5 Steps to Develop Yourself for the Better

Perhaps you are curious about why you do the things you do, and perhaps you are tired of how you deal with problems and challenges. We will present five steps for you to learn how to develop yourself.

Before we begin, please understand that you are wonderful in every way, with all of your imperfections, successes, failures, mood swings, melancholy, and joy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you; you are perfect. All you need to do is work on a few minor details and habits, and your life will get better, and you'll feel better about yourself.

Self-development

Self-development means enhancing and improving your value. It requires diligent and continuous work to become the best version of yourself. Self-development, personality development, self-searching, and personal growth are lifelong recovery endeavours.

Visualisation for Self-development

Try this exercise if you're ready to embark on this journey. Take a seat in a comfortable chair, take a deep breath, and consider how you feel when you are at your best:

• What do you see when you act and speak in line with your values?
• What would your life be like then? How does it seem to you?
• Is there a word that describes you at your best? Can you associate this state with a specific colour?
• What are you doing? Who are you hanging out with? What is your contribution towards this world?

Stay in this state for 5-10 minutes. Then, get a notebook and write down the ideas that you have. Try to be as accurate as possible.

Writing for Self-development

Next, try the following exercise. Think about what you want to write in your obituary. Write that now:

• What will you include in that paper?
• What does that paper have to say about you?
• What contributions have you made to your family and community?
• What is your legacy in this life?
• What do you want your grandchildren to remember about you?

The Path to Self-development is Rugged

If you are motivated to work towards developing yourself and living a better life, this does not mean that this task is easy. Life is painful and difficult. For this reason, self-help literature is a vast and popular genre. So, don't assume that the path is simple. Remember that you are the one who is going to develop and change. That's why this process is called self-development.

When you decide to go down this path, you must take a good look at yourself. Philosophically, the self is a reflection of the consciousness of the individual. Therefore, only you will be concerned about that "self" you look at; others will not. Review the list below, and take some time to focus on the following points:

• Start with the inquiry stage: Inquire about yourself.
• Get inspiration.
• Set your intentions: Write about your short-term and long-term goals and dreams.
• Imagine all of this happening for real: Affirm your intentions with a positive outlook.
• Apply everything you imagined.

1. Inquiry stage

The first part of your personal development plan is to inquire about your current condition: What aspects of your lifestyle appeal most to you? What is it that you dislike? Do you have any changes in mind for this? Is there something you hope to change in your life? Will that change be significant?

Self-inquiry entails taking a closer look at your life, asking yourself why you do what you do, and continuing to make a difference wherever possible.

Some self-inquiry techniques include:

• Journaling.
• Meditation.
• Paying attention to your habits.
• Writing notes about your moods.
• Writing notes about your meals.
• Asking yourself the following questions:
  • Are you happy?
  • Are you satisfied most of the time?
  • Do toxic people surround you?
  • Are you overwhelmed with work?

The goal of the first step is to self-monitor and take notes. There is no need to judge yourself or make any actual changes during this step (unless you can change something immediately.)

2. Getting inspiration

The second stage on the checklist is to inspire yourself to make some changes. Inspiration or motivation to continue down this path can come in many ways:

• Friends you trust.
• Specialised therapists.
• Coaches who specialise in motivation.
• Like-minded groups.
• Book clubs.
• New classes, books, podcasts, documentaries, or writings by people who have taken the same path.

As you practice self-inquiry, you will constantly search for inspiration, which could come to you from the most unexpected places. This step aims to surround yourself with inspiring people and ideas. There are no actual changes that need to be made yet.

3. Setting intentions

Now we come to the third part of the self-improvement checklist, which is setting intentions based on your inquiries and inspirations. Intentions are your decisions to act, feel, or live in certain ways. They are more comprehensive in nature than goals or decisions. Intentions can be major themes such as peace, compassion, and courage. They might also be specific, such as focusing on breathing or speaking calmly and clearly.

After you've inquired about your current situation and been inspired to make real changes that better align with your values, setting intentions based on what you have concluded can be helpful. Intentions can help you put your plans into action. They can also guide you when you are not sure which way to follow.

This step aims to disclose the changes you intend to make. There are no actual changes that need to be made during this step.

4. Imagination

The fourth step in the self-improvement checklist is to imagine your life and yourself as though you are already achieving the intentions you have set for yourself. In other words, you visualise your intentions coming true. To help yourself take this step, do the following:

• Write affirmations to remind yourself that you are on the right path.
• Record yourself describing what you will be like as a person in five years when you are living the life of your dreams.
• Write about your ideal day, including your outfit, food, and emotional state.

This step aims to use your imagination to confirm your new choices. Still no actual changes need to be made in this step.

5. Implementation

The fifth part of your plan for self-development is implementing the changes you intend to make. You will now put your intentions for personal growth into action. Your perceptions of self-improvement will become a reality in this step. You'll apply everything you've learned about yourself to make some meaningful transformations. For example:

• Have you concluded that moving to a new city would make you happier? Go ahead and do it.
• Have you realised that it's time to let go of an old grudge? Write a forgiveness letter, then.
• Have you made up your mind to become more physically fit? Decide to go to the gym and roll in.

Remembering this self-development journey is a lifelong process that includes many key stations, regardless of what you choose to do. Some changes might take a week, while others might take years.

The goal of this step is to create the desired transformations. There are actual changes that need to be made in this step, which are the final outcomes of the self-development process.

So, you've inquired about your current situation, inspired yourself, set some intentions, imagined these intentions becoming a reality, and then implemented your intentions. Now, do it again. Review and revise that checklist. You'll want to create new checklists as you pay attention to the nuances and subtle changes you're experiencing in your life. Self-development is a never-ending process, so enjoy your journey!