*** Does Personal Improvement Equal Success

Success -- is it possible without personal development? Can you achieve life success when you do nothing intentionally to improve yourself? Without development in some form success is elusive. Your life can be your teacher. Within it are the lessons that can become your tools for both personal development and self improvement and success. And there are opportunities to intentionally improve your self and your level of success.

So, when does self improvement become synonymous with success? Where do we start? When you intentionally work to develop yourself you are moving toward greater success. Learning and continuous education are both keys.

1. Self improvement is a personal journey. Everyone is not ready to accept change or engage in a process of self improvement. Our world is diverse. Full of people with different ideas, values, and attitudes. Not everyone is ready to embark on self improvement. It is surprising to those of us that are engaged and benefiting and at the same time it is important to respect where each person is at.

2. Work to radiate your confidence, your self-love. When you think of yourself as a negatively, that energy radiates from you. Others feel your energy. And they stop. How can others accept you if YOU can’t accept YOU? How do others love you if you don’t love you?

3. Switch your mind set. Positive energy builds positive energy. If you choose to envy others, the result is negative energy. You begin to focus on what you don’t have. Instead of envy switch your mind to think more on self improvement, not self pity/self-doubt. Self acceptance is about loving yourself as you are, seeing your inner beauty and radiating that to others.

4. Be purposeful in your planning and goal setting. They should have meaning to you, relevance to your life and be within reach while being a stretch. They each point to your success, your vision and result in an improved YOU.

5. You can be a model of intentional personal development; show others how to engage in their own personal development. When people are feeling down and out about themselves, you can help them shift their personal mind set. It’s important to take care of yourself when you are exposed to someone who is struggling, feeling down: don’t go down with them. They will invite you to enter their negative world and they have the ability to pull you down with them. The result is negative for both of you.

6. Learn your lessons. Life is a valuable classroom. It is a place for continuous learning, not mistakes. Turn around “mistakes” and make them an opportunity for learning, for self improvement. Value the lessons that you learn in this classroom. Look at what has gone well – the accomplishments and also look at what didn’t go well – the disappointments. This is the data for finding your lessons and setting up new guidelines for the future.

7. Create a daily practice. The most successful people have established a ritual or daily practice of self improvement and personal development. It is intentional, not coincidental.

8. Self improvement builds self confidence, self love, self appreciation and enhanced self esteem. This improved state results in SUCCESS. Personal development builds your success. Is it essential?

9. Remember to do the “little” things for others. We can forget that saying “thank you” or “hi” or just a simple smile are the simple things that can make a difference in the life of another person AND each make you feel good. When we’re being appreciative about beautiful things around us and other people, we also become beautiful to them.

10. The people within our lives are our teachers. Our lives the classroom. In an intentional personal development plan you choose to add other teachers, you can even choose who they are. It is your intentional plan for self improvement. When we open our doors, we increase our chances to head to the road of success.

Creating your personal self improvement plan leads you to success. When you have a mindset focused on your personal development you are taking control of your success and driving yourself, your life to it. As a result of your daily practice your life is enhanced. It is an opportunity to change your patterns, to change what you have always done that wasn’t working and improve your life. Take action today and begin developing your personal development strategy and grow your success.