Do you yearn to live a more fulfilled, more satisfying life? If your answer is yes then what steps are you taking to get there? Are you taking personal responsibility for the direction of your own life or is your strategy to rely on hope?

You see, there simply are no short cuts to living a life of fulfillment. Self improvement is the most important step you can take to achieve the life you desire. Simply put, achievement is a learned skill. And if you fail to make learning how to succeed in life a personal quest then chances are good your desired success will never materialize.

So what personal development steps should be taken in order to achieve more? The following seven suggestions are a start only. Your evolution needs to be a work in progress with no end in sight.

1. You've got to know your purpose
Are you drifting through life without direction – simply hoping to find happiness and prosperity? By identifying your life's purpose you will be giving yourself a unique compass which will lead you emphatically to your desired destination every time. Your journey to success will present many difficulties, it is this unique compass which will help guide you through.

2. You've got to know your values
What is it you value most? List out your top 5 values. Some of the things you value may be safety, time freedom, your family, spirituality, education and so on. As you set your life and business goals, make sure they are congruent with your values. If the goals you set do not align with your values, you may want to reconsider them.

3. What are your needs?
Needs gone unattended can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself first. Love yourself first. This world is filled with people who do not acknowledge their own needs. And when needs go unacknowledged that usually always means dreams will go unfulfilled. List your top five needs and see to it that they become filled before it's too late!

4. Know what your passions are
You know who you are and only you can define that which will make you happy in life. Temporary obstacles like self doubt and lack of enthusiasm can hinder you, but they will not derail you. Not as long as you know what your true passions are.

5. Live from the inside out
Your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. If the life you're living is not what you'd hoped it would be then take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror. On a daily basis you should sit quietly with your thoughts. Take a look at where you are in life and look at where it is you wish to be. Do you have the belief in yourself that you can get there? Do you have some inner turmoil you need to deal with in order to achieve your dream life? This point is crucial and cannot be swept under the rug.

6. You've got to honor your strengths
What are your strongest traits? What unique talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify them. Are you creative, humorous or mechanically inclined? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you share your gifts with others.

7. Learn to serve others
After you've gotten a handle on the previous 6 suggestions, you will find an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, live your purpose and open up your talents to the world, your true essence will then emerge. The rewards you will reap for serving others with your unique gifts will far exceed your wildest imagination. The appreciation others will have for what you're able to do for them will come back to you immeasurably.

Author's Bio: 

Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is always worth the effort. To continue your journey towards success, you may download a free copy of Daniel Herzner's self help book A Plum In The Syrup. This book has already touched hundreds of lives and has helped a countless number of people and now it's your turn. Simply go to APlumInTheSyrup dot come now to claim your own copy absolutely free.