Engage in Personal Development: Zen Habits

The field of personal development has much to teach those of us involved in employee engagement. I will strive to add more content and references to personal engagement on this site as it is a vital source of employee engagement.

One of my favorite bloggers on personal development is Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. He write very well and offers down-to-earth and practical methods of self-development.

He also has numerous guest authors offer their perspectives on personal development.

Today, I recommend his article on Handbook for Life: 52 Tips for Happiness and Productivity. This is a cogent list of 52 tips that can be helpful for your own development and engagement.

Here are two sample tips from his list of 52:

Slow down. Many new readers to this site have read my productivity articles and think that I’m all about being hyper-productive. I’m not. Long-time readers know that I am about a simpler way of life. Unfortunately, in my free-lance blogging, other websites usually ask me to write about productivity, so the preponderance of my productivity writing has given the impression, I think, that I think people should be churning out work at an amazing rate, to the exclusion of all else. Actually, I feel that life is much more enjoyable if you slow down. By doing less, you can actually get more done, even if you work more slowly. And when you’re not working, you should definitely try switching to slow mode. Drive slower (it is so much more relaxing), walk slower, eat slower. See Slow Down to Enjoy Life for more.

and

Lose arguments. I know someone who just celebrated his 50th anniversary, and I asked him for his secret to a long and happy marriage. He told me, that if I ever get into an argument with my wife, to just shut up. What he meant, I think, is that I shouldn’t try to be right in every argument. I think this is a reminder many of us need, not just the married ones. But instead of just giving up the argument, instead of trying to be right, instead seek to understand. Really try to understand the other person’s position, to see it from their point of view. This little tip can lead to much happiness.

Read the article and work with a new tip every week and you would have enough personal development focus to last you until November 2009!