27 skills guaranteed to improve personal development: Reach Success faster

There are so many things to think about when it comes to personal development. How can you be productive when there are so many distractions? What’s the best way to manage your time and money? How can you stay motivated throughout difficult times and consistently work towards personal growth? These are just some of the questions that we will answer in this blog post. We’ve compiled a list of 27 personal development skills that will help your personal development journey. Use these tools to stay organized, accountable, and on track for your personal development goals.

Get Organized

Organization is necessary to improve professional growth. Being organized is one of many soft skills that help manage information and time. One popular method is the Pomodoro Technique, which helps break down work into manageable chunks of time. This can be especially helpful if you tend to procrastinate. Key aspects of having good organization are writing everything down, planning ahead, and reducing clutter (that means mind clutter as well). Staying organized also makes it easier to measure productivity.

Master Time Management strategies

Managing time is a skill that you can develop which helps us manage almost all areas of our day-to-day, from getting enough sleep to how many things we check off our daily “To Do” list. It is important to make sure that you are making the most of each day intentionally and effectively. The purpose of time management is to increase productivity and efficiency while reducing stress. Managing time means going at your own pace while still getting things done.

Daily Planning

Planning is the process of making the best use of your time. It allows us to set goals and achieve them in a timely manner. A good plan will also help to reduce stress by giving you a clear idea of what needs to be done and when it needs to get done.

Some helpful ways are, writing out your to-do list, placing them in priority, giving each item a specific time slot, and placing each at a time that compliments your daily mood and energy. The improvement process means developing important personal skills.

Prioritize

Prioritizing includes getting things done in a timely manner. Most people tend to do the easy things first and then run out of time, energy, or both when it’s time for the more difficult or urgent task to be completed. Prioritizing skills help us focus on what is most important and ensure that we are using our time wisely. When we prioritize, we are able to get more done in less time because we are not wasting time on tasks that are not as important.

• Try the “Impact Effort Matrix” . This is a system that rates each task on a scale from one to five based on the impact it will have and the amount of effort it will take. Tasks with a high impact and low effort are considered to be “high priority” while tasks with a low impact and high effort are considered to be “low priority”.

Manage Deadlines

Deadlines can be stressful; they can put so much pressure on us. However, deadlines are also a necessary part of life and can help us reach career advancement/development.

Although it can feel like pressure when trying to meet them, it also gives us a sense of urgency and forces us to get things done and checked off so we can move on to the next important thing. Keeping track of all deadlines in one place and having reminders is a good way to manage these.

Remove Distractions

Getting a better grip on your wandering mind will not only help your personal development but will also assist you to get things done faster. This is where we get out of our comfort zone and start doing things that create the best version of ourselves. Try changing your environment when it’s time to get things done. 

Sustain Motivation

Motivation equals desire. It is one of the foundational tools needed to reach any goal. It is the WHY and it is what keeps us engaged in a process. Finding motivation can be much easier than sustaining motivation. Sustaining motivation means keeping persistence, desire, and encouragement while on our journey despite setbacks and mistakes. Never giving up is the only way we are guaranteed not to fail. One way to sustain your motivation is to review your goals nightly.

Team Work

Teamwork can help you to get more done in less time, and it can also help to build morale and improve communication. When we work together, we are able to share the load and complete tasks more efficiently. Teamwork also allows us to learn from each other and to build relationships that can last a lifetime. Working with others can also lead to improved self-awareness.

Invest in yourself

When you invest in yourself, you are investing in your future. You are taking the time to learn and grow so that you can be the best that you can be. Investing in yourself means taking the time to learn new skills, improve on existing ones, create a personal development plan and identify life goals.

Be on time

Being on time is a very attractive professional trait to have. When you show up to a meeting on time or complete a task by the agreed-upon deadline, you create trust between yourself(or your business) and clients and possible customers. Trust in the business world can create a lifelong clientele and returning customers. 

Have realistic expectations

Part of personal development is having healthy expectations. When we set our sights too high with no actual plan, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. If we want to be successful, we need to have a clear understanding of what that process looks like, its benefits/risks, and a plan on how to reach it.

Overcome procrastination

Procrastination is the act of putting off or delaying something that needs get done. It is a form of self-sabotage that can prevent us from reaching our goals. Being serious about personal development means overcoming procrastination.

There are a number of ways to do this, but some of the most effective methods include setting daily habits, eliminating self-defeating thoughts, reducing stress, allowing yourself breaks to prevent feelings of overwhelm and burnout, and adding incentives.

Set objectives

 

An objective breaks down a plan into one that is realistic, measurable, and allows for re-evaluations. Create a goal, break it down into small steps, and then give those steps a deadline.

Be Accountable

This means taking responsibility for our choices and being willing to face the consequences of our decisions. It also means holding ourselves accountable for our commitments and goals. When we are accountable, we are more likely to follow through on our plans and reach them. Holding ourselves accountable is the highest form of self liability.

Stress Management

It is important to learn how to manage stress in ways that don’t take a toll on our physical and mental health. When we are stressed, our body goes into “fight or flight” mode. Stress can lead to problems such as anxiety, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Some effective stress management techniques include exercise, deep breathing, meditation, journaling, and more.

Master multitasking

Multitasking is a skill that helps us to complete more than one task at the same time successfully. This can be helpful when we need to get multiple things done in a short amount of time.

This is a skill closely related to time management. Choose 2 or more tasks that can be done without much energy.

Be Innovative

Innovation will definitely benefit your career. In business, it can mean the difference between success and failure. Being innovative means thinking outside the box, coming up with new ideas, keeping up with technology, and a continual learning process. It also requires taking risks and being open to change. To be innovative, you need to be willing to fail and learn from your mistakes. Some of the most successful people in the world are those who have failed the most. So, don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. You never know where it might lead you. Everything in life is ever-changing, including you. This means your business will need to as well in order to sustain advancement

Be open-minded

Being open-minded in business means having the ability to see things from different perspectives, being willing to accept change and new ideas, and being adaptable to new technology. In today’s ever-changing business landscape, it is more important than ever to be open-minded. Those who are not open to change will likely get left behind. Being open-minded also allows you to be more innovative.

This is a good segway from innovation. During the pandemic, many companies went out of business due to their refusal to be open-minded to change. Whether we like it or not the world around us is constantly changing and we have to find creative ways to adapt our business in ways that serve our customers and clients in the changing world around us.

Networking

Networking helps entrepreneurs to build relationships and create opportunities. When you network, you meet new people who can help you in your business endeavors. Additionally, networking can help you to find mentors, investors, and customers. Relationship building can have enormous benefits including joint ventures and partnerships.

Have Knowledge

Having knowledge doesn’t necessarily mean having a 4 years education. In fact, many business owners and entrepreneurs create a successful business through networking, taking independent/ online courses, or learning a trade. According to npr.org “More than 1 million fewer students are enrolled in college now than before the pandemic began”. So no matter where or how you get your information, just make sure you become and stay knowledgeable in your field.

Know your competition

Knowing your competition allows you to set yourself apart from them and understanding your competition helps you better understand your target market. Looking at what is currently working for them and putting your own unique twist will attract more customers to you and may give you ways to expand even and give you a deeper understanding of the current market.

Invest in yourself

Professional development will mean investing in yourself. When you invest in yourself, you are investing in your future. This includes taking courses, attending workshops and seminars, and hiring a coach or mentor. By investing in yourself, you are ensuring that you have the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful. Additionally, investing in yourself shows that you are committed to your business and your success.

Have a work-life balance

Working 24/seven is not sustainable and it’s not healthy. In order to be successful, you need to have a work-life balance. This means making time for yourself, your family, and your friends. It also means taking time for your hobbies and interests. According to positive psychology, this goes hand in hand with personal well-being, positive energy, and overall joy.

Self Care 

Self-care is often overlooked but it is so important. Mental illness is real so mental health is important. Personal and professional growth includes taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally( i,e eating healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, and taking breaks). The benefits of self-care are reduced stress, a healthy body ( physical health) , improved mood, and increased productivity.

Problem Solving/Good decision-making skills

Having good decision-making skills are important skills that help you to make choices that are in line with your work ethic, goals, and values. It also helps you to avoid making impulsive decisions that could have negative consequences. Good decision-making skills come from knowing yourself and what you want. Additionally, it is important to have all the information before making a decision. Lastly, good decision-makers are able to evaluate the risks and benefits of each option before making a choice. Being able to solve problems is an important skill in business. When you are able to identify and solve problems quickly, it shows that you are resourceful and capable. Problem-solving skills allow you to be proactive instead of reactive. This means that you are more able to anticipate and prevent problems before they occur.

Creativity 

Creativity is an important personal development skill because it allows you to stand out from the competition and have more joy in your personal life. When you are creative, you are able to come up with new and innovative ideas. Creativity also allows you to see things from a different perspective. This helps you to find new solutions to old problems increasing your self-esteem.

Affective communication skills

Effective communication is the ability to share our thoughts and feelings in a way that is clear, concise, and respectful. It involves being able to understand and be understood by others. When we communicate effectively, we are able to build better relationships, resolve conflicts more efficiently, and achieve our goals. This is an important skill to have for public speaking and when it comes to building relationships.

In Summary

Making sure to work on these 27 personal development skills, will help in identifying ways to create better habits, improve social skills, facilitate personal growth, and highlight personal development needs. These factors are intended to help you with goal setting and self-improvement toward your career path. Just remember that success takes time, dedication, and hard work.

 

Written by Shakirah Forde