5 Ways To Accelerate Your Personal Growth in 2013
We all have been there. The point when we start doubting ourselves after something failed, we are not happy as we want to be, things don’t work out the way we want to. That’s just simply life. Some people use the lessons and move on, some change whatever needs to be changed, but some need extra support and tools to move forward. Either way, it’s always a great idea to sit down for that much elusive self-analysis and soul searching.
The mind rules the world, it’s rightly said! Unless you have your mind and its thoughts in place, no amount of reading, coaching or counseling helps. All it requires is to look within, learn what your mind, heart and body want and then list down a step-wise practical approach to get yourself back on track.
Here, we’ve put down a concrete, 5-step action plan to help you revamp your mind power and set you on the path for maximum productivity and a much happier self.
1. Know your calling in life!
It is all very simple! Start by knowing what actually moves you to action. Financial prosperity, psychological satisfaction or even trivial motives like peer rivalry; which of the motives is crucial enough to motivate you make all the effort to improve yourself? The base of personal development lies in knowing why is it worth making all that huge amount of effort to improve yourself, or put simply, knowing your actual goals in life. For instance, let’s assume that helping others is your inner calling and you feel that ultimate satisfaction in doing so. Then working hard on improving yourself and making yourself being capable enough to help others makes all the effort of personal development absolutely worth it.
2. Map your goals
The wise always said, dreams without planning and labor are as futile as being totally visionless in life.
This one follows naturally from Step 1. Design your goals the right way. Experts suggest following the SMART dictum. All your goals should be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Timely.
Make sure you move one step ahead of dreaming and make concrete, achievable, practical and time-bound goals. As an example, dreaming about an abroad holiday next year is fine. But in order to achieve it, you should know what will it take, the expenditure involved, how do you plan to save that much, who are you going to go with, etc.
On a similar note, it is also important to know your ‘being’ goals. This one includes knowing what is the state of mind you see yourself in on your way to greater personal development. Do you want to be more contended or compassionate? Know such goals clearly to begin with.
3. Take stock…every now and then
Take a weekly or fortnightly stock of your progress and just how much have you adhered to your goals. It helps to be able to measure your achievements and take note of your failures in specific relevance to the goals you’ve set for yourself. A useful example in this case could be of someone on a weight loss program. Just look back over the week that’s passed and see how much have you adhered to the dos and don’ts and what has been your progress scale.
4. Prioritize and portion
This one follows the oldest, golden principle of knowing your priorities. Know that you will only be a better individual if you are happy and successful. For this to happen, you need to have fulfilled all your responsibilities in life. If you have your priorities clear, you will successfully manage to fulfill all your duties in life, making you happy and contended. At the end of the day, it is this contentment that forms the base of sound personal development.
5. Think ahead
Ask yourself the following:
– How do you see yourself in future?
– Where do you see yourself professionally in your career?
– What kind of a person do you want to be five years from now?
– What kind of a family life do you see for yourself?
– How do you want to be known in your community tomorrow?
Knowing what you want to become tomorrow is the only way you can start working on it today! Personal development is all about realizing your fullest potential, being the best person you can be and making the world a better place to live in with your miniscule but significant contributions. The above 5-step plan guides you just to do that in a practical, do-able and above all, a result-oriented way.
