What Exactly is Personal Development?

Striving to make ourselves better, were thought of as "new age phenomenon", but actually it dates back to ancient history. There are multiple societies that spoke of developing oneself as the only true vocation in life and that philosophy (knowing more about oneself and the universe), was the best way to live a more fulfilling life.

As we look into the history of personal development, it may have been called by other names such as, "virtues", or "moral character", or within the Christian era, "ethics."

No matter where we find the roots of personal development, whether it is in ancient Greece, or more recently in the teachings of Benjamin Franklin, where he created possibly the first Self-Improvement Course. The traits that he spoke of are as follows…

1.       To Practice Self-Control and Exercise Discipline, then to use these traits as a means of improving the individual…

2.   Quiet Yourself and Listen: Become a better listener, and exercise silence…

3.       Maintain Order: Arranging our lives in an orderly fashion, and not procrastinate…

4.       Work Ethic: Putting forth your best effort daily…

5.       Money/Time: Understand how we spend our time and money…

6.       Work: Learn to work and play hard, striving to bring a smile to others…

7.   Do unto Others: Always treat others, the way you yourself would like to be treated.

8.   Small Steps: to look at life with moderation, and to avoid extremes…

9.    Cleanliness Both Inside and Outside: To be clean in body, mind and spirit…

10.   Peace: Live life at peace, enjoying the beauty that surrounds us…

11.   Serve Others: no matter your station in life, take the time to help others in need…

12.   Humbleness: realize that we are all equal in the face of the Almighty…

13.   Honesty: Strive always to speak the truth both yourself and those you come in contact with.

While this is simply a brief example, of what one of America's historic figures offered, personal development is not a destination but a path you should walk.

Personal development should become ingrained in every part of our lives, both physically, mentally, and spiritually. Life is a continual movement from birth to death, and along that path we should always strive to move ourselves forward, to become better people, and to never settle, but always strive for excellence.

We live in a fast-paced world, with deadlines to keep and bills to pay, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that we are physical as well as spiritual beings, and to truly be fulfilled we should not put one in front of the other, rather seek excellence for them both.

Personal development, which could be measured by setting and reaching goals, can be thought of as a measurement of our success in life. It does not matter whether we seek the summit Mount Everest, or simply to walk to a neighbouring hill, rather it is the setting of our sight upon that goal, then moving steadily forward to reach the infielders.

In conclusion, in personal development we should seek both short-term and long-term goals, with short-term goals being achievable, which offers fuel to our very essence, allowing us the strength and motivation to move forward with long-term goals.

How to Create a Personal Development Plan

Learn how to create a personal development plan that can transform your life for success. As the saying goes "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail". We will discuss how to create a plan for our personal development. It can help you get in touch with your internal feelings, determine exactly who you want to be, and how you want to live your life. 

 A personal development plan is often used by young people who are always pressured by their peers. However, adults like you can benefit greatly by creating your own personal development plan. This single step in drafting your plan can transform your life for good. Below I have expatiated 5 steps you can take to craft a personal development plan.

1. Make a List of What You Admire

It is imperative to first decide exactly what types of qualities you admire in people around you that you would like to internalize on your own. This may be qualities that are easy to measure such as staying physically fit or losing weight. It may also include taking on a better and healthier diet, or living a life full of integrity.

Choosing the right types of traits that you find in other people you admire should be on the top of the list. Again, decide which three qualities you would like to incorporate in your own life, in order to begin the process of transformation. The types of qualities you should focus on are the ones that are outside your personal comfort zone. Besides, they should not be unattainable, so as not to quickly discourage you from achieving that goal.

2. Learn to Set SMART Goals

In order to be successful, you will need to set goals. If the qualities you selected above are tangible, like physical fitness, you will need to understand exactly what the goal looks like. It may include participating in a marathon, simply walking the neighbourhood, or changing bad eating habits to healthier ones.

If the qualities include living a life with high integrity, you will need to detail exactly what that looks like to you. It may mean ending bad behaviours, making better habits, or asking for outside help to achieve the goal. Read more on goal setting here. 

3. Flesh It Out

Once the goals are firmly in place, it is time to flesh them out, to give them substance. It is time to expand the plan to add meat to the bones. It is impossible to skimp during this part of the process. Expanding the plan might include attaching some form of timelines or benchmarks where you need to reach a specific goal at a specific time. Be realistic, and flesh out the goals on a timeline that can be easily achieved.

4. Find the Support

It is much easier to obtain these types of goals in your personal development plan with support. You can solicit the help of a family member, friend, therapist, physician or an exercise buddy that simply wants to take the route with you. With enough support, it is easy to achieve nearly any type of goal as long as it has been set in a realistic time frame.

5. Celebrate your Success

Finally, a personal development plan should include a way to celebrate your success. You can do this by keeping a journal, or checking off a long list of necessary goals. You can also include taking stock of past experiences and activities so you can determine exactly how far you have come on the journey of success. Remember that failures are part of the process, and you will need to forgive yourself if you need to start the process all over again.

In a nutshell, learn to create your personal development plan with these five (5) simple steps and get on the way to become successful in life. It will take time but you will surely be transformed for good. 

You may also want to read these related articles.

1. What does personal development mean to you. 

2. How to set your career goals.

Personal Development, what does It mean to You?

Personal development is a very private matter and what it means to me may not necessarily be the same thing that it means to you. However, there is one aspect of personal development that is the same for each and every one of us - the need to improve.

To be able to improve something, you first need to identify what areas in your life could do with a helping hand. The ability to identify room for improvement lies in a good knowledge of yourself.

The best way to get to know yourself better is to grab a pen and paper and make a list of what you feel your strengths and weaknesses may be. On the reverse side of the paper write down what you feel other people think your strengths and weaknesses may be.

You may find it interesting that two sides of the paper do not exactly correspond. Others may identify a strength in you that you may view as a weakness and vice versa.

Now look at the weaknesses that you identified within yourself and pick one that is not listed on the opposite side of the paper. Think about why you feel that area is a weakness while others don't. Ask yourself whether you lack self-confidence or whether you portray a different picture to the rest of the world?

This could be the first step you can take to personal development. Once you feel you have improved in that area, repeat the exercise and see whether you get the same results.

You also need to pay attention to the strengths that you listed. If you feel you have a strength that other people don't see, why are you hiding it? Remember that strengths are not automatically better than weaknesses and there may be some room for improvement so that everyone will notice a specific strong trait.

Even the strengths that correspond on both sides could always use a bit of work. Most people believe that they need to address their weaknesses in order to become a better person. Starting by building upon and bettering one or more of your strengths can provide you with the foundation you need to address other issues in your weaknesses.

If you are finding it difficult to distinguish between your strengths and weaknesses it may be beneficial to seek some professional help. A life coach or mentor is a great place to start or you could opt for more structured and traditional therapy in the form of counselling.

Professional help is not the only route you can follow and you can also turn to family or friends whom you respect and admire. They already know who you are and can help you more than you think.

Don't be afraid to ask for help along your journey of self development. It is very rare that people achieve any type of personal development or self improvement on their own and the more people you include in your journey the more likely you will be to experience growth.

What to do today

Which area of your life do you want to improve upon, write it down and start to work on it and you will love the results at the end.

Let me know what personal development mean to you. 

How to nurture Excellent Habits for Health

Health is the level of functional and (or) metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person in the mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain (as in “good health” or “healthy”), (from Wikipedia, free online encyclopaedia).  

Your goal should be to live to 100 in superb physical health.  

a) Design and imagine your ideal body. What would your body look like if it was perfect in your own estimation? This is your goal.  

b) The key to health and life can be summarized in five words, “Eat less and exercise more.” 

c)  Develop the discipline of exercising every day, even if all you do is go for a walk. Exercise is best done in the morning, immediately after you get up, before you have time to think about it. If you do this for 21 days, it will become part of your regular routine for the rest of your life.  

d) Eliminate the three white poisons: flour, sugar and salt. 

e) Eat more salads and lighter foods; eat before 6pm and eat half portions.  

f) Get regular medical and dental check-ups. They can add years to your life.  

g)  Use the Michael Jordon method: “Just do it!”  

In a nutshell, just apply these seven (7) steps, set goals for your health and stay fit all the time. You will need to be healthy in order to develop your career and achieve all the other personal goals. 

How to Cultivate the Discipline of Daily Goal-Setting

Today, we will discuss the Discipline of Daily Goal-Setting, a habit that will help us both in our personal, career and in every aspect of our lives. Focus and concentration are the essential qualities for career and personal success. 

a)  Start by asking, “What do I really want to do with my life?” Ask this question over and over again until you get a clear answer.  

b)  Imagine that you had ten million dollars cash, but only ten years to live. What would you immediately do differently in your life? 

c)  Imagine that you have no limitations. That you could wave a magic wand and have all the time and money, all the education and experience, all the contacts you needed to achieve any goal. What would you do then?  

d)  Buy a spiral notebook and write in it every day. Begin by writing out ten goals in the present, positive and personal tense. Begin each goal with the word “I” followed by an action verb. For example, you could write, “I earn $xx,xxx by December 31, 2007.”

e)  Every day before you start off, rewrite your top ten goals in the present tense, as though you had already achieved them and you were reporting on this success to someone else.  

Rewrite your goals without looking back to the previous page. Rewrite them from memory. Watch how they grow, de­velop and change over time as you rewrite them each day. Many people have said that the discipline of daily goal setting has transformed their life and far faster than they had even imagined, courtesy – Brian Tracy.

You are welcome to follow this blog for more tips on how to develop Self-Discipline.

How to Advance Your Career – Seven (7) Disciplines

There are seven (7) disciplines you must develop if you want to achieve all that is possible for you and your career. You can learn these disciplines through practice and repetition until they become automatic in your life. 

Discipline No. 1 - Goal Setting

Every morning, take 3 to 5 minutes to write out your top goals in the present tense. Get a spiral notebook for this purpose. By writing out your 10 goals at the beginning of each day, you will program them deep into your subconscious mind. 

This daily goal writing will activate your mental powers. It will stimulate your mind and make you more alert. Throughout the day, you will see opportunities and possibilities to move more rapidly toward your goals. 

Discipline No. 2 - Planning and Organizing

Take a few minutes, preferably the night before, to plan out every activity of the coming day. Always work from a list. Always think on paper. This is one of the most powerful and important disciplines of all for high performance. 

Discipline No. 3 - Priority Setting
The essence of all time management, personal management, and life management is contained in your ability to set proper priorities and use of your time. This is essential for high performance.

Discipline No. 4 - Concentration on your Highest-Value Activities
Your ability to work single-mindedly on your most important task will contribute as much to your success as any other discipline you can develop. 

Discipline No. 5 - Exercise and Proper Nutrition 
Your health is more important than anything else. By disciplining yourself to exercise regularly and to eat carefully, you will promote the highest possible levels of health and fitness throughout your life. 

Discipline No. 6 - Learning and Growth 
Your mind is like a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field. 

Discipline No. 7 - Time for Important People in your Life 
Relationships are everything. Be sure that in climbing the ladder of success, you do not find it leaning against the wrong building. Make time for your relationships every day, no matter how busy you get. 

Action Exercise 
These 7 disciplines will ensure that you perform at the highest level and get the greatest satisfaction and results from everything you do. Study these 7 disciplines and then make a plan for how you can incorporate each of them into your daily life. (Courtesy – Brian Tracy).  

I encourage you to follow and subscriber to this blog to help you master the habit of self-discipline and learn more on self-discipline. 

How to Set Your Career Goals

This article will address goal setting as it specifically relates to career planning. Part of the career planning process involves setting goals. These goals, both long and short term, will be used to develop a Career Action Plan. The career action plan describes steps you will take to reach your goals. In this case the goal is usually a particular career objective. It can be a particular occupation, a rung on the career ladder, or an earnings level.

Goals may be either short or long term. Long term goals can take about three to five years to achieve, while short term goals are reachable in one to three years. Short term goals are often a stop along the way to our long term goals. 

We actually set goals regularly when we plan what we want to accomplish that day, that week, or even that month. Those are usually fairly simple goals, i.e. clean the house, finish an assignment, do laundry. You decide what you want to do and then figure out what you need to do to achieve your goal. Then you get into more complicated goals -- your plans for the future.  

One way in which we plan for the future is by setting goals. Merriam-Webster OnLine defines a goal as "the end toward which effort is directed." 

One of the most important things you will do during the career planning process is set goals. A goal is something you want to achieve; the end to the means, so to speak. In order to achieve a goal, you will need to exert some energy — generally a lot of it.

You should set both long-term and short-term goals:

Long-term goals: these are goals that you should be able to achieve in about three to five years.

Short term goals: these are goals that you should be able to reach in one to three years. 

In order for your goals to be achievable, they must meet certain criteria. Your goals must be: 

· Conceivable: you must be able to put your goal into words; 

· Achievable: you must have the attributes, energy, and time to accomplish your goal; 

·  Believable: you must believe you can reach your goal; 

· Achievable Within a Certain Time Frame: you must be able to state how long it will take you to reach your goal;

· Clearly Defined: you must know exactly what your goal is;  and 

·  Flexible: you must be willing to modify your goal as necessary. 

Once you have defined both your long-term and short-term goals, you can go on to develop a career action plan. 
The career action plan will list all your goals and the steps you must take to reach them. If your goals meet the criteria listed above, you are more likely to be successful in achieving them.

How to start the Habit of Saving and Investing

Resolve today to get out of debt, stay out of debt and become financially independent. 

Your goal and everyone’s goal is to achieve financial independence as soon as possible in life. This requires continuous financial dis­cipline with every dollar you earn. The key is for you to save 10%, 15% and even 20% of your income throughout your life.  

a)  Because you are probably in debt already, begin by saving 1% of your income and discipline yourself to live on the other 99% until this becomes a habit.  

b)   Increase the amount of monthly savings to 2%, 3% and eventually 10% and 15%. Discipline yourself to live on the balance.  

c)  Rewire your thinking from “I enjoy spending” to “I enjoy saving.”  

d)  Delay; defer major purchases for 30 days.  

e)  Investigate before you invest. Two thirds of investment success comes from avoiding mistakes. Invest as much time in studying the investment as you invested to earn the money in the first place.

f)  Pay cash for as many things as possible. Get rid of your credit cards. When you pay cash, the amount you are spending is far more visible and painful.

“If you cannot save money, the seeds of greatness are not in you.”

W. Clement Stone

Dear friends and fans, cultivating the habit of saving and investing is a necessary discipline if we want to succeed and become wealthy. Therefore start investing today!!!

How to Visualise Your Future Career

Did you know that there are four parts of visualization that you can learn and practice to assure that you use this incredible power to its best advantage all the days of your life.

Part 1 - How Often?

The first aspect of visualization is frequency, the number of times that you visualize a particular goal as achieved of yourself performing in an excellent way in a particular event or circumstance. The more frequently you repeat a clear mental picture of your very best performance or result, the more rapidly it will appear as part of your reality.

Part 2 - How Long?

The second element of visualization is the duration of the mental image, the length of time that you can hold the picture in your mind each time you replay it. When you deeply relax, you can often hold a mental picture of yourself performing at your best for several seconds, and even several minutes. The longer you can hold your mental picture, the more deeply it will be impressed into your subconscious mind and the more rapidly it will express itself in your subsequent performance.

Do visit the Business and Career Bookshop to select books on Goal Setting and Career Development. It will help you to improve upon your personal and career development. 

Part 3 - How Clearly?

The third element of visualization is vividness. There is a direct relationship between how clearly you can see your desired goal or result in your mind and how quickly it comes into your reality. This element of visualization is what explains the powers of the Law of Attraction and the Law of Correspondence. The vividness of your desire directly determines how quickly it materializes in the world around you. Here is an interesting point. When you set a new goal for yourself, your image or picture of this goal will usually be vague and fuzzy. But the more often you write it, review it, and repeat it mentally, the clearer it becomes for you. Eventually, it will become crystal clear. At that point, the goal will suddenly appear in your world exactly as you imagined it.

Part 4 - How Intensely?

The fourth element of visualization is intensity, the amount of emotion that you attach to your visual image. In reality, this is the most important and powerful part of the visualization process. Sometimes, if your emotion is intense enough and your visual image is clear enough, your goal will immediately come true.

Do visit the Business and Career Bookshop to select books on Goal Setting and Career Development. It will help you to improve upon your personal and career development. 

Of course, the elements of frequency, duration, vividness, and intensity can help you or hurt you. Like nature, the power of visualization is neutral. Like a two-edged sword, it can cut in either direction. It can either make you a success or make you a failure. Visualization brings you whatever you vividly and intensely imagine, whether good or bad. (courtesy: Brian Tracy)

Action Exercise

Continually feed your mind with clear, exciting, emotional pictures. Remember, your imagination is your preview of lives coming attractions. Learn how to accomplish all of your goals here and to your success in goal setting and career planning. Don't forget to get your copy of the book on Goals!: How to Get Everything You want - Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy.