Personal development has become a hollow modern buzzword that often makes us feel inadequate, unsuccessful and like we’re simply not doing enough. 

This is especially true in the competitive world of businesses, where someone constantly seems to be taking to LinkedIn to proclaim their latest success. 

But in reality, personal development is simply any activity you undertake in order to better yourself, and though it’s often used in the context of the workplace, it can apply to any area of our lives. 

This article explores just three key types of personal development, and though there may be some overlap between these categories, each will enable you to grow in your own unique way.

1. Professional

Professional development is essential to getting ahead in your career whatever field you’re in. 

But it’s particularly crucial to the business world, where businesses expect employees to make continual progress, learning new skills, building on existing strengths and tackling their weaknesses. 

This is more vital than ever in a competitive job market like the one we’re faced with today, but taking steps towards skill development is challenging – where do you start? 

If you’re hoping to get ahead in business and advance to a leadership position, whether that’s in your current company or elsewhere, a distance learning qualification could be the perfect shortcut to success. With a Management BA from ARU Distance Learning, you can continue working whilst studying a degree that fits around your day-to-day life, whilst giving you the knowhow to get ahead.

2. Social

Growing your social circle has been not only inadvisable, but basically impossible over the last year – unless you’ve been getting super friendly with a new Zoom quiz team, or really enjoying those Monday morning meetings with co-workers, most of us are feeling a little starved of social contact.

These interactions are important not just for our mental wellbeing, but for our confidence too, and when your social circle is healthy, it can give your career a real boost. Not only does it provide ideal networking opportunities, but the more you push yourself to get to know others, the easier it becomes to connect in a professional capacity.

3. Emotional

Finding fulfilment in our everyday lives is of the utmost importance no matter what your ambitions are. But this sense of true satisfaction can be realised in many ways, not just career success (although that can be a contributing factor). 

It’s important even for driven professionals to have well-rounded personalities with a variety of interests and hobbies, whether that’s travel, meditation, sports, reading or simply enjoying the sun – as humans, we need experiences and rituals in our life that bring us pleasure. 

Learning to make the most of our downtime is not only good for our overall wellbeing, but can also have a positive impact on our working lives too!

These are just three types of personal development for business professionals that will help you get ahead in your career.