Home  >  My Life  >  A Better Life

20 Positive Personality Traits that Can Change Your Life Forever

Nobody is perfect, but we can work on becoming better. Not sure where to start? Here are some positive personality traits to develop for a happier life.

Positive Personality Traits

Every single person inhabiting this planet has positive personality traits and negative ones, too. It’s important to focus on the positive at all times, but if you want to become a better person, someone who is capable of developing loving, lifelong connections with others, it’s important to work on your negative points too.

A friend of mine was training to be a therapist and asked me to help her with some assignments. One of those assignments was to help someone recognize their positive and negative points and work out a plan of action accordingly.

I figured this couldn’t be so difficult. After all, surely I had tons of positive points, right? Well, yes, but it turns out they were quite difficult to bring to the front of my mind when put on the spot!

I urge you to do the same thing. Sit down somewhere quiet, where you won’t be disturbed, and grab a pen and paper. Don’t bother with a cell phone or tablet for this, go old school. Now, write down a list of your positive traits. I bet you’ll find it as difficult as I did, but make sure you think deeply and empty your mind. Scribble words down as they come into your mind.

[Read: How to step out and live your life to the fullest]

Once you’ve celebrated the positive, come back down to earth with a bump. Yes, you need to repeat the process and write the negative traits you have too. For me, this was easier, and most people I’ve mentioned this to also agreed! We tend to be more hard-wired to see the negative than we do positive.

20 positive personality traits to develop for yourself

Look at your list. How do you feel about it? I felt indifferent at first, but then I realized that I could easily rectify the negative and work on them over a little time. You can do this too!

Where I struggled was deciding which of the traits were the best to begin with. Which positive personality traits are the most important to own for yourself?

After a little soul searching, I came up with a list. I’ll share it with you now. These are my top 20 positive personality traits which I believe you should start working on today.

#1 Compassion. Having compassion for others means you’re able to sympathize and understand, as well as help with issues that require an extra pair of hands. [Read: How to grow into a better and kinder person]

#2 Kindness. Surely this is a no-brainer? Kindness is a basic personality trait we could all do with developing a little more. Be kind to others, but remember to be kind to yourself too. This is something most of us forget to do!

#3 Generosity. This doesn’t mean giving away everything you own. It means not being tight-fisted and being able to share with others. This doesn’t have to be material things, it can be generosity of spirit, it can be generosity of your time, it can be anything, but it means opening up and understanding that to give is better than to receive. [Read: How to be a better person with 10 small changes]

#4 Open-mindedness. In the world we live in, we could all do with being a little more open-minded and tolerant. Is this something you can work on? Everyone is equal, regardless of their race, gender, religion, age, sexuality, disability, or anything else. If everyone became just a little more open-minded, the world would be a better place.

#5 Positivity. Working on developing a positive mind-set will benefit you in so many ways, and it will link towards your general happiness. Everyone wants to be around a positive person, because positivity is infectious! Surround yourself with good vibes and work on kicking out the negative. [Read: How to be more positive and increase the quality of your life]

#6 Understanding. Being understanding covers a huge umbrella of subjects, but allowing yourself to be able to see things from someone else’s point of view, or perhaps walk in their shoes, will help you be more tolerant and helpful.

#7 The art of listening. Do you really know how to listen? Like, really listen? Most of us don’t, but developing your listening skills can drastically improve your relationships. How many things are you missing because you’re letting things drift in one ear and out the other? [Read: Are you a conversational narcissist who loves talking and hates listening?]

#8 Fairness. Treating everyone equally is something we all need to do more of. Is this a personality trait you can work on? Most of us lack fairness from time to time, and most of us can be a little selfish too. Don’t worry, nobody is perfect!

#9 Faithfulness. Being faithful to your partner, your friends, and anyone in your life who you have developed a bond of trust with is vital. Do you find your head is turned early? If so, work out why that is, and develop a sense of faithfulness within your character. This is one of the best positive personality traits to own.

#10 Creativity. Developing your sense of creativity will bring a lot of happiness to your life. This doesn’t have to mean singing and painting, it can be anything from creative thinking, to allowing your imagination to run wild, whatever you want! You simply need to break free of the constraints of logic from time to time and see what potential awaits.

#11 Fearlessness. If you can develop creativity and fearlessness together, nothing will stop you from achieving whatever you want! Most of us are scared of taking risks, but sometimes we need to do this to go after our dreams. Taking measured risks is a positive personality trait to work on. [Read: How to set aside your fear and live your life]

#12 Adaptability. Being able to adapt to new situations quickly and with ease will help you in your life, but it will also help you in your career. Employers always look for an employee who is adaptable to change!

#13 Curiosity. Think like Alice in Wonderland and open your mind. What wonderful and unlikely things might actually be true? When you develop your sense of curiosity anything is possible, and that’s a wonderful feeling!

#14 Trusting and trustworthiness. These two work hand in hand. Are you a trustworthy person? Can people rely and trust you to do what you say? In addition, do you find it easy to trust others? In terms of positive personality traits, these are some of the most important. Learning to trust will help you to cast aside doubt, but you also need to be person others can trust too. [Read: 5 unique traits that make a person trustworthy]

#15 Playfulness. Could you do with being a little silly from time to time? Life isn’t meant to be constantly serious, it’s meant to be fun too!  Not everyone finds it easy to be playful, so perhaps this is something to work on. [Read: 35 easy tips to charm anyone and make people love you]

#16 Supportiveness. Supporting others through difficult times is a wonderful trait to own, and will increase the quality of your friendships and relationships. This also works hand in hand with the ability to be able to listen properly too.

#17 Disciplined. Are you often late? Do you usually say you’ll do things but don’t deliver? If so, it’s time to work on your discipline, or your self-discipline to be more precise. This will help you in your relationships and friendships and in your career. Nobody likes someone who’s always late!

#18 Politeness. One of the most basic traits everyone should possess is the ability to be polite to others, regardless of the situation. Remember, manners cost nothing! Always treat others how you would wish to be treated in return.

#19 Empathy. Empathy is an umbrella term and covers many of the traits I’ve mentioned, but it also means being able to put yourself in the position of someone else and really understand how they’re feeling. When you do this, you’re better able to know how to help them. You also have sympathy and compassion when you develop your overall empathy. [Read: How to develop empathy and master the art of growing a real heart]

#20 Patience. It is the number one positive personality trait most people need more of, me included! Developing your patience will make life easier, and make you easier to deal with too!

[Read: Follow these 9 golden rules to evolve more each day]

How many positive personality traits can you identify on that list as points to work on? If you recognize all 20, no worries! The more you focus on your own self-development journey, the brighter your future will be.

Liked what you just read? Follow us on Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest and we promise, we’ll be your lucky charm to a beautiful love life.

Nicky Curtis
Nicky Curtis
Having stumbled from one relationship drama to another throughout her 20s, Nicky is now somewhat of a guru in the crazy world of life and love. Telling it how i...
Follow Nicky on