Getting Started in Personal Development – Growing the Self-Improvement Muscles!

 

One of my favorite quotes from Dad is, “You can make radical changes in minute steps.”  I love it because it is so pure and so simple, and it works!  Many times people make the right decision to improve themselves and then go about it the wrong way, and this leads to disappointment and the wrong belief that their decision was flawed.

 

If you are just now making the decision to consciously improve your life, or you are looking for a fresh start, here is simple way to get started.  The key is to START and then stay consistent.

 

Do you have five minutes a day you can set aside for your quest?  It doesn’t sound like much, and it really isn’t much, but since it is more that you are doing right now you need to get the self-improvement muscles active.

 

Now that you have planned the five minutes, use the five minutes to put the good stuff in your mind .  Read a great book or listen to audio.  Do this every day.  It’s ok if you go over the five minutes, but make sure you do it every day.  Do this for a week.

 

In your second week build up to ten minutes a day.

 

In your third week keep doing your 10 minutes, but figure out ways to get a two-for-one.  Can you listen in the car or while you work out?

 

In your fourth week look for material that fits into three different categories – Physical, Mental, and Spiritual.  Man is tri-dimensional, so you need to develop all of these areas.

 

In your fifth week, get serious about setting goals for yourself.  In fact, you could do this step anytime during the first four weeks, but sometimes it’s good to get the mind focusing on the good stuff first before you jump into goal setting.

 

Once you get your goals set you will realize that you will want to work on financial goals, health goals, relationship goals, etc.  Continue to put the good stuff into your mind every day for at least 10 minutes, and pick the information based on your goals.

 

This is a very simple plan that anybody can do, and it’s a great place to start.  In fact, you will most likely do better than this, and that’s awesome!  So, do you have five minutes

Building morale and staying motivated

 

 

In this tough economy (at least in the eyes of the media!) how do you keep morale high?

 

 

The first thing you have to realize is that attitude is key.  It is tough out there, but there is still opportunity all around us.  I like the story of the two hikers in the woods who come across the grizzly bear.  The bear is about to charge them when one of the hikers bends down to tie his shoes.  The other hiker asks him why he is doing that and the hiker replies, “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you!”  Our economy is like this.  Our competition and our customers are facing the same issues.  The world is thirsty for positive people with real solutions who really care about others.  This is the perfect time to be a difference maker in the lives of your customers; even if they delay purchasing, they will remember the friend on the phone when the time comes to purchase again.  This approach is so logical, yet so few people do it that if you do it, you will stand out.

 

The second thing is to really build an atmosphere of open communication in your office.  Everybody already knows sales are down and margins are tight.  Brainstorming together on how to decrease overhead without cutting payroll and on how to generate more sales is always a plus.  Most people, especially the right people, do not want to find another job.  If they know their opinions really count and they feel like everyone is being upfront and honest, they will usually dig in and work harder and maintain a better attitude.  Plus, a few strong leaders from the team who stand up and say it’s time for a “can do” attitude and not a “whining” attitude will really help leadership keep the attitude up.  Take the oldest excuse in the book, “management never listens to us,” and turn it into the reason people stay longer and work harder.

 

Third, have regular (once or more a week) team building meetings that are short; have a motivational theme, recognize people going the extra mile, give a status report of your progress, and give people one specific idea or skill they can implement right away to be more effective.  Communication, Communication, Communication.