Seven Areas of Personal Growth

You desire better things. And, you can take actions to achieve them. Human beings undergo constant change and growth. For those people that are in search of getting to better places, whether physical or transcendental, here are seven personal areas to focus on: relationships, spirituality, career, finances, health, habits, and home.

Relationships and Spirituality

• Relationships effect every aspect of your life. It is difficult to feel good when you face relationship difficulties. Taking care of personal relationships, whether with friends, significant others, children, parents, other family members, or co-workers, is as important as taking care of yourself. Without successful relationships, it is difficult to achieve success in the other areas of your life. Life involves collaboration at every juncture. Minding the ties you have with other people ensures you resources when you need them. Choose a relationship that you feel needs your attention. Identify specific steps you can take to strengthen the relationship. When taking actions to build relationships, don't go into it with expectations, rather work with good intentions, and be grateful for any positive outcomes. With practice, you will learn to build stronger relationships.

  Spirituality takes different forms for different people. For some, it is tied to the rituals of a religion; others practice it through yoga or meditation. Whatever feels like a good fit for you is a good place to begin. Some people may find it in nature, taking a hike or going to a special place. The time you set aside to focus on spiritual growth can be used to celebrate your existence, contemplate the complexity of life, or enjoy life's simplicity.

Career and Finances

• Career growth is an area that most people at some point focus their thoughts and energy on. By measuring where you want to be against where you currently are in your career, you can build a career plan. You can build small steps into your schedule with that bigger picture in mind, taking classes, learning new skills, making yourself more knowledgeable about your area, and making industry contacts.

  Money can empower people to achieve many of their dreams, or if they don't have a good handle on their finances, it can leave them feeling helpless or out of control. A healthy approach to finances and making choices about resources can provide you with the foundation needed to live a happy life. You can take steps to improve your finances by setting up a savings plan, learning how to make and maintain a budget, or taking money management workshops (often free through local community organizations).

Health, Habits, and Home

• Good health is often taken for granted. Taking care of yourself by exercising, eating healthy, and paying attention to your needs will help keep you in good health. As people age, the effects of not paying attention to health become more visible and less easy to rectify. Taking good care of yourself will allow you to enjoy your life feeling good for longer. Select areas of your health that you most want to improve, and dedicate time in your schedule to achieve your goals.

  Habits are a good place on which to focus your personal development energy. Whether you want to form new positive habits or cut out bad ones, you can achieve a lot by paying attention to your habits and working toward changing them. The best method for changing habits will depend on the particular habit you are trying to create or change. By focusing on one habit for each day of one month, you will have more success than trying to change many habits all at once.

  Maintaining a healthy home, no matter how simple, will provide you with peace. Home is a place where you can rest and restore, so that you can manifest your dreams in all the other personal development areas of your life. Keep your home clean and organized by making sure that all your possessions have a place. Set aside a particular time every day and week to tidy up and do the upkeep necessary to make your home inviting to you and your guests.