Human beings have an immense potential to grow. No matter your age, there’s always a skill you can learn, a hobby you can pick up, and a new activity in which you can invest your time. But finding what you like doing again and using it as a motivation to grow can be difficult. Self-development involves learning about yourself, giving yourself the space to heal, and allowing your curiosity to foster.
Stimulating your brain is multifaceted and highly beneficial. It’ll enable your brain to make new thoughts and neural pathways that can change how you think, eventually shaping you into a better person. Allow yourself to improve, become better and let your new determined mindset create a more fulfilling life. So, if you’re looking for ways to grow as a person, here are some tips you need to check out:
- Start Reading More
Reading is excellent brain food. It engages your mind, teaches new concepts, and lets you pick a new perspective. The more you read, the more you’ll quickly learn about the world around you, add new words to your vocabulary, and feel your personality change. Nowadays, you can find books on any topic or subject. If you’re trying to teach yourself, then pick up books that cover any subject extensively, but if you’re leisurely reading, there are various genres you can explore. If you want to get into the habit of reading daily, try picking a time for your reading sessions.
If you have a younger child, you can also instill the habit of reading in them at a young age by encouraging them to try reading challenges and motivating them to maintain a reading log or join a community that shares the same love for books as your child.
You can also join a reading club. A group can help you stay focused, discuss the material and present an insightful analysis of what you’ve understood from the literature. Having the space to discuss, analyze, and ponder concepts is excellent for your development.
- Challenge Your Fears
Fears and phobias are two separate concepts. While you can’t overcome a phobia, you can eliminate your fears. These can be anything from trying a thrilling sport, getting rid of something as minor as speaking in public, or learning to drive. Fear holds you back – it stops you from tapping into your potential, which costs you numerous opportunities that would have helped you flourish, which is why you need to allow yourself to overcome your fears. Start slow – speak to a lifestyle coach to gain the motivation to challenge yourself. You can also ask a friend or a loved one to be there for you as you attempt to overcome your fear.
For example, if you’re scared of swimming, get used to the water first. Observe how your body floats in small volumes of water and then steadily move your limbs. You can ask a swimming coach to watch and guide you as you try to go across the pool. Whenever you feel scared, it’s okay to stop and retry until you feel comfortable retrying. Don’t expect your fear to disappear overnight, but always hope for gradual results. Eventually, your self-esteem will pick up, your self-confidence develop, and you’ll positively respond to your fear. Soon you’ll no longer be afraid and have a great time exploring your situation.
- Study A New Language
Languages improve your long-term memory and also heavily impact your brain. The more vocabulary you pick up, the more your memory will improve, and you’ll find yourself thinking fast on your feet. Learning a new language is also a skill. The language you learn can help you make a promising career for yourself. Your fluency will allow you to try your hand at becoming a translator or language interpreter or pave the path to becoming a teacher in a foreign country.
There’s no limit to expanding your intellectual capacity. Applications like Duolingo also make learning languages much more accessible and flexible. In a series of small bite-size classes, you can easily cover a language course and become fluent in it. If you want more structured lessons, you can always look into online language courses and enroll in them to study more steadily. The key to learning any language fast is to ensure you practice it regularly, reach out to other native speakers in online communities and ask them to help you out. Also, attempt reading more literature in that language, watch more movies, and mimic the way native speakers talk to get comfortable in saying foreign words.
- Sharpen Your Skills
To learn something new, you don’t have to give up what you already know; instead, choose to up your skill. A rudimentary understanding of specific skills like art, writing, singing, or dancing is a good start. Knowledge of these skills allows you to build a strong foundation to continue to build up your ranks. For instance, if you used to take dance lessons, try to figure out how much of your lectures you remember. Can you still mimic the same pose, or can you no longer keep your balance? Journal down what you can do and where you seem to struggle.
Once you have an idea, you can choose to rejoin a dance studio, ask a seasoned instructor to watch you so you know which level you’re on, follow their instructions carefully, and smoothly transition into becoming a professional dancer again. The same holds for any other skill you possess. Find out where you left off and gauge how much you remember; when you know where your knowledge halts, from there, begin upskilling again.
Final Thoughts
Humans possess the constant urge to grow and develop. As such, you might desire to be the best version of yourself, and you can’t do that unless you get out of your comfort zone. There are numerous ways you can build yourself up. As long as you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually challenge yourself, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish. If you’re looking for ways to improve, always identify what areas you currently lack and need to work on. Furthermore, think of hobbies you want to explore and engage with. Allow yourself to harness your curiosity, and you will find yourself flourishing.