You are not standing still.
Change is inevitable. You are going to change anyway. Whatever you choose to do or not to do, you are going to be a slightly different person in 6 months time.
If you are going to change anyway, might as well make a choice. Choose how you want to change. Making no choice at all is also a choice, but it’s one that leaves you randomly floating about the seas of life with no direction.
On the other you hand, you can choose to be a better person in a half year’s time. A more successful person. A more skilled person. Whatever you like.
Here are a bunch of personal development ideas to help you move along.
1) Grit
Life can be a bit of bully at times. It likes to push you around and throw stuff in your face for no apparent fault of your own. Successful people get pushed around just as much as us mere mortals (whatever definition of success we use). They simply don’t let life always have its way. They have grit.
Do you think Richard Branson hasn’t been pushed around? Dalai Lama? Both individuals are super successful in their own unique ways yet they have had to face their (un)fair share of difficulty.
For the next six months challenge yourself to handle the small troubles of life with courage. Courage may seem like a silly word to use here, but it’s not. Starting small is good for any type of personal development. Don’t run away from the little problems that get thrown at you.
Soon enough, you’ll find yourself prepared to handle bigger and bigger challenges. You’ll be a grittier person. Grittier people fare much better in life.
2) Gratitude
Being grateful for what you have is a prerequisite for happiness and self-development. In fact, it’s the shortcut to happiness. As far as shortcuts go, this one is totally worth taking.
How grateful are you for what you have?
“Yeah yeah, I’m grateful for everything, okay? Now give me more.”
If this describes your own attitude, then you have a prime target for self-improvement. Gratitude will not give you happiness if it’s not sincere.
Decide today to be a more grateful (and thereby, a happier) person in the upcoming months. Again, start small. Start by writing down ONE thing you are truly grateful about every day. Once you feel like you’ve gotten into a habit, extend it two things. Then three. You get the idea.
3) Habits
Good habits are the foundation for a life of success and fulfillment.
Why?
Because you can’t build a successful and happy life on random surges of motivation or inspiration.
You will need to do a lot of stuff to get to where you want to be, whatever goal that may be. But you won’t always have the mood to do that stuff.
Are you always going to be in the mood for exercise? Are you always going to be motivated to do intensive work? If the answer is a resounding yes, then stop reading this and go make your dreams come true!
For most of us, the answer is no. We won’t always have the motivation to do what’s best for us. That’s why we need habits – to take motivation out of the equation.
How do you develop a habit? Well, by now I’m sure you’ve guessed it – by starting small. If you are trying to develop a habit of writing, don’t try to force yourself to write thousands of words every day – you just won’t keep up, you’ll give up and that will discourage you from trying further.
Instead, write for 5 minutes every day. It’s small enough for you to be able to force yourself into doing it even if you feel more like watching TV at that particular moment. Once the habit develops, you can start increasing the required daily amounts of whatever it is that you are doing.
4) Courage
Most of your fears are useless.
They are not evil. They were once useful, but that was at a time when we humans lived in the wilderness in small tribes. Going against the majority opinion of the tribe could have easily resulted in you getting expelled from the tribe or worse.
Nowadays, things are different, but our instincts aren’t keeping up with all the changes in our world. Sticking to majority opinion and following what everyone says you should do is the recipe for a dull and mediocre life.
You need to do what you believe in. But for that, you need to develop courage.
Start taking steps towards what you think is right, even if they are small steps at first. Venture out of your comfort zone. Every day, do something that you know is good, but makes you feel even just a little uneasy. With commitment, the changes over time will be huge. In six months time you could be a way more courageous person than you are now, and trust me, you won’t look back.
5) Positivity
When you think of the positive side of things, you see opportunities. Opportunities for personal development, for growth, for success, for greater happiness.
This doesn’t mean you should be optimistic to the point of ignorance, where you don’t notice obvious issues around you. It’s a must to stay aware of the challenges you may face. The point is have your mind set on the long-term – the positive long-term.
Somewhere beyond these immediate difficulties is that which you dream of attaining. You will attain it; it’s only a matter of effort and time.
Start writing down all your goals and all the resources you have for getting to them. Write down all the opportunities that you notice as you go about your life. Encourage and find encouragement in other people around you.
It’s easy to be negative, to complain and to stay ignorant. But it’s not the way of personal growth. Cultivate intelligent positivity in yourself and your life will start taking on a whole new course.
Take these ideas for personal development and start implementing them today. They take time. But time will pass anyway, whatever you do. If you have a choice between becoming better and not becoming better, the choice is obvious.
What kind of self-development are you planning to focus on during the next months? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments section below!
Image credit: Green organic sprouts growth by Pawel Pacholec