Did you know that personal development can also help you grow as a professional?

I have often found myself seeking to update my technical skills to stand out professionally, but this has led me to neglect personal development. Whenever I drive home on weekends, I become thoughtful and resolve many issues that were stuck in my processing queue.

It may seem like a cliché, but after careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that it is not as simple as it seems. So, let’s dive in:

Personal development is just as important as hard skills or specific knowledge to solve your daily work problems. I dare say it is the foundation, when consistency is lacking and fatigue comes too quickly.

Here are some of the points that I consider necessary for building this foundation for personal development. Some of them may not be an issue for you, but you can use this to work on the points that are really challenging for you.

Emotional Health

If you are frequently anxious and restless, and sometimes have difficulty recovering from complicated situations, it is worth having a sincere and simple conversation with yourself. Don’t be afraid to be wrong. Consider this a bug-fixing process, where you fix the inconsistencies to upload a better version of yourself.
Remember, breathing is often more important than having the right answer. If you have the chance, go for a walk near the office. This helps when you need a quick course correction.
Make time for meditation during the day, and erase the stereotype of the monk sitting and chanting for hours from your mind. Just 5 minutes a day of guided practice can help organize your thoughts.

Physical Health

There is no ideal scenario for a workout at the end of the day; it’s just an excuse your mind makes to keep you comfortably scrolling through your Instagram or TikTok feed. Practice something with the resources you have, and it doesn’t have to be a half-marathon.
Don’t make an initial investment without being clear that consistency and good social benefits are extracted from the practice.
Going to the doctor for an annual checkup is more than necessary, and if you are afraid of needles like me, know that the fear of doubt hurts more than the answer that you are healthy. Information is power.

Relationships

If you have relationships that make you insecure, use the process of developing your emotional health to detect if you have difficulty responding adequately or if the other person is creating this scenario to a greater extent. Be honest and not proud at this time. The greater openness at this moment makes it easier to make adjustments if you want to eliminate the problem at its source.
Can you tell if the person behind you just wants you to listen? People don’t always want solutions from others.
If you have a habit of being a reactive person, learn to better elaborate your approaches to achieve presence and truth when you wish to express your discomfort to someone you care about. Now, if you are more reserved, use the power of words to your advantage to express clarity and depth with the right words. Regardless of the scenario, it is important to be calm and not always respond immediately.

Money

Have you ever felt content knowing that you can donate to those in need? The supposed material emptiness is overridden by a sense of purpose and existence when you give and look out the window.
If thinking about money makes you anxious and worried, don’t buy anything unless a chamomile tea. Stop and evaluate if you are taking too big of steps. Or if you are looking for a job but the bills keep coming, strategy and direction are sometimes better than that expensive course that will become a bullet on your resume.

Spirituality

Bring your belief into your routine practically, instead of waiting for magic or miracles. Your life is already the materialization of all that.
Use your prayers and meditations to exercise a gratitude that does not yet exist. Projecting and visualizing your dreams in a lucid way can bring you cheer on gloomy days when it’s raining, and you need to go to the market to buy dinner.

I have brought these points based on my recent experiences and challenges that I have faced. I do not do them perfectly, and they are not absolute rules, but I have been pursuing them to be a happier and more complete person, and I hope they can help you in some way too.