Personal Development Skills Blog
Chris Farmer's Leadership and Management Training Blog
Welcome - the purpose of the blog page is to provide you with a never ending source of valuable, practical and entertaining information designed to help you get the best performance from yourself and others.
In these blogs you will find all the information you need to make faster progress in less time and effort. Here you will find all the information you need to achieve your goals. In addition to helping yourself to achieve your goals, you can use the same information to help others to achieve their goals.
Personal Development Skills Blogs
Personal development training is the best investment you can make, because your own performance is the most important factor in how your life turns out.
Many people do not take responsibility to for their results, instead they blame other people and The System. But the truth is that your own performance is paramount because you are always there. You need to improve your performance in six major areas of activity.
- Setting and achieving goals.
- Clear, convincing communication.
- Planning, prevention and problems solving.
- Handling difficult people and circumstances.
- Self-control (self-discipline, self-motivation, and self-confidence).
- Inspire others towards a positive mental attitude.
Personal Development Skills Blogs
Production and Trade
10 June 2025
Learn how production and trade boost productivity, cut poverty and drive human progress. Our training shows simple steps to create value and earn more for all.
Continue Reading >Solving Problems Through Personal Initiative and Creativity
28 January 2025
Learn how personal initiative and creativity let you solve problems, boost career success and turn ideas into value. Tips, stats and training links inside.
Continue Reading >Why Free Online Management Courses Won't Get you the Results you Need
17 September 2024
Free management courses lack depth. Learn why live, paid leadership training builds six key management skills and delivers real career gains in just two days.
Continue Reading >Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
28 May 2024
Learn practical steps for overcoming imposter syndrome, from tracking wins to reshaping self-image, and break limiting beliefs to build confidence at work.
Continue Reading >Continuous Improvement Mindset
20 February 2024
Learn how a continuous improvement mindset keeps you happy yet driven. Use eight daily questions to set goals, measure progress and boost growth at work andhome
Continue Reading >What is Self-Image?
23 January 2024
Learn what self image is, how childhood beliefs limit you, and simple steps to reframe mindset, drop mental brakes and drive personal growth for work and life
Continue Reading >Harnessing Aristotle's Ideas for Personal Development
12 September 2023
Unlock growth with Aristotle personal development. Definition, genus, differences, proprium and accidens guide clear goals, self-awareness and positive change.
Continue Reading >Essential Training to Develop Core Skills
21 March 2023
Discover how essential training sharpens goal focus, decision making and other core skills, boosting team performance and long-term success at work today.
Continue Reading >How Introverts can Make Their Voices Heard
15 February 2022
Learn how introverts speak up at work with positive self talk, meeting prep, confident voice tones and clear body language. Boost confidence and share ideas.
Continue Reading >Why It is Good to be Ambitious
5 October 2021
Discover the benefits of ambition and why moral, clear goals spark progress, stronger teams and faster growth, while fear, laziness and doubt block success.
Continue Reading >How to Handle Negative Feedback At Work
22 June 2021
Learn seven steps to handle negative feedback at work: listen, ask for facts, judge fairness, defend or adapt, and turn every comment into faster career growth.
Continue Reading >Self-Control
18 May 2021
Learn how self-control turns inner conflict into clear action. Discover mind over mood techniques, Oxford stats and expert tips for lasting personal success.
Continue Reading >Top Skills Needed by Entrepreneurs
27 April 2021
Learn nine entrepreneur skills to turn ideas into income: mindset, clear talk, sales, time use, problem fixes, negotiation, talent spotting for post-Covid grow
Continue Reading >How to Develop Dr Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset
6 October 2020
Learn how to build a growth mindset with Carol Dweck's 10-step plan. Replace self-doubt with focused goals, positive language and improvement for better results
Continue Reading >Why Some People are More Successful Than Others
16 June 2020
Discover four traits all successful people share: clear goals, detailed plans, strong motivation and constant feedback. Apply them to boost your success.
Continue Reading >Is Being Open Minded a Good Thing?
9 June 2020
Learn smart open mindedness: filter ideas with critical thinking, ignore unsupported claims, and use your limited time on evidence-based voices that add value.
Continue Reading >The Difference Between Objective and Subjective Reality
26 May 2020
Learn why objective reality must lead subjective reality. Explore clear steps to put facts over feelings in daily decision making and lift personal growth.
Continue Reading >Creative Imagination
22 May 2020
Learn how creative imagination turns negative pictures into clear goals. Visualise to boost success, sharpen memory and calm worry. Free live webinar now.
Continue Reading >Why you Need Philosophy
19 May 2020
Learn how a clear leadership philosophy, not just psychology, helps you decode behaviour, guide decisions and build fair, high-performing teams. Start today.
Continue Reading >A Simple Trick to Help you Develop More Self-Discipline
15 May 2020
Learn a simple discipline trick: replace every 'should' with 'must'. Boost self discipline, cut delay and hit goals with word power shown by 2024 studies.
Continue Reading >What is Critical Thinking?
14 April 2020
Learn what critical thinking is, spot common non-rational traps, master six core skills and see why employers now rate logical judgement as a top hiring need.
Continue Reading >How to Take Personal Responsibility
15 October 2019
Discover how personal responsibility ends blame and gives you control. Follow steps to sharpen your mind, boost health, grow savings and lead a life you respect
Continue Reading >How to Have Good Ideas
23 July 2019
Learn how to have good ideas with nine easy, science-backed creativity habits. Boost problem-solving, spark innovation and capture fresh thoughts every day.
Continue Reading >How to Build More Self-Esteem
28 June 2019
Learn how to improve self esteem: set fair goals, master a skill, dress sharp and praise yourself in private to boost lasting confidence without arrogance.
Continue Reading >Is It True "Everything Happens for a Reason"?
14 June 2019
Learn why everything happens for a reason by separating cause from purpose. Discover how self drive and goal setting turn setbacks into planned success.
Continue Reading >What are the Qualities of a Professional Sales Person?
15 April 2019
Discover 10 essential sales person qualities that win trust and close deals: product knowledge, active listening, healthy drive, and training tips for growth.
Continue Reading >How to Get the Best From a Training Course
15 March 2019
Discover practical training course tips to get the most from training. Prepare with self-analysis, engage fully on the day and build a post-course action plan.
Continue Reading >How to Improve Self-Confidence
8 February 2019
Learn ten clear steps to improve self-confidence: positive self-talk, daily progress, smart goals and healthy habits build lasting belief in yourself daily.
Continue Reading >How to Develop Abilities and Talent
15 January 2019
Learn how to develop talent with sharp focus, clear theory, spaced memory drills and daily practice. Follow nine steps and turn hard work into expert skill.
Continue Reading >How can I Feel Better About Myself?
2 July 2018
Feel better about yourself with nine proven tips: set fair standards, groom, speak hope, live your morals, help others, eat well, move more and chase clearGoals
Continue Reading >Ways to Develop a Success-Orientated Mindset
1 June 2018
Learn how to build a success mindset by setting goals, thinking logically, adapting to change and working with others. Follow four simple steps to reach goals.
Continue Reading >How to Improve Yourself
18 May 2018
Learn a seven step personal development plan that sharpens skills, lifts energy, builds self belief, improves communication and wins the willing help of others.
Continue Reading >How to Make Progress
13 March 2018
Learn the progress mindset that turns failure into success. Get simple questions and tips to use setbacks as stepping stones and see opportunity in problems.
Continue Reading >How to Take Criticism
2 March 2018
Learn how to take criticism, spot the lesson not the insult, and turn every piece of feedback into clear action that builds confidence, skills and your career.
Continue Reading >How to Gain Confidence
27 February 2018
Learn how to gain confidence by swapping fear of rejection, failure or perfection for three thought shifts that boost self esteem and sharpen your performance.
Continue Reading >Great Minds Think Alike
6 February 2018
Discover what great minds share: the laws of logic. Learn simple steps to use logical reasoning and common sense to solve problems and gain brilliant results.
Continue Reading >Confidence Builder
23 January 2018
Learn how to build self confidence by choosing to step into every challenge, dodge caution traps and act with courage. Simple mindset shift, proven tips.
Continue Reading >Four Thinking Styles
19 December 2017
Discover four thinking styles-logic, imagination, memory and emotion-to improve thinking, sharpen memory and spark feelings for lasting personal development.
Continue Reading >How can We Continually Improve Our Results?
6 October 2017
Learn how continuous improvement boosts results by upgrading self, people and systems. Apply the SOS principle and a happy yet unsatisfied mindset for steady,me
Continue Reading >Social Inheritance
28 March 2017
Social inheritance hands you beliefs that set your limits. Learn to spot bias, drop it and build a fresh mind set that drives success and personal growth.
Continue Reading >Success is Simple
24 March 2017
Learn why success is simple: add value to customers, bosses and loved ones. Get clear tips, stats and quotes to boost business success and healthy ties.
Continue Reading >How to Improve your Productivity
6 December 2016
Learn how to improve productivity by setting clear goals, managing time, solving problems and keeping a positive mindset. Turn busy days into high value work.
Continue Reading >Don't Let Fear Stop You
29 November 2016
Discover science-backed tactics to overcome fear. Swap panic for focus with logic, gradual exposure, practice and vivid success images to boost performance.
Continue Reading >Personal Development: Wise Words From Jim Rohn
2 August 2016
Discover Jim Rohn wisdom on personal development and learn why success starts when you stop blaming others and take full responsibility for your growth.
Continue Reading >Get Better Every Day
6 May 2016
Learn how to get better every day with simple self improvement tips. Build good habits, learn from mistakes and see steady, long-term growth in five years.
Continue Reading >Fear can Cause Failure
11 March 2016
Stop letting fear of failure steal your chances. Learn five clear steps to prepare, copy winners and act when anxious so you perform at your best every day.
Continue Reading >Develop your Mind, Body and Spirit
4 March 2016
Self improvement starts within. Learn ways to sharpen logic, feed your body, and lift your mood so you can take charge and transform your life today for good.
Continue Reading >Seeking the Approval of Others
12 February 2016
Silence your fear of rejection, quit seeking social approval and measure progress against personal ideals. Simple steps build lasting self-esteem and calm focus
Continue Reading >Personal Development: the Power of Persistence
29 January 2016
Learn why persistence, clear goal setting and discipline beat quick fixes. Get steps to stay motivated, overcome setbacks and turn long-term aims into success.
Continue Reading >Develop your People Management Skills
15 January 2016
Learn the five people management skills: clear communication, persuasion, motivation, planning and appreciation. Engage staff and drive higher productivity.
Continue Reading >How can I Create Better Results?
11 December 2015
Learn how self control and personal discipline shape better results. Discover simple steps to guide thoughts, words and actions so you achieve goals and success
Continue Reading >Fantastic Quotes to Inspire You
3 November 2015
Discover personal development quotes that sharpen thinking, spark motivation and guide better decisions. Use them to train your mind and boost daily growth.
Continue Reading >Personal Development: Self-Image
27 October 2015
Discover why your self image directs every action. Get tips on good self talk, visualise success and use mental rehearsal to build self esteem and confidence.
Continue Reading >Striving After an Ideal
22 September 2015
Use personal development ideals to guide diet, career and lifestyle. Write goals, track progress and turn each ideal into daily action for lasting change.
Continue Reading >Five Ways to Manage your Own Emotions
17 July 2015
Learn five science-backed ways to manage emotions, cut anxiety and stop anger. Build self-responsibility through goals, study, exercise and present-moment focus
Continue Reading >The Business of Helping People
7 July 2015
Learn why the fastest way to succeed in business and life is to add value to others. Discover simple steps to build trust, keep customers and grow wealth.
Continue Reading >Soft Skills Training
8 May 2015Learn soft skills training essentials: clear communication, conflict management, strong body language and positive team motivation for better workplace results.
Continue Reading >What Skills Do I Need to Improve?
21 April 2015
Discover how to sharpen workplace skills-communication, writing, time management, memory and self confidence-to boost productivity and speed your career success
Continue Reading >How to be Even More Successful
17 February 2015
Learn how to be successful with clear goals, smart organisation and small daily changes. Our success tips show you how action beats hope and lifts results fast.
Continue Reading >Get Out of your Comfort Zone
6 February 2015
Staying in your comfort zone harms career growth. Discover practical self-improvement tips to embrace change, build adaptability skills, and thrive at work.
Continue Reading >Four Forces That Affect You
15 January 2015Discover how the four forces-self, others, nature and systems-steer your life and learn simple steps to control the first to gain sway over the rest today.
Continue Reading >A Can-Do Attitude
13 January 2015
Learn how a can-do attitude swaps doubt for progress, fuels focused thinking and draws in fresh support. Use steps to boost success at work and home today.
Continue Reading >Train your Brain to Focus on the Future
31 December 2014Learn how to train your brain to focus on the future with six daily goal setting questions. Boost optimism, cut stress and build personal happiness from today.
Continue Reading >Learn From your Mistakes
14 November 2014
Discover how to learn from mistakes, handle criticism and use failure as fuel for growth. Follow clear steps to turn negative feedback into lasting success.
Continue Reading >How can you Improve Self-Confidence?
24 July 2014
Learn how to build self confidence with three clear steps: gain knowledge, use positive self talk, and stop harmful comparison. Ready to act now? Start today.
Continue Reading >Three Ways to Improve your Personal Effectiveness
26 May 2014Discover 3 ways to boost personal effectiveness: gain specialised knowledge, turn learning into skill through practice, and build self-discipline fast.
Continue Reading >Personal Development Develop a Positive Attitude
17 January 2014
Discover how a positive attitude drives feelings, actions and results. Use simple daily steps to train your mind, build confidence and hit your goals fast.
Continue Reading >Personal Development - Self-Discipline
30 September 2013Learn why self-discipline sits at the heart of personal development. Turn knowledge into action, set clear goals and build habits that drive lasting success.
Continue Reading >Professional Development Training
12 September 2013Master critical thinking with 20 simple yet powerful questions that cut through fiction, reveal facts and guide smart decisions for faster professional growth.
Continue Reading >Habits of Highly Effective People - Planning Ahead
24 July 2013Planning ahead turns big goals into manageable tasks. Discover the magic question that breaks aims into subsets, avoids paralysis by analysis and sparks action
Continue Reading >A Good Training Needs Analysis
1 July 2013Discover the six habits that shape a success personality. Take our quick self assessment quiz, spot skill gaps and get clear steps to boost goals, time use and
Continue Reading >How to Create a Personal Development Plan
14 June 2013
Learn how a personal development plan boosts professional skills, goal setting and a proactive mindset. Follow a simple success formula to grow your career fast
Continue Reading >The Personal Development Programme (Pdp)
25 February 2013Build a personal development plan that raises workplace performance. Follow six steps: set goals, write a plan, learn skills, study experts, and act daily.
Continue Reading >How to Get the Best From Yourself - Personal Development Training
9 September 2012Learn self-mastery in five steps: determination, discipline, confidence, motivation and esteem. Boost work and life results with personal development training.
Continue Reading >Return to Work Job Interview Skills
12 January 2012Boost your return to work job interview skills. Learn how to manage words, tone and body signals, avoid common mistakes and prove value you add to employers.
Continue Reading >Blog Categories
Accelerated Learning (6)
Accelerated learning techniques are special methods of organising information, so that you can more rapidly memorise and more accurately recall it on demand. Accelerated learning also includes mind mapping and creative thinking techniques.
Assertiveness (5)
Assertiveness is a both a communication style and a mind-set which, when combined, allows a people to express their meaning using just the amount of forcefulness, in relation to their body language, voice tone and spoken language.
Change Management (16)
Change management training is how to use the fact of continuous change, to work FOR you, rather than against you. It is a fact that all improvement implies change, but many people hate change. Change management is about training people to love change as a means of making the future better.
Coaching, Mentoring and Developing Staff (10)
There is a pressing need to develop the next generation of leaders, managers and technical experts. One way to develop staff is through coaching and mentoring. To be an effective coach and mentor is not an easy skill to master. These blogs discuss the skills of coaching, mentoring and staff development.
Communication - Clear Communication (82)
One to the most important facets of communication is clarity. Whenever you write or speak, your words should denote only one possible meaning. If your words can be properly interpreted in multiple ways, then you are creating the conditions for confusion, error and misunderstanding. These blogs discuss the nature of clear communication.
Communication - Listening Skills (6)
Communication includes the ability to attend to, understand and memorise what people say to you. Effective Listening is an active, not a passive process. These bloggs discuss what it takes to be a good listener.
Communication - Nonverbal Communication (8)
Communication includes a large visual component. How you appear, as you speak, makes a big difference to how your message is received. These blogs are about how to best use your body language. (Eye contact, posture, dress, hand and arm gestures, etc.)
Communication - Persuasive Communication (41)
Persuasion is the art of convincing others that your ideas are good, right, fair and practical, and in addition, persuasion includes motivating people to put your ideas into action. Persuasion is a key communication skill that everyone should study. These blogs discuss how to be more persuasive.
Communication - Written Communication (5)
A part of your communication is in the written form. Writing well is a skill that most people do not study, though it is of immense importance. These blogs discuss how you might improve your written communication.
Conflict Management and Handling Difficult People (28)
Conflict is inevitable, and when it occurs, you need to resolve it quickly and efficiently. Conflict management (and handling difficult people) is about managing your communication and your emotions, so that you arrive at a negotiated solution as quickly as possible. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can best manage conflict.
Decision Making and Problem Solving (22)
Decision making is the skill of selecting the best option from many options. And problem solving is the skill at determining the causes and implications of a problem and finding efficient remedies. This series of blogs discusses the elements of effective decision making and problem solving.
Goal Setting (9)
Success is the achievement of a worthwhile goal. And therefore, the first step to achieving a goal is to set it. Goal setting is the starting point of all achievement and is one of the most important topics you could study. This series of blogs discuss the elements of goal setting.
Leadership and Management (153)
Leadership is the art of setting a clear goal and inspiring others to achieve it. Management is the art of organising resources so as to most efficiently achieve that goal. This series of blogs discuss the details of leadership and management.
Mental Health (12)
Mental health is the skill of managing your own mind so as to achieve mental stability and a high degree of rationality. Mental ill health is the opposite, mental instability and irrational actions. This series of blogs, discusses how you might manage your mind.
Motivation (35)
Motivation is an emotion that induces action. Without motivation, nobody would achieve anything of value. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can motivate yourself and others.
Other (45)
Whilst interesting and informative in their own right, these blogs don't fit into a category.
People Management (13)
People management is a combination of skills including goal setting, communication, planning, handling conflict and motivation skills. This series of blogs discusses people management skills.
Personal Development (75)
The best investment you can make is in your own personal development. If you develop your skills, knowledge and experience, then you will maximise your potential to produce excellent results. This series of blogs looks at the details of personal development.
Personal Effectiveness (87)
You are not paid for how hard you work; you are paid for your effectiveness. It is possible to improve your effectiveness and get more valuable work done in less time and effort. This series of blogs discusses how you might improve your personal effectiveness and therefore speed up your rate of progress.
Positive Thinking (9)
The quality of your results is based upon the quality of your actions. And your actions are controlled by your thoughts. To simultaneously improve both your material results and your mental health, it is vital to develop the skills of positive thinking.
Stress Management (4)
Stress can be both good for you and bad for you. Good Stress triggers improvement. Bad stress grinds you down. Stress management is about using stress to help you to improve, and to avoid the negative effects of too much stress. These blogs discuss the various aspects of stress management.
Supervisory Management Skills (4)
Supervisory management skills are a combination of five major skill sets, setting goals, communication skills, planning, performance management and motivation. These blogs discuss the details of supervisory management skills.
Team Leadership (7)
For the most part, we all work in teams. Leading the team effectively can make all the difference to the performance of the team, as a whole. This series of blogs discuss the details of team leadership.
Teamwork (20)
Teams are often composed of people who have very different personalities and skills. In order to perform well, the members of the team must work well together and play to each other’s strengths. This series of blogs covers the importance of team work skills.
Time Management (17)
Time management is about prioritising, planning, organising and delegating, so that, at any moment, you are always adding the most value, and setting the conditions for your future success. This series of blogs investigates how you might better manage your time.