The bad news is that personal development is a lifelong toil.

The good news is that you don't have to hit the salt mines. The habit of improving yourself with the five-hour rule will sweeten the sweat.

Thanks to the life lessons from Benjamin Franklin, we know the five-hour rule is a tried and tested formula. Spend an hour on deliberate learning every weekday and create your own momentum.

If lifelong learning isn't a routine yet, start small. Set up a mini habit. Put it on your calendar. Starting a personal development journey is easy. Deciding on the way to go about it is the difficult part. So, right here I won't try to advise you on your path, but gently guide you to these excellent online courses on Udemy which hopefully will spark more ideas.

Personal development is a shapeless universe and the 3500+ personal development courses on Udemy prove it. Pick anything from leadership to motivation. Or start with any of the five below.

Tune In — Let Your Intuition Guide You

Discover: How you can develop your intuition and use it in all areas of your life.

Often the logical part of our brain overrides what we feel deep inside. Intuition is nothing but a gut feeling and it can be a guiding beacon if we trust it. Super-achievers know this better than others. They allow instincts to play free and it rewards them with inspirational ideas.

So, the question is – can intuition be developed?

Yes… even if you think you don't have this automatic radar within you. The payoffs are many. From smarter decision making to finding your life purpose. For me, the biggest payoff was in creating a habit of listening to my own inner voice.

Sonia Choquette is an accomplished and dynamic spiritual teacher, six-sensory consultant, author, and visionary guide. In 20 lectures, she will help you stoke your subconscious and take you to a place of conscious confidence. I know it might not make sense right now, but commit to the lessons and you just might start enjoying a more spontaneous life.

Full Spectrum Mindfulness

Discover: How you can deepen your awareness and unlock your hidden motivation.

Supported by neuroscience and developmental psychology, mindfulness is not an obscure mystic philosophy anymore. It is one of the most powerful tools to tap into your intuition. Full spectrum mindfulness not only teaches you to stay in the moment but also expands your awareness by taking you deep into your psyche.

Practice with guided exercises. Then begin applying the mindfulness lessons and heal hidden issues with impulsive obsessions like diet and compulsive behaviors. And before you ask, no prior experience or special equipment is necessary to take this course. Start it with a basic understanding of mindfulness.

Ken Wilber is a renowned philosopher, author, and teacher. He is famous for his "Integral Theory" that swaddles many philosophical theories and thoughts into one united framework.

+Acumen Presents: Al Pittampalli on Persuadable Leadership

Discover: Why willingness to change your mind in the face of evidence is a critical leadership skill.

The best leaders know when to change their minds. Especially today, when speed of new information outpaces our plans. This course uses the latest research from cognitive psychology to teach you the benefits of open-mindedness in any leadership position.

The key idea of "persuadable leadership" should convince you that making course corrections can be a strength and not a weakness as believed. Take the quiz in Lecture 3 and find out how persuadable you are. Maybe, it will be the first hint that will persuade you to spend an hour on the course.

I am in the middle of Al Pittampalli's "Persuadable: How Great Leaders Change Their Minds to Change the World" on which this course is based.

You may not be a leader, but the lessons in this Udemy course are important for anyone who works in a collaborative environment.

+Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking

Discover: How you can share your best ideas by becoming a powerful public speaker.

Glossophobia or speech anxiety is perhaps the most common fear across the world. On the side, it is also a multimillion-dollar industry as stage fright pushes people to take classes on public speaking and presentation.

Learning how to speak to a roomful of people is the first step. Using the stage to craft a memorable message is the second but more important one. This course is about the preparation behind a successful talk. The example of how Monica Lewinsky got over her fear of speaking and delivered a memorable TED Talk is a case study in itself.

As the head of TED, Chris Anderson knows a thing or two about public speaking. He distils his best advice in this hour long course for Udemy and +Acumen. Grab attention from the start and end powerfully.

Body Language for Entrepreneurs

Discover: Why good body language is the missing ingredient we often overlook for success.

Just how much of our communication is non-verbal is debatable. The 93% figure is mostly a myth and does not reflect real work situations. That said, body language can make or break your social networking. A firm handshake directly relates to the confidence you relay to others.

Vanessa Van Edwards' course on Udemy should appeal not only to entrepreneurs but also solo workers who run their own business. For example, the offbeat topic on non-verbal hacks for your website is about silent cues that translate into more webpage traffic.

It can even help you if you get cold feet with cold calling. Start small, give this an hour a day for a week and then see if it helps you improve your influence.

Focus on Yourself for an Hour a Day

Start with your intuition and take the first hesitant steps towards your personal development goals.

I focused on the individual with my earlier list of 15 Udemy courses for self-improvement. The last three courses on this short compilation put the spotlight on dynamic social situations and the soft skills you need for them.

So, just spend an hour a day on yourself. Allow the rewards to compound over time.

What is holding you back? Tell us about your personal development wish list. Maybe, there is an online course or a resource we can share with each other to help go after it? What kind of courses would you like us to compile from Udemy?