Making a Habit of Personal Development

Making a Habit of Personal Development


It can be a rather amusing task to sit back and analyze some of the
daily rituals we perform, often without giving any conscious
thought. I believe this is a good thing because we would accomplish
very little if we had to stop and think about every task we perform.


Just today, I was making the short drive from my home to the
library where I do most of my writing, when I noticed I had been
completely engrossed in thoughts about the book I am writing. I had
to look in the back seat to check if I even brought my laptop and
writing materials. I then became aware of all of the other things
that had to take place just to make this short trip.


Among other things, I had to put on my shoes, put on my jacket,
walk from the house to the car, unlock the car with the keyless
entry, place my bag in the back seat, sit in the driver's seat,
fasten my seatbelt, start the car, and so on. The entire time this
was happening, my thoughts were directed towards my task for the
day.


This got me thinking about some of the other habit patterns in our
life that we consciously decide to do without really asking
ourselves if the task is really the most important thing on our
list.


For example, many people choose to watch a number of hours of
television each day. I personally know people who spend an unusual
amount of time daily cleaning their home or randomly browsing the
internet. The point I am trying to make is that most of us can
probably uncover at least one hour of time each day that we give to
meaningless tasks.


The interesting thing is, if you ask most people if they are happy
with all of the results in their life, the truthful answer is often
no.


My goal is to encourage people to dedicate some time every single
day to personal reflection and self development. If you are unhappy
with a certain situation, you have the ability to change your
thinking, and ultimately your behavior, so that you can improve
that particular circumstance.


Instead of watching a daytime drama or indulging in excessive
dusting and mopping, you might want to consider picking up a book
or audio program that forces you to examine your results.


From my personal experience, this simple action produces an
internal reaction. Because you are examining your own personal
results, you quickly realize that you are the only one who can
change them.


Unfortunately, in our society today, people are fixated on
producing immediate results and having tangible evidence in their
hands the minute they ask for something. With personal development,
the true benefits can only be realized when we incorporate the
ideas into a habit.


Think about it this way. If you were to make a firm commitment to
read or listen to personal development educational programs for
even 30 minutes a day for the next two weeks, what kind of positive
impact could this have on your life? What if you did it for two
months?


Similar to unconscious activities such as getting dressed or
brushing your teeth, you would start to create a new habit and
become the kind of person who automatically takes action on ideas
that move you in the direction of improved results.


From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that this kind
of self study works. It really is a never ending process because it
is part of our nature to grow, expand and develop and ultimately,
it provides an excellent opportunity to make positive life changes.


As you become more involved in personal development, you will start
to notice areas of your life that are working well and other areas
that require improvement. This kind of education will help you
harness ideas that will improve your results while at the same
time, overcome all of the inhibitors standing in the way of you
achieving your aim!


A common question I hear is, "Where do I start?"


There are so many good authors, philosophies and ideas on this
topic that you can never really say which style will work. The best
advice I have ever received from this perspective is to study and
learn from those who are producing results that you would like in
your life. It's a pretty basic lesson but a very important one.


Seek out the people who have already achieved what you would like
to achieve and learn from them. Success often leaves clues and it
is up to you to find those clues and act on them. With a daily
commitment to personal improvement, you will quickly become a
master detective you will transform each clue into a tangible
action that will lead to a more fulfilled life.