3 Mistakes Hindering Personal Development

Everyone seeks to achieve personal development on various levels because not moving forward actually means regressing and failing to fulfil one's purpose in life. 

Note: This article is by Erin Falconer, who shares 3 mistakes that hinder personal development.

Throughout my life, I have focused on learning and developing my personality, and during that time, I discovered three mistakes that hindered this process.

Mistakes Hindering Personal Development

1. Perfectionism

Some individuals strive hard to achieve perfection, setting excessively high-performance standards, which prevents them from moving forward in life.

However, some people are motivated to work and start their own projects without giving them much thought or pre-planning, leading to mistakes. Nonetheless, they don't overcomplicate things and start their projects quickly, and they have a very straightforward business model.

On the other hand, the perfectionist reads several books about small projects' failure causes and puts forward various strategies to generate money. They take no action. Instead, they over-analyze the project repeatedly, searching for the perfect way to start working. The appropriate approach when launching projects is to find middle-ground solutions between impulsive actions and perfectionism.

When it comes to personal development, you must be motivated because it calls for taking actions, not perfect ones. Several years ago, I wanted to commit to exercising regularly and tried several different strategies at that time. I even created an accountability system to punish myself for laziness and reward myself for my efforts, but these strategies were ineffective for me at the time.

However, I started exercising regularly after several years. This commitment was not the result of any particular technique or rationale. Rather, it resulted from diligent efforts and many years of trial and experimentation. Eventually, I understood the significance of regular exercise after seeing firsthand the advantages of committing a commitment and the negative effects of skipping it.

My hesitancy and procrastination stemmed from considering the best way to exercise, the best time, and how to apply each exercise independently. This issue occurs when someone is forced to choose between doing the task perfectly and not doing it at all, with no middle ground. For example, working out late at night after a large meal is preferable to not exercising at all.

Eliminating perfectionism requires focusing on putting forth your best effort instead of insisting on working according to your ideal standards.

2. Setting Big Goals

Personal development is based on gradual, incremental improvements because the human brain structure precludes radical changes overnight. Sudden radical changes result from days, weeks, months, or even years of preparation, planning, and diligent efforts.

Setting large goals is acceptable, but they should be broken down into manageable chunks and smaller assignments. Some people confuse tasks with goals, which causes them stress and exhaustion because they think they can accomplish a big goal simultaneously. Even very large computers divide a single task into a set of commands.

Famous for his debt-reduction services, American financial counsellor Dave Ramsey constantly suggests his clients break down their goals into manageable chunks. Those who are struggling with debt accumulation and financial difficulties will find this advice helpful. It allays their worries and lets them concentrate on the steps they can take right now to improve things. In this case, the person achieves their goal by thinking logically and not anticipating becoming wealthy quickly or settling their situation overnight.

In short, you should break down your goal into small and easy stages and steps to advance gradually and achieve your ultimate goal faster than you imagine.

3. Declaring Success Prematurely

Some people succeed in losing their excess weight and consider the process complete, having achieved their goal. However, they quickly regain the weight they worked hard to lose.

Declaring victory means you think the process is finished and no more work or effort is required. For example, American football player Jay Fiedler once said during the National Football League several years ago that the Jets team "cannot qualify and face us again." Yet, the team managed to qualify, return, and ultimately win.

Arrogance and excessive confidence lead to failure, whereas humility and self-assurance promote growth, achievement, and maintaining results.

According to a study about accomplishments, the probability of success drops when someone shares their plans and goals with their friends. Researchers explained this result by pointing to the sense of accomplishment people get when they discuss their goals with friends and get encouraging feedback, which makes them feel like they've already succeeded before they've even begun.

This study suggests delaying telling people about your goal until after you've accomplished it. However, this rule has an exception when you tell someone about your goals to feel more accountable and responsible. Seeking praise and approval before completing a task is the issue.

In Conclusion

It is evident from the article that perfectionism, tackling exhausting tasks, and declaring success prematurely are mistakes that hinder human development.

Therefore, you should break down your big goals into small steps, remain humble, and inform others about your goals only after you have achieved them successfully.