Occasionally you need time to sharpen your saw, improve your personal skills. Personal
development is a continuous learning process. That process should include 1) reading
books and articles, 2) listening to good speakers and, 3) reviewing your attitudes and
changing those that fail the review.
Reading instructional books and articles are essential. "If you do not read, you are no
better off than the person who cannot read". I have a list of recommend books that
you should read for personal development.
There is computer-programming statement that says "garbage in - garbage out". Things
you listen to are very important. You need to review the life of the person you are taking
advice from. If you want your life to be like theirs - take their advice. If not, find
someone else to go to for advice.
Today there are many great speakers we can hear in person or by cassette tape. Most
people spent many hours commuting by car, to work and play. If all you listen to is music
and never great speakers, you are limiting your personal development.
Most employers require Job performance reviews. Your boss takes a standard form and
gives you a job performance review. Most bosses give middle of the road reviews that
defeats the purpose of the review. The purpose of the review is to point out areas where
you excel - to motivate you positively, and to point out areas where you need
improvement - to motivate you positively. Normally, this is not what happens, you either
walk out mad or unconcerned.
You need to do a self-performance review. How are you performing? Deep down you
know, certain areas you excel and certain areas you need to improve. Personal
development is the process of continuing to excel and improve.
Recommended Reading
Back when I lived in Lake Charles I traveled to Houston quite often and I listened to
developmental tapes as I was driving. One of the speakers highly recommended the book,
Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. I really did not like the name of the book and
when I went to the bookstore I did not like the cover. Finally I decided, it was so highly
recommended I would buy it anyway. I got to the check out counter and the salesman
started raving over the book. He claimed to have read it 10 times and what a great book it
was.
I carried it home and started to read. The book at first is a struggle to read. He makes
these wild claims of how rich you will be, if you follow the guidelines of this book, so I
am skeptically reading. He starts with examples of successful men, and the things that
made them successful. Then he listed 13 steps of how to thick and grow rich. It slowly
begins to take form that his definition of rich involves much more than money. Life does
not consist of what a man possesses, but what the character a man possesses. The
steps he outlines are as follows.
