Life is a long journey. And in this journey, we fall, we rise, but most importantly, we grow. Achieving success and overcoming failures are not easy feats. One must be willing to take on the road to personal or self-development in order to rise triumphantly against whatever obstacle that comes along.
In this post, we’ll discuss tips on self-development by psychologists–what they mean and why we should live by them.
Challenge yourself every day, in any way
“Everybody should do at least two things each day that he hates to do, just for practice.”
— William James
American philosopher and psychologist, William James, dares us to not always take the easy road. Instead, he encourages us to say yes to challenges and risks. Being exposed to uncomfortable and difficult situations sometimes bring out the best in a person. Besides, hard times force us to be strong and resilient.
Every day, make it a habit of challenging yourself to do one thing that you hate or do not find enjoyable–at all. Try your best to overcome it even if it becomes unbearable. By the end of it, asses yourself; what did you learn from it? What skills did you gain? Or what attitude did you improve?
You’d be surprised that the thing you hate doing might have the best effects on your self-development.
Goals are great, but the path to getting there is even better
“The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination.”
— Carl Rogers
It’s natural for people to set goals, to plan things; from the minute things like planning what food t eat for dinner to the bigger things like striving to be the world’s richest bachelor.
In this quote, psychologist Carl Rogers reminds us that although it’s important to set goals, the path to it shouldn’t be ignored. In fact, it should be lived.
When we’re so preoccupied with achieving our set goals, we sometimes lose our sense of happiness that we forget to pause and enjoy life. Self-development isn’t just about being so hell-bent on our life plans. Because if we truly want to improve, we won’t deprive ourselves of simple joys.
Follow Rogers’ self-development tip if you want to avoid getting burnout. Reward yourself once in a while!
Step outside your comfort zone and explore outside the box
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
— Abraham Maslow
One of the best tips on self-development is by psychologist Abraham Maslow. He believes that a person shouldn’t just rely on what’s comfortable. Instead, in order for him to truly improve, he must be open to exploring other possible options, solutions, and answers.
The law of instrument or Maslow’s hammer implies that one tool isn’t made to fix all problems. It might be helpful to some situations but dangerous to some.
We jeopardize our self-development if we become stagnant and dependent on one coping mechanism. For example, staying silent can prevent some arguments, but other arguments require communication from both parties to be solved so channeling the silent treatment card won’t cut it.
Be the best version of yourself and start your journey to self-development today. Reach out to our psychological experts at Rakuboss with just a click.
