What is personal growth? Theories of personal growth. Comprehensive and harmonious development of personality. Personal growth: what is it and how to achieve it

Personal growth for modern man- an essential component of all life. The desire for an ideal "I", without which positive acceptance of oneself is impossible - this is what personal self-improvement is. But how to achieve positive changes in one's own personality, bypassing all the factors hindering development? Psychology of personality development and experience successful people help you understand personal growth. Let's look at everything in more detail.

All successful people have one thing in common - they are always in the process of their own development. Whether it's a career or a hobby, deeply passionate and successful individuals have always commanded respect. Do you want to join the clan of happy and successful? Read below to find out where to start and how to achieve growth.

What psychologists say

The concept of "psychology of personal growth" replicated in modern books on popular psychology replaces the concept of "self-development". Psychologists believe that directly personal growth is indirectly related to personality development, although these processes are interrelated. They argue that development is qualitative change, while growth is quantitative. Growth takes place inside a person, strengthening his inner core (the word "spiritually" will be a synonym), and development can be obtained from the outside with the help of training, mastering new activities.

The theory was created by the American psychologists Maslow and Rogeras, who developed a humanistic concept, which served as an impetus for further scientific research, and in a variety of psychological directions.

However, in our article we will talk about a broad (and more common) concept of growth, it is also personal self-improvement, since it is this meaning that has become the closest to a wide audience.

Components of Success in Personal Development

Developmental psychology includes several aspects. Here are the main components of personal growth:

1) Personal growth goals:

• the development of awareness and the rejection of mechanical habits,
• compliance with modern times and the rhythm of life,
• the development of intelligence and the acquisition of comprehensive knowledge.

2) Personal Growth Plan:

• determining the starting point
• visualization of the desired result,
• development of a strategic plan for solving the tasks set.

3) Motivation - determining the driving force for self-development:

• "moving from" - dissatisfaction with the current life,
• "striving for" - an action to improve the state of affairs.

4) Trainings on personal growth. The topics of personal development trainings are very diverse and only experienced people can say for sure that personal growth is for you. Indispensable in the process of human development and Physical exercise as accomplices in strengthening self-control, willpower and self-confidence.

5) Creativity is the engine of progress, developing:

• creative attitude to life
• ability to be yourself
• spontaneity and freedom of expression.

6) Improvement - the formation of three interconnected aspects of human life:

• body development,
• mind development,
• spiritual development.

7) Foresight, or wisdom - the ability to objectively assess the present and plan the future, based on the possibilities.

8) The acquisition of knowledge is the path to self-realization.

Making a plan and setting yourself up for success

The personal growth program is an indispensable tool in the process of self-improvement. Having visualized all the stages, it is much easier to start fulfilling your tasks. A personal growth plan can be drawn up both for a certain period of time and contain
for perpetual achievement. As an acceptable option, we can offer you an annual program for personal growth that affects the most different aspects life, but is based on one thing, the most important thing for you.

January:

Development of self-confidence. Deal with your fears, complexes, feelings of guilt and so on. You should embark on the path of self-development without unnecessary psychological burden.

February:

Finding the meaning of life. Determine what your purpose is so you know where to go next.

March:

Goal setting. One of the most important stages in the psychology of personal growth is
lying on the path of self-realization. The global goal must necessarily be broken down into smaller ones, and they, in turn, into smaller ones that are easily visible in the present. All goals should be detailed on a piece of paper.

April:

Time planning. Start a diary and describe in detail your steps aimed at achieving your goals, at least for the near future. Do not forget to check the diary so as not to lose the fuse and stick to the agreed (with yourself) schedule.

May:

Start vigorous activity in the chosen direction. It's time to take the first steps! They will be the most difficult, but at the same time very exciting and enjoyable.
Do not forget to write down all your achievements and successes, they will serve as an excellent motivation for you to build a personal growth methodology: smart people combine a diary and a success diary into one notebook (or electronic media), as this allows you to fully observe the development trend.

June:

Dedicate this month to mental
The first month of life change may seem difficult for you, so do not forget to relax in between self-improvement. Meditation can be a great way to achieve relaxation.

July:

Let this month pass under the auspices of family and friends.
. Many who embark on the path of self-development forget about their relatives and friends. Don't make these mistakes, spend time with your family, even if you have a busy schedule.

August:

Creative days. Without creativity in matters of personal growth, nowhere. Discover something new every day. Sign up for a watercolor or painting course, visit a vocal studio, write an exciting novel – express yourself through your art. This will give a powerful impetus to self-improvement, opening up new opportunities.

September:

Think for yourself in which direction of personal growth you would like to move on. Perhaps these will be courses for mastering a new profession or training for self-development. The beginning of autumn is a great time to go deep into yourself and pull out unfulfilled aspirations.

October:

Personal self-improvement by making new acquaintances. Did you sit inside yourself? It's time and honor to know: interesting conversations, unusual acquaintances and unexpected revelations have been waiting for you outside. As they say, only in a dispute is truth born, only in conversations with others do we grow above ourselves.

November:

As in your development. Consider whether it is possible to turn your knowledge, past and newfound, into a profitable hobby or profession? If yes, then what are you waiting for. You know what to do. (ps: make your business well paid, of course, and learn how to sell it.)

December:

Summarizing. You will have a whole month to remember all your achievements achieved during the year, analyze them in detail and outline a development plan for the next year.

Top 3 secrets of successful people

To achieve success in personal growth, there are special methods, technologies and exercises that allow you to achieve significant changes almost instantly.

For example, in the psychologist's book
Nikolai Kozlov "A book for those who like to live or the Psychology of Personal Growth" you can find a diagram that suggests how smart people behave in difficult situations:

Secret #1

One has only to stop shifting responsibility for the situation to others - to change the attitude towards it. This is the secret that is included in all methods of personal growth.

Secret #2

Always strive for new knowledge. Seize every opportunity. Regardless of the field of this knowledge, one can never be sure that one fine day will not come when it is precisely acquired skills that will play important role in your life.

Secret number 3.

Now that you have learned about the special secrets of personal growth, and also received a development plan for the whole year, the main thing to remember is that for smart people this is not a way to achieve some single goal, but a lifestyle that allows you to develop day by day, reaching new heights each time.

3. Important years

Someone calls the years from the twentieth to the thirtieth the second youth, someone - the beginning adult life. Dr. Mag Jay, a clinical psychologist, claims that this is the most important decade in a person's life.

In her opinion, during this period it is worth thinking seriously about work, love, physical and intellectual development. A smart and constructive book about years that should not be wasted.

Offers real stories from life and recent scientific research. As well as the observations of psychologists, sociologists, neurologists, economists and top managers involved in personnel policy.

4. Dreaming is not harmful

A bestseller with 35 years of experience on how to make dreams come true. This legendary book will help you discover your strengths and hidden talents, and then chart the path to the goal and implement the plan.

Barbara Sher is sure that becoming the creator of your own life is easier than it seems. You just have to be bolder: dream, read, do.

The book is really worthy of admiration (no wonder it came out in 1979 and is still popular). It is written to make you a winner. A person who gets what he wants.

5. Development of willpower

A book for those who want to learn self-control and become the master of their own destiny.

Renowned American psychologist Walter Mischel talks about how to develop willpower and apply it when faced with everyday challenges: the need to lose weight, stop smoking, prepare for dismissal and other important problems.

The publication is included in the top 100 Amazon.com in the "Cognitive Psychology" section.

6. Mindsite

Many people suffer from mental traps»: obsessive-compulsive disorders, mood swings, anxiety, unpleasant memories. How to get rid of these problems and become a happy person?

Psychiatrist Daniel Siegel talks about an important skill that can change your life for the better. This skill is the ability to focus on your inner world and abstract from the "autopilot" - ingrained irrational habits.

The real stories from the book prove that we have the power to change ourselves, our brains and our lives.

7. Memory does not change

Neuroscientists say that there is no good or bad, short or long memory. There is memory well or badly trained.

“Improving memory is not only possible, it is also interesting,” says psychologist Angels Navarro. You will agree with this statement when you see the fun brain training exercises in this book.

By doing them, you will not only train your memory, but also develop other cognitive abilities, which include attention and thinking.

8.

This book will help you get rid of overwork and stress. The author, a productivity expert, explains how to stay energized for 15-19 hours of wakefulness and not feel tired.

Work days will no longer seem too heavy and busy for you, and in the evenings you will be active enough to take care of personal goals.

A book for everyone who wants to do more at work and find time for family, recreation and hobbies.

9. An easy way to stop procrastinating

This book will be useful to anyone who constantly puts off difficult and unpleasant activities, and then tries to do the impossible in one day.

Renowned psychologist Neil Fjork has been procrastinating his clients for 30 years; and he believes that procrastination is a symptom of deeper phenomena, namely loss of motivation and perfectionism.

10. Never Eat Alone

Forbes magazine called the author of this book "one of the most sociable people in the world." And for good reason: Keith Ferration is the No. 1 networker. He, like no one else, knows that the most important skill in business (and not only) is the ability to build relationships.

The concept of "personal growth" can be understood in almost any way. For one, this is a position in a transnational corporation, and for another, it is the fifth child and a perfected skill in cooking cutlets. In general, this is the acquisition of skills or benefits that help to raise life to a higher quality. new level. In this review, we will tell you why personal growth and self-development in business is so important and how to achieve it.

What is stopping us from growing?

American psychologist Carl Rogers in 1959 answered the question of what is the personal growth of a person. He singled out the general "law of personal growth" based on the "if-then" formula. It sounds like this: if there is the necessary conditions, then the process of self-development is actualized in a person, that is, changes aimed at his personal maturity. Today, this concept is most often associated with career- the shortest and most effective way to acquire opportunities.

However, on this path we are rarely sprinters: we move slowly, with stops, being distracted by less important activities. This main reason why our English is still not very good - however, like other useful skills.

1. We are afraid of responsibility

How to start personal growth...

If you have a question “Personal growth - what does it mean?”, then you are already on the verge of a big leap. Now the main thing is to start: first we set immediate goals, connect time management, then we automate processes and develop global strategy. And at the same time we understand what is included in the concept of personal growth.

1. We set the immediate tasks

To begin with, it would be a good idea to identify your weaknesses and strengths. Based on this, for the next month, quarter, year, and formulate an action program to achieve them. It sounds complicated, but if you look at the example, everything is pretty clear.

Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone were ordinary employees of an American IT company. In 2005, they came to the conclusion that Livejournal and similar services would soon go to another world, and therefore it was time to come up with an alternative. Dorsey understood that his ideas and creativity alone would not get you far, and that he needed a team: an advanced and very focused techie and a good producer-investor. Fortunately, the first in the person of Biz Stone daily kept him company over a cup of coffee, and the second - Evan Williams- sat in the office through the wall. This is how the trio "idea-implementation-promotion" was born. According to Dorsey, it was the division of responsibilities, taking into account individual traits, that helped turn a small prank into a big deal called Twitter. In just 2 weeks, the service was ready, and it took less than a year for it to enter the top three most popular social networks in the world.

2. We connect time management

Time is one of the most important factors self-development, it should be enough for everything. - it's not just life on schedule, it's setting priorities, delegating tasks, planning work. That is, this is the skill to do more in less time - and not to the detriment of your life. And if you master it, you can move mountains.

The English industrial designer, inventor and champion of perfectionism spent more than 15 years developing the perfect vacuum cleaner. Before showing the world a model of the Dyson cyclonic vacuum cleaner, he made 5127 "unsuccessful" prototypes. Despite the lack of money, the huge amount of work and the lack of optimism, he always allocated time so that he could be with his family, chat with friends and build the next prototype. As a result, today he is a happy family man and father of three children. It was the friends he never forgot who helped him promote the brand, and now his fortune exceeds $3 billion.

3. We automate processes

Automation helps save time and avoid mistakes. An IT product such as .

CRM is software, which helps keep records of customers and transactions, automates sales and reporting. CRM stores the entire history of communication with clients and records of calls, helps to control employees, manage tasks and projects, and also receive reports online. The program itself will create tasks at each stage of the funnel, remind you of deadlines and automatically send SMS notifications to customers. After that, you will have a single database of clients and deals, managers will call back clients on time and fulfill the sales plan, and you will be able to control the work of the company and receive reports from anywhere in the world.

For example, this is what a CRM system looks like. and make sure it works!

4. Set strategic goals

If short-term planning yields results, and you have entered the “I see a goal - I see no obstacles” mode, you can expand the time frame and set strategic goals. And remember! Laziness in psychology is decomposed into two aspects - lack of motivation and lack of will. If laziness eats up all your progress, then you should think about changing the field of activity or working conditions. But if you have chosen the right direction and are steadily moving towards the goal, then all possibilities are open to you.

Jack Ma- a man whose fortune today is estimated at 25 billion dollars has never shown much promise. The frail Chinese poor family- he was not taken to the institute twice, was refused work more than ten times, and was taken only as a provincial tour guide for foreigners. There he independently learned English, and then graduated from a pedagogical university. After learning about the existence of the Internet, he realized that China does not exist on the Internet, just like the Internet does not exist in China. Then Ma Yun (his real name) set himself the global goal of becoming a pioneer. For four years he studied literature, studied and, finally, organized an Internet company. Today it is known as the Alibaba Group, a rival-crushing legend with a turnover of more than $180 billion.

Personal growth is inherent in any person. Another thing is that some people think about self-improvement from their youth, while others, being already in adulthood. One thing is clear: every person sooner or later comes to the conclusion that it is time to move on. There are very few people who suddenly say to themselves: “Stop! I have achieved everything I wanted." After all, deep down everyone understands that there are no limits to perfection.

How scientists and psychologists understand personal growth

It is hardly possible to define personal growth with a single phrase. By what parameters is it measured? How to determine that one person has grown as a person, and the other has not yet? Personal growth can be viewed from different perspectives: philosophy and religion, ethics and spirituality.

According to the American psychologist Carl Rogers, each person has a certain potential associated with the movement towards a more mature state. In order to release and actualize this potential, certain circumstances are required. Rogers expressed confidence that the desire of a person to become better is the driving force of his existence.

Abraham Maslow, speaking of the pyramid of needs, placed self-realization at its top. That is, according to this American psychologist, a person's self-development receives an impulse precisely from the desire for self-realization.

From the works of Carl Gustav Jung, we can conclude that the purpose human being is the formation of a holistic and unique personality.

The Austrian psychologist and psychiatrist Alfred Adler believed that each person strives to develop their own talents only because they initially feel inferior. According to the thinker, the desire to achieve perfection in at least something is characteristic of each of us. How to figure out what quality is preventing you from achieving results,

The famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud also did not bypass the topic of personal growth. He argued that the birth of individuality is impossible without analysis environment and ideals existing in the given environment. And only the achievement of these ideals can help a person achieve recognition.

As you can see, there are more than enough opinions about personal growth, and in some ways they differ quite a lot. But the idea that a true personality is the result of self-education and self-development, and personal growth is a process of self-realization of a person, is close to everyone.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that thanks to personal growth, a person is able to:

• start life from scratch;
• find your inner potential;
• begin to improve spiritually;
• learn to win over yourself;
• develop your abilities;
• create and use new opportunities;
• find yourself or try to do it;
• get the recognition of others.

That is, personal growth means changes in the inner world of a person, the purpose of which is to realize the potential of the individual and reveal the inner "I".

The famous Russian psychologist V.L. Levy, the main signs of personal growth were derived. If a person grows as a person, then:

• he has more interests and hobbies;
• strengthened life positions;
• there is an awareness of one's own needs;
• an acceptance of oneself as a unique person is formed;
• a desire is born to work on their shortcomings;
• there is an understanding of the actions of others;
• there is a feeling of gaining inner freedom, thoughts become more liberated;
• there is a desire to defend their own interests and opinions;
• the desire to take responsibility for one's actions is formed;
• a desire is born to find and further develop their own talents.

A person who embarks on the path of self-development will surely find in himself at least one of the above signs. But educate yourself ideal personality It’s not easy at all, so you should never stop there.

How to find a starting point for personal growth and self-development

Self-development of a person is impossible without the manifestation of his will, a conscious desire to change himself for the better. A person will also not develop by blindly following the instructions of the spiritual master and carrying out some installations contrary to his own desires. If you think about it, the word “self-development” implies that it is important for a person to choose the direction of personal growth himself.

People who decide to engage in self-development will not hurt a few good advice. To begin with, it is desirable to realize your own mistakes and draw the right conclusions from them. You can listen to the opinions of others, but it is worth remembering that it is not of decisive importance and there is no point in completely relying on it. The advice of outsiders is sometimes useful, but your own experience is invaluable. The main thing is to realize what was wrong before. With this level of understanding, it is much easier to start a new stage of personal growth.

To jump high, you need to train long and hard. Mistakes, one way or another, change us, turning us into a different person. But the process of self-development is not tied to their quantity and character. What matters is what conclusions we draw from these mistakes. What is the reason for what happened? Is it worth changing something in your future life? And if so, how exactly?

There will be no personal growth if for a long time going in circles and making the same mistakes. It is important to realize that the time has come to change. Moreover, you need to feel the need for it. Only then can you make a real breakthrough and get out of the vicious circle. By doing this, you will feel that the process of self-improvement has begun. That is, in simple terms, the main thing here is a sincere desire for change.

To get started, define: Why do you need self-development? Why did you decide to take this path? What goal do you intend to achieve? When formulating the latter, keep in mind: it should be based on your personal inner aspirations, and not on the wishes of other people.

Having determined the goal of personal growth, it is worth checking whether you made a mistake with the choice. To do this, analyze your inner desires. If they do not change over time, and despite all the obstacles that arise on the way, they only increase - you are on the right track. Your aspirations can be called true, and if you achieve your goal, you will feel real satisfaction. But things can happen differently. If you get the feeling that the inner fire is starting to fade away, then either you have formulated your goal incorrectly, or you have made a mistake with its choice. You have to start all over again, otherwise personal growth will not happen.

But here the goal of self-development is defined, and it is done unmistakably. What's next? Need to start moving towards it. Let's say you want to boost your self-confidence. But one desire is not enough, efforts are needed to bring it to life. Every day you must take at least a step towards the planned result. For example, choose a technique and follow the recommendations received. Only daily actions will gradually bring you closer to the desired image.

Steadily follow the chosen direction of personal growth. The secret of success lies, above all, in the systematic efforts. If you do not act purposefully, do not have the necessary concentration, then the path will be quite difficult - and in the end, nothing will work out. Do not scatter over trifles, do not rush from one to another, do not go over various development technologies. Moving in several directions at the same time, you run the risk of going nowhere. That is why it is better to decide on one path along which you will move for quite a long time, without stopping for a second. There is no need to be distracted by something else, in most cases it will be negative attitudes that interfere with your personal growth. They may look different: fear of responsibility, fear of personal freedom, fear of not solving the tasks assigned to them. Do not pay attention to such mind games, do not waste your energy on trifles - this is the only way to achieve real success.

Self-confidence will increase as soon as you manage to achieve the original goal. A further path will open before you, you will understand exactly how you need to develop yourself further. This is not the case when the energy to achieve the goal is spent irretrievably. Rather, on the contrary: the further you advance, the more powerful you will feel. With each step in the right direction, it will become easier for you to walk.

Please note that as you work on your personal growth, you will influence the people around you and even shape a whole new reality. Having fallen in love with others and starting to respect yourself, you will begin to emit waves of confidence and well-being, give joy to those who are nearby, and create universal harmony.

Everyone, one way or another, strives for personal growth, but not everyone knows that this is a difficult path, involving hard work and constant learning. Not everyone likes to learn something new, especially if it requires serious effort. Many, while still students, lose interest in knowing the world around them. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that one of the most common diseases today is neurosis. External world constantly changing, exerting on people Negative influence which is very difficult to defend against. Everyone tries to do this to the best of their ability, giving themselves internal guidelines for stability and security. And only a few understand that personal growth is possible only in the presence of difficulties - external or internal. Both must be overcome.

The path of self-development is not a waste of time at all. A person invests time and labor, physical, mental and moral strength, as well as money in his personal growth, but in the end it all pays off. Moreover, over time, there is a desire to go further and further along the path of self-development, gaining valuable knowledge and discovering new opportunities in oneself. This process can be compared to a perpetual motion machine: once started, it will never stop. Personal growth will open up more and more potential in a person, beckon with upcoming prospects. The worldview will begin to change, erasing the significance of old problems and conventions. Soon, all previous attitudes will simply disappear, and personal qualities will be transformed into something completely different.

All goals that previously seemed important will lose their paramount importance. And the task remains only one: to go along the path of self-development as far as possible. Perhaps so far as to be able to answer the sacramental question about the meaning of human life. Of course, the ideal is out of reach. But to start striving for it is already a huge achievement.

What tasks do personal growth trainings solve?

Special trainings help to reveal a person's abilities and motivate him to further self-development. Personal growth exercises are carried out in groups, but each participant receives help.

How it works? A real situation is simulated, which allows people to realize with the help of what methods and strategies they are used to solving emerging problems, what attitudes control them in life. After that, the necessary adjustments are made to the behavior of the participants, allowing them to act more effectively. One of the main objectives of the exercises for personal growth is the removal of barriers to development and the awareness of previously hidden resources.

Such trainings on personal growth qualitatively change a person's life, make him more free and motivated. In addition, the following tasks are solved in the classroom:

1. Reflection on one's own outlook on life.
2. Identification and analysis of internal problems that impede active self-development.
3. The formation of self-confidence, the formation of a positive outlook on life. How to CEO stay optimistic no matter what
4. Awareness of the value of one's personality.
5. The acquisition of psychological stability and the ability to manage their feelings.
6. Understanding the principles of building harmonious relationships with others.
7. Develop the ability to constructively express your emotions.
8. Development of psychological culture.

Personal growth trainings are based on the development of three components: rational, emotional and activity.

The first is the acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities. For example, a person’s ability to make predictions for the future life, structure the data received, etc., develops.

The second component involves improving the ability to establish emotional contact with interlocutors, work in a team, use intuition, and, if necessary, open up to people.

The task of the third component is to enable a person to apply their knowledge in practice and see exactly how they work. The personal growth coach offers participants various exercises, encourages them to participate in games and engage in creativity. At the same time, everyone sees the reaction of others to their own actions, which helps to learn how to work in a team and use all types of perception: visual, auditory, etc.

A safe and even supportive training environment is good for personal growth. But in order to create it, you need to follow certain rules:

1. Complete privacy. Beyond the group personal information does not come out by any means.
2. A participant who wishes to stop the work must simply say “stop”. And the process immediately stops.
3. Participants are not rated Feedback goes through the description of personal feelings.
4. Group members talk to each other, not about each other.
5. Explanations and excuses are prohibited.

Personal growth trainings usually do not have any specific topic. All of them are similar to one another, because they correspond to real life.

The order of work on such trainings is as follows:

1. The facilitator announces the topic, the participants begin to discuss it.
2. One of the participants talks about his problem, the group works on it.
3. The facilitator proposes tasks for collective implementation.
4. Working with current experience.

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The Ideal Plan for Personal Growth

Before taking active steps for self-development, you need to decide: what kind of person do you want to become? What do I need to do? It just needs a certain plan of personal growth.

First you need to try to make an analysis of your own life. It is important to understand: what would you like to leave as is, and what clearly needs to be changed. Such a "revision" is impossible without critical eye on yourself from the side. Only by being extremely honest with yourself can you determine what to do next. Several areas of life are subject to research.

The field of health and fitness.

People who decide to engage in personal growth almost never leave their health unattended. You always want to improve or change something: work on your figure, get rid of bad habits, etc. What needs to be done? The advice is simple: start playing sports or at least run in the morning, switch to proper nutrition, go on a diet, review the daily routine, consult with doctors. All this will contribute to achieving the desired changes. Sometimes the simplest steps are enough. For example, by acquiring a hobby, you will improve your mood and well-being - and, therefore, you will look much better.

Sphere of emotions and attitude to life.

Often personal growth is hindered by negative emotions. They disturb the peace of mind and do not allow you to enjoy life. Anger and envy, irritability and malice reduce the quality of our existence and cloud our outlook. If you do not fight them, then you can forget about self-improvement. And ways to get rid of negative emotions quite a lot has been invented today, you just need to choose the most suitable technique for yourself and follow all its recommendations. For example, you can do meditation, seek help from a psychologist, or read special literature in search of useful tips.

Financial and material sphere.

A person who has embarked on the path of personal growth most often wants to improve his living conditions. Some are not satisfied with a small salary, while others strive to occupy a higher position. How to change your life in this regard? You can, of course, learn to save. But isn't it better to figure out how to earn more? There is an option to try to find more high paying job. But, perhaps, you should not rush into this, and it will be enough just to approach your boss with a request for an increase in salary? Or make the wisest decision: improve your skills and acquire new skills? Moreover, now there are more than enough opportunities for self-education and personal growth: reading books, distance learning, the Internet. You can engage in self-development without leaving your home - it all depends on your desire.

Sphere of communication.

This area is responsible for communication with others: family and friends, friends, colleagues and leaders. Everyone wants to achieve harmony in relationships with other people. There are several ways to achieve this. You can read books on psychology, of which there are a lot on this topic. Or, for example, consult with a specialist: it is likely that a psychologist will be able to help you in just one or two sessions. You can see from the side difficult situation in a relationship and understand how you can get out of it. There is a chance that in the process of personal growth you will not only get rid of the accumulated resentment towards some person, but you will even be able to enjoy communicating with him.

Sphere of intelligence.

It is extremely important for personal growth. And this area, contrary to popular belief, is not limited to obtaining new knowledge. She is also responsible for the development of intellectual abilities and creative thinking, improving attention and memory. By the way, the ability to correctly formulate goals and achieve them also belongs to the intellectual sphere. What needs to be done to achieve all this? First, determine what exactly you need to work on first. Set aside at least half an hour every day for exercise. This can be reading specialized literature and attending trainings, passing psychological tests and solving exercises, playing sports or writing a resume. These things are much more beneficial for personal growth than TV series, computer games Or spending hours on social media.

Personal Growth Program: 5 Steps to Success

The process of personal growth can be conditionally divided into five interrelated stages. Each of them must be passed slowly and meaningfully - only in this case this technique will benefit you.

Step 1. Recognize the need.

Before you begin to closely engage in your personal growth, you need to realize: why do you need it? Do you really need any changes? People may be unhappy different areas. Some are not satisfied with the position, others are concerned about the inability to communicate with others, and others do not like their character in principle. But the subject of discontent does not play a special role here. More importantly, do you really have a strong need for change? And are you ready to make every effort to achieve what you want?

Personal growth should relieve you of the fear of change, make sure that you are no longer afraid to leave your comfort zone. This is one of the main tasks. Therefore, before you engage in self-development and begin to radically change your life, you need to be well prepared to work with your fears.

Step 2. Examine the needs.

Are you ready for change? Then you need to find out what changes you need, what kind of personal growth you want. You can determine your desires with the help of a special exercise.

Take a sheet of paper and divide it into two columns. On the left, list the things that make you unhappy and that you would like to change. On the right, describe the methods using which you plan to achieve your goals.

Before each item on the right, put a serial number based on the possibilities of implementing it. The more chances to realize the plan, the higher the place in the list. This approach will help you determine which goals are short-term and which will take time and careful choice of ways to achieve.

After the list is ready, start completing tasks. But the psychology of personal growth is such that going in several directions at once will not work. Instead, focus on the first task first, then the second, then the third, and so on. Start with the most accessible items, gradually moving on to the more difficult ones. This is the only way to achieve acceptable results in personal growth.

Step 3. Know yourself.

Once the goals are set, analyze your existing qualities to understand which ones will help you in your work on yourself, and which ones will only get in the way. Each person is capable of personal growth, but due to some character traits, self-development is much more difficult for someone.

Assess your abilities as honestly and objectively as possible. This will help you cope with the difficulties that arise in the process of personal growth.

It is actually quite difficult to look at yourself objectively. To avoid problems in this regard and to be well prepared to work on personal growth, use a special exercise. Take the paper again and write down all your positive and negative qualities. At the same time, do not go to extremes: you do not need to praise yourself or belittle yourself. Write everything as it is. If this method does not help you, contact your friends or relatives. Let them carefully read the list you have compiled, and then confirm or refute its points. With the help of this exercise, you will not only learn the honest opinion of others about your personality, but will also be able to look at yourself from the outside, you will be able to compare what you think about yourself with what others think about you.

Step 4. Draw up a strategy.

A person who decides to engage in personal growth must not only try to know himself, but also learn how to plan. You have set a goal for yourself, understood what qualities you will use to achieve it - now you need to draw up a specific action plan.

You will not find exact answers to the question of what exactly needs to be done for personal growth and in what sequence. People are different from each other, each has its own aspirations and opportunities. But there is one common feature: everyone, without exception, wants happiness for themselves. Only the paths leading to it are different.

When choosing actions that should lead you to the final goal, follow certain rules:

1. Evaluate your capabilities as objectively as possible, taking into account external circumstances as well. The tasks set for you must be achievable. There is no need to strive immediately for some grandiose goal, you need to move towards it level by level. Personal growth is always the result of long and hard work.
2. Don't try to get everything at once. Remember: even taking a small step in the right direction, you will get closer to the final victory.
3. Set yourself specific deadlines within which this or that task must be completed. Following a well-defined plan is always easier than going in the dark and at random. In addition, this approach will significantly increase your motivation.

Never back down, even if something doesn't work the first time. Always be positive, this will help you in overcoming obstacles and solving problems that have arisen. Do not quit what you have started: one of the conditions for personal growth is firmness of spirit and faith in victory.

Step 5: Take Action!

After the successful preparation, which was the previous four stages, it is time to move on to action. Start immediately without promising yourself to start new life from Monday, or even more so from the New Year. Keep in mind: the sooner you start implementing the plan, the sooner you will see results.

Some books on personal growth and self-education can give misrepresentation about the ease of the chosen path. In fact, this is far from the case, and you will have to overcome many obstacles. But do not be upset or doubt. Focus on the present and boldly take a step into the future. What it will be depends entirely on you.

10 personal growth books to read

Books on psychology and self-development are useful in their own right. But for those who want to improve their lives, find a way to success, become freer and more sociable, these benefits are simply priceless.

Greg McKegon. Essentialism.

After reading this book, you will change your approach to business, your life will become more enjoyable.

The modern world is quite complicated: work, requests from colleagues, orders from superiors. And if there is free time, you often don’t know what to spend it on. What hobby to give preference to, what project to implement, what business to master?

The author of the book, who is a business coach in life, talks about ways to get rid of excess burden and choose the right direction for your business. personal development. You will definitely be able to do this, even if there is sorely not enough time for anything.

Dan Waldsmith. Be the best version of yourself.

Whatever a person does, he is able to achieve real heights in his business. After all, it all depends on the individual.

Dan Waldsmith analyzed life path over a thousand of the most ordinary people that have become famous in the world of politics, sports and business. It turned out that they all had similar features - and the author tells which ones.

After reading this book, you will understand that the world is full of possibilities. One has only to want to realize them, and you will find yourself in the place where you have always dreamed of being.

Mag Jay. important years.

Some consider the third decade of life as youth, others as the beginning of adulthood. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Jay, there is no more important time in a person's life than this.

The book describes real stories and gives results scientific research, the opinions of leading psychologists, sociologists, neurologists, economists and top managers on personnel policy were voiced.

Barbara Sher. Dreaming is not bad.

This book about personal growth was published 35 years ago, but is still a bestseller. After reading it, you can find strengths and hidden talents in yourself that will help make your dreams come true.

The author believes that every person is able to build his life according to his desires. Moreover, this is not as difficult to implement as it might seem at first glance. The key here is courage. Dream, read, do - and in the end you will definitely get what you want.

Walter Michel. The development of willpower.

After reading the book, you can learn self-control - a quality that is very important for those who do not float limply through life, but choose their own path.

People face challenges every day. And in order to successfully cope with some of them, you need a truly iron strength will. Thanks to the advice of the author of the book, you will learn how you can develop willpower and achieve what you want: for example, lose weight, stop smoking, solve some other problems.

The publication is included in the top 100 Amazon.com in the "Cognitive Psychology" section.

Daniel Siegel. Mindsite.

Many people cannot enjoy life because of emotional problems. Some suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorders, others are haunted by unpleasant memories. Still others experience sudden mood swings, while others experience constant anxiety. How can you solve all these problems hindering personal growth?

According to psychiatrist Daniel Siegel, the ability to disengage from irrational habits by focusing on your inner world can help here. The book contains real stories of people who, thanks to this skill, managed to change themselves, and then their lives.

Angels Navarro. Memory does not change.

According to neuroscientists, there are no people with bad or good memory. She's either trained or she's not.

Angels Navarro believes that the process of improving memory is not only not difficult, but also quite exciting. And the author can be trusted - just look at the exercises given in the book for training the brain.

Do them regularly and your memory will become much stronger. At the same time, attention and thinking will improve.

Daniel Browne. Energy source.

Today, stress and overwork have become our constant companions. The book tells how you can level these conditions, as well as how to save energy for 15-19 hours without feeling tired.

Even if you have a hard job, following the advice of Daniel Browne, you will not be tired to the point that you no longer have the strength to do something in the evening.

Neil Fiore. An easy way to stop procrastinating.

Many people have a habit of putting off difficult or unpleasant activities until later. As a result, you have to solve all the accumulated problems at the same time, which does not lead to anything good.

According to psychologist Neil Fiore, this tendency is a symptom of more serious phenomena, such as loss of motivation and perfectionism.

If, for example, you are afraid of the very idea that your home needs to start doing repairs, be sure to read this book. The recommendations given in it will help you become more productive and will certainly contribute to personal growth.

"One of the most sociable people in the world" - this is how Forbes magazine described the author of this book. And this is absolutely true. Keith Ferrazzi knows for sure that without the ability to build relationships, it is very, very difficult to achieve success in business.

Ferrazzi is sure that thanks to an extensive network of connections, with the support of friends and acquaintances, it is much easier to build your career and life. Of course, they do not give a 100% guarantee of the success of communication, but there is no doubt that this is an indisputable advantage. If you intend to build a network of useful contacts by communicating sincerely and openly with people, then this book is exactly for you.

There is a saying that personal growth and self-development are one and the same. Indeed, they go side by side and lead to a common goal.

Self-development is understood as the actions of a person that he carries out without pressure, interference from third parties. It is a conscious process aimed at achieving clear goals or beliefs.

Personal growth and self-development

Over time, people's views change, this is due to different reasons, the main of which is personal growth. It is he who makes you rethink life experience, find more successful ways out of problem situations.

Personal growth is a long, laborious process of self-improvement as a true individual with special talents and unique character traits. This process brings both personal and social benefits.

The fact is that on the path of personal growth, a person develops in order to declare himself in society, to achieve any positive results in the chosen business, heights in the social sphere. That is, he receives not only spiritual and personal development, but also recognition in society, without which it is difficult to find his niche.

In order to make yourself happy, it is first of all important to take responsibility for your life. Next, you need to want to change. Desire is your fuel that will carry you forward.

It's also important to believe in yourself. Faith is yours best helper, your inspiration. Faith is an essential condition for personal growth. And the last one is your activity. Without action and self-discipline, you will not achieve the desired result.

Esoteric self-development and personal growth

Esoteric self-development and personal growth are undoubtedly related concepts. Esotericism is the science of the spiritual, it considers the issues of the soul, fate, good and evil, which positively affect the self-development and personal growth of a person.

Personal growth makes it possible to develop in a cognitive direction and provides for the needs of a person in spiritual life.

First of all, self-development is promoted by spiritual practices and meditation. The world of spiritual practice is a world where it is possible to comprehend God, subdue your thoughts, achieve serenity, purify the mind, know peace and gain strength.

The next step is to become aware of thoughts. Write down everything that happens inside you at any time. If you learn to observe and be aware of what is happening to you, then slowly the madness of thoughts will begin to disappear. Life will change radically.

Esotericism teaches us that the main key to self-development and personal growth is awareness. Mindfulness says that you live life in the present, moving from moment to moment, being aware of yourself and everything around you.

After all, esotericism is responsible for the most important aspects of human life:

• Harmony
• Development
• Healing
• Awakening

Now it is no secret to anyone that a person can develop all these possibilities in himself. Recall the examples of popular broadcasts-seasons of the Battle of Psychics. Who was not there: magicians, sorcerers, witches, fortune-tellers, entities and even metaphysicians who claim that such abilities can be developed in oneself without having any gift or inheritance.

Thus, every person who believes in his own strengths and capabilities is able to discover in himself the possibilities that will block all the real and unreal physical achievements of the body. This will be a real victory of the spirit. This is what self-development is for.

Books on personal growth

1. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Flow. Psychology of optimal experience.

In his iconic book, the outstanding scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi presents a completely new approach to the topic of happiness. Happiness for him is akin to inspiration, and the state when a person is completely absorbed interesting business, in which he realizes his potential to the maximum, Csikszentmihalyi calls a flow.

The author analyzes this fruitful state on the example of representatives of various professions and finds that the emotional upsurge that artists, actors, musicians experience is available in any business. Moreover, it is necessary to strive for it - and not only in purposeful activity, but also in relationships, in friendship, in love. The book answers the question of how to learn this.

2. Otto Kroeger - Why are we like this? 16 personality types that define how we live, work and love.

The book will help you better understand yourself and the characteristics of your personality - both those that can (and should) be changed, and those that you cannot change, no matter how hard you try - and, accordingly, behave more effectively in a variety of life situations.

The book will help you better understand others and stop demanding from them what they can never give you, which means you can work out a compromise interaction option that allows everyone to be themselves. Whatever the problem, Type Science magically defuses conflicts and resolves any issue in every area of ​​life, from diet choices to life choices.

3. Karen Pryor - Don't growl at the dog! A book about training people, animals and yourself.

This brilliant book has already helped 4,000,000 readers around the world improve their relationships with others. In it, Karen Pryor offers a simple and stunning effective methodology, which allows you to encourage anyone to do what you want.

And it's not about insidious manipulation, hypnosis or emotional blackmail. The point is the system of positive and negative reinforcement - the most reliable and effective approach to influencing the behavior of others.

4. Robert Childini - Psychology of influence.

A classic of business literature, a world bestseller and a reference book for ambitious politicians, managers, advertisers, marketers and anyone who wants to convince and get their way. The book's author, Ph.D. and Professor of Psychology Robert B. Cialdini, has studied the principles of successful sales for many years.

Based on his research, he wrote a guide to motivation and persuasion, which many authoritative publications have recognized as the best book on influence.

5. Eric Byrne - Games people play. People who play games.

Before you is one of the fundamental cult books on the psychology of human relationships. The system developed by Bern is designed to rid a person of the influence of life scenarios that program his behavior, teach him to “play” less in relations with himself and others, gain true freedom and encourage personal growth.

In this book, the reader will find many useful tips that will help to understand the nature of human communication, the motives of one's own and others' actions, and the causes of conflicts. According to the author, the fate of each of us is largely determined in early childhood, however, in adulthood, it may well be realized and controlled by a person, if he so desires.

6. Dale Carnegie - How to win friends and influence people.

Dale Carnegie's teachings, instructions, and advice over the decades since this book was first published have helped thousands of people become famous in society and successful in all endeavors.

7. Viktor Frankl - Say “Yes!” to life

This amazing book made its author one of the greatest spiritual teachers of mankind in the 20th century. In it, the philosopher and psychologist Viktor Frankl, who went through the Nazi death camps, opened the way for millions of people around the world to comprehend the meaning of life. In the terrible, murderous conditions of concentration camps, he showed the extraordinary strength of the human spirit. The spirit is stubborn, despite the weakness of the body and the discord of the soul. Man has something to live for!

For those who explore themselves and their inner world. Who knows the meaning, and who has lost it. For those who have everything in order, and for those who are tired of life. This great book will teach you the ability to find meaning in any situation.

8. Erich Fromm — To have or to be?

A book that will never lose its relevance. What is more important: the possession of objects of material culture or a meaningful being, when a person realizes and enjoys every moment of a fast-moving life?

In his work "To have or to be?" Fromm very clearly and in detail explores the reasons for the formation of relationships according to the principle “You to me - I to you” and clearly demonstrates what this ultimately leads to.

9. Abraham Maslow - The far reaches of the human psyche.

Abraham Harold Maslow is a psychologist known for developing a new theory in the field of human motivation and personality - the theory of self-actualization, the founder of humanistic psychology. "The far reaches of the human psyche" is one of the the best works Abraham Maslow, his final work, a book about mental health, creativity, values, goals and their embodiment.

In order to explore the limits of human possibilities, it is necessary to study the best representatives of the human race; according to Maslow, “to find out how fast people can run, you need to study the best athletes and runners, and it would be pointless to take an “average sample” of the population of the city.”

In this book, a famous psychologist reflects on the limits and infinity of human capabilities and that a person draws any boundary within himself.

10. Napoleon Hill "Think and Grow Rich" motivating for self-improvement.

Serving as the standard for so-called motivational literature, Think and Grow Rich has long been recognized as the unsurpassed classic textbook.

Here her text is completed with a short but accessible and comprehensive guide to study and, most importantly, apply the brilliant and fruitful ideas of the author in your daily affairs. Having fully mastered (both theoretically and practically) this important book, you will be able to achieve success on the path to wealth and happiness.

Professional and personal growth

A person cannot “just live” and do his job, he must find a goal in which work and profession, and most importantly, he himself and his actions in the profession occupy a certain place.

In the event that the chosen profession does not contradict the formed personality traits and the professional development of a person corresponds to its basic value ideas, then we can expect a value attitude to professional activity in the future. In other words, in this case, there is a unity of personal development and professional growth of the individual.

Consequently, the problem of choosing a profession and mastering activities is part of the problem of the meaning of life. In the scientific literature, the problem of professional compliance is associated with the presence of a certain potential of inclinations or abilities that can ensure the successful formation of the necessary professional knowledge, skills and abilities.

There is practically no talk about the harmonious development of the personality, about professionalization as a process that largely determines this development. It is assumed that the personality will be all right if it meets the requirements of professional activity for the subject in certain parameters.

Personal and professional growth help us to further achieve three main goals, on the basis of which we can continue self-improvement in the future:

1. Harmony according to the current day - study new information obtained from various sources(books, visits to trainings, various seminars), its systematization and further use taking into account all the requirements necessary for society, including our immediate environment, as well as achieving new heights in building a career;

2. The formation of awareness - not only real, but also an adequate acceptance of the present, a thorough analysis of one's own behavior model - all these actions are necessary to obtain the necessary list possible problems and shortcomings that need to be corrected or completely eradicated so that in the future they do not interfere with professional growth;

3. Comprehensive development - improvement requires not only achieving better results only in a certain category and nearby, but also in absolutely opposite ones. Thus, you develop comprehensively, which means that you can develop in a completely new direction for you based on the acquired knowledge and skills. It is necessary not only to be an ace in your field, you must also be able to maintain a secular conversation on any topic.

We offer the following points for drawing up a program of self-educational activities:

1. My values
2. My goals
3. My self concept
4. My perspective (strategy)
5. My work tactics and development tasks and: cognitive, personal, etc.
6. My actions

Neurosis and personal growth

Neurosis and personal growth, what is the relationship? Sometimes life leads us to a dead end, and our hands drop to do something, and we simply begin to “go with the flow”, succumbing to a nervous state, and, even worse, we try not to notice it. But we'll fix it! If you identify the signs of a crisis of personal growth and defeat them.

Fortunately, neurosis is quite easy to recognize by its characteristic symptoms:

• Low resistance to stress
• Aggressive behavior
• Vulnerability and frequent tearfulness
• anxiety states
• Focus only on the problem
• fatigue
• Increased irritability
• Resentment for trifles
• Turning every little thing into a tragedy
• Strong susceptibility to noise
• Intolerance to too bright light
• Sensitivity to temperature changes
• Explicit insomnia
• Overexcited state
• palpitations
• Profuse sweating
• Distracted, not focused
• Sudden pressure drops

In a neurotic state, all the symptoms will not necessarily appear at once, there may well be 2 or 3 of them. But this is enough to think about ways to deal with a terrible illness.

These alarm bells are not to be missed! It is they who tell us that it is time to stop and rethink our lives, so as not to meet with an insidious neurosis. And if a neurosis has already overtaken you, you should not delay with its elimination until it develops into depression or something worse.

In this case, an optimistic attitude and decisive action to improve will be an excellent solution.

Personal Growth Goals

Personal growth goals can be completely different. Like, for example, the creative development of an individual or spiritual, material and physical. There can be several personal growth goals at once, so sometimes you have to improve yourself in several completely different directions at once.

1. Development of awareness
2. Time matching
3. Filling your horizons with knowledge
4. Doing healthy lifestyle life
5. Using talents and strengths

Each of us probably wants to have his own special position in society, to be an interesting conversationalist, or to achieve recognition in any branch of activity.

How to draw up an action plan?

To begin with, it is important to decide where you want to start personal growth. This can be an increase in potential, an increase in one's own effectiveness, or the development of useful qualities. After the setting of goals is completed, we look for motives for achieving them. We advise:

1. If necessary, contact a specialist. Sometimes, in order to achieve the maximum disclosure of one's own "I", the help of a qualified psychoanalyst or trainer is needed. They will help you achieve your results in self-knowledge much faster!

2. Take off the shackles and drive away bad thoughts. It is quite difficult to achieve something if you are pinched in fears and apprehensions. Having discarded them, even the world will sparkle in other colors for your person!

3. Don't stand in the way of change. Sometimes changes are even for the better, so you don’t need to avoid them. Reach out to them and accept with gratitude!

4. Find your motivation to start self-improvement. In most cases, we are driven by strong motivation, having found it, everyone is able to literally “move mountains”.

5. Take action!

Personal Growth Training

The purpose of the training is the development of self-awareness, the development of skills and abilities of introspection, reflection, activity, the ability to overcome psychological barriers that prevent full self-expression.

Personal growth training is a real opportunity to start making your dreams come true. Stop blaming external circumstances and find answers to questions within yourself.

You may ask: “Why exactly to the training, and not to a professional psychologist?”, but one does not deny the other, only the trainings are good because in the group you feel that you are not alone with similar problems. Well, together it's not scary :)

However, even if you put together people with very similar problems, the nuances will still be different for everyone. But this is also good precisely because it helps to consider more various options, their causes and methods of overcoming.

So personal growth trainings are best suited for anyone who wants to work through and solve problems such as:

• Inadequate understanding of some events
• Negative attitudes
• Low self-esteem
• Difficult life situations in the past and present
• Lack of necessary knowledge