THE TOP 3 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

I'm always asked for the quickest way to change your life or the hacks or shortcuts to get more of what you want. 

Einstein says, makes things as simple as possible but no simpler. 

So, here are the three most important personal development tips. 

1. KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT.

Without a doubt, this is the leverage for all internal growth and change. The moment you lose sight of what you want or stop asking yourself this question, it all gets way too hard very quickly. And unless you have a very compelling bunch of dreams, goals and desires driving you, you will take the safe and easy option at every turn. 

People who constantly develop themselves to be at their best in the areas of life that matter most to them, are ALWAYS crystal clear about the outcome they are working towards. They know what they want, why they want it and what it will cost them to achieve it. 

While the "What do you want?" question is probably the most dangerous question there is, it is also the most important. It is impossible to reach your potential as a person without constantly entertaining this question. 

2. LET GO OF SELF JUDGMENT.

Self judgment is by far the heaviest and most counter productive thing we carry with us in life. To be willing to let go if it therefore is an incredible game changer. 

You can’t do self awareness and self judgment at the same time. It completely works against personal development work by keeping you in the dark about what is going on beneath the surface in your life. 

Interestingly, the positive intention of self judgment is actually self love. 

Follow this one through...

We judge ourselves as a pre-emptive strike to protect ourselves from the judgment of others. If you beat yourself down first, then others can't hurt you.  

So self judgement therefore, is all about self protection. 

We only protect that which we value. The more protection, the more the value. 

So self protection is in essence about self love. 

The highest positive intention of self jugement is always self love. That being true, there has to be better ways of loving yourself then beating yourself down all the time. 

People who've made this discovery and let go of judgment in their life are then free to see that there is no right or wrong, good or bad - Just stuff that works and that which doesn't. Letting go of self judgment allows you to adapt, change and correct your course quickly without fuss. 

Letting go of self judgment also allows you to separate behaviour from intention which is absolutely essential in the process of lasting change. Understanding the intention behind your behaviour means you are able to change that behaviour by meeting the intention more resourcefully or in a way that is more in line with your values. 

3. ACCEPT THAT ALL WE HAVE IS STORY. 

We are sense making creatures who go into the world and tell stories about our experiences. We don't see reality, just our perception of reality.

From this point of acceptance people are then able to gain awareness about the specific story they are living out of and where/when it originated. The late Stephen Covey taught us that EVERYTHING is created twice. Your current results are merely the bi-product of the script you've been living out of. They have already been created in the unseen world either by design or default, and then the real world results are simply the physical manifestation of what has already been created. 

Having clarity on the fact that it is all story and then being aware of the exact story you are living out of, means you are not a victim. You are exactly where you have chosen to be, therefore you could choose to be somewhere different. You get to chose the story you are living out of. People who succeed in life do so largely out of the story's they tell. They understand they are just stories, and the moment they stop working for them, they pick a better story. 

Do these 3 things even semi-consistently, and your life will never be same again.