7 Stages of Personal Development and Self-Growth: Which One Are You in?

Being aware of the stages of personal development is crucial for your further self-growth if you want to evolve as a person and achieve success.

While many people want to achieve more in their lives, just a few of them know that there are certain stages of personal development and it takes a lot of work and time to keep on growing.

When it comes to self-growth, people often think about achieving short-term goals while it’s a lifelong process that never ends. The more you know, the better, and the core principle of self-growth is to obtain knowledge, improve skills, and step out of the comfort zone. Thus, it’s a hard thing to do even though it pays off.

Although you have a variety of reasons for self-growth, the most important one is that self-development can change your life for better. Personal development requires a lot of time and effort, but it pays off if you are a determined person who keeps on becoming better day after day.

Self-growth is a long process that consists of certain stages of personal development, and knowing which stage you are in is crucial if you want to take another step and move onto the next level.

Ready? Let’s go!

Stage #1: Self-Knowledge

It is the first stage where you start thinking about your strengths and weaknesses, analyzing yourself. Self-knowledge helps you understand yourself better, learn more about your needs, and make the decision whether you want to achieve more or not.

Personal development is impossible without self-knowledge as you need to know where you’re moving in order to improve your skills and knowledge.

Stage #2: Comparison

Once you know yourself, you want to know other people, especially those ones who seem to be better than you. Although we all know that comparing ourselves to others is bad, it’s a start point if you want to become a better you.

Most of us feel jealousy when we see someone’s success. When you want to know their secret, the comparison starts. While all people are different, and we get different opportunities in a lifetime, we all know that there are some soft skills help us achieve success faster.

If you can learn from other people and start working on new skills, that’s great! But:

The key to success is to compare yourself to yourself in order to analyze wins and loses. When you know your weak points, you can work on them and become a better person.

Stage #3: Modification

If you want to take the bull by the horns and start developing your skills, you are in the third of the stages of personal development. When you start thinking about changing your life for better by improving your knowledge, skills, and views, modification begins.

It doesn’t matter what the reason for changes was. Whether it was an inspiration from top billionaires or struggling for a better life, modification stage allows you to give a try to develop, and it’s an important step toward growth.

Stage #4: Acceptance

Now you know what you want to achieve in your life, and you might know how much effort and time it takes to start changing for better.

You know your weaknesses, and you’re ready to accept them. After all, nobody is perfect, and there is no need to blame yourself for who you are. Self-acceptance helps you value yourself even though you can criticize yourself.

If you know what you want to improve, roll up your sleeves.

Stage #5: Planning

Do you want to learn a foreign language? Or do you want to start painting? No matter what your choice is, prioritize your goals and plan the growth.

• Set your short- and long-term goals
• Write a plan
• Put down your achievements

Planning is important in your self-growth as it helps you move in the right direction and analyze your achievements.

Stage #6: Reaching Your Potential

Self-growth requires hard working and fighting against your doubts and fears. When you move out of your comfort zone, you reach your potential.

To grow daily, recognize your value and self-worth. Give a try to all things that interest you even if you have a fear of failure. You can’t know what your talent is until you try. However, you need to develop patience as growing as a person is impossible when you are pressed for time.

Stage #7: Self-Growth

If you have moved through all stages of personal development, you start growing as a person as you have goals, plans, and desire to keep on developing.

This stage is lasting, as personal growth doesn’t have time frames. As it is said, the sky is the limit, and you can never reach it as well as know everything for sure.

If self-growth is high on your list, never give up and keep on achieving more and more. After all, personal development is an eternal process that helps you keep a work-life balance and stay a happy person, no matter what obstacles you face.

“When you focus on being the best person you can be, you draw the best possible life, love, and opportunities to you.”

― Germany Kent

So, which of the stages of personal development better describes you? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.