Why is it important to look into personal development at a time like this?
Your focus should be ensuring that you and your family are safe and healthy in the middle of this crisis. It is also an important task to make sure that your finances are in order. These are tough days and the economy is also going through a challenging time. This has forced numerous businesses to close shop leaving employees out of a job.
The virus has also led to states asking people to stay at home as shared by NBC News. This is to slow down the infection of COVID-19 from one person to another. One reason for this to prevent overwhelming the hospitals with an influx of patients. This gives them more time to attend to patients and give them the medical care they need.
Now that you find yourself spending more time at home, personal development can be something to consider. It will help you pass the time productively. Sitting on the couch all day eating leftovers is not a good way to spend your day. It is better to identify areas of your life you can improve on. This will help you come out on top and ready after this crisis is over.
Change is constant and wouldn’t it be better to transform yourself for the better? This will give you a certain sense of direction in the middle of this crisis. This can also create a healthy habit you can rely on in the future. Remember that there will always be room for improvement. If you want to pursue making personal improvements, here are a few things you can look into.
Improve your current skill set
Personal development can start with your current skill set. This is a good place to start and gives you the upper hand when going back to work. The easiest way to start is to go back to basics. A refresher course on the fundamentals can help you appreciate new concepts and theories on your chosen field. This makes it easier to digest new information.
If you are in the creative industry, it would be nice to review the design basics at this time. You then move on to current trends and what clients are looking for. Once you get to that point, look for online classes or people you look up to in the industry. Look at what they are doing and update your current skill set. This can help you get some clients even while sheltering in place. The Vault even explains that you can focus on areas you can control and this is one of them.
There will always be room for improvement regardless of what industry you are in. Rather than sulk in one corner because of the hand you are dealt with, use it to improve your craft. This can open up earning opportunities for you while at home. It can also help increase the chances of getting back to work once this health crisis is over.
Learn a new skill
When talking about personal development, you should not only focus on your current skill set. It is a good idea to improve on what you already know. But no one ever said you should stop there. One of the things you can do while staying at home is to learn a new skill. This can help you either pass the time or explore new ways to earn money at home.
Say you love creating delicious cakes and you have people regularly reaching out and buying one for special occasions. But because everyone is staying at home, a lot of celebrations are put on hold. This could have dipped your income from cakes. What if you learned to make delicious and healthy cookies? This could be a better alternative to cakes nowadays. They are easier to store, transport, and deliver. The best thing is that you do not need a special occasion for cookies.
You do not have to stray too far from what you already know. You can learn additional skills to help you earn money from home. It is also possible to learn a completely different skill while staying at home. With the number of free courses and tutorials available to you at home, there are plenty of options. You just have to commit to it to see results.
Make use of online resources
Personal development requires you to take in and learn new things. The source is just as important as your desire to learn. Remember that even with the best effort, the wrong tools will not produce anything of quality. Learning means you need to identify what tools you will need to sharpen your skills or add new ones.
The first thing that would cross your mind is the fact that it will be expensive. You would need to enroll in classes, buy expensive materials, and join paid courses. If you have the finances, you can take that route. There are times when you put in money, it gives you that extra push to finish what you started. This is because you have an investment in it.
But you need to know that there are online resources you can check to help you get started with minimal cost. If you look hard enough, you might even find some free materials you can use. There are courses given out at no cost. There are e-books for free. You can even look at and learn from video tutorials without paying a dime.
Read books
One of the things you have a lot of at present is time. When you are asked to stay at home, you suddenly find yourself with more hours in a day. Take this time and make the most out of it. One of the best resources for personal development is reading quality books. There are a lot of types of books to choose from. Each has its own pros and cons.
You might think that looking at and starting with fiction books is a waste of time. But reading through them helps you nurture your imagination. There are also self-development books that can help you understand and even unleash your hidden potential. Reading also helps you lower down stress, helps you improve your focus and concentration, and even improves your memory.
This is also a great way to travel to different places and meet different people without leaving home. You can read up about other places so you can have a destination list after this health crisis. It is also a good idea to read about the life of other prominent people. Their journey can teach you a thing or two on how you can handle complex challenges in your life.
Nurture your social and professional circle
Personal development can also include keeping in touch with your personal and professional network. At a time when job openings are scarce, keeping connected can help you identify opportunities. There are some companies that are still hiring but not posting the vacancy. You might find a nice side gig from your professional contacts.
The same goes for your social network. Remember that you might also be in a position to help family and friends in this difficult time. It also helps to stay in touch with your friends to keep you updated as well.
Personal development is one of the areas in your life you can focus on while you are staying at home due to the health crisis. This can help you make the most of your time while at home. Doing so increases your chance of coming out on top after this pandemic is over.
