Areas of Personal Growth – Focus on Just One

Every new year motivates you to change your life. Like… for real, this time.
You want to work on all the areas of personal growth. A complete makeover.

Or maybe it’s the middle of the year, and you just saw an inspiring Ted talk. And now, you’re on a personal development mission. Doing all the things!

But that’s a recipe for disaster.

Improving yourself and your life is a fantastic project. But you want to be smart about it!

That’s why you only get to work on one area of personal growth at a time…
So choose wisely.

Which area of personal growth will you focus on?

8 areas of personal growth

1. Personal development

Think about what personal development skills you’d like to work on. Need inspiration?
Check out these 27 personal development activities.

2. Career / Business

What career goals do you want to achieve? Make a list of the skills and actions necessary to reach them. The fastest way to succeed is to have an actual plan with specific steps and milestones.

3. Your romantic relationship

Can you upgrade your romantic relationship? Maybe you could work on your communication skills or try to be kinder and more attentive.

4. Family and friends

Friends and family are important. Spend more quality time with your loved ones and also get better at communicating.

5. Fun and experiences

How can you recharge your batteries and broaden your horizon?
Enjoy partying until the sun goes up? Or go on a yoga retreat instead?
Maybe you’d love to travel the world…

6. Location

Are you in the right place to reach your personal growth goals?
Where do you need to be for your success?
Maybe you need to switch employers – or move to a different location.

7. Money and finances

What are your financial goals? If you’re struggling with money, what could improve your situation? Maybe you need to find a better job, a second job, or set up a budget…

8. Health and fitness

What are your health and fitness goals? Maybe you want to eat clean, work on your fitness, or become a skillful yogi…

Each of these areas of personal growth takes time and effort. You only have so many hours in a day.

It’s better to spend 30 minutes a day improving ONE area than to go all in – only to crash and burn after 2 weeks…

Commit to one area of personal growth

Focus is crucial to succeeding in anything.
If you work on all areas of growth at once, you’ll end up with your hair on fire.

So, Warren Buffett’s 5/25 rule can help you set clear priorities. It’s a ruthless process, but you’ll be glad you did it.

Doing all the things always backfires because feeling overwhelmed is one of the 13 reasons you procrastinate!

Imagine having so many self-improvement “projects” that you end up doing nothing.

That’s why you must commit to your chosen area.

Which area in your life is essential to your success or well-being?
Start with that one.

You can work on other areas later!

The ripple effect of focus on other areas of growth

Here’s an example of how focusing on one area may impact other personal growth areas for free.

Let’s say you’re introverted. And you just love

• Staying at home reading books
• Taking online classes
• Listening to music
• Watching your favorite movies and shows

Then you decide you want to focus on the Friends and Family category and be more social.

That’s why you’ll say “Yes” to going out with your friends more often.

If you hadn’t committed to this area of personal growth, you’d stay at home.
But you said you wanted to be less of a hermit – and spend more time with your friends.

It’s not like you’re antisocial. Your precious “me time” allows you to recharge your batteries.
And you love your friends…

How the areas of personal growth overlap

If you go out more, you’ll meet more people. Maybe even your significant other.

Not that this is why you hang out with your friends, but it can happen.

Or you talk to someone inspiring one night and decide it’s time to change your life.

So you take a class, get a certification, and change careers. Maybe even start your own business.

You see how focusing on one aspect can impact other areas of personal growth?

The more you go out, the more things you experience.
That’s not only great for broadening your horizons, but also for connecting with others.

The more stories you have to tell, the easier it gets to talk to people.

Think about it.
Great or fun things don’t happen while sitting on your couch.

So, although you focus only on your Family and Friends area, it could impact

• Personal development
• Career/business
• Romantic life
• Fun experiences
• Money and finances

Choose your one area of personal growth

Don’t underestimate the commitment it takes to work on an area. It’s easy to think you can squeeze a few of them in.

But you’ll end up overwhelmed and frustrated because it’s all too much.

Start with only one area for a month. Get a good habit going before you add something else.

So, of all the areas of personal growth, which one needs the most improvement?
Focus on that one and see how it plays out.

Even the smallest change can have a huge impact in the end.

You don’t have to be extreme… Just be consistent to create your awesome future.

One small decision can change your life forever.
Even one as simple as spending more time with your friends.

I hope you now have a better idea of the 8 areas of personal growth.
May you achieve all your goals… One area at a time!

Improve yourself. Improve your life!

Read this next for more personal development

• 
  28 Personal Development Activities to Ace Your Life
• 
  7 Motivation Hacks to Stay Excited About Your Goals
• 
  7 Reasons Why You’ll Never Reach Your Goals
• 
  17 Key Benefits of Personal Development For Success
• 
  You’ll Never Achieve Your Dreams & Goals Without Clarity