14 Ways To Develop Strong Character

No one is born with strong character. It comes from dealing with difficult situations, making tough decisions, and choosing which path to take when you are at a fork in the road. Character is built by facing the ebbs and flows of life head on and forging a path for yourself.

In this article, we will cover 14 ways you can develop strong character, which will aide you throughout this journey we call life.

But first, lets answer a common question:

Is Character The Same As Personality?

While these words are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between character and personality. The easiest way to differentiate the two is to think of character as internal and personality as external.

Character is like your moral compass. As you chart your path in life, you will develop character. Think of it as a culmination of all your beliefs, education, decisions, problem solving, discipline, emotion, and environment.

Personality, on the other hand, includes things like your likes and dislikes, if you're a morning person or a night owl, how you choose your friends, and if you're an extrovert or introvert. Think of personality as what you know about people based on conversations you've had with them.

On with the list:

Walk The Walk And Talk The Talk

We all know that one person who always says they're going to do great things—anything from learning a new skill to starting a business—but never seems to get their ideas off the ground. These people often become caught up in their dreams thinking of the end result, but seldom put their words into action. 

They may say they're waiting for the right time, still working on finalizing some ideas, or just don't have the time right now. These people, unfortunately, will almost always be stuck in an endless loop.

When you make a promise, be sure to keep it. Follow through with your commitments and keep your word. Actions speak much louder than words, so when you show you can commit, you build character and rapport with others. With practice, this will become effortless. 

Live With Purpose 

Living with purpose doesn't mean that you immediately cartwheel out of bed every morning and crush everything with 110% enthusiasm, but rather that you are aware of the decisions you make and stick to your goals. Developing strong character means that you have the strength to make every day worth living.

Knowing what you need to do to succeed in different areas of your life means you are living a life with purpose. An example of living with purpose would be avoiding fast food when you're losing weight. While the thought of a big juicy cheeseburger is tempting, if you give in then you aren't fulfilling your goal of losing weight as effectively. 

Invest In Personal Growth

Personal growth is an infinite resource. There are so many different ways you can improve yourself including:

• Having a regular workout routine
• Developing your skills (at work and in your personal life)
• Reading
• Discovering a new hobby and/or passion
• Taking classes to learn a skill like cooking or dancing

Personal growth can be a bit selfish; you're doing it for your own benefit, not for anyone else. Don't worry what other people may think of you. If you really want to learn salsa dancing because you enjoy moving your body to the rhythm, then do it. 

If you are interested in birdwatching but worry your friends would find it silly, try it anyway. Personal growth is adding more tools to your arsenal and becoming stronger in the things you enjoy.

Always Be Learning 

Learning doesn't have to stop once you leave the classroom or office. While some people believe that once they finish school they're done learning, successful people know that if they wish to get ahead in life and be a Swiss army knife of skills, they need to always be learning. 

Some skills (known as soft skills, such as time management and emotional intelligence) are transferable from one task to another, while others are job-specific and require specialized training. Either way, always be open to learning new things, since you never know when you may need to use them!

Developing a growth mindset and constantly learning doesn't mean you're always buried in a book or taking classes, but rather that you're always open to discovering new opportunities, skills, and ways to improve yourself. 

With how fast technology has advanced in the last 10 years, it would be silly to think that the methods we learned yesterday will always be relevant in an ever-changing technological landscape. 

Always Be Curious

The old saying that curiosity killed the cat may sound morbid, but when you look at it from an inquisitive view, it isn't as bad as it seems. Curiosity can be a great tool. 

Asking ourselves "what happens when I do this?" or "Why does this happen?" means that we are curious about the world around us. Strong character also means having an open mind to things around you and never stop asking questions.

A toddler is a great example; they ask so many questions not to test their caregiver but because they're curious. At some point in our lives, we start to lose that sense of wonder and stop being curious.

Somebody who always seeks answers to questions is someone who loves to learn. Combining a desire to learn with perpetual curiosity means you'll never be bored, you'll be open to new possibilities and ideas, and you'll have more topics to talk about, which will make you more interesting and memorable.

Become A Master Of A Topic 

We all have one topic we are really interested in—that one topic that, no matter what, you always make time for. You're probably thinking of it right now. Chances are, you know more about that topic than anyone else inside your social circle. 

Use that to your advantage. Become the person who is a master in a specific topic. It can be Greek mythology, muscle cars, birds, cooking, or anything at all.

When your friends realize that you're well versed in that topic, they will come to you when they have questions or wish to learn more about it. This is a great way to deepen relationships and carve another layer into your character.

 
"The unexamined life is not worth living" – Socrates

Surround Yourself With Like-Minded Individuals 

When we surround ourselves with like-minded people, we create small communities within our friend circles. These groups become havens where we can share ideas and thoughts about our interests without fear of judgement or rejection. 

Surrounding yourself with like-minded people also helps you stay on track with your goals. Since everyone is working towards the same thing, you're constantly surrounded by positive energy.

Sometimes in life we have to break ties with those who bring us down. They may be close friends or co-workers that we once relied on but now do not align with our life path. Although this can be very difficult, you have to remind yourself where you want your life to go. If they're going to hold you back, you may have to leave them behind.

Building rapport with others can be difficult. However, we have written an article 10 Ways To Quickly Build Rapport that will help you build stronger relationships with the people you want to surround yourself with.

Add Value To Others 

When we build up others, we strengthen the relationship. Showing others that you are proud of their achievements and accomplishments means that your character is positive and supportive. These people will think of you more highly than if you just ignored their success or knocked them down with rude comments and snide remarks.

Share the joy of others' accomplishments; a pat on the back, a thoughtful card or letter, or even a small gift to show your appreciation or admiration goes a long way. Not only is it going above and beyond the typical "good job", it shows them that you are a true gentleman.

Remember: when you build up others, you are also building up yourself. This is one of the foundational pillars of building strong character.

Be The Best Version Of Yourself 

We've been told since we were children to always try our best. While every day won't be sunshine and rainbows, we can still try to see the positives in every situation and see failure as a learning opportunity. 

Greet others with kindness, keep your head up, and remind yourself that no one is perfect. You are you; there is no one else like you, so be yourself.

It can be difficult to overcome negative thinking and fear that others may judge or ridicule you when you begin to change your habits. If you find yourself in that position, please read our article How To Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone Comfortably.

Accept Defeat But Never Be Defeated

There will be times in our lives when we try as hard as we can and still come up short. Whether someone is just better than us or we made a costly mistake, it happens to even the most skilled and talented individuals. 

It can be difficult during these times to avoid beating yourself up or blaming others, it almost seems like second nature for some. Instead, accept your defeat, see where you went wrong, learn from it, and use this as an opportunity to better yourself. Strong character is built by getting up every time you fall.

We learn more from our defeats than our successes. When we succeed, there is little we need to change since we were better than the opposition. When we lose, we can clearly see how our opposition beat us and how we need to improve. A team that wins a major award like the Super Bowl or Stanley Cup will never admit they made mistakes, whereas the losing team will admit them all.

Take On New Challenges

When we challenge ourselves, we push ourselves outside our comfort zone. This is uncomfortable, indeed, but it's the best way to face our fears and learn new things. 

If we spent all day inside sitting on the couch, we would never succeed at anything except for maybe being able to quote every line from The Office or being able to eat multiple bags of chips in a day. Neither of those achievements come close to ones we could attain if we opened the door and stepped outside.

"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for" is a powerful quote that means that you should go and explore, take risks, and discover new things. The world is like the ocean and we are all ships. Man your ship, chart a destination, and travel far and wide.

Win Big, Brag Small 

We all love to win, and while it feels good to share our stories of how we overcame the odds and defeated Goliath, it can sometimes come across like we're making a mountain out of a mole hill. Some people may look at you and immediately think to themselves "This guy won by pure luck" or "I could have done that blindfolded and with one hand behind my back."

Instead, tell your story of how you overcame the odds, but remember that a humble approach is more effective than explaining it like a Michael Bay or Quentin Tarantino action movie. Be human; explain your emotions and thoughts. If you need to brag, try to do it without alienating anyone or putting anyone down.

Your Own Approval Is More Valuable Than Approval From Others 

There is no one in this world that understands you more than yourself. You are the captain of your own ship. Do not let others dictate how you should feel. If one of your hobbies is uncommon but you really enjoy it, don't let others put you down. 

If you like dressing a certain way, enjoy a unique style of music, or follow a rival sports team, don't let others convince you otherwise. What you enjoy is what makes you you. 

At the end of the day, the only person who can make the final decision for you is you. Unless you're absolutely forced like your life depends on it, you decide what you need to do to make you happy. Strong character is developed by your decision to make your own decisions, whether others agree with you or not.

Self-Discipline Will Make You Stronger 

We have all heard the stories of the business elites who get up each day bright and early and manage to achieve greatness even before the rest of the world gets out of bed. They seem to have everything scheduled down to the nanosecond. 

While some may believe that this is the only way to achieve success, others know that success comes in different shapes and sizes. However you decide to slice success, it all boils down to self-discipline.

Without self-discipline, we wouldn't be able to hold down a job, sleep regularly, or save money. We would be zombified, acting out of impulse and not rational thought. Hearing the words 'self-discipline' may harbor anxiety or negative emotions, but, if implemented effectively, it's almost effortless.

Self-discipline can be as simple as avoiding the temptation to eat sweets or unhealthy food if you're trying to lose weight, staying in to study for an exam when your friends go to the pub, or getting up 15 minutes earlier to practice meditation or yoga before starting your day. 

These small positive decisions may seem like nothing, but over time they will affect your life in major ways. Think of it like taking care of your teeth; you can miss brushing them every once in a while and not get cavities, but stop brushing altogether and soon you'll be in a world of pain.

If you find yourself struggling to stay focused on tasks, consider using the pomodoro technique, which we explain in: Pomodoro Technique: A Powerful Time Management Strategy.

Summary

No two people are the same, and no two characters are the same. Don't worry about being just like everyone else. People would much rather talk to someone who leads an interesting life than someone who goes through the same routine every day, so be unique and blaze your own trail.

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