600 Personal Development Exercises
do one a day - every day!
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SNOW GLOBE Human life is such a small part of all existence. Of all that ever was, and will be. We know so little beyond our thinking, and our world. We are in a snow globe shaking a few flakes. But what if we were the manufacturer of snow globes? What sort of worlds would we create? And would we stop at snow globes? For beyond us is thinking, imagination and creativity that is not limited to snow globes. And now we understand why snow globes are transparent. To let the light in, and for us to look outwards, beyond all we know PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Describe and draw a snow globe that contains your perfect world.  Day 498 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises SIGN LANGUAGE The rabbit. The dog and the seagull. I can still make those hand shadows against the wall, when I get close to the light. I can still remember their voices and the dramatic storylines. They are forever with me. The rabbit. The dog and the seagull. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What shadows can you create with your hands? 2. What's your story? Day 238 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
ABRIDGED Take me to the end. To where the river splits. Here the choices are clear. I can go back the way that I have come. I can instead turn right, for the less-trodden path. Or my third option is to get across the river! I have been walking along this tributary outwards and back again for years assuming all the while this was the only path. I could turn right and uncover another way, or go back on familiar ground. Or I can decide to go forward. I can start working out how to cross the river. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. What bridge could you build at work or at home? 2. What new way of thinking can you bring to your routine? Day 209 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
WHEELBARROWS It is people who create, drive and sustain businesses. The company's success is simply a by-product of human endeavour and teamwork. Yet we make the share price or the return on investment, the key measures of success. In the future we need to be better at capturing personal and group achievements along with the economic ones. We must learn to harvest individual innovation, the new models of collaboration, and problem-solving approaches that are helping our organisation to succeed each day. And then we can leverage this into all sorts of products, services and new ways of thinking. It's a bit like two people inventing the wheel, and then we only use this to sell wheelbarrows. We have of course, learned to go to the next stage, and use the wheel in millions of other ways. But the wheel is still a by-product. What about the two people who invented the wheel or solved a problem in your workplace? That’s where the real opportunity and value is. Individuals are the key to success, if we can just free ourselves of wheelbarrows. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How do you harvest and leverage your creativity? 2. How do you help to harvest and leverage the creativity of others? Day 202 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
MASTERPIECE Don’t just create new pieces. Don’t just look for more pieces. Don’t just revamp the pieces you already have. Don’t just re-organise and move all your pieces around. Throw them all away. All your pieces. Clear the table. Start with a different picture. Start today from scratch. A blank canvas. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Describe the masterpiece that you will create from today? 2. What are the pieces you need to make this real? Day 194 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
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
INSTANT ACCESS To get from here to there is simply impossible. I know from experience that it just can’t be done. In practical terms, it is not possible and anyway, I have no idea where I would even start. These is no map. It has never been done before. So my brain can only see the outcome and not the steps. But as I see the outcome I realise that I have already left where I was. I am here. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is your impossible destination? 2. Don't worry about the journey. Can you focus on actually being there - right now? Day 158 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Years ago, when we were travelling we would stop at a lay-by, take out our map and plan our route. We would create options, factor in a coffee break at a little village and plot a route that worked for us. Now we put our destination into our phone which is more efficient. The route is planned for us and we do not have to think. We don’t pause in the lay-by. We don’t create our options. We don’t stop in the little village. We can just go where we’re told. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What options and opportunities are you creating? 2. Where is your 'little village'? Day 129 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
COMPLIANCE To change things for the better You do not need to operate within the rules of business and the machinery of the world. You can bypass the games of competition and expectations of others. You have your own compass of compliance, your own way of being and are your own self. This must grow and flourish despite all around it and because of all around it. You can set a different path. A new way. You can offer fresh hope just by being totally and truthfully you. This will create new ways of working that will change everything – forever. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What guides your compass of compliance? 2. How are you changing things for the better? Day 93 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
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