Personal development is a process of transformation whereby a person adopts new ways of thinking to develop new behaviours and attitudes.
Imagine that you’re a soccer player and you miss an important penalty. That will leave a negative imprint in your brain. The next time you have to take a penalty, that imprint will trigger fear, meaning you won’t want to take it…
Traumatic experiences and negative comments create toxic mental patterns that condition our behaviour far more than most people know. Our brains were ‘wired’ during more dangerous times and the fight or flight response is no longer adequate for coping with modern day threats. However, this response is still triggered when we are victims of circumstances, we miss that all-important penalty kick or even when we are plucking up the courage to take it.
The good news is that it is possible to break this vicious circle and to see things for what they really are to bring out all our potential. You only need two things to start out on this path to self-development:
A real desire to get rid of the toxic thought patterns.
A mastery of the right psychological tools.
Tips for personal development to achieve your goals
Henry Ford said that “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” To achieve personal growth you need to look toward the goal, design the best strategy to reach it and focus on it. This is the first step in any action and you should spend as long on it as you need.
Once you have set your sights on your goal and worked out how to achieve it, it is time to take action and to get out of your comfort zone. These are the main psychological tools you must master to succeed: