BAJAN SUN MAGAZINE
NOV 2014
S.O.S. Personal Development
Our Economic Salvation!
By S.Lynch
W
hy
personal
Development?
Personal development is a
beautiful process through
which
an
individual
enhances their skills and
qualities guided by their life
desires and goals. Personal development causes
individuals to reach a higher level of awareness
and understanding, not just of themselves, but of
their environment and of the effects of their
everyday interactions.
An individual who has pursued this selfenhancement will have more opportunities for
success available to them as well as a complete
skill set to capitalize on these opportunities. Thus,
a person who has undergone the personal
development process maximizes their potential.
of their life, such as academic achievements or
career success and neglect other important areas
such as health or physical appearance. An
individual having undergone the personal
development process changes their focus to be
successful in every area of their life.
Personal development as a process has a great
impact on the socioeconomic status of an
individual and this impact can be best understood
by considering the concept of social capital. Social
capital refers to the existence of social and
community networks; civic engagement; local
identity; a sense of belonging and solidarity with
other community members; norms of trust, and of
reciprocal help and support. (Putnam 1993).
Personal development as a process can be broken
down into 9 basic steps; understanding oneself,
accepting oneself, identifying life purpose through
goal creation, stress and change management,
financial management,
time management ,
relationship management, health management and
most importantly bringing a healthy balance to
one’s lifestyle. This last step, lifestyle balance is
the most critical aspect of personal development.
Much too often persons over- focus on select areas
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