Personal Development 101 – Module 1 What The Most Successful People Have In Common
Hi, and welcome to Personal Development 101!
What Do The Most Successful People I Know Have In Common? The Answer …
I’ve mentored, lectures and personally coached all types of people – students, professionals, single people, families, young and old. One thing I’ve found consistently is the happiest, most accomplished and most satisfied people have this in common: they chase their dreams.
In fact if there is one thing that determines happiness, I truly believe it is following your dreams. The happiest days of my life have not been days where I relaxed or sat idle – many of my happiest times have been hard at work, instilled with purpose, and working towards what I believed I was born to do.
The opposite is also true – many of the most unpleasant days of my life were spent doing things I didn’t believe I should be doing, or things that were meaningless to me in my life. I want to focus on the positive aspects of having dreams however, rather than dwelling on the days where I didn’t chase them.
Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up in the morning, know where your life is going, and have the drive to get there? That’s the power of having and working towards your dreams.So before we go any further, I want to start with the most important question in personal development – What is it you want?
Let’s talk about your dreams and let’s then talk about your purpose.
What Are Your Dreams? What is Your Purpose?
“Your purpose is that something you express in everything you do. it’s your reason for existance. “
- from Reclaim Your Dreams by Jonathan Mead
Here’s a quick exercise to help you think about your dreams, boil it down to your personal mission – and then remind yourself to live it every day.
- Brainstorm. Start by taking a few minutes out of your life to find some quiet space, close your eyes, and think. It can be right where you’re sitting, or find a quiet place elsewhere in your home. Ask yourself: What do I really desire? What kind of person do I want to be? How do I want to be remembered? What do I want people to say about me at my funeral? Write down everything that comes to mind. Don’t judge your ideas – just write. Some people need only a few minutes for this exercise – others need 20-30 or more. For some people, these are hard questions, and you might need a break. Don’t worry – write a little, take a break and then come back and review them. There’s no need to rush – this is for your benefit.
- Look For A Theme. Look at the list you have brainstormed. Is there a common theme? Is there a dream or a goal that jumps out at you? Can you sum up what you’ve written into a paragraph – or even a single sentence? This is your life mission/purpose. Write it down, and put it up somewhere visible. You may have multiple dreams that jump out at you – capture all of them, but simplify your purpose to a single statement. Try to keep it to 3-5 sentences at most.
- Read It Aloud Daily. Tomorrow morning (and every morning) look at your list of dreams and purpose. Read it out aloud, and ask yourself: what can I do today to help fulfill my purpose? In fact, if you’ve written it down already – read it out loud to yourself right now. Don’t rush to try to get through it. Read deliberately and with conviction. To be honest, I have to catch myself from time to time when I’m in a hurry and remind myself to slow down and read my own.
I have a purpose that I try to read to myself three times a day (a cue taken from one of my favorite books, the Greatest Salesman in The World- read about it here). I don’t always succeed in reading it three times a day, but I do always read it at least twice – every morning and night.
If you prefer to have a worksheet to fill out, here’s the Life Purpose Worksheet (PDF) that you can print and fill out with the same instructions as above.
So, Your Homework -
Do the exercise outlined above. Write down your personal mission, and read it to yourself daily. Remember – your personal mission is yours alone. Don’t feel that it has to be something you share with others, and don’t feel pressured to write down what you think other people expect out of you. This is about your life.
Keep in touch, and please email me anytime. I’ll be in touch very soon.
Sincerely,
Sid Savara
sid@sidsavara.com
P.S. We’ll be talking about dreams and purpose a bit in this course, but for a really thorough read on the subject you want to check out my review of Reclaim Your Dreams by Jonathan Mead. Click through to get all the details on what’s discussed. Jonathan is someone who has bounced back from some unbelievably challenging situations (you’ll have to see this story for yourself) and now every day is coaching people and changing their lives.
A special thanks to Leo Babauta, author of The Simplified Guide To A Minimalist Life who has inspired me, and from whom I have borrowed some of these ideas.
P.S. – Did a friend forward you to this page? Get the full course (all 8 modules) for free here: Free Personal Development Training, Personal Development 101
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