Personal development | EPFL Graph Search

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Personal development or self-improvement consists of activities that develop a person's capabilities and potential, build human capital, facilitate employability, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal development may take place over the course of an individual's entire lifespan and is not limited to one stage of a person's life. It can include official and informal actions for developing others in roles such as teacher, guide, counselor, manager, coach, or mentor, and it is not restricted to self-help. When personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems offered to support positive adult development at the individual level in organizations. Education Among other things, personal development may include the following activities: Improving self-awareness Improving self-knowledge Improving skills and/or learning new ones Building or renewing identity/self-esteem Developing strengths or talents Improving a career Identifying or improving potential Building employability or (alternatively) human capital Enhancing lifestyle and/or the quality of life and time-management Improving health Improving wealth or social status Fulfilling aspirations Initiating a life enterprise Defining and executing personal development plans (PDPs) Improving social relations or emotional intelligence Spiritual identity development and recognition Personal development can also include developing other people's skills and personalities. This can happen through roles such as those of a teacher or mentor, either through a personal competency (such as the alleged skill of certain managers in developing the potential of employees) or through a professional service (such as providing training, assessment, or coaching). Beyond improving oneself and developing others, "personal development" labels a field of practice and research: As a field of practice, personal development includes personal-development methods, learning programs, assessment systems, tools, and techniques.

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