Personal Development. The first time I heard this phrase, I found myself sitting there saying, “HUH?!” I had never heard of the concept before, or at least, I didn’t realize that I had so I was a little confused at what was actually meant by the phrase. So for starters, what is personal development? Personal development, or PD as I call it, can be defined as the activities that improve one’s awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, enhance the quality of one’s life, and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations. My simple definition is anything that makes you a better version of yourself by increasing your knowledge.
Now that we’ve defined what personal development is, let’s talk about some different mediums in which PD comes. The obvious one is books, such as self-help books. With the development of technology, we now have access to PD in the form of videos, podcasts, and audio books. No one medium is necessarily better than another, but each one will fit in with your schedule and personality in a unique way. For me, being a busy mom of 3 little boys, podcasts and audio books are my go-to for my personal development.
We’ve briefly covered the what and how of personal development, so I just want to share with you the importance of this concept. I love this quote by Brian Herbert: “The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.” The fact that we have {virtually} unlimited resources to content that will grow us is truly a gift. The more knowledge you have, the more value you possess. Think about it. Those who are marked as leaders are the ones who have tremendous knowledge and value about the area in which they lead. You don’t become the CEO of, say Ford Motor Company without knowing something about the vehicles Ford manufactures, and how to manage a business. I highly doubt someone with a background in cosmetology would even be considered as the next CEO at Ford, regardless of how many years in business management they had. This is why personal development is so important! The more knowledge you have, the more value you have.
Implementing personal development into your life every day is easier than you may think. Read 10 pages in a book a day. I bet it takes you about 20 minutes, if that. Do you commute to work? Download some podcasts to your phone that interest you and listen to them on your way to and from work. Check out LiveHappy if you’re just stuck on what kind of podcasts to look for. I also love audio books, and one I highly recommend is How To Win Friends And Influence People. You’ll thank me for that one, I promise! If you are a small business owner, you may find the Attraction Marketing Formula E-Book extremely helpful for developing your online presence and generating traffic to you.
I’d love to hear from you about your thoughts on personal development! Have you ever heard of it before? What are some of your favorite mediums of PD, or some of your favorite topics? LIKE my Facebook Page, and leave me a comment!