Best Personal Development Tool Is Gratitude

If you are serious about improving yourself, what you need to know is that there are few different ways you can accomplish that. Of course, what you need to know is that it is imperative that you start somewhere. A lot of the time, people get overwhelmed by all the personal development tools that are out there. That leads to no improvement whatsoever.

A great tool for you, if you are serious about improving your personal development, is to think of the Concept of Gratitude. Gratitude is something that can be exceedingly helpful to you in your quest to better yourself, and here are four (4) ways you can put gratitude to work for you.

Step 1: Be Grateful Every Morning 

Think about what you are grateful for every morning. For most people, waking up is a chore. They wish they could sleep more often, and they do not cherish the idea of waking up and going to work. That is why you should make a real effort to get up in the morning giving thanks instead of complaining. Then, you start your day on a high note and you start helping good things to happen.

Now, it does not matter who you give thanks to. If you are religious, you may wish to thank God, but if you are not, it is as acceptable to just feel the gratitude in your heart.

Step 2: Journal Things You are Grateful For

Another way gratitude can help you is if you keep a journal about things you are thankful for. Keep the journal with you at all times so you can jot down notes if you need to. That way, whenever you are feeling down, or as if you do not have anything, you can open your gratitude journal and see all the things you like about your life. It doesn't have to be huge things you are thankful for, either. Even if you are thankful for jellybeans, that counts!

Step 3: Be Grateful for Your Family and Friends

Express your gratitude for those around you who make your life a better place. We all spend a lot of time complaining about the people who make us miserable, why not take that time and talk about people who make us happy!

Step 4: Seek for Ways to Show Gratitude

Look for ways to show your gratitude to people. You may not have much money, but you can write them a kind note. You can do them a favour, or babysit, or cook them a meal. Showing your gratefulness helps other people do the same to you. Everyone has a tough time in life, so it is a good thing when you can alleviate someone else's suffering.

Again, before you go to bed at night, think of times during the day where you were not grateful, but could have been. This teaches you how to act in the future.

Finally, as you can see now, gratitude can be a really important part of your life. Even if you start with just a little gratitude, it can grow into something that is beautiful in your life. If you want to see your life blossom, become someone who is more grateful.

What Bill Gates and the Modern Philanthropists Do Better

I have witnessed many changes in my long career in the way we approach global challenges – not all of them, sadly, positive. But the resurgence in recent years of philanthropy has been a major change for good.

We have entered a new age of philanthropy and the sick, the poor and the vulnerable of our world are benefiting. Progress is being made on some of our world’s most intractable problems and modern philanthropy has played a significant role in these successes. When, for example, as UN Secretary-General we launched the Global Fund as an international financing mechanism to tackle HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, the early involvement of the Gates Foundation was of critical importance.

It was not just the large additional resources which were provided which made the difference, but also their way of approaching the challenge. Modern philanthropists have brought a determined focus on outcomes and the courage to find and try innovative solutions to deliver results.

They also bring a deep understanding of the need to build the widest possible partnerships with governments, international agencies, civil society and the private sector. Despite fears from some NGOs and multilaterals about their involvement and influence, modern philanthropists rarely operate in isolation but recognise the importance of collaboration.

The new age of philanthropy is also marked by a change in where the successors to Carnegie, Rockefeller and Nobel live. As the economies of Asia, Latin America and Africa have grown, so has the determination of its business leaders to use their wealth for the greater good.

We have seen, for example, the emergence of a growing number of African foundations set up by those whose companies have thrived on the continent. They can bring, as is the case with Mo Ibrahim and the work of his Foundation on African governance and of Tony Elumelu on entrepreneurship, a particular insight into what’s important, a better understanding of the local and regional context, and the barriers that must be overcome.

This experience can also provide a credibility which makes it more difficult for those in authority to ignore and easier to attract the right partners. The work of my Foundation on African agriculture and on elections and reconciliation within the continent – and the wide partnerships we have forged – has benefited hugely from these partnerships.

The Ibrahim and Gates Foundations also underline how modern philanthropists are taking a much more high-profile role in advocacy for the causes in which they believe and the changes they want to see. Many wealthy individuals, of course, continue to keep their giving and efforts private, but this new breed of philanthropy-champions have successfully raised awareness, challenged conventional thinking and prompted decisive action on issues of huge importance.

As we look around our world and the complex challenges we face, it is clear we need not just more funding but the very best ideas that we can get, and absolute focus to make these ideas work in practice. I am delighted to see the next generation of philanthropists leading the way.

This article was written by Kofi Annan, Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation.Credit: https://ch.linkedin.com/in/kofiannan

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 Courage

Courage requires that you make yourself do what you should do, that you deal with your fears rather than avoiding them.  

a)   The biggest obstacle to success in life is fear of failure, expressed in the feeling that, “I can’t! I can’t! I can’t!”  

b) Courage is a habit, developed by practising courage whenever it is required. As Emerson said, “Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.”  

c)  Make a habit of confronting your fears rather than avoiding them. When you confront the fear and move toward it, especially if it is another person or people or situation, the fear gets smaller and you become braver.  

d) Repeat the words to cancel fear, “I can do it!” over and over, to build up your courage and confidence.  

e) Identify one fear in your life and then discipline yourself to deal with it, to confront it, to do whatever it involves, as quickly as you possibly can. The payoff for identifying a fear and confronting it is tremendous, it gives you the courage and confidence to go through your life and deal with every fear-inducing situation. 

The discipline of courage is really needed if we are to succeed in our lives and careers. 

Do share with us any experiences you have with courage when it came to taking a major decision in your life.

How to develop the discipline of Daily Time Management

Rule: “Every minute spent in planning saves ten minutes in execution.” The more you plan, the bet­ter you use your time, and the more you accomplish.  

a.  Begin by making a list of everything that you have to do. The best time to write your daily list is the night before so that your subconscious can work on it while you sleep. 

b. Organize the list by priority before starting work.  

c. Practice the 80/20 rule, which says that 80% of your results come from 20% of your activities. What are they?  

d. Use the ABCDE method to set priorities. This is based on considering the consequences of doing or not doing a particular task.  

A = Must do - serious consequences for non-completion

B = Should do – mild consequences for non-completion

C = Nice to do – no consequences for non-completion

D = Delegate – everything possible

   E = Eliminate – everything you can to free up more time

e. Organize your list by A-1, A-2, A-3, and so on. 

f. Start on your A-1 task first thing in the morning.  

g. Discipline yourself to concentrate single-mindedly on your A-1 task until it is 100% complete.

The discipline of good time management spreads to all your other disciplines. It has immediate pay­off in improved results, and long term payoff in terms of the quality of your life work, courtesy - Brian Tracy. 

Hope you enjoyed the good habit development; do follow this blog for the next discipline.

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.

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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 develop the Habit of Continuous Learning

“To earn more you must learn more.”Jim Rowan says: “Work at least as hard on yourself as you do on your work.”

a)  Read in your field 30-60 minutes each day. This will translate into one book per week, 50 books per year.  

b) Listen to CD’s in your car as you drive from place to place. This will amount to 500-1000 hours per year.  

c)  Attend seminars and take courses given by experts in your field. One idea from one course can save you years of hard work.  

d) The average income in America increases at 3% per annum. With compound interest, the average person doubles their income every 22 years. 

e) With the additional knowledge and skill you can apply to get better results, you increase your income at 10%, 15% and even 25% per year.

f)  10% per annum increase means that you double your income in 7 years and 2 months.  

g)  25% increase per annum means that you double your income in 2 years and 8 months. (Credit; Brian Tracy) 

Work on yourself as if your future depends on it, because it does. Continuous learning will make us to sacrifice our time for sleeping, leisure and family, however, the long term benefits far overrides the sacrifices we may go through today.  

Go ahead start reading that book, sign up for that online course; start listening to the language audio CD today and see where you get to by the end of this year.  

Do follow this blog, if you have enjoyed reading this post, for more tips and advice on developing self-discipline in your personal and career life.

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 Cultivate the Discipline of Hard Work

Goal: Develop a reputation for being a hard, hard worker. 

“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”- Thomas Jefferson

a)   The average work week in America is 32 hours. 

b)   The average person wastes 50% of the workday in idle chit-chatting with co-workers, extended cof­fee breaks and luncheons, personal business, reading the newspaper and surfing the internet.  

c)    Rule: Work all the time you work!  

d)   Start one hour earlier, and immediately get to work.  

e)   Work harder, through your lunch hour, all day long; don’t waste time.  

f)    Work one hour later; be the last to leave. Use this time to wrap up all your work and plan your next day.  

g)   Three extra hours of work will translate into 6-8 hours of productivity.  

h)  Ask; what is the most valuable use of my time right now? Whatever your answer, work on that every hour of every day. 

i)    If you get distracted, or interrupted, repeat over and over, “Back to work! Back to work! Back to work!” (Credit: Brian Tracy)

Working hard will not hurt or kill us as individuals and employees. Therefore in order for us to succeed and become wealthy, fulfilled individuals, we need to work hard at whatever we are doing.  

Dear friends, in order for us to make it in this life, we need to be hard working and develop the habit of managing our time daily.  

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