Many people prefer reading personal development articles over books for many reasons. It is a quicker read, often provides executive summaries and pitches the bottom line. Originally magazines were primarily bought from shops, but since the inception of the internet, one finds a staggering array of free articles available online.

Taking the initiative to purposefully read “self-help” or “how to” articles are a beneficial tool for personal development. Yes, it does require a time investment and yes anything of value comes with diligent effort.

Without unpacking the history, disciplines and academic frameworks of the modern self-improvement culture, let us try to formulate it. It is the daily (or weekly) discipline of reading material to grow as an individual.

The operative phrase here is “taking the initiative”.

We all carry hidden powers waiting to be found, flaws begging for a fix, and routines screaming for a shake-up. It is never easy and takes determination.

Dale Carnegie’s 1936 book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” sparked a revolution in self-improvement, bringing it into the mainstream. One of the most persuasive books of all time, it sold over 30 million copies. The latest edition is named “How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age”.

Popular series like “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to” and “Dummies” books share knowledge about every imaginable topic ranging from stress management to mixed martial arts. Everyone is familiar with “How to” concepts and there is no shortage of information on pretty much any subject.

How the Reading of Personal Development Articles Will Benefit You

1.   Heightens self-awareness
   2.   Magnifies empathy for people
   3.   Kindles hopes and dreams
   4.   Advances critical thinking
   5.   Stimulates creativity
   6.   Establishes professional credibility 

Avid reading of personal development articles will help you to understand yourself better.

All of us are different. Growing self-awareness means a better understanding of your unique personality, emotional makeup and beliefs. It is about who I am and how I connect with those around me.

Terms like “emotional intelligence” have entered the popular lexicon in this space. Here is something to understand about yourself right off the bat: “Self-help” does not imply that you do not need other people.

It can be said that by getting to know yourself better, you will realise how much you need other people. Realistically there is not something like a “self-made man”. Self-improvement does not happen in a void and neither does success.

We need other people for feedback and advice.

Without relationships, very little progress will take place (neither personally nor professionally). If you believe that you can go to the top on your own, maybe you should read another 1000 self-improvement articles to get rid of this erroneous notion.

Or bring out a big gun and read the book “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell to assist in self-reflection.

His compelling book is about the success of business magnates, professional athletes, geniuses and even rock stars. He explains: “… success is not exceptional or mysterious. It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some plain lucky – but all critical to making them who they are.” ^[1]

Rational thinking is often pitched against emotional thinking as if one is more valid than the other.

There is a growing understanding, especially in the workplace.  Not only are feelings and expressions valid but both drive success. An integrated approach between the two is meaningful.

There is a growing voice for the expression of authentic feelings in the world of business, as long as it is constructive of course. A healthy combination of emotional and rational approaches is vital for the growth of any individual. It can and should operate side-by-side.

“Emotional intelligence” is in the spotlight nowadays and not a moment too soon. Emotional awareness will make your career more effective, according to many studies.

Reading is valuable beyond measure. Discover your true behaviours and amplify your strengths. It can reveal hidden blind spots.

Be open to change and stay approachable. Make it easy for people to level with you and give feedback.

Empathy is in short supply in the workplace. It means, in essence, to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

The more you read, the more you will understand people and recognise the need to be sensitive towards them.

There is a good reason why this article led with self-awareness. A simple and powerful dynamic is at play. If you do not have a handle on yourself, then there is little hope to have insight into or empathy for others.

When you have no understanding of your thinking, feelings and behaviour, then the same will be true of your insight into other people.

Empathy means tuning in to what another person is experiencing. It is being in touch with another person’s emotions, thinking, and the situation from their point of view rather than how you see it, to paraphrase Psychology Today ^[2].

The human dynamic in business is often ignored in the drive towards results.

Achievements at all costs often get priority above the human factor.

The neglect of empathy is sometimes found in the most unlikely of places, like the domain of “positive thinking“.

A person experiencing challenging times would attempt to articulate their feelings. Rather than finding a sympathetic ear, they get bombarded with all kinds of “positive” solutions. The more they yearn for some form of empathy, the more they get infused with calls to see the bright side.

It leaves them feeling more dejected and frustrated. All that they hear is “positive mantras” and hollow over-simplifications.

A centuries-old proverb compares a person who sings light-hearted songs to someone anxious, as taking their jacket away on a cold day (or pouring vinegar onto a wound).

The lack of empathy was already recognised in antiquity.

In a pressurised milieu with high expectations, a little empathy goes a long way. Be compassionate towards the suffering and pain of people and they will respect you. It is a great relationship builder.

No one puts it more succinctly than Stephen Covey’s “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.

Reading personal development articles stimulate the mind, activate the heart, and gets you out of the rut. Almost everyone dreams big and aims for a brighter tomorrow. Some verbalise it, others do not. Reading can prompt, guide and crystalise your dream in life, whether professional or personal.

Exchanging thoughts on life and career dreams, John C. Maxwell writes “Dreams are valuable commodities. They propel us forward. They give us energy. They make us enthusiastic.” ^[3]

A dream might strike you like lightning and you will know what you want in an instant. In most cases, we will have to unwrap our heart’s desires little by little over time. Explore options.

What makes you get out of bed in the morning excitedly even if you are dead-tired?

Maybe your career is at a crossroads. Remember that dreams shape careers. What would your ideal future look like?

What dream will make your heart beat faster? How does fear of the unknown impact you? Does your current experience match with where you want to go?

Personal development articles can show you where to start and how to define goals to get there.

The tipping point between intelligent dreaming and actual breakthroughs might be far apart, but diligent action will make it happen. One’s dreams paint a vivid picture of how things can be, but it is the implementation that plugs the gap to make it happen.

Reading ignites long-term vision and motivates in the short term. Realising how small your knowledge is in the grand scheme keeps you grounded.

It is never too late to dream but get out of the pyjamas as soon as possible. Ray Kroc launched his first McDonald’s at 52 and changed the fast-food game forever. Establish future-oriented and measurable goals. Do not ban yourself to outer space if you make mistakes along the way. Each failure creates a stepping stone for success in future.

Keep your dream alive.

Critical thinking is not limited to academic research or corporate boardrooms.

Regular readers of personal development articles frame their critical thinking over time. They start to grasp complexity faster. Reading stimulates the intellect, boosts brainpower and improves memory.

Some assume that critical thinking is about people who are negative and have a pessimistic mindset. This indicates a rather ignorant misunderstanding.

A tutorial on critical thinking puts forward the correct interpretation: It “can help us acquire knowledge, improve our theories, and strengthen arguments. We can use critical thinking to enhance work processes and improve social institutions.” ^[4]  

Here is a simple example of how this type of thinking can be encouraged as it relates to planning an event with motivational speakers and the steps to be taken. Meerkat Motivational Speaker #MeerkatMotivationalSpeaker

Socrates made critical thinking a big deal. He was famous for dialogue and posing questions to people. In doing so, he exposed illogical reasoning and ignorance.

Today it is still used in different formats and is known as “Socratic Questioning“.

Critical thinking features a host of angles and advantages. Here are some:

• Approaches situations in a thoughtful and flexible manner.
• Uses logical reasoning and objective analysis of facts.
• Weigh up other alternatives without bias.
• Never ignore the big picture.
• Avoids speculation and independently assesses facts.
• Reduces the risk of implementing the wrong assumptions.
• Analyses both the theory and generally accepted practice.
• Puts interpretation of information to the test.
• Advances open-minded rationality and a reasoned approach.
• Led by evidence and objective analysis.
• Challenges traditional beliefs.
• Self-corrective in nature.
• Double-check assumptions.
• Reaches a well-considered understanding with coherent conclusions.

Never underestimate the eye-opening potential of personal development articles to spark creativity. It is a process.

Imaginativeness ebbs and flows. To heighten creativity and innovation, take time periodically to sharpen the senses (according to Daniel Burrus) ^[5].

People can be sensitised towards originality. Put yourself in inspirational environments.

Creativity and optimism positively stimulate each other. Take a deep dive into content conducive to creativity and there are unlimited reservoirs available.

Like the old cliché, creativity can be likened to a muscle, the more you practice, the stronger it gets.

Each article unlocks another angle of the creativity challenge. Sometimes it is an exact fit, other times it takes a little longer. It might even be a piece of the wrong puzzle. A beautiful picture comes together through trial and error. Keep reading.

A quote attributed to Pablo Picasso has an interesting take: “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

The problem is that creativity is seen as an artist or super-talented thing. Based on this wrong premise, imagination won’t even get off the launching pad. Anyone can learn creativity and practice over time, a new world of possibilities will open up.

You will start seeing opportunities that colleagues can not see.

This will be the time to connect the dots and jump out of the vacuum. You will bring fresh perspectives to the table.

Creativity is about creating something new or combining and redesigning something. Break new ground.

Do not make creativity a New Year’s resolution, get started right away.

Unsurprisingly, credibility is established in part through sharing knowledge.

Reading personal development articles expands your influence. Formal education, degrees and diplomas undoubtedly foster professional credibility. But it does not have to start or end there. There is something that is even more important throughout a lifetime or career. People who display a thirst for learning, are known as avid readers and continuously build a strong brand. It is a brand called “Me”. Individuals with good general knowledge make an impact.

Learning translates into capability. If followed through with consistent implementation and integrity, it conclusively leads to professional credibility. Add strength of character to the formula and people will trust you. The Meerkat Motivator #MeerkatMotivator

This has become so important that platforms are developed to measure credibility and trustworthiness. Rob Peters makes it clear that the advent of standards for professional credibility is a “force that will continue to grow … Employers need something more than a resume and a few short interactions to assess a candidate.” ^[6]

Make sure to embrace growth opportunities and before long you will enjoy more credibility.

Technology is often blamed for a decline in reading, but that is not true. Or at least it should not be true. Technology is not the undermining enemy as some would claim. It opens up endless learning possibilities.

Devices such as a Kindle or a mobile phone are libraries in their own right these days.

They are smaller in size than a book or the spread of a magazine article. But they are virtual libraries and can store more personal development reading resources than what you and I can consume in a lifetime.

It is wild to think a tiny gadget today outpowers the computers that sent humans to the moon.

In the “old days” we read personal development articles by scouring hundreds of magazines. We also had to use an underlining pencil and separate each article we wanted to read from the rest by putting a paper clip on it.

Fast forward to the present, where technology has made this process much easier!

Twenty years ago, if you wanted to read an article, you had to buy a magazine or newspaper and either carry it around with you or read it at the library. Today, you carry 5,000 of your favourite titles in digital form around on a device that weighs less than a physical book.

You have heard of the classic self-improvement books. Although they have proven results, reading them might be cumbersome because they take up a lot of space. Thanks to technological innovations, you can read these classics faster and in more convenient ways today than you could have dreamed a few years ago. Estienne de Beer #EstienneDeBeer

Whether you are catching up on your reading at the beach or commuting via public transportation, you never have to go far to find the inspiration you need to move forward in your life.

You can read at any time on your tablet or smartphone.

This has made access to personal development articles more convenient and simpler to read.

If you touch a button on your smartphone, you can read. It is no surprise that many people choose mobile devices to stream their music and download personal development audiobooks/articles to their devices.

There are hundreds of thousands of articles and blogs on self-improvement available.

Amazon has made a big splash with their Kindle and Kindle Fire.

E-readers have made reading easier for people without carrying a brick-sized book.

Technology makes it possible to carry around thousands of books and read anytime, anywhere – from waiting for the bus or when stuck in traffic.

Reading personal development articles online is fast, easy, and convenient.

Whether you are checking your smartphone in line at the grocery store or waiting for an appointment, many of us are reaching for our mobile devices to check emails, browse social media and yes, read personal development articles. 

References:

1. Outliers – The Story of Success [Book] / auth. Gladwell Malcolm. – London : Penguin Books Ltd, 2008.
2. All About Empathy / auth. Psychology Today. – [s.l.] : Psychologytoday.com, Accessed on 6 November 2018.
3. What Is Your Dream? / auth. Maxwell John C. – [s.l.] : Success.com, Accessed on 6 November 2018.
4. [C01] What is critical thinking / auth. Critical thinking web. – [s.l.] : Philosophy.hku.hk, Accessed on 6 November 2018.
5. Creativity and Innovation: Your Keys to a Successful Organization / auth. Burrus Daniel. – [s.l.] : Huffingtonpost.com, Accessed on 6 November 2018.
6. The Emergence of Professional Credibility Standards / auth. Peters Rob. – [s.l.] : Medium.com, Accessed on 6 November 2018.