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How to Get the Best From Yourself - Personal Development Training

How to get the best from yourself - Personal development training

How to get the best from yourself

Both in your work life and in your home life, you need to get the best from the others around you.
In order to get the best from others, you must first learn to get the best from yourself.
Before you can hope to teach, inspire and motivate others, you must first learn how to teach, motivate and inspire yourself!
You must achieve a certain level of self-mastery.

Self-mastery

Self-mastery is the lifelong quest to understand and direct your own mind, body and spirit.

If you can learn to control yourself, then you can control circumstances and the environment.
If you cannot learn to control yourself, then you will be controlled by the circumstances and the environment.

Self-mastery is the ultimate leadership challenge

Self-mastery consists of the following subset categories:

  1. Self-determination
  2. Self-discipline
  3. Self-confidence
  4. Self-motivation
  5. Self-esteem

Let us look at each one in turn

1. Self-determination

Self-determination is based on the belief that you are the main cause of how your life progresses.
Self-determination is the belief that you are "the captain of your own ship, the master of your own destiny".

"Self-determination" is to be contrasted to "Determinism".

Determinism is the opposite belief: the belief that you are NOT the main cause of how your life progresses: that you are the victim of circumstances and a product of your social environment.

Today, too many people subscribe to "Determinism": you can hear them say:

"I can't help the way I am. I blame my parents. They were not good role models.
I blame the government: they have never given me a job.
I blame my school teachers: they were too boring. So I didn't pay any attention in school.
I blame my negative relatives: they would never lend me money
I blame my friends: they lead me astray with their bad habits".

On the other hand....

Self-determined people take full responsibility

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A self-determined person takes full responsibility for his-her own progress.

Self-determined people say to themselves: "No matter what: I am responsible"

  1. I am responsible for my own results
  2. I am responsible for my own education
  3. I am responsible for creating my own opportunities

Some people who are self-determined have the following letters inscribed on their brain: T.T.R.

T.T.R. Stands for "Take Total Responsibility"

Here is the advice we offer:

"Take Total Responsibility"
Be a self-determined individual.

2. Self-discipline

Since the 1960's hippy age, the concept of self-discipline has fallen out of favour.
Self-discipline is the idea that you should hold yourself to a higher standard of effort; even on the days that you don't feel like it.
Self-discipline is recognition of the fact that many of the things that are good are not pleasurable.
And that many things that are pleasurable are not good.

Self-discipline means doing only those things that are GOOD even if they are not pleasurable: i.e. homework, practice, preparation, exercises, planning ahead.
Self-discipline means NOT doing things that are BAD, even if they are pleasurable: i.e. drugs, speeding, cream cakes and too much booze.
Self-discipline is the master key to success

Lack of Self-discipline (L.S.D.) is the master key to failure.
Engage your "self-discipline" and leave it switched on - forever.

3. Self-confidence

Self-confidence is a positive emotion that is based on the belief that you are born with sufficient potential and native ability to solve the problems that face you.
Lack of self-confidence is the negative emotion based on the belief that you were born without sufficient potential and insufficient native ability;
i.e. that you were born "not good enough".

To those people who lack self-confidence, we ask you to consider the following:
Everyone has more potential inside them, than they are currently using.
Nobody ever has ever used ALL their genetic potential: not even Mr Einstein or Mr Newton
So stop fretting over that supposed "lack of potential".
You have only used a tiny fraction of the potential that is already inside you! (I estimate that you have used only 13% of your potential and so 87% is left untouched, ready for you to use.)

Look inside yourself and you will find plenty of pulsating, untapped potential. You know that is possible for you to:

  • Learn more facts than you currently know
  • Read more books than you currently read
  • Study more information than you currently study
  • Practice more skills than you currently practice
  • Prepare more plans than you currently plan

If you doubled the amount of learning, reading, studying, practising, preparing and planning, then you would find yourself miraculously feeling more self-confident.

The above method works for everyone. There has never been a single exception to this rule.

Why is that? Because confidence comes from competence.
If you are more competent, then you feel more confident.

4. Self-motivation

Self-motivation is a positive emotion that is derived from having committed to a worthwhile goal.
Motivation requires a motive.

A motive is "a definite goal"

Therefore motivation requires a definite goal.
Yet many people shy away from committing to a definite goal.
They are afraid that, if they set a goal and then fail to achieve it, then they feel they will have failed.
For fear of failure they evade the need to set goals, and in so doing, they suffer ultimate failure by not even entering the contest.
They remain passive spectators their whole lives. How sad.
Don't be a passive spectator.
Set worthwhile goals.
Only a worthwhile goal can be the source of your self-motivation.

5. Self-esteem

Self-esteem is the emotional response to the fact that you have taken the previous steps and have succeeded in developing determination, discipline, confidence and goal directed self-motivation.
Anyone who has practised these aspects of self-mastery will feel a sense of self-esteem and personal pride. They have finally "grown- up".
They realise they are a "fully functioning, adult human being".

As Aristotle might have said, you are: "The fully actualised, rational-animal".
A person who has low self-esteem feels the exact opposite.
They feel that they are still, in some ways, incomplete and not fully developed:
They feel that they are in need of protection from the realities of life.

Develop your sense of "rational self-esteem".
And do it as quickly as possible:
As quickly as possible, strive to become a "Fully actualised, rational-mind"

For more information about personal development training courses visit the Corporate Coach Group website

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About the Author: Chris Farmer

Chris

Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years’ experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.

Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.

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Further Reading in Personal Development

  • Why You Need Philosophy
    As a manager you need to be able to understand why people act in a particular way and what motivates them. Psychology is often used to analyse people, however, philosophy has an important role to play in understanding human behaviour.
    Read Article >
  • Why Free Online Management Courses Won't Get You the Results You Need
    Discover why free online management courses fall short in providing essential leadership skills. Learn about the qualities every successful leader needs and why investing in professional training, is crucial for achieving results.
    Read Article >
  • A Simple Trick to Help You Develop More Self-Discipline
    Self-discipline is doing what needs doing, even if you don’t feel like doing it. Self-discipline is one of the keys to reaching your full potential. Here is a simple way to help you develop more self-discipline, and help you to achieve your goals.
    Read Article >
  • Personal Development: Self-Image
    Your self-image is very important. Everything you ever say, and everything you ever do, is governed by your self-image. Developing a strong self-image is important.
    Read Article >
  • How Can I Create Better Results?
    Everyone wants their lives to be better, in the sense of enjoying better results. So what is it that determines the quality of results?
    Read Article >

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