600 Personal Development Exercises
do one a day - every day!
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STRESS MANAGEMENT When I get overwhelmed, thinking about all that I have to do, I now stop and smile. You see I’ve learned, that although it all seems so important now, it will be different next week. I step back and smile. I decide to do what I can, go with the flow, and just be happy in myself. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. When do you tend to feel overwhelmed? 2. What will it all look like next week? Day 191 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
CORE VALUES Stay at the core and not at the periphery. For all potential lies at the core. We can get ambushed by worldliness, by necessity, by rights, by fairness, by ambition, by vanity, and by self-importance. Stay at the core. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What are your core values? Day 190 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
AUTOPILOT My thoughts are all over the place. I flit from one thing to another. But I’ve learnt to go with this, and not become too engaged in any one thought. But to flit onwards. For me, reflection or contemplation are not about breathing techniques or trying to empty my brain of all thoughts. Rather, they are about meandering, and using the thoughts that come long, simply as stepping-stones. For if I am patient and sit here, I will get to where I should be.My thoughts are all over the place. I flit from one thing to another. But I’ve learnt to go with this, and not become too engaged in any one thought. But to flit onwards. For me, reflection or contemplation are not about breathing techniques or trying to empty my brain of all thoughts. Rather, they are about meandering, and using the thoughts that come long, simply as stepping-stones. For if I am patient and sit here, I will get to where I should be. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Take some time today and place your trust in your Autopilot. Give it time to take you to where you should be. Day 189 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
POWERPOINT I will find a moment of silence, somewhere in this busy day. At some point I will be able to stop, rest, and give myself some space. Just to be who I am, away from all the noise, and demands of the world. At some point, I will find a moment of silence, in this busy day. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. When is your PowerPoint today? 2. What will this moment of silence offer you? 3. What will be in the Presentation? Day 188 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
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LATERAL THINKING The sunflower seed does not worry about being planted in the ground, to wither and die. For it has been told that it will become something unimaginable, for such a little seed. We too, have been told that we will become something incredible and unimaginable. We are all sunflowers. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Without light, the sunflower seed cannot grow. Who, what or where is your light? 2. Each of us is already 'something incredible and unimaginable'. How can we help our fellow sunflowers to grow? Day 186 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
AFFIRMATIONS Every day I say my affirmations. I call them my daily reminders as they help me to focus on all that is important to me and all I want to see happen in my life. My daily reminders cover every aspect of my life and everything I could ever hope for. Work, opportunities, health, income, family, personality, relationships and spirituality. They are written in the present or past tense. I have, I am, I own, I earn, I live…. I say my daily reminders every morning and every night. I can see every outcome in detail. and watch as the results unfold. For I am fulfilling my personal purpose in all that I do today. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Write out your daily statements in the present or past tense - I am, I have, I own, I earn. I live ... 2. Include everything that matters to you. Day 185 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
CASH FLOW The birds of the air get their food. The money will come. The fish in the water get their food. The money will come All of my life I’ve had food. The money has come. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What does your life cash flow look like? 2. Where and how has the money come? 3. What does this say to you about your future hopes and dreams? Day 184 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
COFFEE TIME It used to be in churches with stained glass windows and stillness where our grandparents found respite. For quiet, peace, reflection and rest it is now to the coffee shop, with its soft chairs and quiet corners that many go. The carefully designed colour schemes of Café Nero or Starbucks soothes our minds. The lighting creates a mood to help us relax. But God is just at home in a coffee shop. For us to rest and reflect is really what matters for body and soul. God is with us wherever we are, not just in Churches or Costas. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. When will you take some time to rest and reflect today? 2. Is it coffee time yet? Day 183 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
JOB DESCRIPTION Our spiritual journey isn’t necessarily a holy or religious one! We are all called to be part of love in our own unique and special way. For some this is in business, others in acting, others in nursing, others in sport or teaching, or retail or manufacturing. But these are only careers or jobs that describe what we do and not who we are. It’s who we are that is the real spiritual journey. It’s how we interact with people. It’s how we reach out. It’s how we help others. It’s the times that we are kind. This is the real day-to-day spiritual journey that we are all on. And it doesn’t matter what our role or job or situation is. For every connection with others touches something deep within us. It gives meaning to who we are in that moment. Each interaction connects us to the same love that is working within each of us, and that we all share. We are all on the same spiritual journey together. A journey that is written by each of us as our own job description. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Write out your job description. Remember, it's unique to you. 2. How will your job description change in the months and years ahead? Day 182 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS It’s Saturday night in 1974 and me and the boys are heading out on the town. We are breaking free. After two years of studying the results arrived today And tonight we celebrate. We are breaking free. My mum will wait up for us to come home safely. To ensure that we are okay as we all pretend to be sober. And since she died, I celebrate on many a Saturday night not with beer, but in thanks and by looking at the stars. Remembering my walk home at 2am back in 1974, on a wonderful and precious, starry Saturday night. It’s now a Saturday night in 2020 and me and the wife are flying out to Dubai. We are breaking free. We will stay there for fifteen nights to meet quarantine rules, so that we can fly on to the US for the birth of our new grandson. After four months of a Covid lockdown and living in a virtual world, we are breaking free. My mum will be waiting to see that we arrive safely, and to celebrate with us the arrival of her new great-grandson. And so, we all journey onwards. And I gaze out of the window on this wonderful and precious, starry Saturday night. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. When and how will you break free? 2. What is wonderful and precious for you? Day 181 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
TAKEAWAY Let us talk of inward reflection rather than prayer. For it is by going inwards away from the clamour of the world ... ... into the gentle silence, that we see our real selves reflected in love. And this is what we take into our lives and all that we do. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Where do you find the gentle silence? 2. When will you have your next takeaway? Day 180 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
FOCUS GROUP I got a sad meal at McDonald’s yesterday. Don’t you mean a Happy Meal? No, the toy was missing and I was a little bit sad. (two young friends discussing their lunch) PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What would others say, in private, about the product or service that you provide? 2. Are you doing all that you should to make you happy? Day 179 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING I met Fred for the first time today. He was passionate about trying to encourage me to join his multi-level marketing scheme in crypto currencies. I was puzzled because Fred clearly had more money than he needed. He’d been successful in many other ventures. And he was well into his 70s. I marvelled at Fred’s sense of drive, his relentless passion and his total focus on building his team. ‘What drives you?’, I asked. He said that when he was younger he was told that he needed to have seven streams of income. He only had six. And he laughed. How could somebody be totally focused on building wealth? He was travelling the country attending meeting after meeting, promoting all the time and in every single conversation. He was a true MLM specialist, living and working with everyone in his downline. ‘But, surely life must be about more than money?’ I asked. Fred smiled and continued ‘My aim is to generate opportunities for people to help them to fulfil their plans and their destiny. I also spend my money in ways that others don’t know about. You see, each of us must find our own way and then give our all to that.’ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is your business? 2. Have you found your way? 3. How does your work help to deliver all that is important for you? Day 178 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
NEEDS DRIVEN Embrace all possibilities. Be open to the unseen potential in every situation and in every moment. Go out. Just go there, just be there. And bring with you all that you are. Be positive. Be encouraging. Be ambitious for your success and the success of others. Be gracious. Be grateful. Be kind and smile. Do what you love. Enjoy your interests. Set the world on fire and watch the grass grow. And when you realise that there is nothing that you really need, then you have everything. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How will you 'set the world on fire' and 'watch the grass grow' today? 2. What do you still really need? Day 177 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
STAMP COLLECTION The world demands outputs and results, achievements and success. But we long for love and peace, happiness and health. We can be dominated by external events, or we can choose to work together, and create a different way. We can be continually stamped upon in an uncaring and demanding world. Or we can come together, and gently put our stamp on all before us. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How has the world stamped on you in the past? 2. How are you gently putting your stamp on all before you? Day 176 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
COPY AND PASTE I typed the word love and saw it in front of me. I highlighted the word love and captured it in my heart. I copied the word love and made it who I am. I pasted the word love and it was everywhere. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. We 'copy and paste' who we are in every encounter with others. Where can you paste love today? 2. What are the other words that are you pasting everywhere? What is the message that others are picking up from us? Day 175 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
PARALLEL INTERFACE We all live parallel lives. Our daily work, our relationships and the things that we do are all part of our outer living. What goes on in the deep recesses of our mind and consciousness, is our inner living. Both co-exist together. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How much time and thought do you give to your inner living? 2. Have you explored how you outer living and your inner living work seemlessly together? Day 174 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SHORT TERM MEMORY Love forgives us for everything, unconditionally. No matter what. Right from now. Love then forgets everything that it forgives. We can start again, afresh. No matter what. Right from now. Love insists that you too forgive yourself, and forget all that you carry as a burden. No matter what. Right from now. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What do you still need to forgive yourself for? Do it now. 2. There is no longer any burden to carry. Are you ready to start afresh, right from now? Day 173 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
HOUSE PARTY My mind is buzzing. My brain is creating. My ego is expanding. My conscience is questioning. My heart is beating. My soul is too quiet. My self is in doubt. My body is restless. There’s a lot going on in the house today. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What's happening in your house today? 2. How are your eight friends - your mind, your brain, your ego, your conscience, your heart, your soul, your self and your body? Day 172 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
GIFT SHOP There is no lock. The door of the gift shop is always open. We are invited in and we are able to take what we wish. This is fantastic! Free gifts galore. Let’s take more of these. And then we realise, that if we continue, soon the shop will be empty. So we stop taking. Instead, we begin to bring and to share our own gifts. For we see now, that together, we can create the best gift shop in the world. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What gift can you bring to the best gift shop in the world? 2. What do you enjoy most about the gift shop? Day 171 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
ACHIEVEMENTS My voice recognition software thinks I’m talking about cheese mints. It looks like I’ve just created a new product by accident! Imagine if this turned out to be one of my greatest achievements. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What has happened recently that has caused you to smile and see things a bit differently? 2. What new product or service would you like to create or offer? Day 170 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT I am always looking ahead thinking, what next? Today’s plan? Next week’s activities? Trying to schedule everything in. But what I don’t do is to look at the year ahead, think about the next three years, or indeed the next ten years. I need to lift my thinking to be more strategic and not just task focused. For life isn’t just about weeding. The future is there to be imagined And then created. Seeds need to be planted for the flowers I want to grow. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What's your personal strategy for the next year, the next three years, and the next ten years? 2. Write each of these down. Day 169 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
CONTAINER BUSINESS The original Business model was straightforward. It was about profit and building a business. The Mill owners of the Industrial Revolution had a simple focus. Over the years other elements have impacted upon that business model - employee rights, consumer protection, international laws, environmental concerns, government interventions of all sorts, corporate social responsibility, exchange rates, global outsourcing, internet marketing, health and safety, and much more. The local business entity of the industrial revolution has now become much more complex in a global interconnected world. Interestingly though, our concept of what business is and how it should work is still defined by that original model. In short, we keep adding on more ‘hi-tech’ features to the vehicle without really looking at the 250-year-old chassis. This cumulative approach needs disassembling. Henry Ford used to make all his cars in black but those days have long gone. Likewise, the ‘one size fits all’ approach to business is no longer relevant. Perhaps we should be exploring many models, driven not by history but by needs, situations and opportunities – however defined. The Internet evolution should be our starting point and not the Industrial revolution. Business is now personal. It’s time for each of us not only to think outside of the box, but to get out of the business box and build new containers. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Business is now personal. What business are you in? 2. How do you define your model of business - making money and looking after all that you care about? Day 168 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
HIDDEN AGENDA There are things we should do but we don’t do them. There are people we should see but we don’t see them. There is work we should do but we don’t do it. There are words we should say but we don't say them. There are places we should go but we don’t go there. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is your hidden agenda - the people and activities that you are avoiding? 2. How can you begin to address this? Day 167 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
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