‘As life is like a riding bicycle, you need to keep balance to keep moving’. So it is true that “Bliss lies in Balance”.
KEY CONTENTS-
- THE BEGINNING
- WHY?, WHAT?, HOW?
- GROWING
- SKILLS
- MYTHS AND SUCCESS
- MASLOW’S HIERARCHY
- OTHERS
- ATTITUDE AND HABITS
- CONCLUSION WITH BALANCE
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
THE BEGINNING
What are students taught in school these days? ‘Visiting’ school every day, cramming everything one night before an exam and vomiting it out on the paper, the next morning. What is wrong with our education system? Students at school, especially teens, have a super sharp mind, which is being wasted on worthless procedures of learning or I should say mugging up things. They should be guided towards a basic understanding of personal and professional development. This will not only make them better, independent individuals, but also responsible leaders and smart citizens.
Just as we can hit the gym every morning and build ourselves physically, why don’t we do it for our mind too? Living in a completely sociable and distracted world, there is little space kept for improvement on personal levels. Everyone is too busy scrolling kilometres of Instagram reels and with hours of talking with friends, one tends to neglect his personal self completely. The so-called ‘ME TIME’ is also something everyone has to post a picture of, on their socials. You see? Where this generation is heading to? Doing injustice to not only their parents but most of all, to themselves. The worst thing one can do to himself is not live up to his potential. Which is sadly, what more than 90% of the population is doing.
Why?, What?, How?
Personal growth has benefits and that too, many. It brings intransient happiness as we learn to fight the adverse times and lows, which are inevitable in our lives. What lies in your hands is how you deal with the problem and knock it out with your confidence and determination which is fostered by none other than your past experiences and behavioural conduct.
Alright, enough about why and why not. Let us dive deeper into what actually is my take on PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. For me, it refers to both- improvement as a person as well as an individual professional. One needs to know how to stand alone but also to be collaborative with a team.
It is all a game of MINDSET. Your perceptions, thoughts, opinions, feelings, all things matter. These, often ignored things can become huge game changers for your future and present. Reiterating mindsets,
From To
| Pessimism | Optimism |
| I doubt | I believe |
| I don’t know | I am sure |
| Maybe I can’t | Yes! I know I can |
| Shyness | Self-confidence |
Trust me, it is all about the way you treat yourself. Others will follow suit. Conquering fears makes life so much easier than struggling and dodging through them.
GROWING
In this ever-evolving world, with people so talented and skilled, it becomes necessary to keep upgrading our portfolios and resumes to stay up to date. Learning is a constant process in life. Acquiring more and more worthwhile skills is definitely beneficial in the professional arena. As they say, “Education never goes in vain”
I have always believed that sometimes in life, even your knowledge might leave you but what will come to the rescue is your behaviour and personality. It is very true that above all materialistic gains, there lies a beautiful world. One day we all will leave this world behind. People after us would not remember much about our achievements and monetary gains, but the way we made them feel, and the way we treated them. Our benevolence and warmth are traits that touch people. So, personality must be the first developmental space you should tap into.
SKILLS
Further, the next super important thing is SKILLS – getting new experiences, learnings and skills under your forte will enhance your journey to the top. It’s like the cliché goes ‘THE MORE THE LESS’. Learning never ends as I already stated, the bird in hand is always better than two in the bush. So one must know to make the best out of what they have on their plate.
The types of skills–
HARD SKILLS SOFT SKILLS
HARD SKILLS ARE OBJECTIVE ORIENTED-THEY COMPLEMENT YOUR PERSONALITY TRAITS, WHILE SOFT ONES- BECOME YOUR PERSONALITY THEMSELVES. A BALANCE MUST BE MAINTAINED IN BOTH OF THESE TYPES.
MYTHS AND SUCCESS
There are several misconceptions related to success and growth. Starting with money- it is not the ultimate success, though it may be a part of it for many but in itself, it isn’t. This is a testament to the fact that success is never relative but personal. Just like the saying goes, “What is meat for a man may be poison for another”. It simply means that what may be an accomplishment for one person may not be for another. The definitions of success vary from person to person. These differences define the journey, personality and largely, the life of individuals and people around them.
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Abraham Maslow divided all human needs into 5 categories, then he arranged these needs into a pyramid. The most essential needs start at the bottom of the pyramid. When one level of needs is satisfied, Only then our focus naturally shifts to the next level.
First- We need food, shelter and physical survival.
Second- We need to feel safe and free of danger.
Third- We need friendships and intimacy.
Fourth- We need esteem and respect in our community.
Finally- We need self-actualization, which means realizing our full potential
For example, take care of your basic physical needs like food, shelter and rest first. If you’re not taking a nutritious diet, then fix that first. Then your next priority is safety. This includes feeling emotionally safe and being financially secure and of course, physically too.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey
Quick Summary: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People shows how to become more effective and independent. Steven Covey breaks it down into several principles including acting proactively, beginning with your end goal in mind, doing actions in order of importance, listening to understand and more.
Top Quote: “It’s not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us.” —Steven Covey
Source- https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/daniel-golemans-emotional-intelligence-theory-explained/
OTHERS?
For decades, researchers have studied the reasons why a high IQ does not necessarily guarantee success in the classroom or the boardroom. By the 1980s, psychologists and biologists, among others, were focusing on the important role other skill sets — needed to process emotional information — played in promoting worldly success, leadership, personal fulfilment and happy relationships. Love and compassion play key roles in one’s life. Being determined and focused nowhere compels one to be indifferent and isolated from social circles. Valuing one’s relationships, family and friendships is crucial for the overall well-being of an individual. Love and emotional connections are what make humans- Well humans. They can prove to be great stress busters rather than a distraction for your career and work life. Maintaining an equilibrium between you and your loved ones will go a long way.
ATTITUDE AND HABITS-
Next, let us see what is a great hindrance and a potent catalyst for the betterment of your life. It is -ATTITUDE. No, it’s not about rolling your eyes on someone and ignoring things. Because that thing you see, is EGO. These two terms are generally confused but their sense differs well enough. Having a positive attitude towards life, other people and most importantly yourself which is something that people neglect the most can turn your world upside down. Some people tend to prioritise everyone and everything but themselves, and this can be fatal too. You can never please everyone so stop trying to do that either as it may directly affect your life. The recipe for a good life nowhere lacks problems. Just that the Attitude brings in a new flavour and the choice of that flavour is all yours!
Your future success indeed lies in your daily routine. Habits are building pillars of one’s disposition. Whatever you practise and repeat, becomes a natural habit. So why not foster good ones? In his book, ATOMIC HABITS, James Clear highlights many effective techniques to find ways to flourish in one’s chosen path. For example- He explained the habit stacking method of associating one habit with some other pre-established habits. He also talks about making small, incremental improvements in your habits. The one per cent rule suggests that you should aim to get just one per cent better each day, rather than trying to make massive changes all at once. These results all add up in the long run and give great results. This book explores how small changes can lead to remarkable transformations over time. Changing a few habits like replacing a TV show with some book reading and many such things will aid you in boosting your personality and knowledge.
The quick checklist- the takeaway-
- Start early
- Plan and prioritise things
- Follow a routine
- Do not multitask
- Be productive
- Healthy diet and exercise
- Meals on time
- Follow up on the checklist
- Be realistic in goals
- Achieve goals than building dreams
- 1% thought, 99% action
- Sleep is important
- Reducing screen time with five minutes every day
- Take breaks too.
Practice and experience never go to waste. Try finding the work you are passionate about or in cases, try instilling your interest in the obligations you have. For students, studying is a must, so rather than struggling with hatred for it, try making it a fun activity. Follow the practice and reward techniques which help in maintaining consistency. The reward can be anything, from having a dessert, watching TV for some time, or maybe playing or talking to friends, etc. Another myth that creeps in is about ‘practice makes a man perfect’. This is an illusion. Nothing can be just perfect, it should be ‘practice brings one closer to perfection’ as this is more realistic and doable. Striving for perfection is good, but obsessing over it isn’t.
– TANYA MARWAHA
BLISS LIES IN BALANCE
Management. Is a term with immense value. We all are managers, CEOs, MDs of our own lives. We decide how we run it. Managing time is said to be important, but rather I believe that managing oneself would be a better outlook. We all know that excess of everything is bad, so managing your work life with your personal life becomes extremely necessary. Being a complete workaholic or a fully carefree person, both can be bad equally. People tend to neglect social circles, their health and family for the sake of work and growth. This can be the biggest blunder they make. It might seem to help but it just drifts their life downhill. On the other hand, ignoring professional work and just enjoying life, isn’t great and deals with another set of problems.
There are key ingredients and key components in the recipe for an ideal life. Ideal doesn’t mean problem-free at all. First off, take an open mind with a zest of zeal to learn, some will to work hard, a lot of determination and just sprinkle a bit of love, self-belief and confidence, and voila! You are good to go. Lastly, I would say, just believe in maintaining a balance. ‘As life is like riding a bicycle, you need to keep balance to keep moving’. So it is true that “Bliss lies in Balance”.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] Wydra, D. (2020). Personal Growth for Beginners: 18 Ways to Better yourself. Growth.me. https://growth.me/personal-growth/
[2] Hcsuper. (2022). Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Theory: Explanation and Examples | Resilient Educator. Resilient Educator. https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/daniel-golemans-emotional-intelligence-theory-explained/
[3] Tim Notke Quote: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” (n.d.). https://quotefancy.com/quote/756895/Tim-Notke-Hard-work-beats-talent-when-talent-doesn-t-work-hard
[4] The Growth Mindset – What is Growth Mindset – Mindset Works. (n.d.). https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/
