What Is Personal Development And Why Is It Important?
I read a story of two young men who were the most qualified for a job. As they were equally qualified in both the written and oral interviews, the CEO decided to interview both of them in his exclusive office that breathes AC.
The CEO explained how much the company is worth and how much it will be worth in later years. Then he gave them a blank (invisible) check.
He asked them how much they want to be paid. The first energetic young man went ahead to mention a big amount (millions). The second young man, however, asked for something different. He asked to get a share of the company.
That’s daring, I know. But he wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t have a different understanding.
He has developed his mindset so much that he makes decisions for the present and the future. And your guess is as good as mine. He got the job.
That is the power of personal development. Even though he was in the same position as his competitor, his sense of reasoning was heightened through personal development.
In this day and age, personal development is a must for every individual. What, then, is personal development?
What is personal development?
Personal development is intentionally improving every aspect of your life. This can involve learning new skills (soft or hard), among others. And you can get trained through books, training, videos, etc.
There are five aspects to personal development:
- Spiritual.
- Mental.
- Social.
- Emotional.
- Physical.
- Spiritual: This is strengthening your relationship with God—talking with him daily. Accepting the love of God and understanding his nature.
- Mental: This is very important. Some people are older now, but they still have the mindset of children.
You need to understand and improve your mindset. You need to elevate how you think.
What do you think about money?
How do you interpret situations?
What do you think about people?
What skills are you learning?
Do you have goals?
All these must be taken into consideration.
- Social: You need to learn people skills. Humans are the most delicate beings on earth. And you can’t succeed without them. If you can’t succeed without them, you have to be with them or for them and not against them.
That means you need to learn how to relate, communicate, network, connect, and build sustainable relationships with them.
Books and seminars will equip you with these skills, but to be really good at them, you need to try them on people.
- Emotional: We can sum this up as emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability of your mind to understand, manage, express and control emotions effectively In this case, you are in control, not the other way around.
I have seen anger outbursts, quarrels, and fights just because of poor emotional intelligence. People with emotional intelligence pass through challenges too; however, they resolve them amicably.
- Physical: Improving yourself physically or maintaining a healthy living habit is also very important. The good thing about improving yourself physically is that it also affects your mental state.
For example, if you do exercises, they not only improve your body shape but also your mind. Another example can be the food that you eat. Food works both on your physical body and your mind.
After reading all these, you might be asking yourself, “Why should I work on personal development?” “Why can’t I stay where I am?”
I will explain using the five areas of personal development.
Why is it important?
- Investing in your spiritual growth helps you have a clear sense of direction and a better relationship with God.
- Investing in your mental growth increases your self-awareness and self-esteem. It builds your intelligence and helps you see and relate to life in a better way. It also helps you learn and master new skill sets.
- As a human, relationships are one of your most valuable assets. Investing in your social growth helps you build a valuable network of loyal friends and partners.
- Humans love people who listen and understand them. Learning emotional intelligence will teach you the art of listening to people, and you’ll also be able to empathize with them. It will also help you control your emotions and how you give meaning to things.
- Then, building your physique builds your self-confidence.
Since you have read to this point, I believe you now understand what personal development is and why it is important.
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