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The positive bias to action within personal growth April 10, 2014

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Concept of personal development, Goal Setting and Realization.
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One of the criticisms sometimes made against the personal growth and development movement is that its practitioners are idle dreamers who “think” more than they “do.”

From what I have seen, however, believers in the enabling potential of personal development realize this and proactively put this concept into practice on a daily basis in a number of ways:

  • Believers are introspective and actively think about their behaviours and attitudes and look for ways to improve their lives and the lives of those around them
  • Those using disciplines such as The Law of Attraction and the Power of Intentions usually recognize that action steps are also required for success
  • They set goals and keep track of their progress
  • They often make comprehensive plans for their programs and map out plans for achieving success
  • As part of their overall efforts they recognize that “Knowing where to get knowledge and how to make the best use of knowledge is part of the self-help skill.”

In his book Handbook for the Positive Revolution, Edward de Bono makes the following point:

“Instead of just hoping that tomorrow will be better than today, we can do something today that will make us a little better when we wake up tomorrow than we were yesterday.” *

Believers in self help do are “doers”; instead of just “hoping” that tomorrow will be better, believers  take steps to try to make something positive happen.

Further Reading *

Edward de Bono, Handbook for the Positive Revolution, Viking Penguin, New York, 1992, 176 pages

 

“Today is a better day”: A goal for personal growth April 9, 2014

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Concept of personal development, Goal Setting and Realization.
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In his book, Handbook for the Positive Revolution, Edward de Bono sets a goal for people working on a program for implementing their particular concept of personal development.

In discussing self-improvement as part of his “positive revolution”, de Bono suggests that we each have a new greeting when we meet people.

Instead of the usual “How are you?” he suggests we say instead, “Today is a better day.”

De Bono’s reasoning is that “…whoever you are talking to is one day older than yesterday and as we should all be improving with each day we live, then today that person is better than he or she was yesterday.”

He adds that self-improvement is a day-by-day, slow process and needs to be there all the time.

De Bono says that self-improvement can take place in any of four directions:

(1) Developing positive attitudes, habits and skills.
(2) Reducing the domination of bad habits and attitudes
(3) Getting better at whatever it is (work, job, task) that you are doing
(4) Acquiring specific new skills

An interesting idea and worth considering as part of realizing our personal development potential.

Further reading:

Edward de Bono, Handbook for the Positive Revolution, Viking Penguin, New York, 1992, 176 pages