Personal development (also known as self-development or as personal growth) comprises the development of the self, and has become a part of the leisure industry.

The term can refer to traditional concepts of education or training, but has acquired a tinge of the New Ageism made respectable by the professional development hucksters of the business world who offer their services in counselling and coaching to preach personal transformation and "inner pathways" to solving societal as well as psychological issues.