Personal development allows us to transform ourselves. And transformation is not only remarkable; it is a joy.
Personal development helps us grow to become happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise. Because of personal development, we become more understanding and kind, and we value relationships with people.
We will explore more reasons why personal development is important.
One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.
Abraham Maslow
After you read this article, I recommend that you go to the following articles too:
- Hero’s Guide to personal development.
- Six Aspects of Personal Development
- My 3 Big Steps in Personal Development
Why is personal development important?
Personal development is important because we are meant to grow big.
Plants need fertile soil, sun, and water to grow. The right combination will make them grow and multiply. If you cultivate the land and trim them, plants will grow according to your desire.
In the same vein, personal development makes us intentional in our growth. Unlike plants, we can define how we want to live our lives. We can accelerate our progress. We can position ourselves so we can live the lives we desire.
If we are not intentionally working on ourselves, we may fail to become the person we want to be and someone we dislike. The worst thing that happens to us is that we dislike ourselves.
George Bernard Shaw famously observed that there are three kinds of people: those who make things happen, watch what happens, and wonder what happened.
10 Reasons to Pursue Personal Development
Here are ten reasons why personal development is important.
Why is personal development important? Here are practical answers.
Great leadership isn’t an event—it’s a habit. Get actionable leadership habits every Monday and Thursday.
It increases your sense of purpose.
Without personal development, it is easy to be couch potatoes. You will let days pass by without your notice because each day is the same as the last one. Life without a purpose is boring.
At work, an employee who does not pursue personal development tends to be transactional. They count their hours, not the difference they make.
When I was young, I knew of jobless people who chose to spend whatever little money they earn from side hustles on gambling and drugs. The tambays in the neighborhood are the most troublesome too.
When a person is purpose-driven, each new day is an opportunity to get an inch closer to a goal, a dream, or a vision. Each morning promises new opportunities, and every evening a celebration of gratitude.
Because of personal development, I wake up each day knowing that I can fulfill my dream for myself, my family, and the world.
It helps you manage stress.
Have you heard of the Ozone Disco Fire? It happened on March 18, 1996. It left 162 people dead. Many of them died because of the stampede. The disco house can accommodate only 35 people, but on that night there were 350 people, many of them students, in the club.
People who are not skilled easily panicked. They don’t know how to handle stressful situations.
That’s the difference between most of us and firemen. Most of us do not know what to do when there is fire.
That fire is a metaphor for the challenges we face in life.
As I mentioned above, a person with a purpose is self-driven. They know what’s most important. They increase their knowledge of the world. And as their knowledge and skills increase, their capacity to solve problems increase too.
Personal development does not make stress disappear in your life. I met people who work in stressful situations (doctors, teachers, firefighters, and the like) who serve under constant pressure. Yet, they find ways to manage their stressors because they fully understand what matters most.
It helps you re-energize yourself.
It is easy to be tired of life when everything we do is same-same. When we don’t grow, we feel that we are slowly dying. Sad, I know.
Many years ago, I met an employee who said that he does not need any training at all. Because he is already contented with what he has reached. There was nothing to learn anymore.
He was 35. And according to his co-employees, he was the most unhappy person they knew.
When you are mindful and fully aware, you can re-energize yourself. That is because your motivation comes from within.
When I was still studying in a Catholic seminary, we spent our days and night on physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual works. Though we are dead tired the night before, each new day promises new opportunities to make a difference.
It helps you develop a more positive outlook.
Do you have a number for how long you’ll live? Most people have numbers. Some think that they’ll die at the age of 50 because it runs in the family.
When people reach their fifties, they start to think about their mortality. I was one of them. I remember, many years ago, I said that I am going to die at the age of 72. That’s seven years after retirement. That was my number. And as each year goes by, I know that my number is getting closer.
Personal development allows you to think of dreams and goals. It helps you see things from larger, newer perspectives. For example, I learned that retirement is politically motivated. Amazing how the government picked 65 as the number to become useless.
No, you don’t become useless when you retire, but some people consider themselves useless.
My number today is 125. I intend to live 75 more years. And based on that number, I am still young.
Good and bad things happen to all of us. Unfortunately, many of us choose to listen and talk about the negative things in life. For example, it is more appealing to watch Tulfo shows than videos on how to become good citizens or succeed in business. When you seek personal development, you prefer the positives. You smell the flowers. You find positive ways to make a difference.
It helps you to become healthy.
Most people don’t care about their health. It is easy to ignore health when you are still young. But when body parts start aching, people start to think about their health.
But thinking about health when life is dull and boring is not easy. It is not easy to think about health when life has no purpose. This is why personal development is important.
You become more conscious about what you take in. You only live once, giving yourself the gift of a healthy body and mind.
You become more conscious of the need to exercise, rest, sleep, and eat the right food.
If I were to live until 125 years old, I don’t intend to live unhealthily. I will walk on my feet. I will speak, write, and laugh. I will be fully alive. And this can only happen when I am healthy today.
It helps you become wealthy.
I did not use the word “rich” because I do not measure wealth on money. But I confess that I want to have more money. Because money is power. Money is a responsibility. And am willing to take more responsibility.
I know of many rich people who live miserable lives because they have too much money. But I know more people who pity themselves because they don’t have any.
Personal development is leverage. It helps us understand what matters most. It makes us produce more in less time. It is an asset more important than the dollar.
Because of personal development, I fully understand that I have assets I can use to multiply my value in the marketplace. I can also use my assets to make a difference in the lives of others.
Though our wealth is not limited to financial capability, mindful people take care of their finances and can find ways to create value.
It helps you grow as a leader.
Many years ago, I got invited to train school principals at Sagay City. On my way to the venue from the airport, I noticed those trucks filled with sugarcane. Because they were ahead of us, and the road was narrow, our speed did not go beyond 30 km/hour.
It made me think of leaders who are too slow they become obstacles to others.
The worst leaders are those who do not grow.
It is said that in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed person is the king. You are not a one-eyed person. You see things with clarity. People are attracted to you because you speak with authentic confidence.
A leader who pursues personal development is leading by example. He keeps himself two steps ahead. If he is fast, everyone will move.
It helps you improve your mental power.
Since you are intentional about many things, you learn faster than most. You ask questions, and you find answers to your questions. You become the source of many solutions, too, which helps make people consider you their leader.
It helps you leverage your strengths.
Since you prefer the positives, you tend to pay attention to your strengths. You use whatever you already have. You sing because you can sing. You speak and write because you have a message to share.
It opens new opportunities for you.
Those who seek will find. You see opportunities when they come because you are looking for them. Opportunities are everywhere because many expect “instant” change without hard work.
You can enjoy all of these benefits when you pay attention to all aspects of personal development.
