Personal Development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations. The concept is not limited to self-help but includes formal and informal activities for developing others in roles such as teacher, guide, counselor, manager, life coach or mentor. When personal development takes place in the context of organizations, it refers to the methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems that support human development at the individual level in organizations.
Personal development includes the following activities:
- Improving self-awareness
- Improving self-knowledge
- Identifying self-limiting beliefs and perceptions
- Improving or learning new skills
- Becoming a self-leader
- Building or renewing identity/self-esteem
- Developing strengths or talents
- Improving health
- Improving wealth
- Spiritual development
- Balancing sense of self, others, and spirit
- Being fulfilled
- Identifying or improving potential
- Building employability or human capital
- Enhancing lifestyle or the quality of life
- Improving health
- Fulfilling aspirations
- Initiating a life enterprise or personal autonomy
- Defining and executing personal development plans
- Improving social abilities
Personal development can also include developing other people. This may take place through roles such as those of a teacher or mentor, either through a personal competency (such as the “Manager as Coach” skill of developing the potential of employees) or a professional service (such as providing training, assessment or coaching).