600 Personal Development Exercises
do one a day - every day!
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BIGGER PICTURE Business owners typically spend over 95% of their energy on business growth activities. They spend less than 5% of their priorities. We end up working 'for' the business rather than 'on' the business. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. How much time do you spend working on your job and how much time on your personal priorities?  Day 491 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises THE PURPOSE OF WORK The purpose of work is not to make money, build a business, deliver a service or sell products. These are simply activities. The purpose of work is to help others, by giving of who we are, so that we can all grow together, now. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What are your work activities? 2. What is the purpose of the work that you do? Day 405 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
CATERPILLAR TRACKS I am a caterpillar among millions of caterpillars. Some of them talk of breaking free and living in a different way. But I have much to do as a caterpillar. All talk of freedom and flying is for butterflies. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. When and how are you going to become a butterfly? Day 396 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
THE WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE I remember the fields and the farm, where my grandparents used to work. I remember the factory and the garage, where my parents used to work. I remember the offices, hotels and training centres, where I used to work. I remember the Internet, phones and homes, where we all used to work. And now our children live in a different way, where they can choose to make their life work. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is your life's work? 2. How is your way of work evolving? 3. How are you being proactive rather than reactive in doing the work that is important for you? Day 372 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
PERSONAL STRATEGY When you fill in your daily planner or write your to-do list today, don’t start with activities and things to do. Start instead with times of quiet and nothing to do. Plan these first into your day and let other actions fit around these quiet times. We can look after ourselves as we move from one activity to the next. Let us not be a slave to time but allow time to work for us. It’s all about personal strategy. For although we all need to work in the business, we also need some time to work on the business. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. When will you work on your Personal Strategy today? Day 368 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
WORKPIECES Over the last thirty years we have moved from Lifelong jobs to Portfolio working to Workpieces. Our Workpieces are the way that we use our time. We do freelancing, we sell online, we create and make, we have part-time jobs, and we do ad-hoc work. Some of our workpieces pay us money and some don’t - like minding our kids, home-schooling, helping others, or looking after an elderly relative. But everything that we do is a workpiece, including social media, watching sport or the latest box set! They are all the ways we use our time, at whatever age we are, and whatever our situation. Workpieces are proactive rather than just reactive. They call on us to unleash our skills, experience, knowledge and passions to explore and be more. To do what we really want to do. Homeworking has now taken us out of the office. Couples manage their workpieces and income based on their needs and plans. Individually and collectively, we are taking more control of all that we do. As our lives change and develop, we need to constantly re-evaluate and re-balance our workpieces as best we can, not just for income, but as the framework of our overall health, wellbeing and life development strategy. Our workpieces can help us to achieve and become all that is important to us. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Write down all of your workpieces. 2. Which workpieces that you would like to see, are missing? 3. Which workpieces would you like to change? Day 357 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
WORK Work is simply a method of engaging in prayer. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is your work all about? 2. What would you really like to work on? Day 335 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
GLASS BOOKCASE He must have been a senior lawyer or perhaps a judge. The extensive law library housed in a beautiful glass bookcase across three walls of his study, bears witness to a serious role and a long commitment to his work. His large oak desk still has the files of papers he was working on. He died two years ago and his ground floor apartment remains largely untouched, although the conservatory wall is in need of some paint. We view the property as potential buyers and see family photos of a grandad, and a bedroom left as if it was just tidied up for our viewing. His home is full of outdated furniture and we learn that, after our judge lost his wife, he lived on here for years, immersed in his retirement. This flat will be sold and cleared out, except for the glass bookcase, which I think, will remain, waiting for new books to arrive. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. What books would you treasure and keep in your glass bookcase? 2. What in your life, is your long term commitment to? Day 328 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
ENERGY SWITCH Don’t get consumed by it. Don’t get overwhelmed by it. Don’t give all of your thoughts, energy and time to it. It is passing through. It will soon be gone. And you have more important work to do. Switch your thoughts, energy and time to activities worthy of your gifts, your generosity and your love. For this, by far, is the best deal. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. What is consuming your energy and taking up so much time, that you do not need? 2. How can you make better use of your gifts, your generosity and your love? Day 326 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
DAILY ROUTINE During lockdown one day can seem much the same as the next day. It may be helpful to create mini projects and activities, and not just daily to-do lists. So plan a two day project. Create a three day initiative. Set up a five day activity. In this way, we can move not from day to day, but from success to success. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. What projects, initiatives and activities are you working on this week? Day 298 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SPIRIT MERCHANT My Grandfather owned a Pub in Ireland. In his day, he was called a Spirit Merchant. When I helped behind the bar, he told me how we are all connected to love, through a Spirit of kindness, and a Spirit of joy. Through a Spirit of friendship, a Spirit of compassion, a Spirit of caring, a Spirit of humility, and a Spirit of resilience. Through a Spirit of helping, a Spirit of humanity, a Spirit of determination, a Spirit of gentleness, and a Spirit of gratitude. He smiled as he told me, that, in every moment, in every day, love is with each of us. For we are all working as Spirit Merchants. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. Can you see behind your role or job title to what you really are, and what you really do? 2. What spirits do you serve as a Spirit Merchant? Day 294 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
ARCHITECTS We are all social architects. We build the future each day through our interactions with others. We can create our dreams and we can offer encouragement. We can help others to dream. We are all social architects. This is our vocation given to us when we were born, to make the world a better place. And so, every day we awaken to this opportunity and invitation. We are all social architects. We use our skills, gifts and talents, our knowledge, contacts and experience, our links, friendships, and relationships to build projects and initiatives and construct a better future together. We are all social architects. Take your role seriously. Have your plan and act every single day. Be ambitious for a better world. A kind and safe place where we can all live in peace and joy. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What are you designing at the moment as a Social Architect? 2. Who is on your building team? Day 285 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
GREEN LIGHT Now is the moment. Not later. Not next week. Not next year. Now is the time. To start. To do it. To make it happen. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Are you ready to move? 2. What exactly is holding you back from being your total real self? Day 263 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
MALFUNCTION The opposite of love is unlove. It is when we move away from our true nature. It is when we create a situation within ourselves, which is not aligned to our true being and what we will become. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What does 'unlove' mean to you? 2. When has 'unlove' been relevant in your life? Day 245 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT Sometimes you start something, with a sense of optimism and belief. It’s part of your great plan. Others are enthusiastic and encourage you. You are on a roll. After a while, it gets tougher, others lose interest, but you keep going. And then, there comes a time, when others say maybe you should stop, Or, that it is not working. They question your judgement, and what you’re doing. But you keep going. And then you struggle. It’s just tough to keep going. For the energy that started this enterprise, has virtually dissipated. And yet, some reserves kick in and you muddle on. You feel it is part of something that is worth sustaining, no matter what others say. For maybe, the enterprise is about more than the effort. about more than the output, and about more than you can ever imagine. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. What have you started as part of your great plan? 2. Read 'Enterprise Development"every time you stumble and then keep going, no matter what. Day 213 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
DETERMINATION Early this morning as I sat in the woods I spotted a young woman jogging in all her gear. She was pushing her pram and baby in front of her as she ran, maintaining a steady pace. I thought to myself ‘what determination!’ About ten minutes later she approached where I was sitting reading. I looked up and said ‘I think you’re marvellous!! Absolutely amazing!’ She looked at me, laughed and said ‘thank you!’, without changing her pace. Sometimes when we try to get across the true meaning of a word, the definition is not enough and an image can perhaps capture it better. ‘Determination’ for me will always be a young woman running with her pram. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What does determination mean to you? What's your image? 2. How is your determination made real and visible each day? Day 51 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
INTEREST RATES What’s your level of interest in the job that you do? Do you give your best in every situation and to every person? Do you encourage, motivate and inspire others? Are you positive. enthusiastic and helpful? Do you always give 100% to the work that you do? If we can increase our interest rate, we’ll all enjoy greater returns. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Where are you investing your time, energy and experience? 2. What are the key relationships that you want to invest more into? 3. How will you measure your returns? Day 4 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
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