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.


Copyright © 2012-2024 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

power of misfits book banner desktop

Like what you are reading? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss new thought-provoking articles!

This Post Has 9 Comments

  1. Mini

    Wow I’m in stage 6. I had some confusions For some days. But reading this help me know what is going on in my life. Thank you so much.

  2. Carla

    Thank you so much for this, I’m currently on stage 6 and fighting crippling anxiety and maladaptive perfectionism. Recently my anxiety became so extreme that I went into parathesia and have been experiencing sensory loss all over my body for 5 days now. This was the thing that finally pushed me not just work on myself on my own but actually seek some help, so I’m now soon starting therapy. I feel so hopeful after reading this because I truly feel I’m at a point in my life where I’m 100% ready to make changes and this only confirms it. Thank you again! And also I would like to wish the best to everyone else on their own journey, I know how difficult it can be but it’s so worth it.

  3. Steve Scott

    These are the very helpful tips for self improvement. Self development is mandatory in today’s life, without it you can’t gain better. Thanks for giving these valuable tips.

  4. Mairi Heather

    Thank you for the tips. These are very helpful not just for me but for my colleagues whom I’m very excited to share this reading with. I’m currently on Stage 5 and working towards Stage 6, and feeling hopeful that I can be of great assistance to my colleagues as well. Thank you so much again.

  5. Deborah Powell

    I guess maybe that’s what I’m pissed about, I’m worrying how other’s are and trying to bring a smile to their face/heart BUT what about ME? It was My direct family member….. where’s my flowers?
    When’s it gonna stop hurting sooooo bad? When’s it gonna feel ok to smile again, laugh out loud without feeling judged?
    I was always told, I worried too much of what people thought of me and pleasing them.
    WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN FOR ME NOW & CAN I CHANGE?

  6. Terry R.

    What are the best Personal Development audio tracks out there?

  7. Aden Smith

    Nice informative post! Personal development or self improvement is the key to success in any phase of life. Personal development besides improving your personality gives you a definite success in your life!

  8. james

    Thank you so much for this educational information. I was able to enrich my personal knowledge about this matter and confirm my own view regarding personal development

  9. Leon

    All of those hits me, am glad am on the right path.

Leave a Reply