Chances are, if you’re a human being, at some point in your life you’ve looked into self-development.
Whether it’s making your dreams come true, discovering who you are, where you lie on the introvert/extrovert spectrum or simply ways to be happier. You may not have consciously researched self-development but chances are, you’ve stumbled across it in one way or another and it has intrigued you.
Self-development can also mean pushing yourself, coming to and pushing past your limits. Whether physical or mental, looking into self-development is a useful practice for those wondering about themselves.
Whether you’re passionate about self-development or a beginner, here are some tips that will change your life.
1. Do things that you enjoy
Figuring out the activities that you enjoy and practicing those is a great way to improve yourself. For example, you may enjoy solving challenging problems using logic and technical thinking – the more you do this particular activity, the more your brain will expand.
If you like meeting new people and enjoy communication with others, you are expanding your brain each time you have a conversation with somebody new. Getting a fresh point of view or hearing an opinion you hadn’t previously considered opens your mind to new possibilities and knowledge, improves empathy and can help you improve on skills you may currently have.
At the same time, go and try new things to discover fun activities. Don’t be afraid to push yourself. Getting out and about is a great first step to self-improvement because actually allows you to do what you enjoy, rather than being stuck in one place.
2. Learn to socialize
Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, we all need human interaction to survive and it may not come as a surprise to you to hear that the better you become at socializing, the more you can gain from it. Conversing with others may come naturally to you or it may not, however, the benefits from speaking to others overrules any discomfort you may feel.
Firstly, socializing with others will grow your confidence, you will realise that you can do it and that it isn’t so scary after all. Developing genuine connections with others will make you feel more confident and it will boost self-esteem.
Speaking with others also awakens your mind to other cultures, ideas and opinions – try not to be ignorant or small-minded in social situations and take in as much information as you can, it will improve your life in many ways.
Again, this can be as simple as putting yourself out there and going outside your comfort zone. Hanging out with new people is a great way to learn more about yourself and experience new ways of thought.
3. Set goals for yourself
Setting and achieving goals is one way to improve your life as well as build your confidence in your own abilities. What do you want most in life? Whether it’s as small as cooking a healthy meal once a day, or as big as landing your dream job – write a list of your current goals and break them down into steps as to how you can achieve them.
As you fulfil your aspirations and achieve your goals, it will give you a strong sense of fulfilment and confidence, as well as any additional benefits that may come from achieving that goal, using the previous two examples, you may lose weight if your goal was to cook a healthy meal or you may feel financially stable due to landing your dream job. Whatever the goal is – you will feel accomplished when you have achieved it and that is one of the best possible feelings.
The single most important thing you can do for yourself in regards to goal-setting is to write it down. This will concretize the commitment and provide direct visual feedback for yourself. And you can easily adjust it as needed, in order to break it down into smaller chunks or move onto the next one.
4. Be kind
One of the most important ways to improve yourself is to be kind to others. Sure, it’s great to work on our own goals and dreams but if you can be kind to others and consciously make an effort to brighten somebody else’s day, you will reap the benefits in a great way.
Helping others will make you feel happier, more at peace with the world and it will generally improve your social abilities. If you’re not sure what to do, start small – smile at everybody you see today and if possible, say hello to a few strangers along the way.
And not just with people; taking a moment out of your day to pet an animal or throw a Frisbee back in the park can surely brighten anyone’s day. The positive benefits of kindness offer a lot of help in one’s self-development journey.
Self-development can come in many forms and the term itself encompasses many different areas and topics, but if you follow these tips you are well on the way to improving yourself and your life.
What are you going to work towards to improve yourself today?
