Learning and Skills Conference comes to London

Learning and Skills 2015; Olympia London - 28-29 January 2015

Learning and Skills is Europe's leading showcase of workplace learning and development and delivers absolutely everything your organisation needs to dramatically enhance its learning programmes.

Now in its sixth year, Learning and Skills 2015 will again complement the Learning Technologies exhibition and conference by showcasing the entire spectrum of methods, products and services available for workplace learning and employee development.

And this powerful two-event combination taking place at Olympia on 28-29 January 2015 will give you access to more than 250 exhibitors and over 140 free seminars in total, representing the must attend event for all learning and development professionals.

how to register for the exhibition

Registering for the Learning and Skills 2015 and Learning Technologies 2015 exhibitions will give you free entry on both days.

• Entry to the exhibition is FREE - Register from October 2014
• For exhibition enquiries please call +44 (0) 1730 817600.
• Keep me informed of all the latest exhibition developments. 

how to book for the conference

The delegate rate for the two-day conference is £1095.00 + VAT. Booking discounts are available

• Book your conference place(s) from October 2014
• Call the conference booking line on +44 (0)1730 817601
• Keep me informed of all the latest conference developments 

2015 show features

Over 230 leading suppliers in the exhibition halls All the suppliers, all the technologies, all the inspiration your business needs to thrive in today's changing learning environment. All in one place.

More than 140 free seminars An overwhelming wealth of content and wisdom across the eight seminar theatres on the two exhibition floors. No booking, no payment, no excuse to miss them!

Europe's leading L&D conference Still the most relevant, vital and unmissable conference in the learning and development calendar, attended by over 400 delegates each year.

For further information on Learning and Skills please call 01730 817600 or email info@learningandskillsevents.com

Source:  http://www.learningandskillsevents.com/

A Theory of Personal Development

There are many ideas surrounding personal development, one of which is detailed below - Abraham Maslow's process of Self Actualisation.

Self Actualisation

Maslow (1970) suggests that all individuals have an in-built need for personal development which occurs through the process called self-actualisation.

The extent to which people are able to develop depends on certain needs being met and these needs form a hierarchy.  Only when one level of need is satisfied can a higher one be developed.  As change occurs throughout life, however, the level of need motivating someone’s behaviour at any one time will also change.

• At the bottom of the hierarchy are the basic physiological needs for food, drink, sex and sleep, i.e., the basics for survival. 
• Second are the needs for safety and security in both the physical and economic sense. 
• Thirdly, progression can be made to satisfying the need for love and belonging. 
• The fourth level refers to meeting the need for self-esteem and self-worth.  This is the level most closely related to ‘self-empowerment’. 
• The fifth level is the need to know and understand the environment, this level includes more abstract ideas such as curiosity and the search for meaning or purpose. 
• The sixth relates to aesthetic needs of beauty, symmetry and order.  At the top of Maslow’s hierarchy, is the need for self-actualisation. 

Maslow (1970, p.383) says that all individuals have the need to see themselves as competent and autonomous, also that every person has limitless room for growth. 

Self-actualisation refers to the desire that everybody has ‘to become everything that they are capable of becoming’.  In other words, it refers to self-fulfilment and the need to reach full potential as a unique human being.

For Maslow, the path to self-actualisation involves being in touch with your feelings, experiencing life fully and with total concentration.

Maslow, A. H. (1970), Motivation and Personality, (2nd Edition), Harper & Row, New York.

SOURCE: http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/personal-development.html

Listen..This Will Change Your Life - The Strangest Secret

Have you seen this -it really works!

Source:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaHDCcUcmc0

How Do High Achievers Really Think? - Beliefs that lead to success.

Positive affirmations are a staple of the self-help industry, but there is a problem with standing in front of the mirror every morning and saying something like: "I prosper wherever I turn and I know that I deserve prosperity of all kinds." "I am my own unique self—special, creative and wonderful." Or "I will be king of the world in just five days, I just know it." It makes you feel kinda silly (and sometimes worse).

What does research show about how high achievers really think? High achievers are often marked, unsurprisingly, by a strong motive to achieve. Less accomplished individuals are often more motivated to avoid failure.

Achievement motivated individuals have a strong desire to accomplish something important, and gain gratification from success in demanding tasks. Consequently they are willing to expend intense effort over long timespans in the pursuit of their goals.

Failure-avoiding individuals are more focused on protecting themselves from the embarrassment and sense of incompetence that can accompany failing at a valued task. Consequently they are less likely to attempt achievement-oriented tasks, and may give up quickly if success is not readily forthcoming. Where total avoidance of tasks is not possible, failure-avoiding individuals may procrastinate, give less than their best effort, or engage in other self-handicapping behaviour that provides a face-saving excuse in the event of failure (e.g. drinking heavily the night before the morning of an important exam).

Of course, achievement motivation versus failure avoidance motivation exist on a continuum, with most of us falling somewhere in the middle. In the research literature, this continuum is described as Relative Motive Strength.

An individual's relative motive strength does not exist in a vacuum, but is associated with an elaborate matrix of beliefs that justify the commitment of intense effort toward goal achievement, or the relative lack thereof. The core beliefs that differentiate achievement motivated individuals are:

1. Success is your personal responsibility

Achievement motivated individuals tend to believe that initiative, effort, and persistence are key determinants of success at demanding tasks. Failure-avoiding individuals are more likely to view success as dependent on available resources and situational constraints (e.g. the task is too hard, or the marker was biased).

2. Demanding tasks are opportunities

Achievement motivated individuals tend to see demanding tasks where success is uncertain as ‘challenges' or ‘opportunities'. Failure avoiding individuals are more likely to see them as ‘threats' that may lead to the embarrassment of failure. An achievement motivated individual might tell a failure avoiding individual, "Anything worthwhile is difficult, so stop acting so surprised".

3. Achievement striving is enjoyable

Achievement motivated individuals associate effort on demanding tasks with dedication, concentration, commitment and involvement. Failure-avoiding individuals categorise such effort as overloading or stressful. They see perseverance in the face of setbacks and obstacles as slightly compulsive.

4. Achievement striving is valuable

Achievement motivated individuals value hard work in and of itself. Failure-avoiding individuals may mock achievement striving as uncool(e.g. the attitude that the L on learner plates stands for Loser). They may associate achievement striving with lack of a social life or even early death by heart attack.

5. Skills can be improved

Achievement-motivated individuals have a strong belief that they can improve their performance on demanding tasks with practice, training,coaching, and dedication to learning. Failure-avoiding individuals tend to see skills as fixed and/or dependent on innate talents.The research into how skills can most effectively be improved is discussed here.

6. Persistence works

Achievement motivated individuals are inclined to believe that continued effort and commitment will overcome initial obstacles or failures. Failure-avoiding individuals are inclined to see initial failure as a sign of things to come.

So the achievement motivated individual says, "Don't assume that you can't do something until you've tried. And I mean really tried, like tried 3000 times, not that you tried three times, and 'oh I give up.'"And the failure-avoiding individual responds, "You really need to learn when to quit."

The beliefs held by achievement-motivated individuals are not necessarily more logical or objectively correct than the beliefs held by failure-avoiding individuals, certainly not in all situations. However, they are empirically associated with high levels of achievement.

How do you know when you might be overdoing the achievement motivated thinking a bit, to the point of being unrealistic and not acting in your own best interests? I'll cover this topic in a forthcoming post. You can click on "Subscribe via RSS" toward the top right of this page if you'd like to be alerted when this and other articles in this series are published.

ADVICE ON CREATING AN EFFECTIVE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN [FREE TEMPLATE]

ADVICE FROM THE DESK OF MANAGING DIRECTOR MARTIN HUTCHINS.

No matter how old, experienced, wise you are, or even what stage of your career you are at, to achieve all that that wish for both on a personal and professional level, planning for your future is central to your success. As Anatole France, the famous French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature back in 1921 once quoted “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”

Those who are successful whether in business, sport or for personal aspirations all identify what they wish to achieve, believe they can realise their goals and formulate a plan so they know how they are going to achieve them and by when.

Whilst you may already have a few goals, desires, or aspirations, they can often be a bit woolly, lacking definition or a strategy on how to go about moving forward. So, you may be asking “How do I translate my ideas into a clear plan of action?” This is when your own individual ‘Personal Development Plan’ (PDP) is ideal.

What is a Personal Development Plan?

A PDP is a structured process that reflects on your current learning and performance which is then developed into a plan for your future personal, educational and career development. By undertaking your own PDP, you will naturally consider your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and enable you to create a plan that identifies how best to meet your development needs through planned formal and informal activities.

Benefits of PDP

Once you have gone through the process you will probably find that the PDP benefits you in more ways than you may expect both in your professional life and your personal life such as having clearer ideas about the kind of life and work you want, greater confidence and a more positive attitude in the skills, qualities and attributes you bring to your position and the choices you make and be in a better position to compete for jobs.

What a PDP covers

A PDP focuses and develops four key areas of your development:

Where are you now?

You start by assessing your current situation by considering:

• What are you good at?
• What do you need to work on?
• What help you may need?
• What might stop you?

2. Where do you want to be?

The next stage of the plan is to have a vision of where you are going in the future, your aspirations and goals, such as the life you want to lead as well as the levels of personal investment you are prepared and able to make. When doing this you should:

• know what drives your goals
• be honest with yourself and your capabilities
• define milestones along the way
• set short, medium and long term objectives

3. How will you get there?

Setting goals is not enough on its own; in addition you should set yourself a development plan focusing on:

• the actions needed to achieve these goals
• the success criteria by which to tell whether you have achieved your goals
• any necessary resources required e.g. time, finances
• feasible timescales to achieve the objectives

4. How well did you do?

Upon reflection, often reality turns out to be different from your initial expectations and helps you to decide whether the activities met your expectations and requirements as planned. Personal development is on-going and changing so you need to keep reviewing and updating your goals, vision and plan by reflecting on what you have achieved and thought about.

Conclusion

A personal development plan is all well and good in principle, but to really make the most of it you must whole heartedly embrace both yours and the PDP’s potential, as it will only be as useful as the amount of effort and dedication you put into it.

If you still need a little help creating your PDP then we want to help you. You can head to our Free Download Centre to download a template which will help you in achieving your personal and professional aspirations. 

Source: http://www.professionalacademy.com/news/advice-on-creating-an-effective-personal-development-plan--free-template-

Why Most People Are Not Achieving Their Goals And Hitting Their Targets

Are you tired of setting tons goals, writing them down and looking at them daily, but end up doing nothing and thus, failed to accomplish most of them? If this is what is happening to you, then this will be the perfect article for you.

What you are going to discover here in this article are some of the most important reasons people fail to accomplish their goals. So learn the real principles of achieving your goals right now and hit your target like an arrow flying straight to the destination that you want.

 So what are the keys to achieving your goals? Below are 3 crucial factors that play a very important role in determining whether you will achieve what you have set. However, before I go into that, please remember that you can achieve any of the goals that you set and seriously wanted to achieve. The reason most people fail to accomplish what they want in their lives simply because of the lack of action.

In other words, if you can make yourself charged up and motivated, you are going to take massive action and most likely, you will accomplish what you have set to achieve. So bear in mind, success is connected with action, without action, you will never get what you want…

1. Your Goals Must Be Congruent With What You Truly Want

This is going to be the first reason most people fail to achieve their goals – It is just not something that they truly want deep down in their hearts. Ask yourself seriously right now, “is the goal that you have set something that you fully committed and you really want to achieve in your life?”

A lot of people set their goals to achieve financial success in their lives, but most of them are not serious about it and they are taking much action about it. Therefore, most of them are not rich simply because it is not what they truly wanted.

For example, you can set a goal as to earn $1,000,000 by the end of the year, but if it is not what you truly want in your heart, you will never take this goal seriously and do whatever you can to achieve it. Somehow, deep down in your heart, you know that even if you did not achieve this goal, it will be just fine. It is not like it is going to be the end of the world and there is nothing going to happen to you. This is exactly what is happening to most people out there. They are not committed enough with what they have set. And the reason is that the goal is not something that they truly want.

Lately in Facebook, a lot of people are sharing this meaningful article, check it out:

A group of highly educated students visited their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering them coffee, Professor returned from the kitchen with a pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – Porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to hot coffee. When all had a cup of coffee in hand, the Professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up leaving behind the plain one. While its but normal for you to want only the best, that’s also a source of stress. What you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you still went for the best cups and were eyeing each other’s cups!”

If life is coffee, then jobs, money and status in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. Don’t let the cups drive you. Enjoy the Coffee …!

As you can see now, if your goals are not what exactly you want in your life, you will never come up with the motivation to achieve it. So ask yourself whether the goals that you have set are something that you really wanted. Maybe it is not the amount of money that you want; it could be that you just want to prove to others that you can do it.

Find out the charge that is driving you, and set your goals in relation to it, and I believe you will feel motivated like never before.

2. Give Full Focus On Your Goal

Out of all the goals that you have set, choose the one that is the most important to you that you think if you accomplished it, you will change your life and will be able to achieve the rest of the goals. For most people, this goal will be their financial goal. Once they have achieved their financial goal, they will be able to achieve most of their other goals such as travelling around the world, donating for charity and so on.

What I mean by full focus on your goal is that you must be fully engaged with that particular goal, mentally, emotionally and physically. And in order to have your full attention to your goal, your goal must be important to you and it must be something you feel you should do now in this moment. If it’s trivial and time-bound, you won’t engage.

So set your priority for your goals. Know how much time you should allocate to each one of your goals and know what action you should take first. Once you knew which is the most important goal to you, you will be able toallocate your full attention and put in 100% focus to take action to accomplish that goal.

3. The Sense Of Completion

The third key that can help you in achieving your goal is to have a sense of completion. And for this to happen, your goal must be measurable and you have to know the progress of it. If you are an employee under a big company, usually what you do daily would be the same. In other words, you do not have the sense of completion. This is why most of them go to work in the morning, wait for lunch in the afternoon. And after their lunch, they can’t wait to leave by 6pm, some even pray that the time will pass by faster. This happens every day, without a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment at work.

Please, I’m not saying that everyone has this kind of mentality. Some people do enjoy their work and they love what they do. As long as you found out what you truly want, and if you did it, you will feel the sense of completion, the sense of satisfaction and fulfillment deep within.

That is why every marathon has an end. You have to feel the sense of accomplishment so that you will feel charged up and motivated to achieve even more. A journey without an end is not a journey at all. Thus, create milestones for your goals and measure them from time to time.

An Extra Tip For You

Although that I mentioned earlier that you are going to discover 3 crucial principles in goal setting, I would like to add in an additional one for you as a bonus here. And this principle is to be bold with your goal.

Whenever you dream about what you want, dream big and think bold. Set your goals that they are so exciting that you can’t wait to take action to achieve them. Let me show you how bold your goal can be…

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others too.

To be sure, all this costs us all a good deal of money… space expenditures will soon rise some more… for we have given this program a high national priority – even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us.

But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, reentering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun – almost as hot as it is here today – and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out – then we must be bold.

Many years ago the Great Britain explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why he want to climb it. He said, “Because it is there.”

Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.

- President John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962

Now, this is what I called BOLD. If you noticed, President John F. Kennedy set something that is so big that it is something that has never been done before. And look at the precision of his goal; he even includes all the measurable values in it. This is why he is able to do it and this is what makes him such a remarkable man. And guess what, you can do the same, by being BOLD.

SOURCE:
http://www.themillionairesecrets.net/why-most-people-are-not-achieving-their-goals-and-hitting-their-targets/

Creating a personal vision

Let's be blunt here. When your employer encourages you to formulate a personal development plan, they're not doing so out of some new-found concern for your welfare. They want to develop people in ways that benefit the business, so there ends up being little that is "personal" about them, and even less that is about "personal vision".

I mean, have you ever heard of anyone admitting to wanting to set up a competitor business or wanting to work less hard? No, didn't think so. So rather than towing the company line, let's think about crafting a personal vision of what you really want to achieve in your life and your career.

Imagine that you are dead.
You can't fail to have heard of emotional intelligence (EQ) and the body of research saying that EQ determines career success more strongly than traditional IQ.
But EQ does not just encompass awareness of your own emotions and interpersonal skills; it also includes the willingness to create a vision and achieve it. Because while most people wander through their lives without a plan, emotionally intelligent individuals map out their lives and ultimately achieve much more

A personal vision is simply a picture of what success looks like, an idea of what you may want to achieve with your life. And one of the best ways to identify your personal vision in life is to imagine that you are dead. Hopefully not for a good 30, 40 or 70 years into the future, but picture a gathering of friends and family, colleagues and acquaintances mourning you. What would you want your best friend to say about you?

If you were dead, what would you want your best friend to say about you?Don't worry about what you think they will probably say about you. Consider how you would like to be remembered in a eulogy. It's a cliché that no one ever said on their deathbed that they wished they had worked harder. So use this opportunity to think about how you would like to be remembered after you are gone.
This may seem like a stupid and irrelevant management exercise. But just trust that emotionally intelligent (and successful) people are open-minded to new techniques and invest constantly in their personal development. Once you have drafted your eulogy, put it aside. Don't look at it for a few days or so. And then come back to it with fresh eyes and see what you could add to it.

Hone your vision
Successful people don't believe in luck – they create their own success by having a vision and setting out to achieve it. So now turn your eulogy about how you would like to be remembered into a vision that captures what you will do to be remembered in that way.
A vision need neither be worthy in the eyes of other people nor huge and unwieldy. Some people do want to cure cancer or end poverty, hunger and strife. But your own vision needs only be important to you. Perhaps your vision is to build a multi-million pound business or become CFO of a large business or CEO or a smaller one. Or maybe to travel the world, be a better parent, or write that book you have been talking about.

Try to capture in a couple of statements what your long-term goals are. What do you hope to achieve in both your working and personal life? Try to add some indication of when you want to achieve your goals too – to avoid putting off till tomorrow what needs attention today.

But, more importantly, ensure that your goals are stretching while at the same time being achievable. Given that there are only 24 hours in the day, can you realistically do it all?

Emotionally intelligent individuals have a personal vision and use it to guide their decisions and behaviours at work. They may keep it very secret, but make no mistake that they have clear long-term goals.

Rather than worrying about losing a particular client or the failure of a project or piece of work, they keep their eye on the big picture of their personal vision. When they pursue promotions or change jobs, they do it because it helps to inch them nearer toward their long-term vision, not because they crave responsibility or more money in the short-term.

Emotionally intelligent people don't worry about being liked by everyone; they focus on building and maintaining relationships with key individuals who might eventually help them to achieve their vision.

So what is your vision?

Invest in your career by thinking about it. Then write it down. Please, write it down. It's important.

Here's an interesting snippet of research for you. Back in the 1950s, researchers asked a group of Harvard University graduates about their goals. As you might expect, almost all of them had goals. But only three per cent of them actually wrote them down.

Fast-forward 30 years to a follow-up survey. And guess what? The researchers found that those three per cent who had written down their goals had amassed as much wealth as the other 97 per cent put together.

Have I got your attention yet? Tempted to write any goals down?

Final thoughts
The difference between success and mediocrity is rarely glaringly obvious. What is it that distinguishes one person from the next?
Research tells us that EQ plays a big part in creating success. And one of the key components of EQ is the ability to set long-term goals.

So will you read this article, perhaps feeling mildly interested or slightly amused, and click onto another page? Or will you pick up a pen and spend a half-hour thinking about your future, what drives you, what hinders you and, ultimately, the road you need to take to fulfil that personal vision that exists within us all?

by Rob Yeung  |  03 May 2007

Source: http://www.management-issues.com/opinion/4141/creating-a-personal-vision/

How to Create Your Personal Vision

In the last four years, I’ve been in a constant state of re-invention.

One year we sold our house in the city and moved to our dream house on an island – population 3500. The next year my husband and I started a quirky Internet business, which got so much attention we got bought out in less than a year. Then we had our second child and we moved countries.  And then I started this website, PR in Your Pajamas. Who knows what’s next?

Some decisions may seem drastic but were consciously planned, and some decisions were more spontaneous but still purposefully aligned with my values.  Every year began with a personal vision, which have led to numerous incredible and often unforeseen experiences.

So it seemed fitting as I write this at the beginning of 2010 to help YOU explore and define your personal vision for the coming year.

Your personal vision defines what and who you want to become at a set time in the future. A vision ensures that you stay focused on your plan to achieve your goals, and keeps you on track so that you don’t deviate from the course you’ve set.

Think of your vision as a compass or guiding light to lead you through the storms and rocky terrain you’ll encounter towards your destination.

So, in developing your vision this year, ask yourself:

What do I want?

It may sound like a simple enough question, but it’s one of the toughest to answer.  Often we are too busy running on auto pilot to consciously think about what we want. Just remember that success rarely happens by chance, but rather, success happens by design. If you have no plan for your future, then you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.

Do you really want to be living someone else’s life?

Without a vision, you may tend to become an aimless drifter.  Someone with no definite goals for the future and no long-term direction. Without direction, you’ll easily be caught up in mundane activities like paying the bills, watching your favorite TV shows, going shopping, and generally going through the daily motions. You’ll be caught up in a stressed and monotonous existence instead of designing your destiny and truly living.

So ask yourself again.

What do I really, really, truly want for myself ?

If I could have the kind of life that would make my heart sing, what would it look like?

At this point your heart may be beating a bit faster.  Can you really have that kind of life?

Yes, I believe you can.  I’ve done it and I’ve helped a lot of clients lead passionate and fulfilling lives. And it starts by defining what that life could look like.

As an example, here are some parts of my vision and related goals this year:
•    Learn to swim and finish a beginner’s triathlon by May
•    Manage time more effectively to end my work day when my son comes home from school
•    Spend quality time with my husband by planning three weekends away without our children
•    Attend at least one in-person conference to further hone my skills or personal growth
•    Teach marketing and/or coaching strategies through speaking at 10 – 12 events this year
•    Create worldwide joint ventures for my company using the power of social media

Give yourself permission to dream about your ideal life, even if it’s just five to ten minutes a day and ask yourself these questions:
1.    What do I want more of in my life?
2.    What do I want less of in my life?
3.    If money were no object and failure wasn’t possible, what would my career or business be like?
4.    What relationships do I need to nurture, or let go of?
5.    What is my relationship to money?
6.    My secret passion or dream that I never mention because it’s too big to even think about is…
7.    What am I most afraid of?
8.    What accomplishments or measurable events must occur during my lifetime so that I will consider my life to have been satisfying and well-lived; a life of few or no regrets?
9.    What could I do that would bring more joy into my daily life?
10.    What am I grateful for?

These questions are just a starting point, so take into account all major aspects of your life – Friends and Family, Fun and Recreation, Career, Money, Health, Personal Growth, Spirituality, Your Husband or Significant Other.

If you like to write, put your thoughts down in a journal.  Buy a pretty journal so that you’re inspired to fill its pages.  If you’re the creative type, develop a vision board using magazine photos and other cutouts. If it’s easier to talk it out, grab a coffee with your best girlfriend and take turns designing your dream life.  Make it fun!

In a future post I’ll be addressing how to set goals so exciting you’ll be jumping out of bed in the morning!

“Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision can change the world.” – Joel Barker

Source: http://prinyourpajamas.com/how-to-create-your-vision/

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The Top 10 Steps to Set and Achieve Your Goals – Every Time!

It’s been said that everyone has goals, whether we know it or not. We have goals to keep our current job, or to get a different one. We have goals to save for the future, or to travel, take a vacation, or purchase the things we need and want to make our lives more enjoyable. An important distinction, however, is that top achievers are very intentional and focused on their goals, while many of the rest of us are not.

Top achievers know that the wording, structure, timing and format of a goal can make it’s achievement much easier – or far more difficult. Top achievers understand the basic skills for setting and reaching their goals, every time! They know how to design goals that create success. Here are the 10 most important steps to set and achieve your goals:
1. Reachable goals are SPECIFIC. Top achievers know that to reach their goals, the brain must know exactly, precisely, what they are trying to accomplish. Never word a goal with vague terms like “some” or “a little bit”, or “more”. Be specific! If you want to lose 8 pounds and reach a weight of 175, specify those exact numbers. If you want to save $200 this month, be exact. Your brain can help you accomplish almost anything if it knows precisely what you are aiming for.
2. Reachable goals are SIMPLE. Many people describe their goals in complex terms of retiring on the beach in Hawaii, with nice cars and lots of money, and…. Their list goes on and on. Any ONE of those things is a great goal, but the combination becomes over whelming and the brain gets confused. If you want to retire in Hawaii, just say so! If you want to increase your sales by 10% this month, say so! Keep your goals simple, clear, and focused.
3. Reachable goals are SIGNIFICANT. No one can muster the enthusiasm, hard work and courage to reach a goal they don’t really care about. A reachable goal is one you really, really, REALLY want! It’s something that will change your life, enhance your health or wealth, and make you proud. It gets your juices flowing, gets you up in the morning, and keeps you going all day long, because it is important! Set goals that are worth achieving!
4. Reachable goals are STRATEGIC. High achievers know that the best goals accomplish many great outcomes, all at one time. Running a 10K race will almost certainly: 1) feel great! 2) help you lose weight. 3) lower your cholesterol level 4) strengthen your heart 5) lower you risk of heart disease 6) increase your energy and stamina, and 7) improve your outlook. Design your goals to strategically impact as many areas of your life as possible. You’ll have more reasons to reach your goal and more excitement when you do!
5. Reachable goals are MEASURABLE. A goal without a measurable outcome is just a pipe-dream. You can’t achieve a pound of “happiness” or 6 inches of “self-esteem”, but you CAN get a new job. You CAN run a mile in under 7 minutes, or do 100 sit-ups. Someone has wisely observed that, “What gets measured, gets done.” Define your goals in terms of height, weight, dollars, inches, or hours. Then measure your progress until you achieve your desired outcome.
6. Reachable goals are RATIONAL. To reach your goal, you will need a plan, a path, and a vehicle for getting there. Your goals must make sense! When you explain them to friends and family, your goals should create excitement, draw support, and encouragement. Your goals should be just out of reach, but not out of sight! You want to stretch to be your best, not strain after impossible dreams. Set goals you CAN and WILL achieve!
7. Reachable goals are TANGIBLE. Choose goals that you can see, hear, smell or touch. Go for things you will enjoy and that you can clearly visualize. The brain has hard time going for “financial security”, but it can visualize a bank statement with nice, large numbers on it! Define your goals in terms that excite the senses, then go for it with all your heart!
8. Reachable goals are WRITTEN. High achievers always know precisely what they want, because they’ve written it down. Often, they write a short description of their goals every single morning, as a personal reminder of their priorities and their objectives. The act of writing your goals down vastly increases your chance of success. Write it down! Then, keep your notes where you can see and read them every day.
9. Reachable goals are SHARED. We are far more likely to stick to our plan and reach our goals if we know our friends and family support us. Being part of a team increases our determination, our stamina, and our courage. Caution: Never share your goals with anyone who may ridicule, tease or discourage you! The world is full of doubters and you have no time for them. But, find a support team, a group of cheerleaders, and a coach who will encourage you every step of the way. High achievers count on and work with other winners!
10. Reachable goals are CONSISTENT WITH YOUR VALUES. One of the biggest reasons people fail to achieve their goals is that they have conflict between their behavior and their values. However, when your values and your goals are in agreement, there is no stopping you! Clarify your values first, then set simple, specific, measurable, tangible, written goals that are consistent with those values. You will achieve them, every single time!

by Dr. Philip E. Humbert

Source: http://topachievement.com/philhumbert.html

How to Write a Good Personal Development Plan

Why do I need a Personal Development Plan?

If you want to change your life and make your dreams a reality, you need a good personal development plan. Your plan will help you get clear on what you need to feel happy and fulfilled. It will also provide you with the blueprint for how to get there.

  

What is a Personal Development Plan?

A personal development plan is a document that defines:

• Your life’s vision/purpose
• 6-month goals (that align with your vision/purpose)
• A weekly schedule (that you use every week for 6 months to ensure you move toward or arrive at your vision/purpose)

A good personal development plan will:

• Be fun and be easy to follow
• Store all the important, conscious choices you have made about what you ideally want to happen in all areas of your life
• Serve as an action plan of how to get where you want to be
• Help you stay focused
• Motivate you to move forward every week

Most PDP’s Suck

Unfortunately, most personal development plans are a waste of time and space. Most plans are incomplete and uninspiring because they aim for the story you think you should have – not what truly makes you happy and fulfilled.

These uninspiring plans sit in a drawer and collect dust, while your dreams stay on hold.

But personal development planning does not need to be this way, it can and should be fun and above all motivating.

Personal Development Planning That Works

Over the years, I have discovered the secret to creating personal development plans that are inspiring and that work! It is a 3 step process that anyone can do.

If you are serious about changing your life, steal 2 hours from your busy day; grab a pen, a notebook and a coffee; and follow the three step process outlined below.

Step 1 – Vision Statements

Step 1 is the most important step because you can only reach your dreams when you know what your dreams are!

How to Write Vision Statements Write as much or as little as you need to, to build a compelling, ideal picture of how you would like each area of your life to be. 1-5 sentences is usually sufficient. Write one vision statement for each of the main life areas. Think big. Dare to explore the boxes you put around your thinking.You can open up by asking  yourself what you would be, do and have in each life area if: You could not fail? Money was not an issue? You had no fear? What are you putting off until tomorrow, next week, next year, until you retire? This is critical – your vision statements should describe the characteristics of your ideal life. When vision statements become too specific they can become dangerous symbols that you start to measure your success and failure by. For example, let’s say you want to live in ‘Paris’. That is too specific because it means you are unlikely to consider other cities that might make you  just as happy or even happier than ‘Paris’. Here is another example of a dangerous symbol. Sue has her mind set on getting a masters degree which means going back to university and forking out a lot of money. When I asked her, “For what Purpose do you want to go back to school” we eventually discovered that she longed to hang out with creative people and be involved in creative projects. These are excellent characteristics! What Sue then was able to see, for the first time, was a handful of other (less expensive) options for living her ideal life.

Sample Vision Statements Vision Statement for “Physical Environment” I live in a perfectly comfortable house with a huge grassy garden for my family. The house feels open and spacious. There is easy access to water for swimming and a beautiful view of the sunset from the porch. The area is safe and quiet with easy access to amazing motorbike riding experiences. We live close enough to civilization to be convenient and far enough away to have a sense of space. The area attracts like-minded people so we have a handful of intimate friends within walking/biking distance. Vision Statement for “Career/Business” I am a global thought leader in an area that I'm passionate and curious about. Every week, I inspire people to be even more than they already are and to follow their dreams.

Step 2 – 6-month Goals

Before you do this step you must have written a compelling vision statement for yourself in each of the 8 life areas (see step 1). Once you have done that, you are ready to set 6-month goals that link with each vision statement.

You may be surprised at how quickly you can achieve a vision statement. For example, a 6-month goal such as “move house”, “get new job”, “start a business” can get you a long way toward realizing a vision.

How to Write 6-month Goals Start out by asking yourself what you would need to do to make your vision a reality within the next 6 months. If it is not possible to fully achieve your vision in the next 6 months, think of the milestones that lie on the path to your vision and make one of those milestones your 6-month goal. As a guideline you should have at 1 -5 goals for each vision statement. When you are writing your goals use the SMART Goal method. This basically means that each goal is Simple, Measurable, Attractive, Realistic and Timed. Make sure you are challenging yourself enough by answering these questions: What is the worst that would happen if I did <vision> now? If I actually did <vision> within the next 6 months, what would I have to do to get back to where I am right now? What am I postponing to retirement? Why am I choosing to wait? If I did <vision> now, what would I learn?

Sample 6-month Goals Goals for “Physical Environment Vision Statement” (above) Decided on a location to move to Collected items needed to make the new baby comfortable when she arrives. Goals for “Career/Business Vision Statement” (above) Started a blog Logged all of my ideas in a notebook Collected at least 2 testimonials for each of my products Developed and published a video tip each month

Step 3 – Weekly Schedule

Before you do this step you must have written clear goals for each of your vision statements (see step 2). Once you have done that, you are ready to develop a weekly schedule for yourself.

Your weekly schedule should include time each week to work on each of your 6-month goals.

Let’s say that one of your 6-month goals is to develop a new blog. Your weekly schedule might say, “Work on blog Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:00-11:00 am”.

If you want to have a separate project plan, which lists all of the detailed things you need to do to get the blog built, that is fine. In that case, you would simply work through your project plan during the allotted time in your weekly schedule. Don’t clutter up your schedule with details – keep it simple and consistent because that is the key to making it work!

It is essential to keep your weekly schedule the same for 6 months because we learn through repetition. By repeating the same schedule over and over for a log period of time you learn it so well that it eventually becomes second nature and easier to stick to!

How to Write A Weekly Schedule You have a 7 day period to work within i.e. Mon-Sun. Choose the what day(s) of the week and times (if applicable) that you will work on each of your 6-month goals.E.g. I will Exercise on Monday, Wed and Friday for 1 hour anytime of the day. Ask yourself: What is a good time of the week for me to work on <6-month goal>? How much time do I need to spend each week on <6-month goal> to make sure that I reach it within 6 months? Do I need to create a detailed project plan for any of my goals? Lock those time slots into your calendar/diary. This is your new weekly schedule. Repeat your schedule every week for the next 6 months.

Sample Weekly Schedules Weekly schedule for “Career/Business” Time Day High-level Task Everyday Carry ideas notebook with me where ever I go 9:00 – 11:00 am Monday Work on Blog 8:00 am Tuesday Send out a request for a testimonial 9:00 – 11:00 am Wednesday Work on Blog 2:00 – 5:00 pm Thursday Work on video Weekly schedule “Physical Environment” Time Day High-level Task Any time Saturday Shop for baby items With morning or afternoon coffee Sunday Daydream/discuss with partner/research locations that align with my vision statement for physical environment

Is My Personal Development Plan Any Good?

If you have done the exercises (above) you will know if you’ve got it right if you feel inspired to implement your new weekly schedule right away. If the motivation is not there, you may have some incongruencies with what you think you want and what you really desire deep down.

Want More?

If you like these concepts and want to learn even more about how to write a kick-ass personal development plan you may want to check out my eBook, How to Wake Up Inspired and Motivated. You’ll love it – it expands all of this out into about 50 pages of wholesome goodness including diagrams, lots of tables (for easy reading) and exercises!

Source:  http://universalcoachingsystems.com/how-to-create-a-good-personal-development-plan/