Self-improvement, personal development or self-development are terms we’ve all probably heard before. In fact, they are so often mentioned in conversations that they have become synonymous to success. It is however important to remember that success does not imply that one is improving oneself….

The key terms can be defined as the following:

• Self-improvement: The act of making yourself better than you are right NOW.
• Self-development or personal development: The result of taking steps to improve yourself. It does not matter how small the acts are, as long as they direct you, to become a better you.

Success can be measured by the kind of job you have or the car you drive. However, self-development cannot be measured in any tangible asset. It is simply priceless and intangible.

Although you cannot measure self-development, you can however, track it by using a personal development plan. This is a written account of self-improvement, which also covers the goals you aspire to fulfil – whether they’re career-based, personal, or academic.

Self-awareness is a key component of self-development. If you do not know yourself, you cannot improve yourself. If you know yourself well, you will know what it is that will make you happy, and you will understand the gifts that you have for making others happy as well. You will be able to establish your shortcoming and where you can improve on in various aspects of yourself. A big part of this is understanding the relationships, life situations, and even job conditions in which we will be the happiest. This knowledge is the foundation upon which true success is built.

Each of us must evaluate ourselves, either with or without the help of a professional, and then use that evaluation to decide where we need to make improvements. 

So many of us often appear to be successful and yet we lack so much on a personal development level.

Let’s focus on simple ways to become better versions of ourselves, such as learning to say no and meaning it, getting into the habit of meditating more, stopping procrastination, learning new skills, giving compliments to others when they deserve it, showing willingness to give a helping hand etc.

Becoming better versions of ourselves is an endless journey. Self-improvement is for everyone.

Let’s all get up and make ourselves better each day we wake up!