self-development activities to try today

Firstly, Far from simply ‘the strange aisle in your local bookshop’, the concept of self-development has been around for thousands of years. In Addition, In his 2300-year-old scriptures on ethics, he discusses personal development, stating that the practice of virtues leads to ‘Eudaimonia’, translating as ‘human flourishing’.

Consequently, So, how do we, as humans, flourish?

Here we take a look at what self-development is, is not, its history and importance to us as humans, and some ways to try it out for yourself…

All of us here at One Year No Beer are fascinated with self-development. We think it is one of the most important ares of your life that you should spend time investing in, and one that takes a lifetime of practice to master.

Giving up alcohol or at least changing your relationship with alcohol may enable you to take even more from the process of self growth.

What is self-development?

Secondly, Self-development can be described as many things, but at its core, it is the expansion of self-awareness leading to the understanding of one’s self and identity. Through the tools and activities used to support our self-development, we can develop our talents and potential, helping us to reach goals and dreams.

In Short, Ultimately, self development and its results can enhance our quality of life and increase our happiness.

Moreover, And it’s a big, far reaching industry that has touched many generations. The first ever self-development book was the 1859 best-seller Self-Help by Samuel Smiles.

After That, Since then, from How to Win Friends and Influence People (probably the most famous self-help book in modern history, written by Dale Carnegie, published in 1936 and sold over 15 million copies worldwide since, making it one of the best-selling books of all time).

Similarly, The self-improvement industry is estimated to be worth $11 billion in the United States alone, and $500 million is spent on personal development products every year.

What it isn’t

Thirdly, However, the self-development world can sometimes find itself subject to criticism.

Many put self-development practices or ideas down, dismiss them as ‘fluff’ or as scams. Of course, we must be discerning when it comes to following someone else’s advice about our own life, and check credentials before working with someone.

Likewise, Ultimately, it’s important to remember that no one else can make us promises about our own lives; the power lies with us.

Experts such as Mastin Kipp advise against ‘spiritual entertainment’, wherein we become trapped in the circle of reading or participating in self-development practices for entertainment, and yet never showing up to actually ‘do the work’ – make the changes, look deeply within, or take the time to answer the questions we are asked.

Self-development is about developing yourself, by yourself.

Importance of self-growth

Why is self development important?

Humans have long known the importance of self-growth.

The thread that weaves throughout both, is the willingness to look within in order to understand ourselves.

A quote I love that sums up his ideas perfectly is this;

‘Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate’.

Ultimately, awareness and deeper knowing around our weaknesses and strengths, our true soul desires and desire of the ego, our truths and our fabricated beliefs, will lead us to make better choices in order to create a life that makes us truly happy.

And thousands of years before Jung, sages took themselves to the mountains to contemplate their lives and understand themselves better.

In reference to self-study, the ancient yogic text The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (written prior to 400CE), he states:

‘through focusing our attention onto our habits and conditioning, we gain knowledge and understanding of our past and of how we can change the habitual patterns that aren’t serving us in order to live more freely and fully.’

Historically, self-study (self-development), has played an important role in many cultures, philosophies, and ultimately, for humans throughout time.

7 Things You Can Do in Your Daily Life to Improve Your Personal Development

How to improve personal development

Self-improvement comes in many shapes and sizes and there is more or less something to suit everyone, from different goals to different needs to different learning styles.

Different types of self-development activities to try today

With this in mind, here are 6 things you can do in your daily life to improve your personal development. Here are a few of my favourites:

Coaching

One on one life coaching is the ultimate modern self-development tool.

Choosing a coach that suits your personality and learning styles is important.

Therapy

Talking therapy is great for those who might have some healing to do along their self-development journey.

Challenges

Taking up a challenge that pushes you out of your comfort zone and towards a goal you never thought possible is a sure-fire way to grow out of old limiting beliefs and smash through the barriers that are holding you back in life.

Getting the right support or even a coach can help depending on the difficulty of the challenge you set.

Have you ever thought about giving up alcohol before? This is a great first step for those looking for self growth. No better time to start than today…

Take the Challenge

Journaling

One of my favourite journaling tools comes from Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. 

‘Welcome to the morning pages,’ she says, ‘They will change you’.

Yoga and Meditation

A great deal can be taken from these ancient practices, especially if the more modern and often forthright techniques of coaching for self-development aren’t your style.

In Eastern philosophy, the study of the ‘self’ is often as important as eating, keeping clean or exercising. This is why so many of us keep coming back to ancient Eastern practices, such as yoga and Buddhist meditation.

Modern science confirms this with research that has found the techniques of Mindfulness can help us understand and get to know ourselves on a deeper level.’

Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to listen to motivational speakers and experts talk live, with passion and in a way which can often hit home. 

For those looking to simplify their lives, The Minimalists is a must listen. And I couldn’t not include the Psychologies Podcast Channel – with some of the top self-development experts in the world from Brene Brown to Gabrielle Bernstein, they ask the questions everyone wants to know the answers to, always with kindness and curiosity on subjects ranging from changing your life to using mindfulness for a busy mind.

Mastermind

Have you noticed, most self-help courses, or books, or programmes go about things one of two ways?

The first way, is to make everything incredibly generic.

The second way is to make everything far too specific. We’ve all seen the courses designed to help you, but there are a few problems with their approach.

Mastermind works as a self development program as you have accountability, you are surrounded by a supportive, close-knit, community and it is a tried-and-tested process.

Live Life Better with these self help tips

Self-development doesn’t need to be anything big and scary.

Hopefully you found these self development tips helpful and you are ready to start your own self improvement journey today!