Self-Development

Continually improving happiness and success are the rewards of a life-long self-development program.

Developing Your Potential for Success and Happiness

Index

Information

Tips

Self-Development Help on THIS WEBSITE

Other Self-Development Opportunities

Internet Links

INFORMATION 
People develop basic personality characteristics, values, beliefs, interests, and habits by their late teens and early twenties.  For most people these personal attributes seem to remain relatively fixed throughout their lives. However, other people are more actively changing and evolving throughout their lives, constantly learning and seeking new experiences, and constantly growing and seeking higher levels of living.  Do you know people who fit in both categories? How else are they different? 

At a 20-year reunion of high school classmates, you will find that some people have changed very little since high school, while other people and their lives seem dramatically different. Why is that?  What is the factor that causes some people to keep learning, improving, and growing while others stagnate?  One important part seems to be that some people make self-development a top value and conscious goal while others are more threatened by the idea of looking at themselves honestly and changing themselves in substantial ways.  They feel threatened by criticism and failures instead of seeing them as opportunities to learn about themselves and their shortcomings, and grow.  People who make self-development a top value enjoy new information about how they can improve themselves in both their personal lives and their careers.  They may see themselves as being on a spiritual journey to improvement, a quest to be the best they can be, or motivated to be as happy or successful as possible (knowing that they must learn all they can to reach their goals).

Evidence seems to support the idea that people who place a high value on self-development and engage in self-development through their lifetime are happier and more successful than those who don't.  They become more successful and happier because both happiness and success depend upon basic life competencies such as thinking, self-management, and interpersonal skills. Most people assume that their current levels of skills in these areas (which they may have achieve "naturally" in their youth) are adequate.  Their skill levels may be adequate for moderate amounts of happiness and success.  However, developing very high levels of these skills takes years of study, thinking, and practice.  It rarely just happens unconsciously. 

Often people begin their journey to self-development during a time when their lives are at a low point.  They are very depressed, addicted to drugs, are grieving over the end of a significant relationship, have experienced a major failure, feel extremely dissatisfied with themselves or their lives, or are questioning the meaning of life. These low points can be the spring-board for change if a person makes a life-altering commitment to improve.  Once people begin their quest, few can stop.  Their quest lasts the rest of their lives because it is so satisfying and rewarding by leading to higher and higher levels of living.  In addition, the process of learning is itself extremely fascinating and rewarding. Return to Index

TIPS

 
Which kind of person are you? If you like to learn about yourself and are regularly engaging in activities to learn, to improve yourself, and to change habits, that is a good sign.  If you find the information and other help on this website fascinating and relevant to understanding yourself better and improving your life, then you may be a person with a high goal for self-development.

Maybe you have not begun your quest for self-development yet.  Maybe you haven't had an experience that shook you up enough or was enlightening enough to get you started.  If not, you may wonder why that is important.  If you have had such an experience, you understand what it means and you have begun your quest.

What can you do if you have low motivation for self-development?  Start asking yourself how happy and successful you are compared to what you would ideally like to be.  Start looking for positive models of people who have achieved great success and happiness. Compare yourself to them.  Then start working on yourself to challenge yourself and close that gap.  You can probably be happier and more successful in a way that is unique to you than you can now know. Just begin to develop your dreams, take the first step, then the second, then ... Soon you will be hooked on the process. Return to Index

SELF-DEVELOPMENT HELP ON THIS WEBSITE

This entire website is about self-development. 

1. START WITH SHAQ.  Start with completing the  free Success and Happiness Attributes Questionnaire (SHAQ) assessment. It can give you valuable insights into your inner factors which affect your happiness, other emotions, and success the most.  Find you Happiness Quotient (HQ), your overall score on these happiness-related factors.

=> Go to: www.csulb.edu/~tstevens/success/index.htm to learn more about SHAQ and com

2. READ the free,  You Can Choose To Be Happy: "Rise Above" Anxiety, Anger, and Depression. & This book was designed to be used as a comprehensive self-development program that has many step-by-step instructions for developing special life skills for coping with emotions, relationships, self-management, and many life situations. 

=> Go to: www.csulb.edu/~tstevens/my-peek.htm to learn more about the book and to download or begin reading it.

3. THE SELF-HELP PAGE that lists all of the self-help and professional resources on this website can also be a good place to start or find more specific references.

=> Go to www.csulb.edu/~tstevens/Iselfhelp.htm/

OTHER EXPERIENCES TO HELP YOU DEVELOP YOURSELF/a>

Relevant Courses

All college courses are in a sense, self-development.  Many courses provide you with important knowledge and skills in an important life area related to your career.  Other courses may more consciously help you develop your basic values and beliefs, personality, interpersonal skills, and other general factors that will help you in many areas of life. Both kinds of courses are important.  After completing the SHAQ assessment, use the results to find courses that will help you develop life skills where you have a particular deficit or interest.

Personal Counseling/Therapy

Therapy/counseling can be a powerful tool for helping you deal with issues that may have been keeping you from reaching your potential.  Resolving these issues and learning more skills for dealing with emotions, people, and life can have effects for the rest of your life.  If a counselor is not helping you solve your problems and make progress toward being happier and more successful, then look for another one. 

Self-Help Groups/Organizations

Churches, 12-Step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, and many other groups and organizations exist to help people improve their lives.  Many are free. Find the ones that fit you best and commit to giving them a chance over an adequate amount of time.

Special Interest Activities

If you are short on interpersonal skills or experience almost any group involving well-functioning people can help you develop your experience, skills, and confidence.  These experiences can pay off later in work, dating, family, and friendship situations.  If you are a college student, getting involved in college organizations can really help develop your interpersonal and leadership skills.

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OTHER INTERNET LINKS 

Self-Help and other resources on this website (and site map)