if you want to improve your marketing skills, you can find a social media group that is talking about it. There may be a lot of fluff that doesn’t interest you, but for every fluff post, you will find something that resonates with you deeply. Additionally, you will find recommendations for books and podcasts on the subject(s) you’re interested in. You can visit your community on a daily basis to ask questions, engage with others who are in similar situations or just to discuss your progress.
4| Take a Walk
More specifically, take a walk-in nature. How does this have anything to do with personal development? It gets you up, out, and communing with nature. A walk can serve as an act of meditation. You’re alone with your thoughts, breathing fresh air, and listening to the sounds of nature. When you return from your walk you will immediately notice how much more peaceful and focused you feel. That’s development.
5| Gaming
Yes, this is permission to play games on a daily basis. Here’s the thing, though. The game that you play, whether video, computer or board, should be a puzzle or a game that requires strategy. It should make you think. The point of this is it’s stretching your brain and making you think. If it’s making you think, then it’s aiding your personal development.
6| Improve Your Relationships
This is something that you can do easily. Take a moment out of your day to improve a relationship. It only takes a minute to reach out to someone. It might be that you send a funny meme to your sibling, that you call a parent or, just text a friend you haven’t heard from in a while. One day, you will wish you’d done more to improve those relationships. Or, you can make an attempt to improve them now. Your future self will appreciate your efforts and so will your loved ones.
7| A New Recipe
Okay, it doesn’t have to be a brand-new recipe daily. However, you should definitely expand your diet. Try to include something new daily. There will likely be foods that you tried as a child and didn’t like, but don’t just trust your younger self. Try those foods again. Hate tomatoes? You might not now.
Do mushrooms disgust you? Are you sure? When you’re out for dinner, order something you normally wouldn’t. Why shouldn’t you taste your partner’s octopus or try the pork cheek starter? There are amazing foods out there and we’re missing out on them by making the same old thing. Get a little adventurous in your diet every day. It’s a great way to challenge yourself, which is good for personal development.
8| Keep a Journal
You can keep a physical journal or even blog if you prefer it. You don’t have to be a great writer to make a record of your thoughts. There’s something cathartic about writing out your emotions, thoughts, fears, and talking about your goals. It’s creating a sense of accountability. When you write about these things you are raising your awareness of potential issues or insights into you. You will find it easier to develop when you learn to be honest with yourself and writing it out is a great way to do that.
9| Do What You Love
Yes, you should make time to do something that you love every single day. It doesn’t matter what it is. Just make time for it.
10| Make Good Decisions
You make hundreds of decisions every day. When you wake up, you decide to get out of bed. You make a decision about what to wear, what to have for breakfast (or not), what to scroll on your phone, what to post, what to read, what to say, and so on. Those are the little decisions that you make out of habit.
Even some of those are the wrong ones, but it’s the biggest decisions that really count. Like, how you react when you get stuck in traffic. What to prioritize during your workday, how you manage your time… and the better that you are making good decisions, the better your life will be. Making good decisions is a good influence on your personal development.
11| Practice Gratitude
This is something that you can tie in with your journal or blog, but you can do it in your mind, too. Just make a point of thinking about a few things that you’re grateful for. They are little things, ones that you tend to overlook, but make you smile. For example, the smell of your home when you step through the front door, the taste of coffee, air conditioning, hugs, etc.
12| Practice a Hobby
When someone asks you what your hobbies are what do you say? Now, be honest. When was the last time you actually practiced any of the hobbies that you share with others? You probably can’t remember. It’s easy to forget our hobbies when life takes over.
There are so many benefits to practicing your hobbies, though! It’s always a job well done, it offers you an outlet for your creativity, keeps your brain engaged, it’s a passion, and it’s something that you can look forward to!
If you are stumped when someone asks you what your hobbies are, then let us help you find a hobby. We’ll keep you two great examples for two very different personality types – gardening and knitting.
Gardening has added benefits, like spending time in nature, staying active, and growing your own flowers, vegetables, and fruit. It’s also stress relieving! Of course, taking a plant from a seedling to a point where it’s bearing fruit is incredibly satisfying, it’s a reminder that you can make positive changes in the world. It does count as exercise, and it can also help you fight dementia. So, you can see this is a great hobby to have and it’s something that you can easily practice daily.
If you don’t have the knees to tackle gardening, then perhaps you would be more interested in knitting. It’s something that has become incredibly popular with people of all ages, and there’s a good reason for that. Knitting is stress-relieving, it’s something that can reduce the symptoms of chronic pain, anxiety, and depression, too.
As it happens, according to Victoria Schindler, Occupational Therapist, the repetitive motion that comes with crafts like knitting triggers the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, this is what calms your body’s fight or flight response (ref.).
13| No Complaining
This isn’t easy but try to go out of your way to avoid complaining. It should be your goal forever. Often, complaining is the way to kick off conversations. We are all guilty of this and for some reason, sharing negativity seems to be an instant way to bond with others. The problem is, it might make you feel better for a moment, but it’s not productive. So, why do we do it? We love to paint ourselves as the victim, but that’s not going to help you improve your personal development. If you find yourself complaining, just steer the conversation away from it.
14| Find a Mentor
Or, an accountability partner. This is someone that you can check in with every day, whether it’s via email, text or phone calls. It’s important to have someone who isn’t afraid to challenge and motivate you.
15| Reflection
If you are truly serious about improving your personal development, then you have to make time to reflect on your progress. You have to be aware of how you’re improving and what you can do to continue improving. The only way to know how you’re doing is to reflect and ask yourself where you are and measure it against where you want to be. You can do this every day.
16| Stay Honest
It doesn’t how much you talk about doing something, the only thing that will affect change is taking action. It’s the hardest part. Well, no. The hardest part is the honesty that you have to possess to truly improve. Be honest, with yourself and others.
Think of yourself as the judge. We are often more critical about ourselves than anyone else is. That can be used to your advantage when you are trying to improve personal development. At the end of each day, be honest as you reflect on your decisions. How can you do better tomorrow?
17| Measure Your Progress
If it isn’t measurable, is it really aiding your personal development? Probably not. Everything that you do should be measurable in some way. This is the only way for you to know whether you are moving in the right direction or not.
It’s also how you know when and where to pivot as you continue on your journey. So, if you really want to improve your personal development, make sure that your actions are measurable. If something doesn’t seem measurable, find a way to measure it.
18| Learn a Language
There are countless apps available that offer daily exercises in a foreign language. There are dozens of languages to choose from, and as you embark on this journey you will find yourself interested in the culture. This is a mind-blowing and mind-opening experience that will make you a better person. It will take no more than 10 minutes of your time each day. Or, enroll in a class to learn a new language. It’s likely a weekly class, but you can practice your lessons daily.
19| Early to Rise
There are only so many hours in the day, but you can improve your quality of life and boost your productivity by getting up early. The average adult needs just seven to nine hours of sleep each night. So, if you are in bed by 10, a 5 o’clock wake-up is ideal. Think about what you can do with that extra time. You might feel groggy at first, but you’ll soon realize getting up early leaves you feeling more energized.
20| Drive Yourself With To-Do Lists
Don’t underestimate the power of a good to-do list. You should have one every day. This list should be made up of tasks you have to complete and ones you’d like to get done, too. You will notice that it makes you more productive when you have a to-do list.
21| Push Yourself Outside Your Comfort Zone
You can’t truly grow and develop until you force yourself into uncomfortable spots. Stop living in your comfort zone and push yourself out of your comfort zone every day!
22| Show Kindness
Every day is an opportunity to cultivate love, compassion, patience, and kindness. You can do that by practicing kindness. If we’re being really honest with ourselves, we could all do better at extending a bit of grace to others.
23| Deal With Bad Habits
It takes time to quit your bad habits. It’s something that you should be working on every day. Tackle one bad habit at a time, whether it’s smoking, always being late or biting your nails. An important part of personal development involves leaving those bad habits behind. Quitting a bad habit is something that you have to practice every day until you have stamped it out.
Even after you quit smoking, you will have to actively make the choice to not smoke for a long time. The same can be said for any bad habit. The best way to deal with purging bad habits is finding a new, healthier habit to replace it. For example, if you want to quit smoking, go for a walk or grab a glass of water when you would normally light up. If you’re a nail biter, it’s likely because you feel anxious or stressed. Find a more appropriate way to cope with that and learn how to manage your stress more effectively. Once you have squelched one habit, you can move onto the next.
24| Nurture Good Habits
Likewise, it’s important that you nurture your good habits. Of course, the suggestions we have made today are good habits that you should nurture daily. Developing your good habits will help you build your personality, as well as improve your personal development. Think about your good habits, like diet and exercise. It’s easy to practice these daily when you put your mind to it. What about your other good habits? What are they, how do you practice them every day?
25| Be Consistent
Personal development won’t happen overnight. It’s something that happens deliberately and ever so slowly. The key to improvement is consistency. It will help you create meaningful change, and this is why people find it so difficult to change and improve. This is a lifestyle, it’s something you have to do daily.
Remember that as you embark on your personal development journey. The practices above are ones that you can practice daily in order to aid your personal development journey.
