Barriers to Personal Growth and Development

If you seek to grow as an individual or improve an aspect of your live, you deserve to be commended. Personal growth is an endlessly rich and fascinating topic with numerous opportunities for positive change. Unfortunately, just like trying to make other types of changes, you often encounter barriers along the way. They can be internal or external, but they share one common aspect -- they can prevent you from fulfilling your potential.

Time

• Time is a crucial factor in personal growth and development, and many individuals lack enough of it. Between work responsibilities, childcare issues and just trying to survive on a day-to-day basis, you may find yourself lacking the hours necessary to devote to your own goals.

Attitude

• A negative attitude is a major factor in this area. If you start out with the belief that positive development is unlikely to occur, then no matter how hard you work on it, your belief will sabotage any efforts you may make.

Family

• Family also can be a hindrance when it comes to personal growth. Often, individuals are entrenched with ideas from their families about how much someone can develop as a person, so they don't seek to move past these set levels.

Peers

• Peers also can complicate our efforts to improve ourselves. Peers often try to sabotage our goals, either consciously or unconsciously. They degrade our efforts toward growth because those efforts remind them of the growth they could be pursuing, but have chosen to forgo.

Motivation

• Lack of motivation can be an enormous barrier to personal development. Without motivation, you have little energy to accomplish tasks leading to growth. With the right amount of motivation, however, those tasks can seem easy, and even enjoyable, to accomplish.

Money

• Personal growth does not have to take a great deal of money to accomplish, but depending on your goals, a lack of it can stall your efforts. Materials to learn about new topics and ways of living often cost money, but they are an investment in yourself.

Failure to Plan

• Lack of proper planning and preparation can lead to haphazard attempts to fulfill goals -- a recipe for wasted energy and efforts. If you are trying to break a habit, start a new career or glean insights into your thought processes, be sure to have at least a rudimentary plan to reach these goals.

Distractions

• Distractions, whether in the form of minor demands or activities that offer immediate gratification, can be counted on to undermine your efforts toward personal growth.

Perseverance

• Finally, when trying to reach personal goals, we often forget that perseverance is key. Don't expect to achieve your dreams overnight. Overcoming obstacles consistently is the only way to become the individual you want to be.