What is personal development?

What is personal development? You have probably already asked yourself this question. No wonder, because the topic is a popular, much-discussed and often controversial one. For some, it is the holy grail for getting as far as possible in your personal life and job, while others see it more as a dubious method used by dubious gurus to take their customers' hard-earned money out of their pockets.

 

So let me give you my opinion right at the beginning of the article: I think personal development is essential if you want to lead a life that is characterized by Self-determination, satisfaction and Success is marked. And we will now take a detailed look at how this works.

 

Personality encompasses all of a person's characteristics such as strengths, weaknesses, talents and abilities, Values, Beliefs, experience, self-confidence, the accumulated knowledge, as well as the general Mindset, with which you go through life. If you want the (positive) Shift If you do not leave these characteristics to chance, but instead control them in a targeted manner, this is known as personality development. Or to put it in a nutshell: the conscious control of personal development with intention is referred to as personality development.

 

In my seminars, coaching sessions and consultations, I almost always ask my clients one question: „What is your most important Goal for the next twelve months?“ And the answer, which I hear as often as all the others put together, breaks my heart every time: „I want to be happy and content.“ Wondering what's wrong with that? It's not the wish itself, of course, because what could be better than experiencing genuine happiness and deep contentment?. 

 

The tragedy of this supposed goal is something completely different. It is the assumption that happiness and satisfaction are states that depend on external factors. The internal pattern is based on the following pattern: once I have achieved my goal (finished my studies, completed my further training, been promoted, moved house, bought a new car, started my business, become a mother, etc.), then I can finally be happy and satisfied. 

 

Do you recognize the error in thinking? Happiness and contentment are never dependent on external circumstances. You can't buy these states, they don't develop over time and they don't fall from the sky over time. If you were to retain just one idea from this article, it would fill my heart with joy if it were this sentence: Happiness and contentment are a decision that we have to make anew every day.

Have I shaken your convictions too much with this sentence? If so, then I'm delighted. Because if you are one of those people whose most important goal is to be happy and content, then it's time for a rethink. Let me repeat it once again: happiness and contentment are a Decision, that you have to make anew every day. These conditions do not arise at some point as a result of external events, but arise deep within you. 

 

By being grateful, enjoying the little things in life and savoring every single moment. Do you want to be happy? Wonderful, then be happy. And not in twelve months' time, but today. Right now. Right now. Do you want to lead a happy life? Then make the decision to do so. Where you are right now, with the external circumstances that currently exist. Don't wait for a At some point, because this almost always results in a Never.

 

The most important thing to be happy and content is to make a decision. The rest will follow by itself as soon as you begin to embark on the journey of personal development. And we are already in the middle of a model that has shaken up my business, my everyday life and also my life, and will hopefully have the same effect on you. I am talking about the growth staircase, which I have visualized for you in the following illustration.

 

 

The idea behind it is very simple. The bottom left-hand circle represents the status quo, the person you are today and the life you are currently leading. The top right-hand circle symbolizes your future, your visions and represents the person you want to be in the future. And that brings us to the huge mistake that many people make: Assuming that the path between today and our destination is a straight line. 

 

But that's simply not how life works. It's more like a fast-paced rollercoaster ride, with highs and lows, successes and defeats, rapid changes of direction, steep climbs, adrenaline-inducing loops, but above all a huge portion of fun. I have tried to visualize this hussar ride with the zigzag line.

 

In reality, this would look even more complex, more like a mighty ball of wool, after all, we often have to overcome obstacles on our way, make new attempts or deal with failures. Do you agree?

 

But that is by no means all. Because within the zigzag line, the very special (and always individual) process that we call personality development emerges. This process takes place in stages, which I have labeled circles one to six in the illustration. The idea behind this is that we go through different stages of development over time, which reflect our current status in terms of knowledge, skills, experience and insights.

 

Each individual stage has its own special features and very specific learning tasks. Once we have mastered these, we grow as a person and climb to the next personality level, where we then have to master the next learning tasks. Until we finally arrive at our destination. Or realize along the way that another goal is much more attractive or relevant. 

 

Whatever you want to achieve in life, with every goal, every vision and every dream, the growth staircase is waiting for you to climb it. And I know what's going through your mind right now, but no, there are no shortcuts, no elevator or other ways to reach the top right circle faster. 

 

And that's a good thing, because each individual stage is a milestone that is worth enjoying and savoring to the full. Above all, however, you need to master the challenges in order to tackle the next stage of your personal development.

 

For this reason, it is not worth comparing yourself with people who have been where you want to be for ten years. These people are many steps ahead of you and you have yet to successfully complete them. These people are struggling with their own learning tasks and challenges.

 

And it is precisely for this reason that the famous sentence Fake it 'til you make it What nonsense. After all, what's the point of pretending you're already at level six if you're currently busy mastering the tasks at level one! Enjoy your current stage of development and be pleased that the journey itself is the real goal. Each stage has its positive and negative characteristics. At each stage there are people who enter your life, while others leave it again. And at each stage, fate presents you with tasks that need to be mastered. Until the game starts all over again at the next stage. True to the motto: Once you have found the answer, life changes the question.

 

And almost imperceptibly, the circle of thought that we opened at the beginning of the article comes full circle. Because in times of permanent Shift, In a world of increasing complexity and constant uncertainty, a radically human approach with a full focus on the success factor of personality will be the key to a life of self-determination, personal breakthroughs and fulfilling freedom. 

 

It doesn't matter where you are today. As long as you are prepared to climb the growth ladder step by step and enjoy the resulting rollercoaster ride, you will be more than prepared for the challenges of the coming years. I can't tell you exactly what our future will look like. But I have decided to put my personal stamp on it and actively shape it. And in a radically human way. The philosopher and poet Dante Alighieri put it like this: „One waits until the times change. The other tackles it head on and takes action.“ I made my decision many years ago. What is yours?