7 Personal Growth Tools for Self-Development
These tools for personal growth will improve your self-development; they’re from Cynthia Morgan, a LA-based hypnotherapist. She describes how to achieve your goals with seven specific personal growth tools.
Before her tips, a quip:
“Improving your life requires improving your perceptions,” says Morgan.
Sometimes the facts of life matter less than your perceptions of life. For more in-depth personal growth tools, click Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina — a personal growth guru. And, read on for Morgan’s personal growth tools for self-development…
7 Personal Growth Tools for Self-Development
If you’re struggling to achieve your goals, read Overcoming Obstacles to Your Goals.
1. Change negative statements to positive. One of the ways the subconscious mind gets programmed is by conscious repetition. What you say to yourself over and over again (eg, ”I’m too fat,” or ”No one will ever love me”) becomes a belief in your subconscious mind. Your subconscious projects those thoughts outward, into behavior and feelings. An effective personal growth tool is to catch those negative thoughts and turn them around: “I can lose weight” or “My perfect partner is coming to me now.”
2. Use STOP signs as a reminder. STOP signs are everywhere, and they can be effective for self-development. Use those signs to free your mind, as a reminder to let go of negative thoughts or behaviors. Each time you see a STOP sign, remember to Switch To Opposite Perception (STOP). For instance, “Each time I see a STOP sign it is a reminder that I can stop drinking (or smoking, biting my nails, cursing, etc).”
3. Compartmentalize for self-development. Shut your eyes and imagine a large box. Now empty the contents of your mind into the box. Place all worries, concerns, negative beliefs, emotions, people, behaviors, and things into the box; when you’re done shut the lid and walk away. (This is particularly helpful before sleep; if you’re an insomniac, you might find Better Sleep Tips helpful.)
4. Accept yourself without judgment. Your mind is split between your ego and your spirit. The ego judges you, keeping you stuck. Your spirit or higher self, accepts you as you are. The more you can view yourself from your higher self, the less you are your ego. This tool for personal growth involves imagining that you are looking over your own shoulder, and watching without judgment. If part of you is watching ourselves without judgment, then there must be a part of yourself that isn’t negative. The more we can be the spirit that simply accepts, the less we become our ego.
5. Use the rubber band technique. This self-development tool involves keeping a rubber band around your wrist. Each time you think a negative thought or partake in a bad habit (bite nails, curse) “snap” the band. This is a practical tip that takes you out of your automatic, unconscious, robotic responses and reminds you that you have another choice. Read 8 Tips for Breaking Bad Habits for more ways to achieve your goals!
6. Write it down and throw it away. When you have a negative thought, a fear or a worry about an upcoming appointment, write it down in short sentence and then crumble it up and throw it away while you say, “This fear of _____ is meaningless.” This gets it out of your mind and puts the fear or worry in a proper perspective. The fear is of the future, which hasn’t even occurred; therefore, it is meaningless.
7. Ask your higher self for guidance. Ask your own higher self, however you imagine that to be, to heal your mind and take away the negative thoughts and behaviors. You’d be surprised at how powerful this simple personal growth tool is! When you ask your higher self, you’re making a statement that you are ready to let the negatives go.
If you have any thoughts or questions on these tools for personal growth and self-development, please comment below…
Cynthia Morgan is a hypnotherapist, spiritual teacher, healer, and author of You’re Already Hypnotized – A Guide to Waking Up.
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Comment by Peter on 19 August 2009:
Why do people like to judge other people? is it because they are insecure of themselves so they judge?
Comment by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen on 19 August 2009:
Hi Peter,
Part of being judgmental is a lack of security, yes. I think judging other people can also be a learned habit. If your parents are quick to judge, point fingers, or lay blame then you might be more judgmental that the average person.
It’s so easy to judge others! We judge others quickly because we don’t understand their point of view, their past experiences, their current life. We often make snap decisions based on people’s behavior…not on their intent or state of mind.
“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It’s one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it’s another to think that yours is the only path.” – Paulo Coelho
This is a huge part of personal growth and self-development — learning to accept that everyone is on his or her own path. And, one person’s path isn’t necessarily the “right” one for everyone!
Thanks for this question, Peter…I think I’ll write a whole blog post about not judging people!
All best,
Laurie