600 Personal Development Exercises
do one a day - every day!
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CLICK AND COLLECT Sometimes we can act like a tortoise moving very slowly step-by-step, sometimes making progress, and sometimes standing still. But what if we were a seagull kicking off from a standing start, zooming at great pace , covering vast distances, deciding where to land and then mmediately placing ourselves there? Let's re-design our delivery. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is your starting point? 2. Where do you want to get to? 3. Now think like a seagull - and create a new route.... Day 38 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
AMBITION The main task that you’re working on at the moment is really a small thing. Beyond this there is a larger task that you are easily capable of. Just think for a moment what is this larger task? For this is what you should be doing. This should be your focus. And beyond this larger task is a greater task one of real significance, that you are easily capable of. Just think for a moment what is this greater task? For this is what you should be doing. This should be your focus. And beyond this greater task is the greatest task where all of your effort should be, that you are easily capable of. Just think for a moment what is the greatest task? For this is what you should be doing. This should be your focus. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is the key task that you are working on now? 2. What is the 'larger task', the 'greater task' beyond this and the 'greatest task'? 3. What is the level of your ambition? Day 37 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
DE-CLUTTER Clear out your office. Empty your cabinets and get rid of your old papers. Close the door behind you. We don't have to continue doing what we've always done. We don't have to carry all of our imperfect past with us We can dispose of our papers and separate out what we no longer need. We can start afresh from wherever we are. Unburden yourself from your past. Leave boxes and bags behind. Take only that which gives you joy, peace and happiness. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Are you ready to clear out 'your office'? What do you no longer need to hold onto? 2. What is it that give you joy, peace and happiness? 3. What does your 'fresh start' look like? Day 36 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
CONTRIBUTION If we are not different we are just more of the same. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. We are different to others and we all have a different contribution to make. What is your contribution? 2. Our future life is not just ‘more of the same’. It is not just extending what has happened up to now. How will you be different? Day 35 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
MEDITATION MASTERCLASS And when nothing happens, nothing seems to work and there is no conversation, then recognise that this is about just sitting and just being. There is no need for productivity. There is no need for thought. There is no need for inspiration. Just sit with no expectation. Just relax. Just be in that moment. For our failure to meditate or reflect or pray or even sit, takes us closer to our greatest success. When the world wants to drag us back, stay with the failure. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Create some 'me time' and just sit on your own with no thoughts and no expectations. 2. Write down what happens - and remember there is no such thing as 'failure' or 'this doesn't work for me' . 3. Rinse and repeat this process when you can. Day 34 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
ASSIMILATION EFFECT My perfect day is made up of hundreds of imperfect moments. Each one is amazing and magical and yet not perfect. You see, this day isn’t just a collection of hundreds of imperfect moments but rather a unique composition that makes today perfect. It’s a realisation and an understanding that goes beyond the individual pieces of each day and pulls together a picture that is perfection in itself. I go beyond a ‘sum of the parts’ valuation. I look beyond the moments and activities and realise just what is happening with me, within me and around me. Perfect happiness exists in each of us in all of those imperfect, day to day interactions and unique moments that characterise who and what we are. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Write down some of the imperfect moments of your day - taking today or yesterday as your case study. Why was each of these moments imperfect? 2. Now, 'flip' each of these and ask what was the 'unique moment' in each interaction or activity for you? 3. How do you look back on this day in its entirety? Day 33 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
GIVE AND TAKE In the world of want I strive for more. More income, a bigger house or a better job. Recognition, popularity or a sense of importance. In the world of plenty I have more than I need. From this place I can reach out to you, free to share all that I have and all that I am. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. List 5 times or situations when you have been in the world of more. 2. List 5 times or situations when you have been in the world of plenty. 3. What do these 10 points tell you about yourself? Day 32 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
NEEDS ANALYSIS Sometimes there is no need to think no need to speak no need to act. Sometimes we just need to stop just need to sit just need to be. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Find a quiet place with no distractions. Sit down and relax. Try and empty you brain of all thoughts. Deliberately leave a space of nothingness. Keep coming back to this emptiness. Just be. 2. At the finish time, write down what happened and what you've learned. 3. Repeat the above process every day for five days. Day 31 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
INCLUSION Inclusion is made real through the rain watering all of our crops wherever they may be. No preconditions, no preferences, reliably and consistently. Inclusion is made real through the sunshine warming all of us wherever we may be. No preconditions, no preferences, reliably and consistently. Inclusion is made real through each of us reaching out to others wherever they may be. No preconditions, no preferences, reliably and consistently. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Does you inclusion policy at work focus on everyone or only on certain categories of people? How might you begin to change this? 2. At a personal level, who are you reaching out to? Day 30 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
STOCKTAKE My display until date is Thursday My best before date is Friday My use by date is Saturday My recycling date is Sunday When should I take stock? PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What are you including in your next personal Stocktake? 2. What are you counting and measuring? 3. How often do you need to Stocktake? Day 29 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
KEY WORKER Are you looking for more clients, slowly building your email list or trying to learn online marketing? Are you promoting yourself or your business on Facebook or Instagram and doing all the 'stuff' you hear so much about on the internet? Are you being sucked into apps and websites that promise amazing opportunities but cost you money? Have you been on training courses or webinars that always end up selling to you? You can spend a fortune on other peoples’ products trying to earn more money and build your future. You can waste your precious time chasing activities and learning the latest things that just don’t count. Do what you should be doing. Follow your own path and use your skills to help others. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How would you describe your path? 2. How can you use your skills and experience in more ways and in new ways to help others? Day 28 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
MULTI-FAITH You do not need to have faith to fulfil your purpose. You do not need to have any religion to fulfil your purpose. Your purpose is love. For love is our faith and our religion. Unique in each of us, in all that we are and all that we are here to do. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Write down your personal definitions for each of the following three words - faith, religion and love. Day 27 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
OUTSIDE CATERING The boss and employee relationship is deeply flawed. It is not a true construct for it restricts both parties. We can only bring a fixed menu to the job table. And it’s the same meals every day in every workplace. We all leave behind kitchens full of food, unused equipment and books of recipes, unopened.. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. List all of the skills, experience, interests and knowledge that you leave at home when you go to work. 2. What new 'recipe' might you create today? 3. How will you build your 'Outside Catering' business? Day 26 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
OPERATING SYSTEM Spirituality is not something airy-fairy. It is simply the way that we give meaning to all that we are and all that we do. It is the fabric of who we are. Spiritually isn’t outside of us or detached from us. It is our operating system silently working away. PERSONAL DEVERLOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How would you define your Operating System? 2. What keeps you going? 3. How often do you check on it, service it or update your Operating System? Day 25 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SWOT ANALYSIS 'The Hide Away Pub'. Can you turn your greatest perceived weakness into your biggest asset? PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. What is you greatest perceived limitation (weakness) at the moment? List 5 possible ways to get over, around or through this. Day 24 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
LEAP YEAR The core personal development question is ‘what am I really capable of?’ And the answer is not just about business or work or money. It’s about who we are and looking beyond our perceived limitations. It’s about growing into our capacity even if we cannot perceive it fully. This is the search for something we never thought we would look at even though deep down we know we have the potential. This is the leapfrog. It’s not linear or cumulative or predictable. It’s about us leaving our lily pad and just going. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What are you really capable of? 2. What have you never thought you could do? 3. What does your new lily pad look like? Day 23 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
FREE RANGE We are trapped like chickens snatching at all in front of us. We are going nowhere fast. doing more of the same in our cage, just like everyone else. The tiny baby is asleep in her cot. Snug as a bug in a rug. Content and happy. Watched over by her mother and father, and has not a care in the world. Let us step out of our cage with the mindset of a child and just be ourselves. To trust in love and sleep in peace. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is a free range human? 2. What will be different for us when we escape from our lockdown? Day 22 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
BATTERY LIFE Each morning without fail the sun rises on the horizon. Slowly emerging into full view so bright that I cannot look for long. Each morning without fail the sun rises on the horizon whatever the circumstances whatever I’m doing. Each morning without fail the sun rises on the horizon. Before I was here and after I am gone the sun rises on the horizon. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Make a plan to sit and watch a sunrise. Take a notebook with you.... Day 21 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
EASTER SUNDAY The front door will open soon and we shall walk out with gratitude and joy. Off for a coffee. To meet up with friends, to be together and laugh again. The front door will open soon and we shall walk out with gratitude and joy. Remembering all. To a different life, a better way and our new beginning. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. When Covid-19 has passed what will be your gratitude and joy? 2. What will be your new beginning? Day 20 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
WAITING ROOM It’s a strange place. Sitting alone in this waiting room wondering what time the train will arrive, indeed if it will arrive and if it will stop here. I am stuck here, helpless between Good Friday and Easter Sunday on this silent Saturday, sitting and waiting. Between death and life. Between this world and eternity. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE Waiting rooms are interesting places. They hold us for a time between where we were and where we are going. 1. Where are you on your journey? 2. What are you waiting on at this moment? (This was written on Holy Saturday (between Good Friday and Easter Sunday) Day 19 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
DIVERSIFYING Networking with flowers. Growing rainbows. Building waves. Talking to carrots. Waiting on seahorses. Holding time. Investing in mornings. Collecting clouds. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Can you escape from your normal thinking and behaviour? 2. Can you create totally out of the box concepts that bring you into a new space? Day 18 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
PHOTOCOPYING To make money just copy someone else's product or business. I'm sure you can make it cheaper or improve it. Add a new feature, make it faster, quicker acting or longer lasting. To change lives and change the world, create your own solution. Are you still photocopying? PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How much of what you do is photocopying? 2. What is your idea to make things better in our world or to help others? What's the first step? Day 17 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
MENTAL HEALTH The fog arrived. Stopped all traffic in and out. The internal systems couldn’t function. Stuck in neutral. Life goes on. Maintenance tasks get done. Nothing else. All communication has ceased. Nothing is there. The fog usually disperses in a day. This is taking longer. Two days on all is gridlocked. Maybe tomorrow. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is your fog? 2. What impact does it have on you? 3. When and how does your fog clear? Day 16 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SCIENCE BASED My three-year-old granddaughter explained to me that the glass isn’t half full or half empty. It’s all full. Half full of water and half full of air. Sometimes we don’t see the full picture. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What's in your glass? 2. What are the visible and invisible parts of your life? Day 15 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
LOCKDOWN Peter May wrote a book in 2005 called Lockdown. It was rejected by publishers for being ‘extremely unrealistic and unreasonable’. For fifteen years his story about a virus transforming all our lives could not be imagined. And then, a week ago Lockdown was finally published. So how do we imagine the next fifteen years for our lives, for our family, for starving children, for our planet, for society and for peace? For Lockdown is more than a book or a state of social isolation. Lockdown is our freedom to create the ‘extremely unrealistic and unreasonable’. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What's the 'extremely unrealistic and unreasonable' future that you would like to see unfold? 2. Write down your story... please! Day 14 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
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