Personal Development Ideas

Personal growth: Self-awareness, imagination, optimism April 26, 2014

As a person who is seriously interested in, and is studying the concept of personal growth and development and applying its principles, you possess four key enabling characteristics:

(1) Intuitive self-awareness
(2) A desire to learn
(3) A sense of optimism
(4) A well-developed imagination

Self-awareness

You have arrived at the discipline of self-improvement with a realistic sense of your own capabilities, strengths and weaknesses.

You have definite ideas on the areas of your life you would like to improve.

And this is an intuitive perception. You have not turned to personal development because someone else has told you to do so – you have decided yourself that it is a project worthy of your attention.

A Desire to learn

Your realization that there are areas for improvement in your life, coupled with your strong desire for self-actualization, acts as a strong incentive for wanting to thoroughly  investigate the concepts and principles of self-improvement, to find out what is involved, and to put the principles into practice.

Optimism

Although you are well aware there are negative personal attitudes, emotions, and behaviours that you would like to modify or correct, you have a strong sense of possibility that you can do this successfully.

You are not a day dreamer; rather, you are optimistic that you will achieve the goals you plan in your personal growth program.

A productive imagination

Most important, perhaps, is your ability to imagine, or visualize positive outcomes through your study and application of the principles of self-improvement.

Outcomes such as:

• Better control of your emotions
• Developing independent thinking patterns
• Improving your inter-personal relations with other people
• Creating a heightened sense of purpose for yourself
• Achieving greater integrity in your thinking and in your actions
• Increasing your abilities in certain areas
• Gaining a greater sense of who your are (1)

(1) Outcomes paraphrased from Arthur Chickering`s concept: The Seven Vectors of Personal Development.