Personality Development Tips

Personality consists of our thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitudes and behaviours. Our personality may be reflected in the goals we set ourselves. It is who we are. What follows are tips and suggestions to help you embrace and accept your personality and hopefully make you feel happier in the process. I also consider the idea of changing your personality and end by a consideration of how well you know and accept yourself.

• You could begin by taking a personality test. There are many available on the internet, or you can buy a book. Else you can take the time to reflect on who you are.
• Try to do what feels right for you, not what you feel you are expected to do.
• Do the things that deep down make you happy and you feel comfortable with.
• Be yourself.
• Try to find a job that suits your personality. Not doing so can make you feel very uncomfortable and unhappy.
• Accept other people. Do not assume that your personality is the right one and anything else is incorrect.

Happiness for introverts

• Make regular time for yourself.
• Take time to unwind if you have been surrounded by large groups of people.
• Keep a journal.
• Stand by your beliefs. To do otherwise will make you unhappy.
• Have hobbies that give you alone time.
• Trust your intuition, it may help you make decisions.
• Forget societal pressure to be more extroverted. Remember, extroversion is not who you are, so enjoy being you.
• Allow extroverts to do their bit and feel comfortable doing what you do best.

Happiness for extroverts

• Join a group or class.
• Learn something new at every opportunity.
• Set goals for yourself and relish the feeling of achievement.
• Phone your friends and family.
• Arrange regular activities with other people.
• Do a job that allows you to work in a group and allows regular contact with others.
• Remember that introverts are happy as they are, so try to appreciate them.

Changing your personalityYour ability to change your personality is one for debate. If you believe that genetics plays a large role in your personality development or that personality is developed during childhood and is now fixed, then the potential for change will be limited. However, what is important is that you embrace all elements of your personality. After all, you can at least change your attitude towards your personality. Think of how your different traits are strengths to you and then use them in positive ways.

If however, you believe that your personality can go on changing throughout life, then think about the changes that you would like to make. However, you should change what you want to change, rather than feeling compelled to change. Change can also be about stepping out of your comfort zone. As such, you may do things that you believe you simply cannot do. Having completed them however, such actions will be assimilated into who you are and as a consequence, your personality has undergone a subtle shift.

How well do you know yourself?

Which is correct? How you perceive yourself, or how others perceive you? Watch an episode of Big Brother and you are likely to see a person shocked at how other people in the house perceive them. There is a difference between how they regard themselves and how they are perceived.
Think about your own life. Have you ever been told something about yourself that surprised you? Did you reject it or reflect on it? Sometimes we may underestimate who we are, or reject qualities we do not want a part of. If the disparity seems quite frequent, maybe it is time to reflect on who you are and acknowledge all aspects of yourself.