To have more than you’ve got, you need to become more than you are!

Sometimes, you may have to invest money and time to reach your personal development goals and for self-improvement.

BUT it is OK,

“we should learn to work harder on ourselves than we do on our job,” Jim Rohn.

So it makes sense to spend time and money on improving things or towards tasks that help you meet your personal development and self-improvement goals.

Personal Development Tips To Uplevel Your Life

I have divided these self-improvement tips and personal development hacks into 11 life categories.

1. Health
2. Relationships
3. Physical
4. Exercise
5. Finances
6. Spiritual
7. Mental
8. Education
9. Career
10. Family
11. Hobby

1. Health

There is an adage that goes like this “A healthy body possesses a healthy mind”.

This means that you cannot perform your best and achieve your personal development and self-improvement goals if you do not nurture your mind, body and soul.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the first step to personality development

Eat a balanced diet–eating a balanced diet comes with a lot of benefits. It prevents you from catching diseases and infections.

You improve your immune system and prevent life changing illnesses such as stroke, heart disease or diabetes.

Eating a balanced diet may also involve you getting your 5 a day.

Stop emotional eating–using food to make yourself feel better or to fill emotional needs does not fix the problem at hand.

Rather, it causes shame and breeds negative feelings of being an over eater.

I must admit I have turned to food unconsciously sometimes to help me deal with stresses in life however, I realised that emotional eating does not take away emotional problems and I felt guilty for overeating afterwards.

Drink enough water–we are constantly losing water and it is important that we replenish the lost fluid from the body.

Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids and the body is composed of about 60% water.

The benefits of drinking water are to keep the kidneys strong and healthy to perform its function for filtering out waste through urine. So, stay hydrated each day.

Get a good night’s rest–research shows that having a good night’s sleep improves how your brain works, your concentration levels and your ability to learn.

Having a good night’s sleep means waking up energised and prepared for the day.

Give up certain habits–Consider giving up habits you feel are not contributing positively to your life.

For instance, you can look after your heart by giving up smoking, cutting back on your salt intake, staying active and cutting back on saturated fat.

2. Relationships

You form relationships with other individuals. However, no relationship is perfect, ever.

There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater however, the love we have for each other is bigger than these minor differences. And that’s the key.

A quote from one of my favourite motivational speakers, Jim Rohn highlights that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

This shows to me that surrounding yourself with like-minded people will help you do better and become greater.

Engage with positive people – A positive person is optimistic, sees the good in life, joy in simple things, is content and understands that even though things may not be under their control, they can still provide empowering perspectives.

Your worth is enhanced when you surround yourself with positive people.

They will add value to your life and elevate your mood.

Commit to meaningful relationships – By committing to meaningful and lasting relationships with positive people, your life is enriched and you can determine what is important to you, desirable, and worthwhile.

Find a mentor–With so much information available online, one would think there is no need for a mentor.

BUT with a mentor, you are able to focus and stop wasting valuable time.

Research shows that it is the fastest path towards learning.

Make contact with a family or friend daily. Keeping in touch with friends and family will prevent you from feeling low. You can catch up on life events and your plans for the future.

• Learn to have a debate, not argue over issues.
• Pay attention to both your verbal and nonverbal communication skills
• Say sorry when you have to and admit to being wrong when you are.

3. Physical

Sometimes we can get lost in our job and other commitments in life however, we need to physically take a break from it.

This may be switching off every 30 minutes to an hour to make a cup of tea or steeping away from your computer to give your eyes and brain a rest.

Take care of your appearance – Taking care of your health is important to prevent the development and spread of diseases and illnesses. It is also important for social, health and psychological reasons.

4. Exercise

Get active – Join a fitness class or if you can afford it, hire a personal trainer. With a personal trainer, you are likely to stay motivated each day.

Subscribe to a health and fitness blog–With a subscription to a health and fitness blog, you will be able to learn about health and fitness tips and stay motivated by joining a group of like-minded people.

Go for a walk–If it’s nice outside, go out and get some fresh air.

In actual fact, even if it is a bit chilly, you can dress up appropriately and brace the weather.

I read in the news article today that there is a saying in Norway that goes like this “there is no poor weather, only bad clothing”.

So really, weather, like most things in life, is as bad as you make it to be. It’s all in the mindset. So, change your mindset, buy a good jacket and do not let the weather stop you.

Take the dog for a walk around your area – Don’t be a hermit that never sees the light! Besides, your body needs vitamin D. Enjoy the sunshine while out on a walk with your dog.

5. Finances

Budget – Keep within budget and live within your means.

Get yourself a copy of Dave Ramsey’s total money make over book and familiarise yourself with the baby steps towards financial freedom.

Financial education – Educate yourself financially by reading and listening to podcasts on finances

Online business – Start an online business such as freelance writing.

Find other ways of making extra money, such as making money online or working from home.

Think about retirement – Save for retirement. It’s never too early to plan for retirement.

Planning for retirement can feel too far in the future however, seconds turn into minutes, minutes into hours, hours into days, days into weeks, weeks into months and months into years. Soon, you hit retirement age and realise that you should have planned a long time ago.

The time is now. Explore what pension or retirement programmes are available privately or with the organisation you work for.

6. Spiritual

Start meditating -Meditation can be one of the most useful ways to relieve stress and find inner contentment. It also helps with anxiety. Feeling stressed? Try a meditation app such as Headspace to get started.

Get out of your comfort zone – Personal development means growing as a person. And the only way you’ll grow is from new experiences, which often require you to get out of your comfort zone. The more you get used to this, the easier it becomes.

Have faith in something bigger than you – Believing in God or another higher power can make your life more meaningful. Decide what you believe in and commit to that.

Go to church – or wherever suits your fancy! Just get around people who believe in something like you do. It’s good for your soul.

Join a positive group–Groups that inspire you to grow are important in our world right now. Join groups that aim to uplift, empower and support you to achieve your personal development goals.

Some groups may also be able to offer you self-improvement tips along the way. There are positive thinking groups
all around the world.

7. Mental

Reward yourself – You are your biggest cheerleader!

Being able to set goals and see them through is an enormous achievement.

Once you set action plans around your personal development and complete these, reward yourself for a job well done.

Engage in mindfulness practices – Engaging in mindfulness practices will help create the mind space for you to think clearly about your goals in life.

Take time out for yourself –Taking time out for yourself gives your mind the break it needs to reboot.

This will help improve your ability to be mindful, concentrate, improve your efficiency and productivity.

It can help you reflect and discover what works well or not working well in your life.

Develop a growth mindset–this will help you avoid the fear of making mistakes and embrace new experiences which will help you learn new things, grow and improve your life.

With a growth mindset comes a positive attitude and self-belief. When you believe that you can do something, you work hard on it and this increases the likelihood of you achieving the best outcome.

Develop resilience–this is a vital skill to have. With resilience, you are able to bounce back quickly after being knocked down. You can keep trying once you build resilience, and by adding skills such as positivism and mindfulness, the sky becomes your limit!

Journal daily–Journaling has helped me express my thoughts and feelings in writing. I have been able to express what is on my mind and has helped bring me some clarity.

I am a huge fan of the Miracle Morning Routine by Hal Elrod. His 6 -step morning routine includes an activity in the form of scribing, which involves journaling your thoughts and ideas. I do this every day!

You can use any journal and start practicing today.

Have a morning routine

Having a morning routine can help you plan and structure your day. Pushing your alarm clock back daily until you are able to wake up an hour or two earlier than your usual time will make a huge difference to your life. It certainly did with my life!

Create a morning routine that works for you. Here’s how my morning routine looks like.

Minute 1: Silence

I sit in purposeful silence and say a word of prayer to appreciate the moment and thank God for the goodness in my life.

I read a daily verse on the Holy Bible KJV app.

As a social worker, your day can be jam packed with visits, telephone calls and emergencies. This can make you feel swamped! However, you can make your day better by not rushing into a hectic day in the morning.

Spend the first minute sitting in silence or engage in a guided or unguided meditation.

Minute 2: Affirmations

Affirmations are powerful, and they help target the unconscious level of the mind. What you think, you become and your beliefs become filters for your reality. If you fail to refine those beliefs regularly, they become your reality permanently.

Through affirmations, it is possible to re-programme your subconscious mind. Most importantly, you are able to overwrite and replace negativity and deeply rooted limiting beliefs with new, uplifting and empowering ones. With a new belief system, you are able to create a new reality and overcome self-sabotaging.

I list my morning affirmations as a social worker below.

I read these out loud and it reminds me of how capable I am, gives me a feeling of confidence and a sense of positivism.

• I am patient; I am a positive person.
• I am strong.
• I have empathy
• I am helpful.
• I am supportive.
• I am knowledgeable.
• My actions create constant prosperity
• I am full of energy and vitality and my mind is calm and peaceful
• Every day, I get healthier and stronger
• Being happy comes easy to me. Happiness is my second nature
• Good things will happen today
• I am deeply fulfilled by what I do
• Positivism comes from within

Minute 3: Visualisation

I close my eyes, look at my vision board and visualise. My visualisation includes my goals, what it will look and feel like when I reach them.

I visualise my day is perfect; I visualise myself enjoying work; I visualise myself smiling and actually taking my lunch break! I visualise completing everything on my to–do list.

As a social worker, your vision represents where you want to get to in your professional life and it forms the foundation for success.

Minute 4: Scribing

This is when I write down things, I am grateful for, what am proud of, and the ultimate results I am committed to creating for the day. I write down around 10 brief sentences.

Minute 5: Reading

I read a page or two of a personal development book or listen to a book on Audible.

Reading personal development books helps me learn success strategies and tips on how to improve my life.

Read personal development blogs, books and listen to personal development podcasts. To continue to learn and grow, spend time reading and listening up on personal development blogs. Here are my 13 Favourite Personal Development Podcasts.

Minute 6: Exercise

Finally, I stand up and spend the last-minute doing press-ups for 60 seconds, a 10-minute exercise or go for a 20-minute walk. This gets my heart rate up and makes me feel energised.

Engaging in exercises has a profound positive impact on your mental health. You can simply skip, do some stretches, or walk around the house/indoors.

I find that engaging in the morning exercise helps me feel awake during the day and increases my ability to remain focused and alert. In addition, it helps boost my overall mood.

8. Education

Online learning – There are so many courses online that can help you improve your skills and knowledge.

BUT, first, identify where you lack the skills and take on free online courses to familiarise yourself with that topic area.

Once you have completed this, you can explore paid options as these are more detailed and provide you with more resources.

I have enjoyed learning about myself and my abilities through online courses.

Remember to take action now!

Taking action and going outside your own comfort zone is growth, and from this growth comes results which can enrich your life.

Learn from your peers – You can learn from your peers by finding out how they have achieved certain goals in life.

Knowing the exact footprint, they used can help you plan towards your future.

Engage in lifelong learning – A commitment to lifelong learning will offer a means that your understanding of the world we live in can be enhanced.

It can provide you with rich knowledge and opportunities to improve your overall quality of life. In the process, you can achieve many personal development goals.

Read books on personal development–Reading has helped me grow and develop in my role as a social worker. In addition, it has helped me make changes in my life that have resulted in positive results.

Sometimes I listen to personal development podcasts when on the go.

Here’s a look at my best personal development podcasts.

When busy or driving to visits, I often listen to audiobooks. I find them very convenient and if this is something you are interested in trying, then I have some good news for you!

You can get 50% off Audio Books using this link HERE. 

9. Career

Get feedback from your managers and peers. Feedback can help you determine areas you are excelling and where you need to improve.

Take constructive feedback positively – This can help you grow and become better at your job.

Give praise where it is due–Don’t be afraid to praise others when a job is well done. This will empower people to do more.

Work on your skills–improving your skills will mean that you are preparing for any opportunity that may arise in the future.

Network effectively–attend workshops and networking events in your area of practice.

Read–reading can help you engage with new perspectives and ideas. Keeping up with industry news means you are one step ahead of others who do not read.

Reading also means that you are able to enhance your skills and knowledge.

For me, it means reading an interesting blog post or a few pages of a book before bedtime.

Do work that fulfills you. Although you are able to make time fly at work, doing work that fulfils you will make you think less of how quickly you want your working day to end.

You’ll be happier and content with your life. So, keep looking for the work that will fulfill you and do not give up until you find it.

Quit your job if you are unhappy. “Don’t waste your time in anger, regrets, worries, and grudges. Life is too short to be unhappy.” – Roy Bennet

Alternatively, you can retrain in another field of work where you may find that it gives you the fulfillment you need in life. Do your research, speak to others in the field, and choose a course or training. That way, you can work in the profession you want.

Develop an entrepreneurial mindset–start developing the mindset of an entrepreneur if you want. We all have some creativity within us, and that is what entrepreneurship is all about. Try your hands on something new today.

10. Family

Spend time with family – I know that sometimes we can be very busy due to pressures at work and other commitments. However, it is important not to miss out on all those fun activities we can have with family like having dinner or going to the cinema.

Strive for a work-life balance – The life part of ‘work-life’ balance means that you engage in activities you love and actually enjoy life.

I make it a point to do a family movie night every Friday. I must say my little ones enjoy this and I get to spend some quality time with them. I also read to my children every day and sometimes they read to me!

Heres how to achieve a work life balance.

11. Hobby

Having a hobby can help build confidence.

Make a list of things you enjoy doing and pick the most workable one you can do within your day.

Having a hobby can help structure your time and give you a sense of a well-rounded life.

Hobbies can enrich lives and give you something rewarding or fun to do.

Personal development plan example

Monday – Eat more whole grains

Tuesday – Vary your veggies

Wednesday – Drink plenty of water

Thursday – Move more and get active

Friday–Practice mindfulness

Saturday–Socialise with friends and family

Sunday–Reflect on the week and plan for the week ahead

Before you go

Personal development tips or self-development hacks can give you the tools to encourage you to believe in yourself.

However, without taking any action, you will not see any rewards.

Remember to measure your progress frequently and engage in self-reflection.

Recording your progress towards self-development by keeping track of your progress is key to ensuring that you are on the right track.

That way, if you are going off course, you can identify it early and take a different direction so you can make better progress towards your personal growth and self – development.

Read Next

Powerful tips for better work-life balance

How to make time fly at work

Best personal development podcasts.

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