There are many, many self help techniques available. Which ones to follow and how to successfully follow them are two questions that most people find themselves asking. It is important to understand that the beliefs you have are critically important when it comes to personal development. The type of beliefs you hold affect the thoughts you have, the way you live, how you view other people and how other people view you. Beliefs affect every aspect of your life and if you want to develop to your fullest potential, you must recognize and change the beliefs you hold which are harmful to your life. Accept that change will take a long time. Instead of trying to overcome a huge goal like losing 50 pounds, you should break it up into smaller, more short term goals. This will help you to feel as though you are accomplishing something week by week and keep you more motivated to finish your bigger goal. Summon the willpower to take some time off and just enjoy life more often. Taking a break every now and then is fine. Life is a gift to be enjoyed. It not all about work and material things. If you lead a busy life, it is important to know when to slow down. A little time for rest and relaxation gives your mind and body some time to recharge. Build strong and healthy relationships with good people. The people that you share your life with are going to help you in your journey to a happy life. If you are around negative people, it is not going to help you change your ways and find the life that you want to live. Keeping a healthy diet will greatly influence the quality of your life. A diet consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, seeds and nuts will elevate serotonin levels which aids in reducing depression and increasing motivation. Conversely, diets low in complex carbohydrates can lower your serotonin levels. Identify the attitudes that you have about who you are. Bad habits stem from bad values which stems from bad attitudes. If you can identify the negative attitudes you have and work to change them you will improve the kind of person you are. With this improvement, you will develop more on a personal level. When it comes to personal development, be sure that you know what selflessness is and that you live in such a way that you act on it. This is extremely important because you will only truly know yourself when you give yourself fully to other people in every way possible. When you have made a choice to break a bad habit, then commit yourself to breaking it. You have to make yourself break this habit over and over again. This is important if you want to change to a better way of life. If you do not commit, you will be stuck with the bad habit and you will resent yourself for it. Practice what you believe. Having knowledge and wisdom is a wonderful thing to have, but you must also put them into action. Once you put them into action, you will begin to personally develop as a person. You will build a better character, and be able to be a stronger person. An important tip that will improve every area of your life is to get a good night's sleep. Proper rest is essential to restore the body, but also to reduce stress and inflammation, protect our heart, regulate our hormones, and improve our memory. A good night's sleep is 6-8 hours, and some people need more. Your health and your outlook will improve greatly when you make a good night's rest a serious priority. Courtesy: http://gusasenucema.posterous.com/ __