5 common personal growth goals you should pursue in 2023

Personal growth is not a mere phase, it is a way of life, a lifestyle. The art of continuously pursuing your greater potential, the perfect you. Knowing all along that nothing is perfect, yet you strive for it daily. In order to achieve this feat, there are rules and guidelines to abide by.

Self awareness, discipline, consistency and the ability to see yourself achieving your dream. However, none of this is possible if you don’t have goals aligned to help you reach your destination. We chose 5 common personal growth goals to set in motion your personal growth journey.

“Dreams are great. In fact, dreams are necessary in life or no one would ever go anywhere! But a dream without a goal, and without action, has no opportunity to come true.”

– Denzel Washington

This post is all about the 5 common personal growth goals you should pursue in 2023

What Is Personal Growth

Personal growth is a category of personality development that is concerned with the process of being better in a personally meaningful way. However, the concept of growing better and realizing one’s potential has different meanings, and there does not appear to be a consistent and widely recognized definition of personal progress.

Related article(s) – The Importance Of Personal Growth

Have a better work – life balance

It is said that all successful people share an underrated attribute, balance. Furthermore, these people won’t be considered successful if they mastered one aspect of their lives and butchered everything else. Moreover, maintaining a healthy work life balance is crucial for achieving a high standard of living. 

So, What is work – life balance anyway? Work-life balance is a condition of equilibrium when a person prioritizes their personal and professional obligations equally. Balance between your career and personal life brings about several benefits such as lower stress, a low risk of burnout, increased productivity, high levels of motivation and an exceptional attitude in general. 

According to the Indian Journal Of Psychiatry, Reduced work-life balance has been associated diminished physical and mental health, decreased productivity, increased stress-related illnesses, and other negative effects.

Becoming present in the moment helps personal growth

Truth of the matter is that tomorrow is never guaranteed, heck the next few minutes are not. It is immensely important to know how to become present in the moment, your mind focused on the here and now. However, this is easier said than done due to the fast paced world we live in today.

There are always upcoming events that we need to plan for or anticipate.You might not even be aware of it, but having a habit to get lost in the past and the future can make you constantly exhausted and feel disconnected from who you are.

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.”

– Eckhart Tolle.

But why is being present in the moment important? You might ask. Your concentration, learning capacity, listening abilities, and memory all benefit from being in the moment. This concentration turns into a sense of self-awareness and connection to the world. It makes you centered and connected with the world around you, observing it from your unique point of view without letting it go by unnoticed. 

Moreover, working smarter, increased focus and concentration, an increased effective learning ability and improved physical health while maintaining energy levels are some of the benefits linked with being present. Recent studies have shown that initial situational mindfulness and the ability to appreciate the present interacted to predict positive emotional levels and a plethora of improvements in psychological wellbeing.

Pay Attention To Your Mental Health 

Imagine this, you have a 2023 BMW car with all the newest bells and whistles including leather seats, self drive capability and a top of the line entertainment system. However, when you open the hood of the car, you realize that it’s rocking a 60’s engine. All that beauty and potential will go to waste. This is exactly why mental health is so crucial, without it our lives would become limited.

Mental illness is becoming a topic of interest in the last couple of decades. It is presently the leading cause of disability in the UK. Furthermore, the World Health Organization predicts that 20% of teenagers globally may suffer from mental illness in any given year.

In addition, according to the MHA (Mental Health America), 19.86% of adults are suffering from a mental disease. This equates to roughly 50 million Americans. The frightening issue is that these figures are steadily rising from year to year.

Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being are all parts of our mental health. As we deal with life, it has an impact on how we think, feel, and behave. Additionally, it influences how we respond to stress, interact with others, and make decisions. Every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood and aging, places a premium on mental health.

Tips to improve mental health 

• Avoid being in isolation 
• Eat strong healthy foods
• Meditate 
• Workout
• Read
• Avoid alcohol and other drugs 
• 8 hours of high quality sleep 

Acknowledge Your Weaknesses And Improve Them 

The first step in improving upon your weaknesses is to accept and acknowledge them. You can’t fix something if you don’t know what’s wrong with it to begin with. Ultimately being honest with yourself is crucial. Studies offer consistent evidence that the positive effects of acceptance on psychological health are widespread, applicable to a wide range of people, and decreases stress levels because acceptance plays a role in assisting people in feeling less negative emotion in response to stressors.

One of the best ways to keep oneself motivated and committed to growth is to set objectives for yourself. Think on where you want to be in one, two, and three years. Think about what progress means to you. Consider putting your objectives in paper so that you can see them. Because improvement is rarely linear, your growth may initially be modest.

Related article(s) – The 5 Areas Of Personal Development

Improve Cognitive Abilities For Personal Growth

It is imperative to work, hone and master your cognitive skills for personal growth. As mentioned earlier, the most important muscle in your body is the one between your ears. So it goes without saying that your mental health is very much intertwined with your personal growth journey. 

Learning, thinking, reasoning, remembering, solving problems, making decisions, and paying attention are just a few of the mental processes included in cognitive functioning.

So how can you improve cognitive skills? By strengthening your cognitive talents, you might perform better in almost every aspect of your line of work. Your ability to pay attention will improve as you become a more engaged listener, which will improve your interpersonal relationships in addition to assisting you in staying on track. Increasing your capacity for logical and analytical thought can also help you produce innovative solutions to challenging challenges.

Benefits of improving Cognitive Abilities 

• Reduce stress levels immensely 
• Improved mood and overall health
• Increased focus and determination 
• Exercise for your brain 
• Decrease in risk for age related cognitive disease 

Conclusion

In short, personal growth is a journey that needs consistency, dedication and a lot of planning (goals). This pursuit of a better stronger you will require no less bravery and character. Here are some goals that may help jumpstart your self adventure.

Summary –

• When a person prioritizes their personal and professional duties equally, they can achieve work-life balance.

• It is crucial to learn how to be present in the moment and keep your attention on the here and now.

• Improving your mental health affects decision-making, interpersonal interactions, and reaction to stress.

• Accepting and acknowledging your faults is the first step toward fixing them.

• You could perform better in practically every part of your field of work by developing your cognitive abilities.

This post was all about the 5 common personal growth goals you should pursue in 2023

References

• Adult data 2022. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://mhanational.org/issues/2022/mental-health-america-adult-data

• Keng, S.-L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011, August). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical psychology review. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679190/

• Rao, T. S. S., & Indla, V. (2010, October). Work, family or personal life: Why not all three? Indian journal of psychiatry. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3025152/

• UK and worldwide: Statistics. Mental Health Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/uk-worldwide-statistics