While Most people claim to understand the importance of goal setting in order to attain a better life, a huge number fail in this. In fact, approximately 80 percent of these people never set goals for themselves. Even more surprising, of the 20 percent of the population that does set goals, roughly 70 percent fail to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. With so many individuals venturing in the pursuit for personal development as well as career growth, experts suggest that knowing how to maneuver the personal development terrain is essential. According to most human development authorities, before you rush out and set goals at random, you need to know your barriers.
According to one 20th century psychologist Abraham Maslow, human needs are ordered in a prepotent hierarchy where the most pressing need would need to be satisfied first before someone would give their attention to the next highest need. Maslow says that this is the only appropriate route that individuals can follow to attain ‘self-actualization’ and hence maximize their respective potentials.
The Human needs to be fulfilled before one attains self-actualization as identified by Maslow are as follows:
1.At the bottom of the hierarchy are the "Basic needs or Physiological needs" of a human being which includes food, water, sleep, sex, homeostasis, and excretion.
2.The next level is safety needs and includes security, order, and stability. These two steps are important to the physical survival of the person. Maslow says that once individuals have basic nutrition, shelter and safety, they are ready to attempt and accomplish more.
3.The third level of need is Love and Belonging which embodies psychological needs. When individuals have taken care of themselves physically, they are ready to share themselves with others, such as with family, friends and working colleagues.
4.The fourth level is achieved when individuals feel comfortable with what they have already accomplished. This is the Esteem level-the need to be competent and recognized, such as through status and level of success.
5.Then there is the Cognitive level, where individuals intellectually stimulate themselves to explore more. This is followed by the Aesthetic level, which encompasses the need for harmony, order and beauty.
At the top of the pyramid, "Need for Self-actualization" occurs when individuals reach a state of harmony and understanding because they are engaged in achieving their full potential. Once a person has reached the self-actualization state they can start focusing on themselves by trying to build their own image. They may look at this in terms of feelings such as self-confidence or by accomplishing a set goal.
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