Inspiration: 6 Ways To Stimulate Personal Growth And Development

There is a fundamental need in every person to discover who they really are and consistently work on becoming the best of themselves. Personal growth and development is a never ending journey that involves exploring identity, talents and potential, as well as dreams and aspirations. It develops you physically, mentally, spiritually and intellectually. The key is to put yourself into situations that will trigger that exploration and development.

1. Read

Reading helps you connect with people you have met, people who may be long dead. It gives you a peek into other peoples minds and so helps you broaden yours. Reading exposes you to new ideas and concepts, and it grows you in the easiest way possible. Read constantly and as broadly as you can.

2. Surround yourself with people who inspire and motivate you

There is a saying that the person you are now is a sum total of the people you have met and the books you have read. This is very true, people influence people, it's just the way of life, so you might as well surround yourself with people who will influence you positively and push you to be better.

3. Identify and get rid of the people and things that influence you negatively

This is in continuation of the above point. This is easier said than done though, but again, remember that people are naturally influencers and you need all the positive influence that you can get.

4. Turn off the TV

The TV is probably one of the worst plagues of our time ( and social media is even replacing it fast). Watching TV for hours on end robs you of time that could have been invested in activities that could help you develop, eg learning new skills or forming new vital relationships. I know relaxation is important, but try reduce your TV time as much as possible. There are other activities that help you relax and offer more benefits than the TV.

5. Avoid comparing yourself to what you see on social media

Here's the thing about social media: it's a clipped, cropped and cultivated representation of who we are. It's not really who we are. We accentuate the best of ourselves. We filter and tweet what we want others to see. So when you scroll through Facebook, know that all those updates, photos and comments have been carefully considered. And when we compare ourselves, we have a tendency to compare the worst of ourselves to the best of everyone else. Not that you should compare in the first place; but it's not a fair comparison.

6. Know yourself

If you don't even know yourself, how can others know you? Wonder why so many people find it hard to answer the question "tell me something about yourself?" in interviews? Self knowledge is not just about knowing your likes and dislikes, it's about knowing who you truly are as a person. How you look at life. How you interact with others. What fires you up. What leaves you shaking. What gets your heart pumping. A person who sincerely knows who they are shines with confidence. This kind of knowledge is learned by personal reflection, lots of time alone, and situations outside of your comfort zone. 

If you have not started, start the journey to being your best self today!