Personal Development:

In Pursuit of Your Best Self--The Beginning

I want to improve my life, get more out of life. So says almost everyone. And in our pursuit of this elusive objective, we strive for personal development; we go on the quest for self improvement. And it’s a lifelong search—this desire to improve ourselves and our lives. And the resources to help us in our self improvement mission are too numerous to list.

Yet, this personal development journey, like any other expedition, has to have a route and must begin with the basic starting point.  And it’s quite simple…

v     Set goals.  Zig Ziglar, renowned author and motivational speaker, said:

“If you don’t set your goals, you won’t reach your goals.”

This is the only way you’re going to achieve your goals--you have to create them. Now that you’ve done that, write them down.  Make sure you decide on realistic ones—both short- and long-term goals. After you’ve done this, simply take positive, deliberate steps toward achieving these goals. Remember that no mountain climber ever got to the top in one giant leap—it required one simple step at a time.  So, too, will your personal development climb.

v     Clean house.  Now don’t go running to get the vacuum cleaner.  That’s not what I mean.  What you need to do is unclutter your life.  Get rid of the inconsequential distractions--both the physical and psychological-- that intrude on your personal development time. These intrusions take on a life of their own, multiply and overwhelm many of us to the point of distraction.  So eliminate these distractions before you begin to cross the bridge to being your best self.  Removing these unnecessary complications will allow you to focus instead on what your want to achieve in your personal development aspirations.

v     Establish a routine and follow it.  This will be the foundation upon which you’re going to build your best self---it’s the groundwork you’re laying for your road to your personal development and self improvement, to be the best you can be. How you handle your day to day setbacks and accomplishments depends on the strength of this structure. So it’s a most important and a powerful beginning in your search for self improvement.

v     Say “no”.  One of the obstacles that frequently set many people back is not knowing how and when to say “no” to other people. Even when they’re already inundated with more projects than they can deal with, they take on more hoping they’ll be able to manage.  So they “bite off more than they can chew,” become overwhelmed, stressed, resentful and before you know it, they’re “spinning their wheels” on a road to nowhere. Consequently, their desire for self improvement--to devote more time to better themselves and their lives--is always being put on the back burner.

v     Keep it simple. (Think of the acronym, KISS—Keep It Simple Stupid).  Some people have a tendency to turn the simplest task into a major hurdle for no apparent reason.  Or they allow outside influences to add more tasks than they’re equipped to handle. This creates unnecessary complications in their lives and/or with whatever project they’re trying to complete. As a result, their routine is disrupted and they lose perspective, thereby wasting time which further delays the accomplishment of their goals.  They begin to focus on the obstacle instead of concentrating on obtaining their personal development objectives. Learn The Art of Simplicity.

v     Relax more. No; I don’t mean take naps.  Instead, take time out each day to reflect, to calm your mind and body. 

Read something uplifting, motivational. Or listen to inspirational audio tapes or music. How about meditation? Perhaps do some yoga stretches. This can do wonders to lift your spirit, recharge you, and give you impetus to move forward in your personal development and self improvement ambitions. Yes, you can relax and succeed.

Copyright © Morna Douglas.