6 Personal Development Practices That Will Change Your Life

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Rejoice Denhere

10/15/20245 min read

Changing lifelong habits can be a challenge. However, if you want to grow and develop as a person then take the necessary steps to change, you will reap the benefits. I was able to undo years of poor habits when I understood the driving forces behind it all.

In his book The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton says, “We’re not living our lives, we’re living programmes. So, if you don’t like the programme the new biology says that you can rewrite it.”

Incorporate the following practices into your daily habits and watch your life transform before your very eyes.

1. Meditation

When I first learnt about meditation I was very skeptical and wanted nothing to do with it. I had very little understanding of it, believing that it was a form of self-hypnosis. Images of being brainwashed by unknown spiritual forces whilst in an altered state terrified me.

When you don’t understand something it is better to learn more about it rather than recoiling in fear. Fear will not serve you but the right knowledge will empower you.

In 2018 a football coach and team of young players found themselves stuck in a cave with no means of escape. They survived in that cave because of meditation techniques the coach taught and practised.

Since I started meditating I have found I am able to think more clearly and cope better when under pressure.

Ten minutes a day is enough to start with. When you get used to it you may start meditating for longer. If you feel that you do not have the time to sit and do nothing Tom Kuegler has written an article which may help, “How To Gain 20 Hours Of Free Time Per Week."

2. Affirmations

I was talking to a work colleague when I first heard of positive affirmations. She was making fun of people who practised this. “Why would you tell yourself you are rich when you know you are as poor as a church mouse?”

I agreed and laughed along in ignorance.

I know it may not make sense but the truth is that it works if you work it!

Positive affirmations are statements which are spoken repeatedly with the intention of changing what you believe about yourself. They must be spoken using the first person (I) in the present tense. This programmes the subconscious mind, which controls unconscious actions such as walking or blinking your eyes.

People use affirmations to help them eliminate negative self-talk and engrain new positive behaviours.

Examples of positive affirmations:

When fear stops you from taking action.

I act now, without hesitation or fear.

When you feel lost or without purpose.

I am purpose-driven.

When laziness has become your last name and you do not feel like doing any work.

I am diligent.

When you put off living your best life because you think you are not ready.

I am living my best days now.

In times of turmoil or when troubling thoughts haunt your mind and disturb your sleep.

I live a life of peace.

Some people prefer to record their affirmations then listen to them while they sleep. There are plenty of resources available online which can get you started if you are new to this.

3. Journaling

Journaling is a fantastic way of transferring your thoughts and feelings onto paper. I have found it to be a great way for me to process deep feelings and emotions.

I use writing to express gratitude and set intentions. I also use it as my second brain where I record thoughts and ideas. If I kept it in my head I would not remember it all. I love going through material I have written and finding use for it at a later date.

Writing things down frees my thinking space and enables me to be more creative.

4. Visualisation

You can achieve whatever you can imagine if you put effort into it. Without a vision you drift through life aimlessly, forever chasing the wind and never catching it.

Write the vision down.

It is important to visualise a good future for yourself, especially during tough times. The most effective way is by creating a vision board. Nowadays there are apps to do this, but if you prefer a more analogue approach, you can use a notebook or whiteboard to pin images and phrases of what you want to see.

Your future does not just happen. You create it. If you do not create it someone else will use you to create theirs. You will become an extra is somebody else’s story when you could have been the star of your own show.

No matter how bad life gets, there is always a way to turn it around.

5. Reading

Reading is foundation of learning. It is brain food and the foundation for success.

Reading sparks creativity.

The more you read and take notes the better you will be able to connect new ideas and concepts. You will notice a transformation in your thoughts, your speech and how you view the world.

Readers are leaders.

If you want to get ahead in life and lead others, you need to get into the habit of reading a lot.

6. Exercise

Life is unpredictable. We hear this all the time. It is true to a certain degree. However, it is not an excuse to leave everything to chance. If you follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly you are less likely to become morbidly obese.

Even if you are not obese and believe that exercise is unnecessary, there are negative consequences.

I was never particularly keen on exercise. I would go through a phase of hitting the gym but gave up after a while. I ran for trains and buses. Not long after celebrating my 50th birthday I was introduced to running by a friend using the Couch to 5K app. I now run up to 5km two to three times a week and I love it.

Studies have shown that lack of exercise affects your mood. Your brain will lack nourishment resulting in an imbalance in the main neurotransmitters responsible for mood, thinking and decision-making.

You need just 30 minutes of exercise at least twice a week.

Finally

Implement these habits.
Put them into practice daily.
Do it consistently.

In her article The Most Unsexy Under-rated Secret of Success in Anything Karen Nimmo says,

“Inconsistency” as a concept lacks verve; even the word is boring. (And no-one rates consistency in a partner until they’ve been messed up by an inconsistent one!)

Remember:

Your level of success, will rarely exceed your level of personal development, because success is something you attract by the person you become.

Originally published at medium.com/vital-world-online on August 15, 2020