600 Personal Development Exercises
do one a day - every day!
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THE INCLUSION PRAYER I always pray for everyone in the world. ‘Please help everyone’ It's an easy prayer! It’s not that I’m lazy. It’s just that I know that for all to be well, we all need to be well. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What's your Prayer? Day 433 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION The great transformation of your life is about to begin. You will see things in a different way. You will think about things in a different way. You will relate to others in a different way. And there are no words to describe this transformation. For all words limit, and reduce what you are about to become. Your transformation has begun. Hold the seed gently. Be quiet. Walk slowly. Give this process a chance to take root in your busy brain, and predictable life. For you will never think the same again. You will never act the same again. You will never be the same again. Today you have received the invitation of all invitations. Begin to get ready. Clear the decks. Be willing to grow. For everything you do from now on, will speak to you of transformation. The words you hear will be of encouragement for your transformation. The people you meet will be the helpers for your transformation And every day will give you the next stage, the next piece, and the next step forward in your transformation. You have nothing to do but to be ready, to be open, and to say yes each day, to your great transformation. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How can you begin, in this moment, your Great Transformation? Day 432 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
TIME PLAY Time Play is a personal development application, when we recall an event or a time from our past, and place it in the present. Something from ten years ago for example, becomes relevant now. The process gives us a more complete picture of our life and a broader context of what was going on at that time. Time Play also offers us fresh insights on our current situation. Places, people, relationships and activities from our past, are present with us today. All become re-discovered, re-created and re-positioned. Our past and present are one. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Try the Time Play application. Recall a significant event from your past. 2. Place this in the current context. 3. What does this suggest for your view of the past, for your present and for your life as a whole. Day 431 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
THE GOD WORD God is everything and yet, nothing. God is what we know and what we don’t know. God is what we believe and what we don’t believe. God is the word that is beyond and within all words. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. When did you last use the God word? 2. How might you break free of outdated concepts and allow the God word to open up new possibilities for you ? Day 430 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
PET PROJECT I dropped off my car as usual, at my local garage for its service. Yaz and the boys always look after me. I asked Yaz about his red TR5 that still sits aloft, overlooking us all, covered in a dust sheet. It’s Yaz’s pet refurbishment project. I get a similar response every year when I ask ‘How’s the TR5 coming along?’ ‘Too busy mate. Too much to do.’ He sighs. I know how much Yaz loves that bright red iconic car... Sometimes we are all too busy to focus on our pet project. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is your Pet Project? 2. What is the dream that you would still love to see happen? Day 429 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP We all behave differently in different situations, and with different people. We are not the same person at work, as we are at home. It’s like when we play cards. We respond to the hand that we are faced with. We adapt to situations, the culture, the key factors, and the expectations of others. But what do we do, when their values do not align with ours? What do we do, when we disagree with what is said, or expected of us? Do we twist or stick? PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. When do you stick - i.e., go along with what is happening? 2. When do you twist - i.e., say this is not the way that you work, or what you agree with? Day 428 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SPEAKING WITHOUT WORDS When my dad was getting older, we used to meet up every few days, for a coffee in the local café. He didn’t have much news for me, and I’m not sure that my updates were really that riveting for him! But we read the papers together, commented on the football, and both knew that we didn’t need to talk. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. When and where do you speak without words? 2. Who is with you? Day 427 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SPIRITUAL DUALITY Spirituality talks of exploring and developing an understanding, of the duality of human nature. The focus of this can be known as God, or Love, or simply the Ultimate Reality of everything. For all are one and the same. Our Spirituality asks how can we experience God in times of need, or in everyday events, or with others? But spirituality is also about us in the presence of God’s life. How can we be with him beyond all that we are? This is about us going to his place and not just him coming to us. These two sets of experiences and learning, are not separate or parallel, but are entwined. This is the duality of human existence. The two paths are one. For every road enables us to go, and to come back from our destination. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. What is the focus of your Duality? 2. Is your journey to be with God, or Love, or the Ultimate Reality of everything? Day 426 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
WILDFIRES AT PENTECOST Let us each be the protector for the spark of love, that is in all of us. Let us each be the fuel for the flame of love, growing in each of us. Let us each burn brightly as wildfires of love, consuming all of us together. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. Have you the spark of Love within you? 2. Can you help to fuel the flame of Love within you? 3. Can we become wildfires of Love together? Day 425 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
UNITY AND UNIFORMITY Uniformity is where we want and require everyone to be the same. To wear the same shirt. Unity is where we actively encourage everyone to come together. In their own clothes. Uniformity puts us all into a box created by others. Unity allow us to bring our own box. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. How do you bring people together? 2. What team are you seeking to build at the moment? 3. How might you incorporate Unity and Uniformity together? Day 424 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
IDENTITY VERIFICATION If you define yourself as a teacher, what do you share? Who do you help? If you define yourself as a leader, what cause do you champion? Who do you help? If you define yourself as a writer, what do you say? Who do you help? If you define yourself as a friend, what do you do? Who do you help? If you define yourself as love, what are you? Who do you help? PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. How do you define who you are 2. What do you do? Day 423 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
ORANGES We are more than one thing. We are not defined by our job, or the work that we do. Each of us is like an orange that we can divide gently into separate segments. Each segment is a different piece of who we are. Each piece looks the same from the outside. And each piece fits together as one. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. What are your segments? Day 422 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
DON'T LOSE YOUR DAY Do not let your day become a list of things to do, or meetings to attend, or people to talk with.. For when our day is over, all we will have achieved are some 'ticks', against our 'to do' list. Start with meaning, and look at all that this day, can offer you. See every ACTIVITY as your moment, to make the world a better place. See every TASK as an invitation, to explore a new aspect of yourself. See every CONVERSATION as your opportunity, to build love through everything that you are. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. Replace your daily to-to list with a personal impact list. 2. Capture the results of every activity, task and conversation. Day 421 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
NOTHING It is when there is no activity, that all activity happens. It is when there are no outcomes, that the real outcomes occur. It is when there is no thinking, that there is no need to think. It is when nothing gets done, that everything is done. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. What does nothing mean to you - in all aspects of your life and who you are? Day 420 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
A DIFFERENT CONDITIONER The phone pings and I don’t lift it up, or even look at it. The phone pings again and I consciously ignore it. I am somewhere else. The bell rings and Pavlov’s dog salivates. In the hope that food is coming. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. What is managing how you respond - phone, habits, others? 2. How much of your life is in reactive mode (conditioned responses) and how much is in proactive (inner) mode? Day 419 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
NEW LEADERSHIP When we lead from the front we need to keep stopping, from time to time. We need to look behind and check if others are still following us. If they are not there, it’s pretty clear that we are not much of a leader. And if others are there, they will think that we are not much of a leader, if we keep looking over our shoulder, and checking that they are still there. If we lead from the back, we encourage everybody to move forward, including ourselves. We can see everyone, the whole picture, and we can help those who may stumble. The New Leaders are starting from where they are now, From the back. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. How can you start to build and lead others today - from where you are now? Day 418 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
HEARING AIDS Our priority today is to sit and listen, to walk and listen, to read and listen, to watch and listen. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. How can you use your top four hearing aids today? Day 417 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
TIME Time to re-set. Not to continue as before. Time to re-frame. Not to continue as before. Time to rejoice. Not to continue as before. Time to renew Not to continue as before. Time to start again. And not, to continue as before. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. How can you re-set, re-frame, rejoice, renew and be ready to start again? Day 416 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
CLIENT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Imagine if your customers and clients, were your best friends. Imagine how that would transform a one-dimensional business relationship, into something of real potential. Start now to reimagine your customer and client relationships, as friendships. Begin to reposition, redefine, play, explore and create something amazing together. For together, with all of our past and present clients and customers, we have a new way. It’s an invitation beyond business and sales. It's an opportunity as vast as our imagination. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. Use your imagination! How might you work in a different way with some of your customers and clients? 2. What is the 'something amazing' you could create together? Day 415 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
THE FOUR LAWS OF LEADERSHIP Try to serve and help others, in their own space. Try not to lead others, into your space. Try not to talk to others about you, or your space. Focus on others, in their space. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. Take each of these four laws of Leadership and apply them to a situation in your life. 2. How can you become a better leader? Day 414 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD It is only in the place of total silence, that we can hear words spoken without sound. It is only in the place of total darkness, that we can become the brightest light. It is only in the place of total emptiness, that we can touch what is really here. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. What do you hear in total silence? 2. What do you see in total darkness? 3. What do you touch in total emptiness? Day 413 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
DUAL RESPONSIBILITY We must love others as we love ourselves. This is called dual responsibility. This is a personal and proactive approach to inclusion, where we work with, and support all others. Dual responsibility is our individual way of working. It is us reaching in, and reaching out, at the same time. For when we reach out to help others, we become problem solvers, connectors, and creators. We get out of our heads to explore, make new links and find new possibilities. We make life better for everyone. Dual responsibility is so much more than simply helping others. You see, with every interaction, we are building a kinder world PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Start a new discussions with others. Find out how they are, what they are doing or what their current challenge is. See if you can suggest some ideas to help them. Explore the possibility of working together to make it happen. Day 412 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
EVERLASTING GRANTS Many voluntary organizations and community groups, are trapped on the hamster wheel of grants. They work on applications. They apply and get funding. They spend it. They go again. They work on applications. They apply and get funding. They spend it. They go again. But we can step off the hamster wheel, with an Everlasting Grant. You see, every grant offers the opportunity to create a product or service, at the same time as we deliver the work. Your training course, your support service, your advice, your report and case studies, can all be captured, and then shared. Every grant offers us the potential to create new products, share our experience and bring us income on an ongoing basis. Everlasting Grants are stepping stones to financial sustainability, If only we can get off the hamster wheel. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What products or service can you create with your current grant? 2. Look through all of your previous grants. What can you harvest from this work to create new products and services? Day 411 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
THE HOLDALL Love holds those of all faiths and no faith together as one. Love is all faith, open to all and freely available. Love holds those of all belief and non-belief together as one. Love is all belief, open to all and freely available. Love holds all those with faith and no faith, with belief and non-belief, together as one. Love holds all of us together as one. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Are you totally at one with those from other beliefs or non belief, or from other faiths or no faith? 2. Can you see all of us as one in holdall of Love? Day 410 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
THE ONGOING CONVERSATION The words are simply an output. The work is simply an output. The activity is simply an output. The way forward is simply an output. My success and my failure. My sadness and my joy. All simply outputs. I keep looking at outputs and missing the ongoing conversation. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How would you describe your internal conversation and your dialogue with yourself? 2. Is this spoken, secret, acknowledged or cherished? Day 409 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
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