Person Development Tools

Personal development is also known as self-help or self-improvement.  The APA Dictionary of Psychology 1^st Edn (Gary R VandenBos, American Psychological Association 2006) defines Self-help or self-improvement as referring to self-guided improvement.

Personal development starts in response to a thought, an idea, a want or a need to change something about yourself or do something for yourself.  Seeking help from a counsellor and/life coach can be a real benefit here - just like a personal coach at the gym - you get to reach your goals quickly if you work at it.  Personal Development can also involve listening to and acting upon information contained on cassette tapes, eBooks, audio books, CDs or DVDs.  There are links below that will take you to these resources.

Click here to turn your dreams, desires and goals into reality today by discovering your OPUS with today's most influential and transformational leaders.

Click here to access several powerful scientifically proven techniques and other self-improvement material.

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So how can this help me?

Personal development can help you improve areas of your life such as:

• Behaviour: Interacting with others in a way that gives you the life you want

• Health: Taking on healthy habits that support your body allowing you to do what you want to do.

• Interpersonal Relationships: Benefiting from and enjoying your relationships with others commercially, professionally and personally

• Profession: Build a career that requires positive personal attributes

• Money: Achieving financial freedom ethically and morally

• Spirituality: Raising your connectedness with a higher self.

• Personal Excellence: Striving to do the best you can in what you undertake.

• Personal Worthiness: Raising your self-esteem.

• Controlling Your Thoughts: Minimise negative thought patterns.

• Motivation: Giving yourself inspiration and a driving force

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This personal development stuff is all pie-in-the-sky stuff, right?

Tell me how it works in the real world.

Okay.  I have a story for you.

Ever visited a building construction site?  The construction site is a response to a thought, an idea, a want, a need to change what is into something desired for one’s own purpose whether that purpose is self-directed or community directed.  So how does this relate to personal-development?

Think about what is happening on a construction site of a new five star hotel.  People are hard at work, welding steel, pouring concrete, erecting scaffolding, digging trenches and excavating foundations, removing rubbish and doing a host of other things.  Sweat pours from their faces, muscles ache, tempers sometimes flair and patience is tested.  Passers by sometimes wonder what the hotel is going to look like when it's finished or even if the job will ever get done on time.  Those involved in the construction, from developer and architect to the gardener  may sometimes think the same but they move on inspired by ideals and visions, or outright need to earn an income for their families.  It is hard, hard work.

Working on the five star hotel also means that people work directly or indirectly with other people.  They leverage off each other in order to get the job done right and on time.  The electrician works directly or indirectly with others – suppliers of electrical materials, carpenters, concreters, metal workers and a host of others who constructed the building into which they connect the electricity.  Developers work directly or indirectly with architects, city officials, accountants, banks and a host of other people.  It was through the use of collective skills that the vision of the developer and architect take form and meaning.  And don’t forget those indirectly involved such as the dentist who soothes an aching tooth that allows you to get on with your job, your local Doctor who helps you get over your influenza, you local dietician who advises you on the correct food to eat, you're motor mechanic who keeps your vehicle going and the list goes on – and don’t forget the local cafeteria and restaurant who feed you!

At a point in time the hotel is finished.  It is a marvellous building admired by it's developers, architects and all that worked on it.  What was once a space with limited appeal has become one in which the rich and famous want to stay - swimming pools, saunas, gymnasiums, exotic shops and restaurants with such appeal that it is a marvel to behold and people are attracted to it.  The vision has become a reality.

Personal development can be viewed as a construction site of the self.

Personal development is hard work, combining the efforts of the "self" and those from which you leverage.  It is not uncommon to ache during the process wondering if your wants and needs will crystalise for all the effort you are putting into it.  You need look no further than your profession to realise this is true.  Ask anyone who has a learned a trade or gone to university, learned a new language, started a new career or become proficient at a sport such as tennis, football, skiing, cricket or baseball.  Chances are they have gone through highs and lows as they have constructed their profession and career.  Did they do it alone?  The answer is categorically no.

Just like the workers on a construction site the personal developer works with other people directly and indirectly to construct their new "self".

After a while, the work is done.  People "see" the new you.  Where once there was an angry person with little gratitude, kindness and patience there now stands  person able to control their behaviours.  Others are now attracted to them and they enjoy a better way of life than they did before they undertook their personal development journey.  Life goals start to manifest.

Personal development remains a works in progress.

Just like it is important to keep up to date in your profession or skill set, just like the five star hotel that requires regular maintenance and renovation, the individual likewise undertakes regular maintenance and renovation at a personal development level knowing it is a maintenance program rather than a construction program.  A good coach will set you in the right direction if you need help with this activity.

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Okay, so what does a personal development program map look like?

This can be a very difficult process for some – remember the construction site – be prepared for hard work - you are constructing a new and better you.  There are five steps you must do:

• Burning desire to change - an intention to change (this is harder than you think).

• Clear vision of what you want to become (this must be clear and precise).

• Goals, plans and strategies to make it happen (this is where your coach helps you).

• Take action (do whatever is needed and listen to your coach).

• Maintain it (be persistent - your coach is invaluable here)

Then repeat the process with other areas in your life you want to improve or develop.

How long does it take?

Some people can work on themselves quickly, others not so quickly.  There are work, domestic and social issues to be considered and organised and these are different for everybody.  Regretfully it is not like racing a motor car over the quarter mile where you may know, within reason, how soon you'll cross the finish line.  Therefore, to answer your question - "It depends on you." 

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 I know what I want, but cannot find a way to get started – help!

You can get started by finding a personal development coach that you can work with.  This is the most effective and time efficient approach often resulting in maximum outcomes.  Please note that congruence between you and the coach must exist if your program map is going to work for you.  Be prepared to change coaches when your progress requires it.

 A good coach realises this and helps you move forward.

You can get started by leveraging off materials already available to you.  This includes reading books on personal development in the area of your want, listening to CDs, DVD’s, research on the internet and attending self-development seminars.

To REALLY get started think about this:

The Opus

Turn your dreams, desires and goals into reality today by discovering your OPUS with today's most influential and transformational leaders.

The teachers from the hit movie. "The Secret" have joined forces again to offer step by step tools to take the

Law of Attraction and turn it into ACTION.

This movie will change your life!

The OPUS movie features Jack Canfield, Dr. Joe Vitale, Dr. John Demartini, Marci Shimoff, Bob Doyle,

Morris Goodman, Mark Victor Hansen,
Douglas Vermeeren, Bill Bartmann, Willie Jolley, Elisabeth Fayt and several others.

and

Start the day believing what's possible ....

Dances with Wolves

Primary source: Eleonora Gilbert

General source: Native American tradition

A white-haired Cherokee is teaching his grandchildren about life.  He tells them, "A fight is going on inside me.  A terrible fight, and it is a fight between two wolves.

"One wolf represents fear, greed, hatred, anger, envy, false pride, self-pity, resentment, guilt, inferiority, arrogance, deceitfulness, superiority and selfishness.

"The other wolf stands for peace, love, kindness, joy, truth, compassion, humility, transparency, authenticity, friendship, respect, integrity, benevolence, generosity, faith, sharing, serenity and empathy.

"The same fight is going on inside you, and in every other person too."

The children thought about this for a while.  Then one little girl asked her grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee held a long silence.  Then simply said, "Whichever one you feed."

Personal development is about feeding yourself life enhancing values and beliefs that bring you to the place you want to be.  As our gift to you we invite you to download your free eBook of "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen who inspired millions around the world and who is partly responsible for launching the self-improvement industry.  We hope you enjoy his book. Click here to view a range of personal development CD’s to get you started – maybe it is all you need to get started or repeating the process in another area you wish to develop.    | Back | Home |

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