Tuesday, December 1, 2009

How Can Young People Best Develop Personally?

By Peter Stephenson

Young people growing individually is the underpinning theme of Personal Department. Included are the development of yourself as a person, and how you acquire capability and knowledge. Additionally it is about how you develop in maturity, in the way you are educated, how you work, and how you develop socially.

True, outside influences from family, through schooling and subsequent education, and in one's social life, all have their significance in Personal Development. But underpinning this, is the effort we are prepared to make ourselves. A runner can receive the best training, but will not win the marathon unless they have pursued their training vigorously, and are inspired to be the winner.

Developing as a person and developing in terms of one's abilities form important components of Personal Development. Additionally though, it's about the growth of one's motivation to succeed. In so doing, ordinarily when young, we undergo Conventional Personal Development

Developing personally in a Conventional manner means quite normal early and later education. It also means experiencing pastimes and activities outside of academic education. I found in my study of 100 people who are world famous and successful, that 52% of them were Conventional in their Personal Development as youngsters.

Other young people develop personally in more of a Specialized manner. We may have been a great guitar player, or an outstanding athlete. Our family may have been prepared, and inspired us to grow our talent in a focused way, also meaning that we left formal academic education early.

On the other hand, we may have opted out early to become a tradesperson, apprentice, or to pursue vocational interests. Personal Development which is Specialized therefore cover a breadth of possibilities. In my study of world success stories, 24% were Specialized as young people.

In addition to the more Specialized or Conventional forms of Personal Development, there is one more significant development option. This is Personal Development through Broad Life Experience as youngsters. In so doing, they leave the more typical pathway of academic education.

With Broad Life Experience, young people pursue their own lives, wherever this takes them. This is how they learn and acquire capability, in other words by being involved on the ground in different walks of life. This also comes about by watching other people and life happenings all around them.

So this is very hands on and focuses on reality, rather than on life discovery from a book. May call this reality university, although others may regret they did not complete advanced academic study. Of the successful people I studied, 24% engaged in Personal Development as young people, through Broad Life Experience.

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