Self Development is defined "as the process by which a person's character or abilities are gradually developed." I feel as though it is important to constantly be developing yourself to be better. Whether it is to be better at a hobby, to be better in your job, to be better at school, to be a better person. There's so many things in life, that if you thought about it, you could be a little bit better at. Below are some resources that I find helpful when it comes to developing myself and making my mindset and vision better. I try and allow myself an hour a couple of times throughout the week where I sit down and go through a number of these resources and platforms and I make notes.
Read Inspiring Books: now I am going to split this resource into 2 sections, fiction and non-fiction books.
Fiction - this umbrella of books allows you to escape into a fantasy world and live within the story of the characters. If, one day, you want to become an author of fiction books and wanting to improve your writing skills then I would suggest reading as many books as you can on your favourite genre. If necessary, take notes whilst reading and jot down the authors descriptive writing, the words they used, how they described the setting, anything that stood out to you and that you liked. From this, you then have points and references to go back when you feel lost or uninspired. It also gives you a guide for how different authors write within one genre and what the similarities and differences are to formulate an engaging story.
Non-Fiction - I would recommend these types of books if you are wanting to develop your mindset. There's so many non-fiction books out there from: mental health, wanting to change, how to communicate, how to think creatively, the list could go on. I am a big fan of this umbrella of books and make sure I take the time to read throughout the week and make notes. I then formulate these notes into a document and have started to share these with you on my blog to share my learnings. You could do the same, to remember the information, perhaps create a little book club online and share your thoughts and feelings. Or you could create a book journal and whenever you need to refer back to a specific book topic for example: how to think creatively, you have a list of ideas and techniques to help guide you along that process.
Find Your Group - this is quite a broad one, however it doesn't have to be. Do a little bit of research, what are you wanting to develop? Your health, the way you're eating, your entrepreneurial skills, how to be your own boss, think about what you really want to focus and tune in on. Then, go away and research all the possible influencers and Instagram accounts you can think of that resinate with you and makes you feel inspired. Once found, study them, take notes on what they are producing content about, read books about them or their topic interest. If you really want to improve on a specific area of your life you will research, take notes and learn from whatever resources you possibly can get your hands on.
Listen to Podcasts - if you're not sure on where you would like to improve in your life then I would suggest listening to podcasts. Podcasts are such a great and engaging way of learning new information and feeling inspired. If you're unsure of your self development routine for now, then I would recommend listening to podcasts that have guests on so the podcast is a bit more interactive and you can listen to different view points on a topic. You don't have to just sit down and listen for an hour straight either, making notes. You can also incorporate podcasts into your everyday life and keep your phone handy on you so you can pause and write down important bits o information that resinate with you.
Recommendations On Where To Start:
Kalyn Nicholson:- she is a YouTuber who is such a inspiration, she has an inspiring and spiritual YouTube channel focusing on zodiac signs and law of attraction, a podcast which is a chilled and relaxed chat about different subjects, a fiction book release and a online shop called Koze which gives all the snuggly vibes.
Erin May Henry:- I found Erin on YouTube and have been obsessed with her channel for a while now. She is such a badass who issues content on how to be a girl boss. She runs online courses, a YouTube channel and also a podcast along with many more projects and I find her so utterly inspiring to watch and listen to
Lavendaire:- if you are wanting to create your own journal/workbook then I would recommend watching Lavendaire's channel on YouTube and watch her progress along the way. She also discusses life advice and self care.
Holly Casto:- Holly's channel on YouTube is all about how to start up your own business, touching on different methods as well as setting up your own stationary brand. As well as this, Holly touches on planning and reaching your goals and how to achieve them
Being Boss Podcast:- I have subscribed to Being Boss for well over a year now and they talk from all this being your own boss through to taking a break and self care and developing routines.
At Home With Anna and Lily Podcast:- I couldn't recommend this podcast enough, they have 2 series now where they talk to creators and inspirational people about their business journey and how they got there, what they're doing now whilst also talking about their home and interiors. It's a lovely mix and leaves you feeling so inspired at the end of one of their episodes.