Is Self Development Possible?
The problem with the question of whether or not self development is possible is that it is too vague. What do you consider self development? Bettering your social skills? Becoming a more outgoing person? Living life to the fullest as oppose to being timid? Self development can literally cover every facet of your life. Personal growth is always a subject of your very own understanding and meaning of growth.
With that said self development is real and is definitely possible. The great thing about it is that there is not one right way to go about developing yourself. Every person has a different technique for bettering themselves, which makes everyone unique in their own way. While it may take some trial and error to identify what works best for you, there is a way for you to find what you are looking for.
The first step to self development is determining what you want to develop. Everyone has at least one, if not more, things that they would like to better about themselves. While identifying this, keep it as specific as possible. Saying that you want to be a better person will not help you. But if you say you want to be a better person because you are always angry at people, you can work off of this.
Many people have desires and aspirations that they want to someday fulfill in their lives. The problem is that people are not willing to take action to make these things happen. After you have determined what you want to develop about yourself, put together a strategy or plan of how you will fulfill these needs.
Your plan will change over time, so you do not have to worry about making it perfect to start. Getting a starting plan will allow you to get off on the right foot and motivate you to take action NOW.
It is vital that when you look toward the top of the mountain of where you want to go, you do not get discouraged. Too many people look at their goals and self development as some insurmountable task ahead of them. Have confidence in yourself and believe that you can and will accomplish the task in hand. Sometimes rewarding yourself as you get a little closer each day can keep you motivated as well.
Lastly, do not be discouraged if you do not better yourself the first day. Self development takes time and patience on your part. It may take several days, weeks, months, or even years to completely develop the facet you are working at. But setting small goals building up to the ultimate goal will help you stay focused and motivated.
Focus and grow
D.C. Wartenberger
Hey DC
Two part reason for this note…
1) I’ve been reading through your posts and am really enjoying your insights. Thanks for taking the time to keep up the blog!
2) Would you be interested in receiving a copy of “The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work,” a newly released book by Jon Gordon? I think you’d enjoy the premise of the book and some of the stats that Jon speaks to… such as how negativity costs companies 250-300 billion a year, according to Gallup. How various surveys say that 70-80% of people hate their jobs. And how more people die Monday morning at 9am than any other time. It’s really a book about developing positive solutions.
I work with Jon and since you are a thought leader whom I respect I’d love to get your feedback about dealing with negativity in the workplace and possibly introduce you and Jon to each other. You can check out more about the book and watch few short promo videos we’ve made by going to www.NoComplainingRule.com. There’s a part in the first one where the boss head butts an employee for complaining. It’s hilarious!
Thanks and please let me know if you’d like to check out the book.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Hi Jim,
sorry for answering late but I was out of town having some Quality Time.
Thanks for your offer and I sure accept your kind offer to check out the book. Just contact me via email or skype.
Best wishes
Dougi
July 15th, 2008 at 12:49 am