A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Thursday September 3, 2009
It's been really amazing these past two weeks as we've been focusing on the theme of "personal development" and how some have been reacting to it in these times. I've discovered that not everyone really understands what it is. Let's have a closer look at it.
Personal: concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality; "a personal favor"; "for your personal use"; "personal papers"; "personal development"; etc.
Development: the act of developing or disclosing that which is unknown; a gradual unfolding process by which anything is developed, as a plan or method, or an image upon a photographic plate; gradual advancement or growth through a series of progressive changes; also, the result of developing, or a developed state.
The "development" part is pretty clear, but it seems many folks need to be clearer on the fact that "personal" also means: you, self, individual, one, alone, private, single, distinctive, one's own, separate, not overlapping, etc. Yes, it's now very clear that the responsibility for our "personal development" lies entire with the person that is looking back at us when we face our mirror.
I hope this helps clear it up even more.
Now, with the above in mind, let me introduce another new contributor as he also lays out the fact that....
Have you ever held back on doing something because you were afraid of failure? Most people have! Let’s face it; no one likes to fail. None of us likes to feel like we’re ineffective, weak or lacking in any way, and that’s exactly how failure makes us feel.
However, you may be surprised to know that failure doesn’t exist – until YOU say it does. In the dictionary, failure has several definitions: 1) a failing to do or perform 2) a state of inability to perform a normal function adequately 3) a fracturing or giving way under stress 4) a lack of success. Look carefully at those definitions and you’ll probably realize they have one thing in common when it comes to goal achievement: failure is a PERCEPTION. If you believe you have failed, then you have. If you believe you don’t have the ability to succeed, then you don’t. If you believe you can’t handle the pressure of achieving your goals, you can’t. If you believe you’re not successful, you aren’t. Failure only exists in your own mind! The moment you decide to give up or stop working toward your goals, failure is born. But what if you never do that? What if you continue working toward your goals, one step at a time for as long as it takes? There’s no failure then, is there? This insight should be very encouraging if you’ve been working toward goals and not yet seeing positive results. Simply keep going and you cannot fail! Here are three tips to help you stay strong and focused on your goals: 1) Never give yourself an out. Most people do this without even realizing it. They are willing to work hard on achieving their goals, until the going gets too rough or their motivation dwindles. Don’t do that! Commit to making your goals happen, no matter what! Never quit, never contemplate admitting failure, and never lose your inner determination. 2) Don’t get hooked on a specific timeframe for completion. It’s okay to set a general timeline, but be aware that some circumstances will be beyond your control, so you can’t say for sure when your goal will be achieved. If you do that, you’re just setting yourself up for failure! Instead, get a general idea of when you’d like your goal to be completed, but then take it a day at a time and focus on making progress, not reaching the finish line in as little time as possible. 3) Finally, be sure that you don’t view obstacles and setbacks as failures. The two are completely different. An obstacle, setback or delay means only one thing: it’s not time for your goal to be completed yet. That’s it! It doesn’t mean you failed; it doesn’t mean you’re weak; it doesn’t mean you’ll never achieve your goals. It simply means you’re not done yet. You’ve got to keep moving forward and find a way around or through the obstacle. Iain Legg is the co-founder of Real Mind Power Secrets
Development: the act of developing or disclosing that which is unknown; a gradual unfolding process by which anything is developed, as a plan or method, or an image upon a photographic plate; gradual advancement or growth through a series of progressive changes; also, the result of developing, or a developed state.
The "development" part is pretty clear, but it seems many folks need to be clearer on the fact that "personal" also means: you, self, individual, one, alone, private, single, distinctive, one's own, separate, not overlapping, etc. Yes, it's now very clear that the responsibility for our "personal development" lies entire with the person that is looking back at us when we face our mirror.
I hope this helps clear it up even more.
Now, with the above in mind, let me introduce another new contributor as he also lays out the fact that....
There's No Such Thing As Failure
by Iain Legg
by Iain Legg
Have you ever held back on doing something because you were afraid of failure? Most people have! Let’s face it; no one likes to fail. None of us likes to feel like we’re ineffective, weak or lacking in any way, and that’s exactly how failure makes us feel.
However, you may be surprised to know that failure doesn’t exist – until YOU say it does. In the dictionary, failure has several definitions: 1) a failing to do or perform 2) a state of inability to perform a normal function adequately 3) a fracturing or giving way under stress 4) a lack of success. Look carefully at those definitions and you’ll probably realize they have one thing in common when it comes to goal achievement: failure is a PERCEPTION. If you believe you have failed, then you have. If you believe you don’t have the ability to succeed, then you don’t. If you believe you can’t handle the pressure of achieving your goals, you can’t. If you believe you’re not successful, you aren’t. Failure only exists in your own mind! The moment you decide to give up or stop working toward your goals, failure is born. But what if you never do that? What if you continue working toward your goals, one step at a time for as long as it takes? There’s no failure then, is there? This insight should be very encouraging if you’ve been working toward goals and not yet seeing positive results. Simply keep going and you cannot fail! Here are three tips to help you stay strong and focused on your goals: 1) Never give yourself an out. Most people do this without even realizing it. They are willing to work hard on achieving their goals, until the going gets too rough or their motivation dwindles. Don’t do that! Commit to making your goals happen, no matter what! Never quit, never contemplate admitting failure, and never lose your inner determination. 2) Don’t get hooked on a specific timeframe for completion. It’s okay to set a general timeline, but be aware that some circumstances will be beyond your control, so you can’t say for sure when your goal will be achieved. If you do that, you’re just setting yourself up for failure! Instead, get a general idea of when you’d like your goal to be completed, but then take it a day at a time and focus on making progress, not reaching the finish line in as little time as possible. 3) Finally, be sure that you don’t view obstacles and setbacks as failures. The two are completely different. An obstacle, setback or delay means only one thing: it’s not time for your goal to be completed yet. That’s it! It doesn’t mean you failed; it doesn’t mean you’re weak; it doesn’t mean you’ll never achieve your goals. It simply means you’re not done yet. You’ve got to keep moving forward and find a way around or through the obstacle. Iain Legg is the co-founder of Real Mind Power Secrets
1 comment:
Hi Ian-
Very informative aricle on personal developmnent and goal setting re. failure...
I've been providing strategic planning/goal setting for private industry and individuals for over 10 years now, and the thing that stands out in my minds eye from experience are really two issues:
a) People do not know what their goals and dreams are in life AND..
b) People don't believe they will ever acheive their passions in life (failure which you touched upon in the article...)
Because of this, several years ago I came up with the ICPRA goal setting model (Idealize, Conceptualize, Prioritize, Realize, and Actualize), which I believe helps moves people through the entire "goal-setting" process that one goes through when developing and acting upon their goals.
As you know, there is no perfect plan or system that works for "all" people-but this is the approach that I am currently using which helps people understand the process of goal setting before they start Doing and Beleiving they will actually SUCCEED with their goals..
All the best-
"The only Unfulfilled Goals in Your Life are the Ones you Never Attempt"
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