There is a statement that personal growth and self-development are one and the same. Indeed, they walk side by side and lead to a common goal.
Self-development is understood as a person’s actions, which he carries out without pressure or interference from third parties. It is a conscious process aimed at achieving clear goals or beliefs.
Personal growth and self-development
Over time, people's views change, this is due to various reasons, the main one of which is personal growth. It forces you to rethink your life experience and find better ways out of problematic situations.
Personal growth is a long, labor-intensive process of improving oneself as a true individual with special talents and unique character traits. This process brings both personal and social benefits.
The fact is that on the path of personal growth a person develops in order to declare himself in society, to achieve some positive results in his chosen business, heights in the social sphere. That is, he receives not only spiritual and personal development, but also recognition in society, without which it is difficult to find his niche.
In order to make yourself happy, it is first of all important to take responsibility for your life. Next you need to want to change. Desire is your fuel that will carry you forward.
It is also important to believe in yourself. Faith is your best helper, your inspirer. Faith is an important condition for personal growth. And the last ones are your activity. Without action and self-discipline, you will not achieve the desired result.
Esoterics self-development and personal growth
Esotericism, self-development and personal growth are undoubtedly related concepts. Esoterics is the science of the spiritual, it examines issues of the soul, fate, good and evil, which have a positive effect on a person’s self-development and personal growth.
Personal growth makes it possible to develop in a cognitive direction and meets a person’s needs in spiritual life.
First of all, spiritual practices and meditation contribute to self-development. The world of spiritual practice is a world where it is possible to comprehend God, pacify your thoughts, achieve serenity, purify the mind, know peace and gain strength.
The next step is to become aware of your thoughts. Write down everything that happens inside you at any time. If you learn to observe and be aware of what is happening to you, then little by little the madness of thoughts will begin to disappear. Life will change radically.
Esotericism teaches us that the main key to self-development and personal growth is awareness. Mindfulness means that you live life in the present, moving from moment to moment, being aware of yourself and everything around you.
After all, esotericism is responsible for the most important aspects of human life:
- Harmony
- Development
- Healing
- Awakening
Now it’s no secret to anyone that a person can develop all these capabilities within himself. Remember the examples of popular programs-seasons of the Battle of Psychics. Who was there: magicians, sorcerers, witches, fortune-tellers, entities and even metaphysicians, claiming that such abilities can be developed in oneself without having any gift or inheritance.
Thus, every person who believes in his own strengths and capabilities is able to discover possibilities in himself that will cover all the real and unreal physical achievements of the body. This will be a real victory of the spirit. This is why self-development classes are needed.
Books on personal growth
1. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Flow. Psychology of optimal experience.
In his cult book, the eminent scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi presents a completely new approach to the topic of happiness. For him, happiness is akin to inspiration, and Csikszentmihalyi calls the state when a person is completely absorbed in an interesting activity, in which he realizes his potential to the maximum, a flow.
The author analyzes this fruitful state using the example of representatives of various professions and discovers that the emotional uplift experienced by artists, performers, and musicians is available in any business. Moreover, one must strive for it - and not only in purposeful activities, but also in relationships, in friendship, in love. The book answers the question of how to learn this.
2. Otto Kroeger - Why are we like this? 16 personality types that determine how we live, work and love.
The book will help you better understand yourself and the characteristics of your personality - both those that can (and should) be changed, and those that you cannot change, no matter how hard you try - and, accordingly, behave more effectively in a variety of life situations.
The book will help you better understand others and stop demanding from them what they can never give you, which means you can develop a compromise version of interaction that allows everyone to remain themselves. Whatever the problem, typology magically softens conflicts and helps resolve any issue in any area of life - from choosing a diet to choosing a life path.
3. Karen Pryor - Don't growl at the dog! A book about training people, animals and yourself.
This brilliant book has already helped 4,000,000 readers around the world improve their relationships with others. In it, Karen Pryor offers a simple and incredibly effective technique for encouraging anyone to do what you want.
And it’s not a matter of insidious manipulation, hypnosis or emotional blackmail. It's all about the system of positive and negative reinforcement - the most reliable and effective approach to influencing the behavior of others.
4. Robert Childini - Psychology of influence.
A classic of business literature, a world bestseller and a reference book for ambitious politicians, managers, advertisers, marketers and everyone who wants to convince and achieve their goals. The author of the book, Doctor of Science and professor of psychology Robert B. Cialdini, has studied the principles of successful sales for many years.
Based on his research, he wrote a guide to motivation and persuasion, which many authoritative publications recognized as the best book on influence.
5. Eric Berne - Games that people play. People who play games.
Here is one of the fundamental cult books on the psychology of human relationships. The system developed by Bern is designed to free a person from the influence of life scenarios that program his behavior, teach him to “play” less in relationships with himself and others, gain true freedom and encourage personal growth.
In this book, the reader will find many useful tips that will help to understand the nature of human communication, the motives of one’s own and others’ actions, and the causes of conflicts. According to the author, the fate of each of us is largely determined in early childhood, but in adulthood it can well be realized and controlled by a person if he wants it.
6. Dale Carnegie - How to win friends and influence people.
Dale Carnegie's teachings, instructions and advice over the decades since the first publication of this book have helped thousands of people become famous in society and successful in all endeavors.
7. Viktor Frankl - Say “Yes!” to life
This amazing book made its author one of the greatest spiritual teachers of humanity in the 20th century. In it, the philosopher and psychologist Viktor Frankl, who went through Nazi death camps, opened the path to understanding the meaning of life for millions of people around the world. In the terrible, murderous conditions of the concentration camps, he showed the extraordinary strength of the human spirit. The spirit is stubborn, despite the weakness of the body and the discord of the soul. A person has something to live for!
For those who explore themselves and their inner world. Who knows the meaning and who has lost it. For those who have everything in order, and for those who are tired of life. This great book will teach you the ability to find meaning in any situation.
8. Erich Fromm - To have or to be?
A book that will never lose its relevance. What is more important: the possession of objects of material culture or a meaningful existence, when a person realizes and enjoys every moment of a fast-flowing life?
In his work “To Have or to Be?” Fromm very clearly and in detail explores the reasons for the formation of relationships according to the principle “You give me - I give you” and clearly demonstrates what this ultimately leads to.
9. Abraham Maslow - The far reaches of the human psyche.
Abraham Harold Maslow is a psychologist known for developing a new theory in the field of human motivation and personality - the theory of self-actualization, the founder of humanistic psychology. “The Far Reaches of the Human Psyche” is one of Abraham Maslow’s best works, his final work, a book about mental health, creativity, values, goals and their implementation.
In order to explore the limits of human capabilities, it is necessary to study the best representatives of the human race; According to Maslow, “To find out how fast people can run, you need to study the best athletes and runners, and it would be pointless to take an “average sample” from the population of a city.”
In this book, the famous psychologist reflects on the limits and infinity of human capabilities and the fact that a person draws any boundary within himself.
10. Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” motivating for self-improvement.
Serving as a standard for so-called motivational literature, the book “Think and Grow Rich” has long received the status of an unsurpassed classic textbook.
Here, her text is packaged with a concise yet accessible and comprehensive guide to learning and, most importantly, applying the author's brilliant and fruitful ideas in your daily affairs. Having mastered this important book in full (both theoretically and practically), you will be able to achieve success on the path to wealth and happiness.
Professional and personal growth
A person cannot “just live” and do his job, he must find a goal in which work and profession, and most importantly, he himself and his actions in the profession occupy a certain place.
If the chosen profession does not contradict the formed personal characteristics and the professional development of the individual corresponds to its basic value concepts, then one can expect a value-based attitude to professional activity in the future. In other words, in this case the unity of personal development and professional growth of the individual is noted.
Consequently, the problem of choosing a profession and mastering an activity is part of the problem of the meaning of life. In the scientific literature, the problem of professional compliance is associated with the presence of a certain potential of inclinations or abilities that can ensure the successful formation of the necessary professional knowledge, skills and abilities.
There is practically no talk about the harmonious development of the individual, about professionalization as a process that largely determines this development. It is assumed that everything will be fine with a person if, according to certain parameters, he meets the requirements imposed by professional activity on the subject.
Personal and professional growth helps us further achieve three main goals, on the basis of which we can continue self-improvement in the future:
1. Harmony in accordance with the current day - studying new information obtained from various sources (books, attending trainings, various seminars), its systematization and further use, taking into account all the requirements necessary for society, including our immediate environment, as well as achieving new heights in building a career;
2. Formation of awareness - not only real, but also adequate acceptance of the present, a thorough analysis of one’s own behavior model - all these actions are necessary to obtain the necessary list of possible problems and shortcomings that need to be corrected or completely eradicated so that in the future they do not interfere with professional growth;
3. Comprehensive development - improvement requires not only achieving the best results only in a certain category and nearby ones, but also in absolutely opposite ones. Thus, you develop comprehensively, which means you can, based on the acquired knowledge and skills, develop in a completely new direction for you. You not only need to be an ace in your field, you also need to be able to support small talk on any topic.
We offer the following points for drawing up a program of self-educational activities:
- My values
- My goals
- My self-concept
- My perspective (strategy)
- My work tactics and development tasks: cognitive, personal, etc.
- My actions
Neurosis and personal growth
Neurosis and personal growth, what is the relationship? Sometimes life leads us to a dead end, and we give up on doing anything, and we begin to simply “go with the flow,” succumbing to a nervous state, and, even worse, trying not to notice it. But we can fix everything! If you identify the signs of a personal growth crisis and overcome them.
Fortunately, neurosis is quite easy to recognize by its characteristic symptoms:
- Low resistance to stress
- Aggressive behavior
- Vulnerability and frequent tearfulness
- Anxiety conditions
- Focus only on the problem
- Fatigue
- Increased irritability
- Touchiness over trifles
- Turning every little thing into a tragedy
- Severe sensitivity to noise
- Intolerance to too much bright light
- Sensitivity to temperature changes
- Apparent insomnia
- Overexcited state
- Increased heart rate
- Profuse sweating
- Absent-mindedness, lack of concentration
- Sudden changes in pressure
In a neurotic state, all the symptoms will not necessarily appear at once; there may well be 2 or 3 of them. But this is enough to think about ways to combat this terrible illness.
These alarm bells should not be ignored! They are the ones who tell us that it’s time to stop and rethink our lives, so as not to encounter an insidious neurosis. And if neurosis has already overtaken you, you should not delay eliminating it until it develops into depression or something worse.
In this case, an excellent solution would be an optimistic attitude and decisive actions towards improvement.
Personal growth goals
Personal growth goals can be completely different. Such as, for example, the creative development of an individual or spiritual, material and physical. There can be several goals for personal growth at once, so sometimes you have to improve yourself in several completely different directions at once.
- Developing Awareness
- Time Compliance
- Filling your horizons with knowledge
- Leading a healthy lifestyle
- Using your talents and strengths
Each of us probably wants to have his own special position in society, to be an interesting conversationalist, or to achieve recognition in some field of activity.
How to draw up an action plan?
First, it is important to decide where you want to start personal growth. This could be an increase in potential, an increase in self-efficacy, or the development of useful qualities. After setting goals is completed, we look for motives for achieving them. We recommend:
1. If necessary, contact a specialist. Sometimes, in order to achieve maximum disclosure of one’s own “I,” the help of a qualified psychoanalyst or trainer is needed. They will help you achieve your results in self-knowledge much faster!
2. Remove the shackles from yourself and drive away bad thoughts. It is quite difficult to achieve something if you are stuck in fears and concerns. Having thrown them away, even the world will sparkle in different colors for your person!
3. Don’t stand in the way of change. Sometimes changes are even for the better, so there is no need to avoid them. Open up to them and accept them with gratitude!
4. Find your motivation to start self-improvement. In most cases, we are driven by strong motivation; having found it, everyone is able to literally “move mountains.”
5. Take action!
Personal growth training
The purpose of the training is the development of self-awareness, the development of skills and abilities of self-analysis, reflection, activity, the ability to overcome psychological barriers that interfere with full self-expression.
Personal growth training is a real opportunity to start making your dreams come true. Stop blaming external circumstances and find answers to questions within yourself.
You may ask: “Why go to training and not to a professional psychologist?”, but one does not negate the other, only the good thing about training is that in a group you feel that you are not alone with similar problems. Well, together it’s not scary :)
However, even if you bring together people with very similar problems, the nuances will still be different for everyone. But this is also good precisely because it helps to consider more different options, their causes and methods of overcoming.
So personal growth trainings are optimal for anyone who wants to work through and solve problems such as:
- Inadequate understanding of some events
- Negative attitudes
- Low self-esteem
- Difficult life situations in the past and present
- Lack of necessary knowledge
Throughout our lives, many of us strive to personal growth, self-development and professional development. And that's great. A person who strives for constant self-development carries within himself the strength, will and energy capable of demolishing everything in his path and achieving the desired result.Personal growth, or rather his development— the process is long and labor-intensive.
It requires both financial and time costs. But if these difficulties are not scary for you, then let's move on to the next point. Namely, where to start personal development.
Books on personal growth
From time immemorial, books have been one of the main sources of knowledge. A book is a powerful tool for personal self-improvement. That is why, a recommendation on the path to personal growth will be the selection of the necessary literature.
So many. And so that you don’t waste a single minute of extra time reading “useless books”, before you choose for yourself “the very ones” that will lead you to the right thoughts and actions, read our recommendations when choosing literature:
- Read reviews online, browse recommendation forums.
- Study at least the table of contents of the book, but best of all, come to the bookstore and leaf through its contents.
- Get to know the authors of the books (their lives, works, etc.). Perhaps you will choose a book based on the author you like.
Personal growth courses
Many people supplement their reading of literature by attending courses on personal growth. Indeed, the atmosphere that the training creates has magical powers. It will fill you with strong motivation and energy, allow you to explore your strengths and weaknesses, introduce you to new “inspiring” people, reveal your potential and change your thinking towards personal development.
What should you consider when choosing a personal growth course?
- Personality of the trainer. Research the trainer's personality on social networks, groups or the website. Interview friends who have already visited him. Or write to the people who left reviews about it.
- Purpose and topic of the training. Let it be a truly professional course, without any esoteric stuff.
- Course cost. Don’t be fooled by cheap seminars that promise you mountains of gold. But you shouldn’t leave huge sums - approach it wisely and don’t go into debt.
Self-education and self-improvement
This point is perhaps the most extensive, and includes studying books, courses, acquiring a new profession, and expanding the circle of people with “goals”. Self-education can begin through self-improvement, and the following can be done in a variety of ways:
- Get rid of bad habits.
- Play sports, walk more.
- Switch to proper nutrition and more.
These points are not required, but they will help in self-organization.
The main thing is to come to inner harmony. Understand what you want from life. And then the process of personal growth and self-development will not seem difficult to you, but on the contrary, very interesting.
Personal growth and self-development, what is the difference and where to start?
Many people believe that if a person knows a lot and is able to do a lot, he will grow as an individual in society. In fact, it often turns out that this is not enough at all, and very smart and well-read people who have stuffed themselves with a lot of information do not receive seemingly deserved recognition, and cannot always exert sufficient influence on the surrounding reality. Why is this happening? The reason is that what matters is not how much you know, but who you are - what matters is having certain personality characteristics.
If you engage in self-development, then you will be a healthier and happier person, therefore, you will have more strength, you will be more active, your decisions will be better, and your actions will be more effective.
2. Hit one point
Continue to work on improving the results of your activities, and of course, act, act, and act - and then you will find yourself next to the best representatives of your niche.
3. Enhance your personality
Even if you adhere to a certain style in your work - be bolder, act on the edge, and show individuality, do not be afraid to experiment, do not be afraid of public opinion, it was thanks to courage and individuality that new trends and directions were created in all areas. Use your own style and handwriting. Individuality is exactly what can set you apart from the rest.
4. Enhance Personal Attractiveness
Personal growth program, where to start
Use a personal growth program, which is a small system of interconnected actions that helps clearly define the necessary steps and bring clarity.
Personal growth is an algorithm for externally enhancing personality.
- Analysis of your current situation
- Analysis of desires, identification of true needs
- Defining the main goal and subgoals
- Drawing up an action plan and setting priorities
- Developing external personality strength for successful interactions
We looked at what personal growth is, where to start accelerating it, and I wish you success.
They are the main components of success. Without them, it is impossible to move forward and achieve your goals. A person who does not care about his development will remain in sad stability without the opportunity to provide himself with better living conditions. Personal growth is very important for successful people. Thanks to him, they reach ever greater heights.
Where to begin?
Many people who have embarked on this path wonder where to begin personal development. You need to start freeing yourself from the burden of the past, which can slow down your approach to success. It is necessary to mentally analyze what hinders self-development. These could be negative parental attitudes.
Self-confidence can be increased through motivation. You need to repeat to yourself 3 times a day about your success, that there are no obstacles on the way to your goal. Any intention will definitely be realized if it does not have a negative final goal.