Personal Growth: How to beat your Personal Best every day
A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.
Anonymous
Welcome to Personal Growth 101
If there’s anything more important than living happily ever after, it is the concept of Personal Growth.
The pandemic changed the world but not only for the negative. I learned about self-improvement and personal development inside my humble abode, shut off from the world and devoid of any hindrances that could affect me.
The version of me writing this piece right now might not have existed if I didn’t do a couple of things and, now that I realize it, they weren’t half as bad as calculus. (I still don’t get it.)
But before even considering what I’ve written is worth it or not, do you even think that there is a need for self-improvement or Growth?
Because if you are affirmative only then there would be a reason to move forward else, you can live the perfect version of human being that you think you are. And that is also completely fine. This is a judgment-free zone and, I am so happy for what you have achieved.
Personal Growth feels like a different dimension where time and space play almost no role. Don’t get me wrong. I would still suggest starting as early as possible, because it is your unfair advantage against the world and, the earlier you get it, the better.
So, let’s start now, shall we?
What is Personal Growth?
Personal Growth is a way of improving your abilities and skills to become a better individual even after formal learning has ended.
Personal Growth is an essential part of getting to know more about yourself. It can get you out of your comfort zone and helps you raise your level of self-awareness.
It is not a course that you can complete and get a certificate. It requires daily & consistent efforts that lead to compounded results.
For instance, I was not a reader for the longest time and, then I picked up a book to give it a try and fell in love. The key here is to define Personal Growth for yourself. To grow in areas where you feel like you need refinement.
How to Start with Personal Growth?
The best way to start with Personal Growth is to explore. What I mean is a deep dive into yourself. Start with the existing set of advantages and limitations you have and,
- Writing down your thoughts: A highly underrated activity that helps clear your head by writing down everything from your mind onto a place you can see. Your notes on the laptop or maybe even a physical paper.
- Examining your behavior: We often think about our actions only after we perform them. That might not be the correct way, so try to be aware in the moment and take every action more mindfully to understand your emotions.
- Shifting your perspective: Adopting a positive attitude is not a piece of cake but, the results are pretty sweet. What you need is to channelize your mind to see the good or better in every situation. Negative thinking will only disturb your peace of mind and, that’s what you need to protect the most.
- Counseling: A myth that goes around a lot is that Therapy is only for people who suffer from mental illnesses. That is so 1920s. Therapy is all about weaving your unorganized thoughts into a beautiful fabric for your mind. And there’s absolutely no evidence that says it’s only for patients with disorders. It is a great way to talk to someone who can give clarity and direction to your thoughts.
- Reading: You can unblock your mind from so many misconceptions just by reading. It is not just for geeks, nerds or, scholarly people. The right books would feel like an entire degree course in less than 300 pages and, it feels astonishing. Reading helps to open up your mind so that you don’t get restricted by what you’ve learned but what you could potentially learn.
These activities can help you get started. Exploring yourself and your environment is a powerful way to figure out your strengths and weaknesses. Once that game starts, it becomes about practice and persistence.
How long is the process?
There is no correct answer to this question. When you start from zero, going to one also counts as an achievement. You should be able to define your criteria.
There are no rules and, that is the only rule. It could take you a lifetime or just a couple of weeks but, it totally depends on the kind of task you’ve chosen to improve yourself.
Also, Once you move to the path of Personal Growth, you come to realize that you’d be hungry for more. It’s not like you master just one thing, and you are satisfied.
Once you see for yourself that you actually came out from this practice as a better human being, you realize that there’s so much more you can do.
Why stop at just one area?
The best areas to start with:
Health: You can never go wrong with health. If there’s anything that we have learned from the pandemic, it is to take good care of our health. That includes both, Physical & Mental health.
Surprise your soul with a beautiful home that it can reside in, which is your body and mind.
Best Practices: Physical; Start with daily habits like daily physical exercise that suits your body.
Mental Health; Start with practicing gratitude and journaling your daily thoughts.
Professional/Career: You can never learn too much, and it’s so true. If you restrict yourself by the constraints of walking on the path of what your school or university taught you, then you’d be doing a significant amount of disservice to yourself. Anything that you are even remotely interested in, try to search more about it and get involved.
Expand your horizons and start exploring something you only thought of as a hobby or did not take seriously at first. There’s probably a lot of potential in that area.
Best Practices: Online courses, Youtube Videos, Books & Podcasts
Emotions: Learning to control your emotions is not a task we think we have but, when we lose sight of where our sentiments guide us, it can lead us to a dark path.
It is better to feel every emotion and think about why it felt the way it did. Clarity of emotions will lead to a better understanding of one’s self. Learning to control and channelize your senses is one of the most crucial aspects of your Personal Growth journey.
Best Practices: Meditation, Talking to new people, communicating effectively, and a positive mental attitude.
Conclusion
Being the best version of yourself does not happen in a day and, you have to be patient with your Growth. But, this article is not about mastering Growth. It is about starting it. Take baby steps every day that lead to slow but harmonious Growth. I can assure you that Growth might be uncomfortable at first but, it will always make you feel gratified in the long run.
