So You Wanna Be Happy? How to Get the Most out of Your Personal Development ‘Work’ Part 1

On one hand, being happy is really easy. It all comes down to deciding we will be, right here and now. But, on the other hand, it can seem like quite the challenge.

We hold all sorts of negative beliefs that make us feel badly, and keep us from living to our full potential. We have experienced all sorts of things that caused us pain, or to develop a really distorted self-image. We have fallen into a life that we may have never really wanted, and not only do we not like it, we feel trapped in it, which makes us feel even worse. We have been living a certain way, and have been a certain way for so long, it is really difficult to envision a drastically different reality.

But, there is a part of us that knows things can be better(and they CAN be), and we decide to embark on a journey of change. Committing to personal development is one of the best things we can do in my opinion. Time is going to pass anyway, why not spend it becoming happier, and creating the life we want?

But as anyone who does this work knows, it can be challenging at times. Things may not be happening as fast as we would like. We put way too much pressure on ourselves. Here are some tips to get the most out of this work. 

It’s About Quality Not Quantity

A lot of different topics fall under the umbrella of personal development. There are so many different philosophies, tools, techniques, exercises, forms of energy work and what have you. So many gurus and well-known names in the field. The amount of information available for you to stuff into that brain of yours is vast, and once you step into this world, you will find yourself wanting to take in as much as you can. That is awesome.

Naturally, you will want to learn about lots of different things. We’ve got chakras, law of attraction, energy healing, developing your intuition, raising self-esteem and so much more! You will find certain authors or bloggers resonate with you more than others, and you like to explore the different people and their work. You might find one philosophy or technique is not really clicking, and you set off to investigate some new ones.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing any of this at all, but you want to be careful of becoming so consumed with consuming information, but then never actually applying any of it. Knowledge is certainly power, and exploring different avenues can certainly make for a richer journey. What we are doing in and of itself is never really the issue, but rather, what specifically is driving our behavior.

And for many people, the driver is often searching for some ‘magic bullet’ that will bring everything together perfectly. Here’s the thing..many people have had that experience where one form of energy work, a particular book or whatever, has really made a profound impact.

I am experiencing that now with a form of energy work that I was randomly drawn to, and had never heard of prior—if you are interested in learning more about that, you can check it out here.

More often than not, this discovery was a result of a chance encounter, strong intuitive pull to pick up a certain book or take another sort of action, or feeling a really strong resonance with something. Know you can be led to exactly what you need in an easier fashion that doesn’t involve an anxiety-fueled search for it.

When it comes to getting the most out of your personal development work, it is about quality, not quantity. You could take the simplest concepts, and get amazing results simply by being consistent with applying what you learn on a regular basis. Everything you need to change is already within you, and technically you don’t need anything, but most of us need some sort of guide, which is why we usually need to turn to the books, coaches or whatever.

Again, nothing wrong with wanting to explore all the different subjects, try different tools, etc…but make sure to check yourself and see what is going on inside. Are you feeling good about doing this, or are you feeling kind of crappy and anxious because nothing seems to be working for you, and you keep trying to find your magic bullet?

The Goal is to Be Happy, So Whatever Accomplishes that is Worthwhile

No matter what we want in life, we are hoping to capture that much sought-after feeling of happiness. We are always after feelings, and the specific things we want are because we think acquiring them will produce said feelings.

So, if the goal of your work is to be happy, which I imagine it is, then anything that accomplishes that is a worthy use of your time, no matter how ‘frivolous’ it may seem.

This is a particularly important point for all my readers who are consciously working with the law of attraction. That is something we all struggle with, no? We do our darnedest to do things that make us feel good, but then there is that little voice inside that is telling us we should be working, we are being lazy, and similar accusations that just totally kill the mood.

On one hand, personal development work can be some serious business. There can be a lot of discomfort with admitting how unhappy we may be, or what we don’t like about our life. Taking responsibility and seeing how we have had a hand in creating our current reality can be a bitter pill to swallow. Working through feelings we have been burying for a long time can be unpleasant to say the least.

But, while there may be some pain at times that comes with releasing all the yuck, it doesn’t have to be some super-serious thing each moment. What is the fun in that? Personal development work is not just about slaying our inner demons, learning about different philosophies, attending workshops, doing exercises and other forms of action.

It can also be light, silly and super-easy. One of the best ways to start feeling better is simply doing things that make you feel happy. Don’t forget for a second that this is also personal development work, some of the most important in my opinion.

So, what makes you happy? What makes you feel good? Are you making time for these things? If not, get on that because it is an important piece of the puzzle.

Let Intuition and Resonance Be Your Guides

Like I mentioned earlier, we have a tendency to overload ourselves with ‘stuff’ when it comes to doing this work. We so want to change, and are desperate to find something that will work for us. When we first start out especially, we see how much information is out there, and it can feel a bit overwhelming. We think that to get the most out of this work, we have to learn about as many topics as possible so we can get every angle ,and know every option available to us, lest we may miss some necessary piece of the happiness puzzle.

So, someone mentions a book that really helped her, and you decide you must buy it immediately. You read about a program, see all the glowing testimonials and decide you must try this immediately. Your friend is having really great results with some form of energy work, and you decide you must book an appointment immediately.

You may have an idea of what it means to be a spiritual person, and you conclude you must do certain things to be considered a member of the club.

This tip might be the most important—listen to your intuition, and pay attention to whether you feel a sense of resonance, when it comes to choosing where you will direct your attention and efforts. Doing this will accelerate your growth because you are focusing your time and energy on things that are really going to work for you—you were drawn to them because there is something there that is beneficial for you specifically.

When you just purchase the books and programs, take the classes, work with the coaches, and the like that feel right when you come across them, or were led to by following your intuition, the ‘work’ is so much easier because this is exactly what you are supposed to be doing right in this moment. You are getting exactly what you need for this point in your journey.

Don’t do things that really don’t click with you, no matter how many glowing reviews the program has received, or how great the results your friend is getting with that form of energy work. If you don’t find it appealing, it isn’t the right thing for you. Trust me on this.

If you don’t like chanting, don’t chant.

If you don’t like doing yoga, it is not a necessary requirement for being a spiritual or healthy person.

If staring out the window at nature is more beneficial for you than meditating, stare away.

If the only thing you are getting out of eating a raw diet is intestinal distress in various forms, go cook something, it’s okay.

If you find certain aspects of a religion, spiritual philosophy,or teachings of a guru appeal to you, but others don’t, take what works and chuck the rest. It is not necessary to fully commit to any one thing.

And here’s another incentive….not only will relying on intuition and resonance make this work much more successful and enjoyable, you’ll save a hell of a lot of money!

In Closing..

So, there is part one of my tidbits for getting the most out of your personal development work. Hope you enjoyed it. Having been on my journey for a good chunk of time now, I know the highs and lows that can come with this work.

Sometimes I think to myself, it would just be easier to be one of those people who couldn’t give a crap about this type of stuff, but that is not who I am. I know this is a major theme for me this time around, and I have created lots of great things as a result. Remember, this work is not all serious and heavy…it should be something that is enjoyable, so let that be a major consideration in deciding how you will do said work. Stay tuned for part 2 on Wednesday.

Your Turn…

Did you like the post? Did any tip or specific part resonate with you in particular? Did you see any of yourself in what I wrote here? Are you doing anything in your own personal development work that you think might be ‘getting in the way?’ What tips would you give to get the most out of this work? Looking forward to hearing from you!

And, I’d also like to remind everyone of my holiday special on my coaching services –25 percent off through January 15th. If working with me resonates with you…well, you know what I would have to say about that. Winky face…