Self-actualisation…

noun: self-actualisation 

  “the realisation or fulfilment of one’s talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone”. 

 I often say I have this internal drive to improve or do better, to have a growth mindset and look for ways in which I can progress… one of the fundamental aspects of the Semester Student Planner is personal growth… which is my personal element of self-actualisation at play.  

 If I dived deep into the literature surrounding this concept then I am sure there would be numerous explanations. 

 For me, I first learned the terminology whilst researching Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory.  

 Maslow, A psychologist, described self-actualization as the process of ‘becoming everything you are capable of becoming.’ We have described it in the past as becoming ‘the best possible version of yourself.’   

 Self-actualization to me is personal growth! It is part of the reason I am obsessed with this field.  I sometimes describe my need for more as a curse (it can be at times) but I am also grateful I have this drive to want to improve as it has allowed me to grow in different areas of my life.  

Without personal growth we would not have started this business. We would not set ourselves goals and we would not try encourage others to do this.  

This is not me saying we are perfect (We are far from it), but seeing self-actualisation as one of our human needs is setting us on a consistent path to growing in areas of our lives.  

We believe so strongly in personal growth. It’s why we do what I do. To me personally, this is a field that should be taught to children from a young age. Again, for me personally, I have never used Pythagoras theorem since leaving senior school…but teaching myself how to set goals has been truly transformational.  

Again, when it comes to your studies, I am not saying you should not be studying in your chosen field, as this may be necessary to achieve your dream job, however, this should be accompanied by learning the fundamentals of personal growth and looking to ‘self-actualize’  

By doing this, and implementing the tools set out within the Semester Student Planner, you will be better all rounded student, and future employee or business owner. Why? Because the Semester Student Planner teaches concepts such as creating visions, goal setting, your new self, forming new habits, self-awareness, reflective tools and more.  

We should be applying this aspect to our lives. If you take away one message from this blog, understand that you can achieve even more.  

 This is obviously my understanding of it… however, this blog is for you. Only you can determine what self-actualization means for you? So, we will do that in the following Journal question. To make it simple, rather using this terminology I am going to use what I believe self-actualisation to be… personal growth! 

Therefore, I want you to answer the following questions:  

What does Personal Growth mean to you?  

How can I apply Personal Growth into my life and my studies?  

“Potential is a priceless treasure, like gold. All of us have gold hidden within, but we have to dig to get it out.” Joyce Meyer