Why is Personal Development So Much Work?
Personal development, self-improvement, personal growth – there are plenty of labels for trying to be the best you you can be. But why is it that it always seems like so much work? Is it because without the work it might not feel like you’ve committed to the act of getting better at being you? Or, is it because the self-help gurus want you to think it requires a lot so you’ll spend more time heeding their words? We have no idea. All we know is that spontaneity has sure helped us be better people and its a lot more fun that journals, dream boards and walking on hot coals.
We’re going to be straight up with you – we didn’t decide to be spontaneous because we wanted to work on our personal growth. In fact, we probably would have thought that spontaneity might lead to us in the opposite direction – after all, isn’t spontaneity a little bit selfish and self-involved? What we discovered through our spontaneous lifestyle is that self-improvement was very much a by-product. And, yes – it did teach us to be a bit selfish but in the way that it gives you permission to do something fun and for yourself (which many a self-help guru has touted as critical for self improvement). Where we saw the biggest personal growth was in our ability to stay present, let go of expectations and enjoy life and be happier.
Being spontaneous can only happen in the present. Even when you plan to be spontaneous (which we highly recommend), you still have to show up to that planned spontaneous time and be present in the moment. It is impossible to be spontaneous without being in the now. Impossible. We’ve also discovered that when we don’t know what will happen, we can’t really expect much from it. This release from expectations (including letting go of expectations of other people) means that you are accepting the truth about a situation, your companions and yourself. And finally, being spontaneous allows you to enjoy life and experience happiness – primarily as a result of being present and expecting nothing – you are truly able to tap into the joy of saying yes to life.
If you’re a fan of self-help, then you know that these three side effects of spontaneity are very much the holy grails of personal improvement. Some of the most popular self-helpers – like Oprah, Deepak Chopra and Eckart Tolle – all have ‘being in the now’ as a cornerstone of their philosophies.
These benefits of spontaneity are only just the beginning. In the You section of the website, we’ll also show how spontaneity can be used to improve productivity, identify your deepest dreams and desires, be more compassionate, function better in unexpected situations and be more conscientious of your actions. Yep, it’s all related to being more spontaneous and we’ll show you how.
