Formerly reserved for elites in search of power and glory, personal development has logically democratized by advocating harmony and happiness for all those who have the motivation to become better. Do you want to progress and improve to achieve new goals? Follow the leader…
the personal development (“Self-improvement” or “self-growth” in English) appeared in the United States in the early 1980s? It is therefore not a new discipline, but its field of action and its audience have changed dramatically since the 2000s.
From financial success to real personal well-being …
Initially, personal development was specifically geared towards frames and the business decision-makers. It corresponded to the almost exclusive quest for success, achievement, power and money.
Today intended for Mr. and Mrs. Everyone, it more generously offers the keys to a personal happiness, of a couple life harmonious, of a well-being contagious and a real accomplishment professional.
The books of personal development have also experienced a real craze and colonized the shelves of bookstores. The same goes for online training (example ofUnow organization) and Youtubers channels like David Laroche which has hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
The topics discussed are most often associated with the register of soft skills (emotional and behavioral skills): the self-confidence, self-esteem, relationship problems, social relations, stress and time management, or well-being on a daily basis or at work …
The key themes of personal development
Getting to know yourself better, feeling good with yourself as well as with others, developing your human and creative capacities, all of this is personal development. Techniques and exercises, bringing together practical experiences and steps to progress, methods of personal development are attracting more and more individuals.
This work on oneself stems from an elementary observation: each of us can accomplish great things in life. In a word, we can become better for oneself but also for others.
The fad has passed, it is now a social phenomenon. You assess your worth in a particular area, usually by passing tests, and you progress in areas where you are limited. It is the increasingly pressing need toaccess to “well-being” which explains the success of personal development. The premise is attractive: to believe in man and his ability to improve.
Developing self-knowledge and progress responds to a need that is not new. The times are riding a nihilistic wave that personal development helps to negotiate. Coaching, oral expression, stress management, feng Shui, body language, or even emotional intelligence, we are fond of anything that helps us to better situate ourselves on the chessboard of life and to orient ourselves on a daily basis. Normal, we all want to be happy and show it.
Read also: Emotional Intelligence: 5 exercises to boost it
Know yourself better in order to flourish
Previously, there was mainly the meditation to lean into his deep “I” and probe what was wrong, what needed to be corrected. Religious, mystical or otherwise, the spiritual state is no longer the only way to reach a better self-knowledge. In the 80s or 90s, you had to succeed quickly, today you have to give meaning to your life.
The success of the 2020s has certainly remained personal and professional, but it has also become family, social and community: we act on ourselves to inspire others. Run for win time and make money no longer makes sense, we first want to give meaning to our lives and focus on quality time (quality time).
Personal development is based on the idea that everyone can act on themselves and their life to live better and help others. Her goal is to try and change her life to get better and move towards more wisdom. It plays down the obstacles that are difficult to overcome.
It allows us to find meaning and consistency in our lives and to put us in harmony with our deep values.
Fans of personal development have the will to undertake work on themselves in order to get to know themselves better. It is a personal process to open your mind and explore the field of possibilities.
