Personal development is just that: it’s personal! Self-actualization and inner work are lifelong processes that we as humans desire in order to experience fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment in our lives.
Even after we have attained major milestones and accomplishments, we desire to do more, become more and achieve more. Is it because we are never satisfied? Or is it because we are constantly evolving into our higher selves?
Although society has conditioned us into thinking that we need to achieve more and gain more to arrive at a certain status, in order to be worthy, scientific facts have proven that seeking to reach our full potential—by learning new skills, expanding our knowledge and challenging our core strength—builds resilience. It keeps us youthful and mentally active.
With age, our wisdom grows naturally because we have experienced more and learned many life lessons along the way, but personal growth and development is about more than the challenges we face. It is more of an inside job, focused on our AWARENESS OF SELF, knowing who we are at our very core, and knowing how we want to evolve into our higher selves. Personal growth is about DEFINING, ALIGNING, FLOWING and GROWING, then REPEATING that cycle throughout our lives, at our own rhythm, to achieve a sense of inner peace and personal joy.
Humans need to feel a sense of meaningful progress. When we lose momentum somewhere along the cycle, it can sometimes weigh us down and make us feel stuck. If we can pinpoint where we are in the cycle, we can apply the right type of strategy to move forward with greater ease. We can also stop beating ourselves up for not being somewhere else in the process. Learning to be patient with ourselves is GROWTH! Create your growth strategy and follow the course to arrive at your destination.
Reality is that GROWTH has benefits; developing new skills, attitudes, actions, or reactions that can have a positive impact on your life increases your overall well-being. Bettering yourself is never a bad idea; seeking better relationships, visiting new places, taking on new hobbies, embarking upon a new career journey, or eating a better diet doesn’t harm you but only makes YOU BETTER!
Take a minute to reflect on where you are right now. What are your strengths? What areas do you want to focus on? What growth and development do you want to see in yourself/life? How aware are you of who you are and what you want to change or enhance about your life?
Think deeply about this, and remember…
Being intentional about your growth, thinking differently (outside of the box), building skills, and changing your context – can make a vital difference in moving from passive self-awareness to dynamic action. YOUR GROWTH IS IN YOUR HANDS!
Camille Turner-Bragdon is a Clinical Social Worker, Academic Success Coach/Advisor at Tallahassee Community College, Owner of The R.I.S.E Motivation Station – as a Goal Coach whose business mission is to become the go-to place for personal growth and development, motivation, and encouragement, for individuals seeking to successfully achieve their goals in life. For more information, visit Camille’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CamilleTheGoalCoach