Can You Over-Develop Yourself?

Is there such a thing as too much personal development?

One of my colleagues here recently asked me an interesting question:

”Do you think it’s possible to “over-develop” yourself?” 

The reason for the question: At NextGen Center, we invest our time training, developing, and coaching other people.

Balancing personal development with productivity

This question requires a little unpacking. So I will start with this:

Anything taken to an extreme could turn into overload. At some point, too much development could become less productive. 

At the same time, the question posed by my colleague is important to consider because development work is challenging.
It requires reflection and awareness. And, of course, it requires action and change. 

Combine the above statements with this truth: Time keeps moving. Ticking. Every second that passes is different from the previous one, and because of that, it's important to be aware of how we want to develop because we are also shifting with time. 

Put another way: We will all default to a path of development. But we don’t have to do so on autopilot. We can create a path for how we develop with time if we choose to do so.

That’s where development work shines. It allows you to create the development and path you want to see for yourself. Not the development that just naturally occurs with the passing of time. It makes you a driver, not a passenger. 

The importance of conscious development

So while it might be challenging to be focused on development 24/7, the good news is you can choose to do the work in a way that aligns effectively for you. 

Our capacity for development work is personal. And, in my opinion, “over-development” is a relative term.

We go through different phases in our life—some of which are more predictable (e.g., transitioning from Kindergarten to 1st Grade)—and some which might be less (e.g., relationships with friends and family). But the bottom line is that we are always developing. We are always evolving. It's a matter of how conscious we are in doing that, which is why we do the work. 

Choosing your path of personal development

At NextGen Center, we focus on empowering our partners with the skills, knowledge, tools, and abilities to develop themselves so they can determine what amount of development is effective for them. What amount of development is effective for their team. For their companies. For their families. For their constituents. 

Developing intentionally for long-term effectiveness

So instead of concretely answering a question about overdevelopment, I would think about it as doing the development work that's appropriate for you. When it gives you energy, pursue more of it. If it’s draining you, then run your own race instead.

We have to develop so we can evolve and grow into who we want to become. But we can do it in our own intentional way. And the more skilled we are doing it, the more effective we will be in the long term.