Nuggets on christian personal development

1. PASTORAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Plot 1, Junaid Dosunmu Street,
REALS PLAZA, Central Business
District, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
Email: pastorral.leadershipinstitute
@gmail.com
Website: pl-academy.org
Tel: 0708 3063146
NUGGETS FOR Christian
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

2. 1
STUDY NOTE 1:
Why Self-Development In Christianity?
The question everyone has asked me as Christian Personal Development Coach is:
Aren’t Christians supposed to be Christ Centered? Many has professed this: “I thought
that Self-Development teaching was self centered instead of Christ centered, so why
engage in it?”
Firstly, take a look at what true wholesome self-development really is by considering
Personal development in God’s way. Reading from Romans 12:2, Apostle Paul says:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but continually be transformed by the renewing
of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God’s will is – what is
proper, pleasing, and perfect.”
What does this verse have to do with personal development? Firstly, the biggest
contamination in this world is the negative words that are spoken and thought. (Take
a look at Genesis 6:5). You might be thinking of “evil” or “rebellion against God” or
even “dishonouring God” – yes, all of these answers are true. But the very heart of
these answers could be summed up in two words: – Negative Words.
Secondly, what exactly is being conformed to this world means? A popular definition
of “this world” is the material things, but in fact – God is more interested in what you
have in your HEART than what you have in your home. To really understand this
concept let’s take a look at the “normal” priorities of “this world”:
1. Self - what can I get out of living. The top priority of most people’s minds is self.
2. Negative – the most popular trend of this world is negative.
Remember in today’s world, what sells more in movies, books, news, TV shows?
Negative or bad news! What are the headlines that are always glaring at you from the
magazine rack as you by the supermarket checkouts? Violence, scandal, gossip —
negative! What is the main topic of the conversations you hear when you approach a
group of co-workers in the office, factory or restaurant? – Negative!
What is Christian Personal Development [CPD]?
Personal Development as defined in the world is deficient as these definitions failed to
add the God factor which is understandable because they defined only personal
development from world view.
Christian Personal Development is therefore a process of allowing God and His
principles to guide your conscious pursuit of personal growth through the expansion
of self-awareness and knowledge, the improvement of personal skills and the
development of others.
Moses’ personal development from his fumbling start with God in Exodus 3 and 4 to
becoming one of the world’s most effective leaders and servant of God could only be
possible because he allowed God and His principles to shape him.

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The personal development of a creation will not be complete or adequate without the
input of the creator. God is our Creator, only He can effectively help us to develop
adequately.
It is Your Responsibility. Your personal development is really your personal
responsibility. God told Abraham when He was giving him the Promised Land, God
said “as far as your eyes can see, that I have given you”. Abraham had responsibility to
get out of his tent, get on the top of the highest mountain on a sunny day so he could
have a clear view and then look northward, and then southwards and then eastward
and then westward. That was one of the things he did and reaped the reward of the
Promised Land.
You need to take the responsibility to find out and acquire the relevant information for
the path God has chosen for you either in ministry or career and focus on it. Become a
lifelong student and have desire to learn things that will improve your skill in any field
of endeavour, be it ministry, marriage, planning or anything that will position you for
greatness. Some tools of responsibility include studying, diligence, & fighting for what
you believe and desire.
Therefore, “self-development” teachings in its purest form is all about renewing your
mind and training yourself to become the champion you were born to be.
 It is about finding the seed of your destiny that God put in your heart and then
watering this seed.
 It is about taking responsibility for the free will that God has given you and
using that free will to be your best for the benefit of others around you.
 It is all about learning to really make a difference in the lives of others. This
includes learning to really put God and others first in your mind and heart.
 It is about creating a positive mindset that will be able to contain the blessings
of God. This is how you learn to walk in abundance and success.
 It is about learning to focus on positive faith building thoughts that will attract
blessings. A positive mindset has room for blessings while a negative mindset
is not able to receive good things.
This means that as long as your mindset is negative, you will be missing out on a lot of
what God really wants to give you.
Remember Jesus talked about old wineskins not being able to contain the new? (Mark
2:22). Christ centered motivational and self-development teaching is all about creating
the new wineskins that are able to carry the new wine.
It’s not Evil to Care for yourself
I am sure that you have taken a trip somewhere in an aircraft. When you watch the
demonstration that shows you what to do when the oxygen mask comes down, what
do you notice? You are told: “Fix your OWN mask FIRST, then attend to your children.
In the same way, you need to get your OWN life SECURED and on track to reach your
highest potential and then you will be better equipped to support the lives of others.
The Key Issue Is Your Heart Motives.
Whatever you do in life can be done with one of three main motives:
 Self-centered- your only interest would be to create value for yourself.
 Others-centered - your genuine focus is to bring value to the lives of others.

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 God-centered - your motive for what you do is to please God, and very often this
is combined with being “others-centered”. (Note the two main commandments
that Jesus gave us in Mark 12:29-31. We are to love God with all our hearts and
others as ourselves).
So the bottom line is that it has everything to do with your heart motive. A truly
wholesome plan of self-development training followed with the motive of being your
best for God and for others can only enhance your Christ centered life. The top 5
reasons for submitting yourself to a self-development training program are:
1) To renew your mind. - Remember what Paul commanded us to do in Romans
12:2.
2) To learn to walk in the abundant life that Christ purchased for you. This means
you learn to walk in faith which is the biggest thing you can do to please God –
Hebrews 11:1.
3) To learn to add value to the lives of others around you and with whom you come
in contact every day. (This responds to the second commandment found in
Mark 12:31.)
4) To learn to live a disciplined life. A disciplined life becomes a successful life.
The first command that Jesus spoke (as recorded in the Gospels) was: “Follow
Me”. A follower of Christ is known as a disciple or disciplined one. Now this
does not mean that everyone who walks in discipline is a follower of Christ, but
it DOES mean that everyone who truly follows Christ walks in discipline.
5) To learn to war against the negative influences of this world. The enemy has
given himself the task of destroying this world using every negative influence
he can throw into this world.
Remember, Jesus said that a kingdom divided against itself will fall. Why is it that so
many Christians don’t seem to get their prayers answered, or are so often defeated in
the battles of life? Could it be that they are divided? Their mouth speaks one thing
(positive words) as they pray, yet their minds are thinking words of fear and doubt.
One of the great reasons for submitting to the disciplines of Self-Development training
(sometimes called Personal Development), is to learn to:
 To become laser focused on your dreams
 To leave no room for doubt and fear in your mind.
Once you’ve learned to become laser focused on your dreams (which God has put in
your heart), you will find it easier to pray and study the Bible without your mind
running off on tangents.
In a nutshell:
 A daily program of personal development will help you to train yourself to be a
disciplined warrior.
 A disciplined warrior always looks to his captain! (So when you apply self-
development training to your life it does NOT mean you are not Christ centered, in
fact it will help you to be MORE Christ centered).
 God needs disciples (disciplined ones) and warriors. Are you ready to REALLY get
trained to become the person God created you to be? Then keep reading this
manual of nuggets on CPD.

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STUDY NOTE 2:
Understanding Personal Development God’s Way
However, to all who received him, to those believing in his name, he gave authority
(power, right) to become God’s (adult, mature, fully developed) children, John 1:12.
A message that Dr Mike Murdock gave about the Lion is very instructive here. The
Lion is BY NATURE the king of the jungle. Yet they are not born with the developed
skills to operate as the king of the jungle. They have to LEARN these skills. They
have to WORK at it and it takes them at least 2 years to fully develop as the king of
the jungle they were born to be.
When you accepted Christ into your life, you were given the right (authority and
power) to become an adult son (or daughter) of God with ALL of the rights. (John 1:12).
Now the question is: Are you DEVELOPING those rights and the authority you
were given? Are you BECOMING an adult son (or daughter) of God? In order to be
able to operate in this position (as an adult son (or daughter) of God, you have to
LEARN (develop) the skills. It will take WORK to get this done. This work could be
called “Personal or Self-development”.
Apostle Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:2 told us that the church needed to be
transformed to be what God has purposed us to be in this life. He stressed the ‘how’
we are to be continually transformed ‘by the renewing of our mind.’ We do that
by turning the tables on the negative influences around us, beginning with what is in
our mind.
In Luke 8, Jesus told an interesting parable, the actual message Jesus was
communicating in this parable has to do with finances. However, He made an
interesting comment as he concluded this story. He said: “for the children of this
world are in their generation wiser than the children of light”. We can apply this to
many areas of our lives without taking away from the original intention of this parable.
It is time that the children of light (those who have chosen to follow Christ) learn to
rise up and become WISER than the “children of this world”.
When we face challenges today actually, we often declare, “God has control”. That’s
true, but God has placed some of that control is in our hands, people of God”. Now,
we aren’t saying that God is not sovereign – I believe 100% in the Sovereignty of God,
what we are saying is that God has placed certain things (power, authority) in our
hands, and He expects us to use them for our benefit and others around us.
Moses was backed up against between the army of the Egyptians and the red sea. He
cried out for God to help. God’s reply was almost a rebuke – in fact it really was a
rebuke. God said: “Why are you crying out to Me? What do you have in your hand”?
(Exodus 14:15) He had a rod in his hand. What does the rod symbolize? Authority!
So what we are inferring is that God has given YOU the authority and power to
dominate this situation (starting in your mind) – and He expects you to use it! YOU
have the authority to control this situation (as God’s representative on earth).

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It is time for the God’s people (the children of light – Jesus’s disciples) to rise up and
train as the warriors we are called to be on this earth. We are to be the HEAD, not the
tail. And this personal development training and developing, starts with a consistent
disciplined daily training (renewing) your mind.
What is personal development for Christians?
What is the real meaning of personal growth in a Christian context? Christians are in
the process of being changed into the image of Christ, from glory to glory [2
Corinthians 3:18]. Surely that means that Christians are making upward progress,
that they are growing and developing? In fact, it does not. It means that we are being
reduced, while He becomes greater – as in the words of John the Baptist [John 3:30].
Humanistic psychology, which affects Christians through its influence in
entertainment, education, politics and commerce, would have us believe that we
should aspire to our highest potential – to become the best, and most successful, that
we can be.
We need to replace the reign of self with the reign of Christ. The problem, as the Bible
sees it, is that we are already too full of ourselves. We need to replace the reign of self
with the reign of Christ. We need humbling.
The apostle Paul had this experience. Early in his ministry he called himself the least
of the apostles [1 Corinthians 15:9]. Later, he called himself less than the least of all
the saints [Ephesians 3:8]. And towards the end of his life he called himself the worst
sinner in the world [1 Timothy 1:15]. As the apostle Paul grew in faith he saw himself
as less and less.
When we study the lives of God’s people who have made progress in the spiritual life,
we note that what marks them is the recognition that they are fading out of the picture,
while Jesus Christ takes the foremost place. This should make sense of the words of
Jesus when He said that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains
a single seed, but if it dies it will bring forth much fruit [John 12:24-25].

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STUDY NOTE 3:
Key Issues in Personal Development
Hebrew 12:1-2 – Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and
let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Introduction
Personal development field and the Christian faith have so much in common than any
of us could ever imagine. A thorough research that has taken me to many resources
has reveal some key issues required for any Christian to take to heart as he/she desire
to pursue Christian personal development and growth.
Listed below in no particular order are the ultimate key issues on self-improvement
guide that will help you achieve the peace, balance and happiness that you are looking
for in your Christian journey.
1. Find Your Mentors
You need to have good teachers to grow in life. Learning from these teachers expands
your knowledge, opens up your mind to new possibilities and lets you avoid painful
mistakes (at least some of them.) I will instruct you and in teach you in the way you
should go; I will counsel and watch over you. Ps. 32:8
The Holy Bible is the ultimate guidebook for self improvement, sometimes we just
need to put a little more effort into understanding the lessons written in it.
2. Develop Positive Thinking
I often hear about people saying that they are afraid that bad things will happen to
them. They think that they do not deserve good life. They are always expecting a
problem jumping at them from right around the corner. The thing about this people is
that most frequently bad things do happen to them. Various problems do arise in front
of them. And their life turns into a negative snowball.
Negative attitude never does anything good for you. If it’s difficult for you to believe
that you do deserve only great things in life then you should listen to this: “For I know
the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and future.” Jer 29:11
You have no reason for negative thinking in this life, do you?
3. Harness The Power Of Affirmations
If you are at all interested in self improvement then you probably heard at least 10
times about affirmations. Some people swear by them and put a lot of effort into
creating their personal affirmations (mantras) that they use for different situations in
their lives. They work, what else can I say?

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However, instead of creating some random phrase you can memorize Bible verses and
use them as your personal affirmations. You will train your brain, find your emotional
balance and grow spiritually at the same time.
4. Take Care Of Your Body
Self improvement tends to relate more towards mental and emotional development.
But how can we say that we are “self improving” if we continue living with bad habits,
neglect our bodies and destroy our health day after day?
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom
you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Cor. 6:19-20.
5. Journal For Your Mental And Emotional Health
Journaling is a powerful way to combat stress in life, get through tough periods and
clear your mind in general. Sometimes it is difficult to start this exercise because you
might not know what to write about.
You can start journaling down your prayers. Why not? A prayer is your dialogue with
God, it is the ultimate expression of your feelings, emotions and troubles. Write it
down, be grateful for what you have, ask for support and help in your troubles, open
your heart no matter how big or small your request might be. Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. Phil 4:6
6. Simplify Your Life
The life of material riches and possessions is empty. The joy that we get from new
purchases doesn’t last but a few minutes (okay, maybe a few days at the most.) Things
that clutter our houses create the same clutter in our mind. They leave no space for
spirituality, for genuine emotions and priceless memories.
Simplifying is the only way to true life balance: financially, emotionally, and physically.
Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never
satisfied with his income. - Eccl 5:10
Do you have any doubts about that?
7. Live Your Life With Passion
Isn’t it the new American dream to make money with your passion? There is a guide,
book or course on every corner that promises to turn your passion into a fountain of
wealth. I believe that a lot of people unrightfully cash in on the passion thing and very
few actually give any worthwhile advice.
It is a real gift in life if you can enjoy your occupation, if you can put all your passion
into your work. And it is possible. With faith and a lot of work of course. It is good and
proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under
the sun […] Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables
him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work – this is a gift of God.
He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with
gladness of heart. – Eccl. 5:18-19.

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8. Persevere And Work Towards Your Goals
How easy is it to give up in life? Very easy. However, you cannot grow if you do not
persevere or if you do not work towards your goals.
Sometimes it’s very difficult to continue: some obstacles may get in our way, our
motivation dwindles and projects look enormous and overwhelming. Of course you
can give up and choose a different path, you can lose sight of your dreams, you can
settle for something ordinary and safe. This is not life though; it is running away from
life.
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the
goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Phil
3:14
9. Develop Your Spirituality
Each one of us can have their own definition of spirituality. While spirituality is a key
element of any religion it is still possible to develop it apart from religious beliefs (it’s
not my way, but it is still a way.) Spirituality and strong beliefs give you a sense of
purpose in this world; they help you fight your fears and work in line with your passion;
they help you discover who you are and grow towards who you want to be.
Spirituality gives you the core belief that you can always go back to and find your
strength in it. But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will
be given to you as well. Matt 6:33
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13
If you are interested in growing as a person, improving your life and achieving your
life balance then you need to pick your self improvement path. The steps that you have
just read are universal but only you can decide what will be the purpose of your life …
what will be the deep core belief that will be pushing you forward no matter how good
or how bad you are feeling.
10. Sacrifice And Discipline
A weight is not a sin but it carries the same impact and consequences as sin. It stops
your development. Sin is the transgression of the law, either human or divine. ‘Sin’ is
comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning to miss the mark.
For any form of progression in personal development you will have to give up
something to go up. You have to deny yourself of some temporary pleasure to secure a
permanent place in the hall of fame of achievers. You need to be absolutely sold out to
your development or you will lose your birthright to carelessness.
11. Supervision And Accountability
Anyone that is not accountable is not worthy to be emulated. We live in a world where
some people think they are above the law. Friend, everyone that breaks divine laws
will end up being broke and broken.
Accountability is a function of integrity. A man that hates supervision hates greatness.
Jesus was submissive to the ministry of John the Baptist and the result was that His
ministry gained ascendancy and the heavens opened to Him.

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12. Consistency And Seeing Things Through
Luke 9:62 –Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit
for service in the kingdom of God.”
The last words of Jesus were ‘it is finished’. God our Father is the alpha and omega,
the beginning and the end. The attitude of continuity and consistency is essential for
you to be constantly relevant. You cannot be all over the place; you ought to be focused
and dependable. I pray for you for grace to see things through and not jump from place
to place wasting your energy.
13. Speaking To Yourself And Taking Out Time For Personal Appraisal
There is no examination like self-examination. Take out time from time to time to
measure your progress and learn from your mistakes. Take an inventory of your life
goals and measure your achievement. Research on how you can do things better and
find smarter ways of making a durable impact. Use your setback as a springboard for
a comeback. Build a habit of thinking things through.
14. Be Sensitive To Change
Isaiah 43:18-19 – 18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things
of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I
will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
The only constant thing in life is change so be ready to embrace positive change. Be
willing to acclimatise to the new position in which you find yourself. You may need to
learn a new language, take up a new training, pay more attention to details etc. Try as
much as possible to always look out for change and be willing to change. Develop good
foresight and good taste for credible forecast. You will succeed in Jesus’ mighty name.
NOTE: You have to make your decisions and choose your path. It is in your hands!!
Further Reading: Luke 15:11-21, 2Timothy 2:1-6, Philippians 3:13.

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STUDY NOTE 4:
Overcoming Deficits From Past Performance
And from their cities at that time the children of Benjamin numbered twenty-six
thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who
numbered seven hundred select men. Among all this people were seven hundred
select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth
and not miss. - Judges 20:15-16
In this passage of scripture, the original Hebrew text suggests that these left-handed
men were lame in their right hand. Most theologians agree that the majority of the
seven hundred men were casualties of war who suffered damage to their right hand
and learned to use their left hand to compensate for their deficit. Literally their past
performance created a deficit in their lives, but God took what they did have and
excelled it.
You may be in a place where your performance of yesterday has caused a deficit in your
life today. It could be a poor credit score through financial irresponsibility, a broken
marriage through infidelity, wayward children through neglect or abuse, or even a
broken body through substance abuse. Whatever the circumstances you find yourself
in today, know that God wants to excel you to greatness in the midst of it.
Some deficits seem so insurmountable that you may feel like you can never fully
recover. The reality of the facts often speaks so loud to you that they condition you not
to expect better. Literally, the pain of regret can consume you to the point where it
diminishes your capacity to dream. That is dangerous! The danger of not being able
to dream is simply this, if you can’t see a better tomorrow today, you will never have
one. You have to be able to see a better you.
Note that you will reign in your pain. The thing that is holding you back may be the
very thing that God uses to position you for greatness. So change your perception of
your deficit. See it as your point of contact for the power of God to be perfected in your
life. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
God knew that you would have these deficits at this point in your life and He has made
provisions for you to excel in spite of them. You were designed to overcome. So set
your eyes on your destiny, not your history. Find below a few steps that will help you
overcome deficits in your life:
1. Embrace The Pain Of You Deficit.
Know that if God allowed it, you can handle it (1 Corinthians 10:13). To embrace the
pain means to acknowledge the emotions you feel. They are a part of you, but they are
not the sum total of who you are. Once you acknowledge and accept the emotions and
their cause, you become empowered to change them.
At the very least you will have power over them and not them over you. The feelings
will no longer stop you from moving past the pain and into something productive.

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2. Identify The Cause Of Your Deficit.
You should examine exactly where you went wrong. Was it a lack of information? Was
it your child rearing? What is generational? Extract every bit of information from
it. Let this experience be your teacher.
The one true tragedy of any mistake is not learning from it. You should walk away
from your examinations with some “Never again” statements that will guide your
future decisions and behavior.
3. Activate The Grace Of God To Become.
The Apostle Paul said “I am what I am by the grace of God…” (1 Corinthians 15:10) In
order for you to become what you are to become you need grace! We have access to
His grace by faith. This is what separates us from the world, having a loving
relationship with a God who will empower us to overcome by faith.
No matter how high the deck is stacked against you, God can level the playing field
through His grace. Acknowledging Him is the first step to activating His grace.
(Proverb 3:5-6)
4. Change Your Focus To Your Strengths.
Paul’s focus was on the many revelations from God and not the thorn in his flesh. As
a result he wrote two thirds of the New Testament. So it is with you. When you begin
to focus on and develop the gifts and talents that God has given you, you will find a
passion for life that will help you move past your deficit.
It will create new experiences for you and re-enforce the vision of a better
you. Eventually you will be like the 700 left handed men from the tribe of Benjamin,
you too will never miss your target!

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STUDY NOTE 5:
VISION MANAGEMENT
“Then the Lord answered me and said, ‘Write the vision and make it plain on tablets,
that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time. But at the
end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will
surely come. It will not tarry.’” Habakkuk 2:2-3
For many people who made a New Year’s resolution, it’s not uncommon that those
resolutions are long forgotten by now. Personal resolutions are great and are
imperative for growth and development. However, there is a difference between a
personal resolution and a vision from God for your life.
What Is The Source Of Your Vision?
The source for the vision is a key to its sustainability. In essence the power to keep a
resolution that you made is based upon you, whereas the power to fulfill a Godly vision
is based upon your faith in God.
God gives us a vision in order to develop faith and trust in Him (Genesis 31:11-13) and
receive direction and discipline from within (Proverbs 29:18). The prophet Habakkuk
gives us instructions on how to manage a vision from God.
1. Write It Down.
In order for a vision to be effective it must be captured in time and space; we
accomplish this by writing it down. Writing the vision helps us to “make it plain” or
give it clarity. Where there is clarity of vision then there is acceleration toward the
known goal. It’s like driving in the fog. Even though we may know where we are going
we slow down because our vision isn’t clear. Once the fog is lifted we accelerate.
A clearly written vision helps lift the mental “fog” in your life. Writing the vision also
protects it. Life has a funny way for changing things we didn’t intend on
changing. Writing your vision protects it from being reshaped by life’s circumstances
and situations. We have a natural tendency to alter our capacity based upon our
experiences. When God gives you a vision, He seldom takes account of your
experiences. A man’s experience can literally change what he sees. A vision written
down will not lie to you, nor let you lie to yourself.
2. Read Your Vision Often.
The second thing we must do to manage vision is to reference it daily. The scripture
tells us that the vision will speak to us. Daily reference allows the vision to imprint a
picture on the canvas of our imagination causing us to dream about it, and be
influenced by it as well. Once it is internalized, it speaks to our core.
This is crucial because once the mind accepts something as important it goes to work
subconsciously to bring it into your life. It attracts to you everything you need to bring
that vision to pass. This principle is just as effective for the millionaire as it is for the
drug addict. If you can see it on the inside, eventually you’ll see it on the outside.

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3. Be Patient But Don’t Be Docile.
Finally, the vision helps develop patience as we wait for it. Patience is a perfect work
that causes us to be in control of our mind, will, and emotions and brings about no lack
in our lives (James 1:4, Luke 21:19). On the same token you have to take action. Put a
plan in place that requires you to do something.
4. Always Keep Your Vision In Motion.
So take some time to review the vision God has given for your life. If you have no
vision, began to seek God for His divine plan. Once you receive it, make sure you
manage it properly for if you so, it will surely come to pass.

15. 14
STUDY NOTE 6:
ORGANIZE TO MAXIMIZE
“When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the
multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and
lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” But He [Jesus] said to
them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five
loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” For there were
about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in
groups of fifty….So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover
fragments were taken up by them.” Luke 9:12-14, 17.
Introduction
There are very few places in the bible where we see Jesus, when He walked upon the
earth, was able to minister to everyone’s need in a multitude. In the above passage of
scripture, Jesus was able to feed the entire crowd because He organized them in groups
of fifty. He operated under the principle of organization.
Organization is a prerequisite to maximization, and maximization summons increase.
 Where there is organization there is a capacity to do more.
 Efficiency and effectiveness increase.
 An organized room can store more and the items in it can be accessed quicker.
 An organized presentation increases flow and comprehension.
 And an organized thought life reduces stress and increases our capabilities.
God Is A God Of Order.
There is no biblical justification for increase where there is disorder. The scriptures
clearly speak against disorder in leadership (Numbers 12), in relationships (Proverbs
6:19), and in our stewardship (Luke 16:1-3).
Now I know most people don’t want to hear about their cluttered desk, disorganized
closet, or unbalanced cheque-book, but the fact of the matter is God sees and
references them to determine what we are capable of handling before He permits
more. (Mathew 25:15).
Many Christians are praying for God to bless and increase them. Forgive the cliché’,
but God will not bless a mess! Disorder brings confusion into our lives and where there
is confusion; frustration increases and wrong decisions are made.
Commit Yourself To Living A More Organized Life.
Begin today by identifying at least one area in your life that you are willing to
organize. Once you do, here are a few tips to help you get started:
1) Get a plan. In The Gospel of John’s account of feeding the 5,000, Jesus
already had in mind what He was going to do. (John 6:6) He had a plan in
mind and so should you, but make sure you write yours down.
2) Start small. While reading this article it is inevitable something comes to
your mind that needs to be organized first. Start there, but don’t try to tackle

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too much at one time. Trying to do too much at one time can be overwhelming
and lead to discouragement. Organizing one small area and maintaining it is
a huge victory. Small beginnings will lead to big endings. (Job 8:7).
3) You should enjoy the process. Even though it may be dreaded work,
incorporate something that will make it more enjoyable. Try playing music,
listen to your favourite motivational CD, or invite a friend or family member to
help. Whatever it is do something to make it enjoyable.
4) Time box. Time boxing is a time management concept used to tackle large or
dreaded task. Instead of engaging in a task to completion, you engage for a
specified amount of time. I like to engage for a specified amount of time with
the promise of a reward at the end of it; say a nice cup of coffee…. When we
time box usually it increases our focus and often we get so focused that we push
way pass the time we initially established. Time boxing is also an awesome way
to overcome procrastination as well.
5) Celebrate the small victories. As you do, you will be encouraged to do
more. Even God said after each day of creation, “It was good!”
6) Make a journal entry today. Explore what areas in your life are
disorganized and ask the Holy Spirit why? You will be amazed at the answer
He gives you.

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STUDY NOTE 7:
THE LAW OF DEVELOPMENT
“Though your beginning be small yet your latter end shall greatly increase.” Job 8:2,
NKJV
Introduction
Everything great started off small in comparison to its end result. Most organizations
started with a few people, most complex systems started simple, even the world we live
in today was once dark, void, and without form. Greatness is the result of
development. Here are some basic principles of the Law of Development:
1. Development Is A Product Of Change And / Or Growth.
John Maxwell says, “Change is inevitable; growth is optional.” Everything living will
encounter change.
Change is the result of demands placed upon us that require something different. Our
bodies change as a result of nature, organizations change as a result of its internal and
external demands, even our minds change as we gain awareness.
On the other hand growth is different. Growth is the intentional result of following a
process and learning from the demands that cause us to change.
2. There Is A Process To Every Personal Development.
This process is designed to refine us; to bring out the desired end result. In the process
is where we identify strengths and overcome weaknesses. It doesn’t matter if it’s
improving your golf swing or parenting a child with behavioural issues, there is a
process to our development. Identify that process and stick to it.
3. The Development Process Is Where Theory Meets Practice.
When it comes to personal growth, there are as many theories as there are teachers.
Theories that we learn can be anything from visualization to psycho-analysis. While
each theory may have a different practical application, the development process
remains the same: PLAN – DO – REVIEW!
 Planning requires identifying the actions steps it will take for you to obtain
your goal and assessing what it’s going to cost you.
 Doing is implementing the plan. Here is where the rubber meets the road. It
is a place of discovery. Here is where we discover our strength and gifts, our
limitations and barriers, our commitment to change, which associates are good
for us, and a host of other valuable self-awareness issues.
 Reviewing requires taking an honest look at your results and making
adjustments for improvement.
4. Never Circumvent The Process In Order To Make Progress.
It’s easy to be tempted to skip steps in order to advance quicker, especially if you are
like me and feel you have lost ground over the years. But don’t do it. If you do, it could
result in a less than desirable end result. When it comes to personal development the
end doesn’t justify the means. The process is just as important as the product!

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5. Every Process Has A Struggle Embedded In It.
The struggle is designed to identify your determination and resilience level. How bad
do you want it? What will you do when you run into barriers? Will you quit or will you
finish strong?
The struggle is also designed to build your strength and give you the experience you
need to soar in life. There is a story of a child who came across a butterfly struggling to
exit its cocoon. Wanting to help the butterfly, the boy carefully widen the opening in
the cocoon which resulted in the butterfly exiting it with an enlarged body and
deformed wings. As it turned out, the butterfly needed the struggle of breaking out of
his cocoon in order to spread the fluid from its body to its wings. Because it was robbed
of the struggle, the butterfly never developed to its full potential.
Never run from the struggle as it is an important part of your development. Although
your struggle may be painful, you still need it. When you understand the purpose of
pain in the struggle you will know it is for your development not your
destruction. Every struggle avoided is a missed opportunity for growth.
6. Development Requires Patience.
Patience is the payment of time in the process of development. Time is one of our most
precious commodities and true development requires a lot of it.
“Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
nothing.” James 1:4.
From the perspective of time, personal development is expensive, but it is well worth
the cost.

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STUDY NOTE 8:
UNDERSTANDING HABITS
“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was,
he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. “ Luke
4:16
Habits are powerful. They drive our action. The majority of the things we do on a day
to day basis we do because we have a habit of doing them. You drink from the same
coffee mug, you talk to the same people, and you even watch the same television
programs around the same time. I have found this to be true, you don’t necessarily do
what you want to do; you do what you habitually do. If you could learn to master your
habits, you will master your life.
Our Habits Determine Our Success And Our Failures.
Most successful people make it a habit of doing daily the things that will bring them
the life they want. Habits create diligence and consistency which makes our life
predictable and our rewards sure. Unfortunately like a dog that returns to its vomit,
bad habits have predictions as well. They destroy our health, our finances, and
relationships making our personal pain just as certain.
It Takes Just 21 Days To Form A Habit.
A habit is formed when a routine has successfully slipped past the conscious mind into
the subconscious where it is stored and triggered without a conscious effort. The only
way that happens is through repetition and discipline. God understood this that is why
He admonishes us to come to Him daily. In order to have Godly success you must
make it a habit to meditate on His word repetitiously until the Word is driven into our
subconscious and you can see yourself doing it. (Joshua 1:8)
Be Intentional About The Habits You Create.
The Word of God is clear that Jesus develop specific habits. Jesus made it a habit of
going to the temple (Luke 4:16); He habitually went to prayer (Luke 6:12); He
habitually taught His disciples (Mark 10:1). He established habits in His life that
created a successful life and so should you. Please find below are seven steps that will
help you create good habits:
1. Get a clear picture of the end result. (Proverb 29:18) A vision of a better you
is the most powerful motivator for getting started. If you want to eat healthier, save
more, or spend less time watching TV you must see yourself with the end
result. Visualization principles open up the subconscious mind.
2. Develop strong enough reasons why you want the end result. (Habakkuk
2:2) For any goal to be realized it must be captured in time and space. Write it
down! Spend time journaling about why you must form this habit. Explain to
yourself why it is important and what benefits you will receive from it. This food
that creates motivation to get started, and re-motivates when the attack is on.

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3. Educate yourself. (Hosea. 4:6) Know your real cost in time and effort to form
the habit. Understanding what it will cost you up front removes the element of
surprise.
4. Prepare to be attacked. (Ephesians 6:12) Satan and your flesh will come against
you with reasons not to stay disciplined. Prepare for those attacks with forethought
and planning. You should already have an answer before the temptation arises.
5. Get reinforcements. (Romans 8:28) It is the Holy Spirit’s job to provide us with
help. Call upon Him in your time of need. He will help you.
6. Stay disciplined. (1 Corinthians 9:27) Enforced obedience will keep you through
the distasteful elements of habit development. But stay with it because as you
repeat the behavior it becomes easier. What is easy for you, you find pleasure in
it. What is pleasurable you do often. What you do often become habitual.
7. Continuation. After the habit is formed, it just requires a little maintenance to
keep it strong. If you follow these steps, you will be on your way creating good
habits.

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STUDY NOTE 9:
YOUR TIME IS YOUR LIFE
Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as
wise (sensible, intelligent people), Look carefully then how you walk. Making the
very most of the TIME [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16
One of the most valuable gifts that God has given us is time. One reason why is because
time is directly equated to your life. That’s why every second of your day is a precious
and should be cherished.
When you are unwilling to protect and cherish it, you actually sabotage one of the
master keys to successful living.
Make The Most Of Your Time.
The above scripture indicates that we make the most of our time not just by being
productive, but by seizing opportunities. Now we all know you can’t take advantage of
every opportunity under the sun, nor should you try.
However, the opportunities that God gives you to improve your relationships, health,
and earning potential through personal and spiritual growth are all captured by the
investment of time.
Time Conscious
I’ve never met a successful person who was not conscious of time, on the same token,
I have never met an unsuccessful person who was. As a Christian you are called to be
a good steward. One area of stewardship you should be aware is over your time. You
must be conscious of your time, because you only get 24 hours in a day. However, 24
hours is all you need.
I have seen people stand in line for hours to get a lottery ticket, yet those same people
won’t sit in class to gain the wisdom needed to create their own wealth. If you are not
conscious of your time you will find the time to chase after pipe dreams, but you will
declare you don’t have the time to pursue purpose driven dreams.
Time Is The Currency Of The Earth.
Like the dollar is the currency of the United States, time is the currency of the
earth. You have traded time for whatever you currently have. Chance are, what you
don’t have you were unwilling to trade time for. For example, a person may want to
lose weight, but they may say they don’t have time to go to the gym. However, the
same person will spend an hour or two watching their favorite tv shows that
night. What they are really saying is they are more willing to invest their time in
entertainment than they are in having a healthier body.
Time Can’t Be Saved, It Can Only Invested.
There is no such thing as a time bank where you can put a few hours away and use
them later. Time can only be invested in the now with an expected end. When you see
a man with a muscular physique, you know he invested a lot of time lifting

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weights. When you greet a person with a PhD, you know she invested a lot of time in
school. Likewise a person who invests excessive time relaxation is probably out of
shape, and possibly overweight.
Take Time To Invest In Your Time
Invest your time in improving your time. It will take some effort, but with
implementing just a few small steps, you will find it pays great dividends. Here are a
few suggestions you can try implementing now:
a) Make a TO DO list. Each morning I get up and write down 5 or 6 things that
I want to accomplish that day. It helps me plan and prioritize my day. If you
don’t start your day with a plan to manage your time, chances are someone else
will manage it for you!
b) Focus on one thing at a time. Stop multi-tasking. Experts say that when
you switch gears between tasks it takes about 15 minutes to get focused on that
task. Often extreme multi-taskers even suffer from inattentiveness and lack of
concentration. This leads to increased mistakes of which correcting them
causes wasted time and reduced efficiency.
c) Turn off your email notification. Often the emails we get on our smart
phones come at a time we can do nothing about it. When we hear the
notification and can’t attend to it right away, it takes away energy and
concentration that is needed for the task at hand. Set aside time to check your
email when you can respond to them.
d) Don’t get sucked into the social media wormhole. It’s amazing how 5
minutes on Facebook turn into 30, or reading a couple of tweets turns into a
couple of dozen. The best way to deal with the social media wormhole is to be
realistic.
It’s probably going to take more time than you anticipate so don’t engage until
you have accomplished your higher priority tasks. If using social media is not
directly connected to your job, then use it as a reward for completing higher
priority task.
e) Time Box. Time boxing is a time management technique used to stay focused
and maximize the productivity of free or less time. There are many different
variations of it, but the way I use it is I set a certain amount of time for doing a
task and I set a reward at the end of that task.
My focus isn’t finishing the task, but to do as much as I can for the time
allotted. When I do this, I find I break inertia and create a focus that minimizes
internal distractions. It is also a great way to overcome procrastination.

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STUDY NOTE 10:
UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS
“Do not be deceived: evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
Modern psychology has identified a number of relationship dysfunctions they call
relational disorders. Basically they occur when, through the stain of previous
relationships, a person has trouble relating to others.
Some people often find themselves in a relationship that is very volatile and
dysfunctional. When they do, the result can be irrational emotions, distorted
perceptions, and even physical illness. In other words DRAMA!
I know a story of a woman in a dysfunctional relationship who every year she was
getting a major operation. When she left the relationship she stopped getting sick. So,
the question to ask wasn’t what, but who was the matter with her.
There are some relationships that are so dysfunctional that they can literally cause us
to be spiritually, mentally, and physically sick. Some relationships can be so toxic that
it can corrode our financial, social and intellectual standing.
The Word of God is clear about the power of association concerning our
relationships. If you associate with wise men you will be wise (Pro 13:20), if you
associate with angry men you will be angry (Pro 22:24-25), and if you associate with
fools, well…. (Pro 13:20)
The 5 Types of Relationships
There are basically five categories of people you relate to in your life in reference to
who you are:
a. Adders People who after you interact with them they leave you feeling better
about yourself or your situation. It could be through positive words or maybe
just a radiating smile.
b. Subtractors These are people who always have some issue or drama brewing
in their life and usually they try to pull you in it. It’s normal to walk away from
these people feeling like you just lost something.
c. Multipliers These are people that expand your capacity to believe. Their
positive interaction stimulates you to see life bigger than you are actually living
it causing you to dream and pursue those dreams.
d. Dividers These are people who diminish your capacity to believe. Their
perception of life makes you see things from a sullen perspective. Often their
“reality check” causes you to give up on dreams and settle for the good enough.
e. Zeros. These are acquaintances or place holders in your life that neither add nor
subtract from the sum total of who you are. They are fine in your life until you
try to lean on them for something they can’t give you. Remember, anything
times zero leaves zero.

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Three Ways to Handle Relationships
Take the time to inventory your relationships and determine whether the relationship
is making you better or bitter. Classify your relationships and handle them in one or a
combination of three ways.
a. Cultivate relationships with the multipliers and adders in your life. Find the
time to develop and glean from their experiences and stimulate your
imagination through their association.
b. Regulate relationships with the subtractors and zeros. Don’t allow them to pull
something from you that you cannot afford to give, and don’t expect something
from them that is beyond their capacity to produce. Finally, if possible
c. Eliminate those dividers in your life. Identification and avoidance of the
dream killers in your life is the first step to finding out who is the matter with
you.

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STUDY NOTE 11:
THE LAW OF ATTRACTION: IS IT IN THE BIBLE?
You won’t find the topic of The Law of Attraction in the bible, but you will definitely
find the principle. I want to look at a couple of scriptures that support it. But before
we look at the scriptural foundation for this principle, I would like to debunk what the
Law of Attraction is not.
The Law of Attraction is not the same as the Law of Sowing and Reaping.
I’ve heard Christians say that the Law of Attraction is the same as the Law of Sowing
and Reaping. Not quite. Sowing and reaping requires a physical action as a seed
before you can receive or expect to receive a harvest. The Law of Attraction is activated
purely from the thoughts in your mind and the meditations of your heart. It requires
no physical activity, however it can be enhanced by it.
The Law of Attraction is not part of the Gnostic Gospel doctrine.
I’m not sure how this one got started. Anyway the Gnosticism is part of the teaching
that Peter warns against in 2 Peter 2:1. The premise of Gnosticism is that salvation is
obtained through knowledge not Christ. This false doctrine teaches us revelation
liberates us from this material world to be in sync with the spirit. This “enlightenment”
is primarily what the New Age religion is all about, but it’s not New Age at all. It’s the
same old lie. You see this promoted in the popular movie The Davinchi Code.
Biblical scriptures that support the Law of Attraction
Proverbs 4:23 it states: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows
from it.” This scripture provides the most support. Solomon was telling us that
literally everything we have or will have comes from our heart.
The heart has several Hebrew translations, but the word used here is best described as
the souls desire and imagination. This infers that the thoughts that occupy the
majority of our thinking gets manifested in our lives. It doesn’t matter whether you
intended for it to be that way or not. What you think about the most will show up in
your life.
Proverbs 23:7 “As a he thinks in his heart, so is he…..” Although this scripture was
referring to the miser’s heart continually thinking about what it is costing him, it
establishes the principle that what you think about most often you become. We were
designed to gravitate to our most dominant thought. In other words, there is a pull,
an attraction, to the things that occupy our mental real estate.
Mathew 12:35 Jesus states: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings
forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”
Jesus was scolding the Pharisees in reference to their words. He basically said they will
speak from the abundance of the heart. Then He states a man’s heart’s will bring forth
either good or bad, depending on what’s in it.
The Greek word for heart used here is psuche’ which is also used for the soul. We also
get the English word psyche from this word. Again it refers to our mind and the
dominant thoughts harbored in them.

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Genesis 15:1-6, God uses the visualization principle and then in Genesis 17:5
the verbalization principle to bring Abraham to the point where He and Sarah could
believe they could have a child in their old age. God told Abram to look at the stars and
that’s how many descendants he will have (15:1-6).
Then God changed Abrams name from Abram, which means fatherless; to Abraham
which means father of many. From that moment on every time he saw the stars or he
heard his name, all he could think about were his descendants. Nine months later at
the ripe old age of 100, he had Isaac.
The Law of Attraction is a powerful tool for faith and success in life.

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STUDY NOTE 12:
THE LAW OF ATTRACTION: A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
You can’t talk about personal growth, being successful, or coaching without eventually
talking about the Law of Attraction. Here, I want to look at it from a Christian point
of view. Like it or not, it is a time tested spiritual law that is working in your life.
Don’t Struggle, Understand!
Many Christians struggle with the principle because it’s a worldly philosophy, or they
disregard it altogether because the majority of the church is silent about it. Yes I know
you can’t find it in the bible specifically, but you can’t find the law of gravity in the bible
either and we fully accept it. To ease the struggle you must seek to understand exactly
what the law of attraction is and how it works. It really isn’t a secret.
Proper Perspective
The proper perspective for Christians to have of the Law of Attraction is that it is a
spiritual law – nothing more, nothing less. It has no moral affiliation. It is not a
religion, a cult, or a money making scheme. Like the Law of Association, Law of
Sowing and Reaping, and the Law of Sin if you learn how to operate in it your life will
be the better.
Laws are Impartial
They work for whoever will work them, and usually against whoever will not! We
should see the Law of Attraction as another tool that God has given us to fulfill His will
on this earth and in our life.
Christians should have the mindset of being spiritual lawyers.
Just like an Attorney will study the laws of the court, and a Scientist will study the Laws
of Physics, we should seek to understand the concepts of every spiritual law as it relates
to the Word. We should also be able to recognize them in action and articulate them
clearly.
Jesus said “The sons of this world are wiser in their generation than the sons of
light.” (Luke 16:8) That means that the world has a better understanding and
application of spiritual principles than most Christians do. As a result, many of them
are living the life of wealth and prosperity that God has intended for His people.
Recognize the New Age Influence
Because the Law of Attraction is promoted so heavily by New Age religions and worldly
philosophies, there is a danger that you should be aware of. In your quest for
understanding, it is inevitable that you will run into teachings that are contrary to the
Word. Satan will twist the Word and worldly concepts to sow seeds of deception and
doubt in the believer.
Keep your heart guarded by maintaining the following 3 principles:
1) Jesus is Lord and there is no other.
I know I just said this in a previous post, but it bears repeating. The Gospel of Jesus
Christ is not a self help gospel. His commands and warnings are not suggestions to be
adhered to if desired. You must keep the Word first and submit everything else to

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it. That will include making sacrifices for His kingdom, abstaining from sin, and
preaching the gospel.
2) God is our only source.
We don’t receive from the universe nor ask it to provide for us. The scriptures tell us
that “… Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) For the
believer, the wisdom of God is inside us and is drawn out of us by His Spirit, not given
to us by the universe – His creation.
3) The Law of Attraction is a Tool.
Faith uses the Law of Attraction to bring to us those desires that God puts in our hearts.
Likewise greed uses it to bring what Satan has put in our heart about money. Lust uses
it to bring what is in our hearts about sex, etc. You get the picture. Your job is to learn
how to use the tool properly.
You should be intentional about what you put in your mind and heart because aware
of it or not, it most likely activates the law of attraction.

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STUDY NOTE 13:
Embracing Change For Personal Development
Philippians 3:13 – Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing
I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things
which are ahead
Please be aware of two facts about effective change that result in personal
development:
1. Never think you are through with change, life is a process of constant
change.
In the above scripture one would have thought that a man of Apostle Paul’s status who
had accomplished excellent results in life and ministry would retire and fold his hands
but that was not the case; he put all his achievements behind him and set himself new
goals to achieve. He discovered that no human being is ever finished with change; we
are always in one state of change or another. The reason is because the wisdom of God
is many sided and it will take eternity to exhaust the divine capacities He has put in us
in Christ.
In everything in life, be it career, marriage, ministry, education, sports etc. you move
from one stage to another. It is said that life comes in phases and men in sizes. It is the
deception of the devil for you to think that you have reached the pinnacle of change in
any area of your life. The human mind is like an elastic band, the more you stretch it
the more effective it becomes. The more pliable you are to positive change the faster
your personal development will be. So sit down and carry out a personal assessment
of how quick you are to respond to positive change or how slow you are to respond to
it. Find out if you are rigid or flexible. Remember a person has to be first honest with
himself before he can be honest with others. A person who is not honest with him or
herself is a hopeless case.
2. The God kind of change is from one level of positive change to another
level of positive change and not always a change from negative to
positive.
Some are of the opinion that change should always be from negative to positive but the
God kind of change is meant to be from one level of positive change to another level of
positive change.
From experience I have observed that most people do well when the change required
is from a bad situation to a good situation because the negative situation is
uncomfortable and puts immense pressure on the individual to find a way of escape
by all means. But in Christ, the major part of our Christian life is programmed to be
from one level of glory (positive change) to glory (another level of positive change). I
have also observed that most Christians fall back and fail mostly in this area of one
level of positive change to another because of the spirit of complacency and probably
forgetting the purpose and value of lifelong personal development. Please be aware
that today’s excellence is tomorrow’s mediocrity.

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Friend, for us to be constantly relevant we have to be constantly developing ourselves.
Constant development is required in every area, spiritual, physical, mental etc. I have
taken it upon myself to do more physical exercise now than before to keep my body fit
for what I have to do and to be healthy. I have dedicated a special time to fellowship
with God daily in order to strengthen my relationship with Him. I read new materials
every week to develop my mental awareness towards current issues. Most things I am
learning today are not because I am in trouble or because I want a breakthrough but
because I want to stay above and remain in charge of things in the ever-changing
environment we live in.
Friend, success is never ending; you are meant to live from one level of glory to another
level of glory. So, programme yourself for continuity in your journey of personal
development.
Further reading - Psalm 18:29, 1Corinthians 13:11, Hebrews 5:14, 2Corinthains 3:18.

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STUDY NOTE 14:
Taking Responsibility Is Key To Personal Development
Proverbs 22:29 – Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before
kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
Everyone knows that nobody gets to the top of Mount Everest by accident except by
deliberate action. In this regard, personal development is the outcome of a deliberate
act of taking responsibility.
Years ago when I got the call into ministry I saw that the assignment that God gave me
was enormous. Even though I am anointed, I knew and accepted the fact that I lacked
the required skills and training to pull off an excellent job by myself and that, without
relevant development, I could not get the job done.
So I took it upon myself to find a practising minister in the area of my calling that I
would have access to his materials and ministry. I began to think and ask myself what
I needed to operate a successful ministry apart from money. Every time I met with him
I asked questions. (Note – I have never asked for money for ministry from him). I took
careful note of what he said and adjusted the information to my ministry to meet the
needs of the people that God sent me. I have continued this process for years and I
have also increased my information sources as I make new discoveries. It takes a lot of
effort, sacrifice, time and determination but it pays a great dividend every time.
Listen to this story: “I am a town planner by training. When I got to Ireland one of my
first actions was to find a body that represented town planners in Ireland and join
them in order to be accredited. I found them but I was told my degree couldn’t be
accredited because it lacked some academic elements required by them. I enquired
what I could do to meet their requirements and was told I would have to embark on
another degree that was accredited by them. I did and I finally got my accreditation
four years later. Years later, I discovered that if I had not gotten the accreditation I
would have lost an opportunity for promotion and possibly my current employment.”
Friend, there is no sight like foresight, we related the above story to let you know that
no matter the prophecy on your life or the promises you are standing on, to actualise
any of them you need personal development to match. You need to take the
responsibility to find out and acquire the relevant information for the path God has
chosen for you either in ministry or career and focus on it. I am a lifelong student and
I always have a desire to learn things that will improve my skill in my field of
endeavour, be it ministry, marriage, planning or anything that will position for me for
greatness.
The 3 Ways to take Responsibility
a. Take Time To Study
From the above scripture, one of the ways to avoid shame and degradation in your life
is to study. You need references to become a reference. Every teacher was first a
student. There is no born teacher, there are only trained teachers. So be an ardent
student of God’s word and the career path you have chosen. Be a master at it.

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b. Be Diligent
Another tool of responsibility is diligence. You need to do things with care and effort
not anyhow. Be known as a diligent person in all you do. Take notes because what you
do not record you cannot retrieve. Paul the Apostle in the above scripture placed a
great value on note taking and keeping. Value notes, keep them and go over them
again.
c. Fight And Fight For Your Believe And Desire
Another area of responsibility is to fight for what you believe and desire. You cannot
be crowned a victor folding your hands. It is very sad that among many spirit filled
believers hard work is deemed a curse but God Himself worked seven days to create
His dream world and Jesus said “my father work hitherto and I work..” so summon up
the courage and pull a fight to accomplish your goals. Remember, we are commanded
to watch and pray not to pray only.
Further reading
Philippians 2:12, 2Timothy 4:13, 2Timothy 2:15, Daniel 9:2, Deuteronomy 2:24

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STUDY NOTE 15:
Jesus – Our Model of Personal Development
Introduction
You long to experience the fullness of divine life and to share this with others. But you
may not have a clear picture of what this looks like and how to become a fully alive
person. I find that even most Christians don’t very well understand the stages of
spiritual and psychological development.
To become like Jesus is the most important goal of our lives! We need a map to guide
our journey. The life of Jesus is our map — he shows us God in human flesh. He
fulfilled all righteousness and is the perfect human being. Everything that we would
rightly hope to experience and become is seen in Jesus. He is completely holy and
healthy as a person. He is our example.
Luke Shows Us Jesus’ Personal Development
To better understand what the fullness of God looks like in a human being I did a Bible
study in the Gospel of Luke. Luke is the Gospel writer that puts the most focus on
Jesus’ development, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Doctor Luke tells us key
stories from Jesus’ birth and childhood and helps us to see Jesus as a human being
during his public ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. He specifically points out
personal ways that “Jesus grew” (Luke 2:40, 52).
Studying the life of Jesus as Luke reveals it in his Gospel, we see that Jesus experienced
and grew through each stage of spiritual and psychological development that is
possible for us. Based on clinical research, we’ve identified these stages by the
acronym: “LIFE in CHRIST.” The LIFE stages are especially important as four
psychological needs that infants and children have and they’re needs that are
important all through life. The CHRIST stages mark the developmental journey of
growing in faith and grace. We tend to cycle through these stages and may or may not
experience the later ones.
(LIFE in CHRIST is the theme of one of four TLC Retreats/Trainings in Soul
Shepherding’s two-year certificate program in Christian Spiritual Formation and Soul
Care.)
LIFE in CHRIST: The Developmental Stages that Jesus Models
Here is an outline with some examples of how Jesus experienced each of the
developmental stages and set the model for us:
Love (bonding in caring relationships)
 The virgin Mary became Jesus’ mother by divine miracle and she sang about him
in the womb, showing that she wanted him and delighted in him. (Luke 1:46-55)
 Mary held him and nurtured him. (Luke 2:7)
 Mary “treasured and pondered” his life and surely shared with him all the
miracle stories surrounding his birth and early childhood. (Luke 2:19 and 51)

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 As an adult he received hospitality from friends. (Luke 4:38-39; 10:38-42)
Identity (self-awareness and esteem; clear and strong boundaries)
 He was named Jesus, “the one who saves people from sin.” (Luke 2:21)
 His parents dedicated him to God. (Luke 2:22-24)
 Simeon prophesied that he would be known as the Savior, the light of the world,
and a revealer of hearts. (Luke 2:29-35)
 His parents “marveled” over him. (Luke 2:33)
 At 30 years old he proclaimed his life mission from the Scriptures. (Luke 4:17-
21)
 He refused to let the Jews force him to be king of Israel. (4:29-30)
 Through prayer he knew when to leave one city to go to another, even though
people wanted him to stay. (Luke 4:42-43)
Favor (divine generosity and grace; also forgiveness of sin which everyone
but Jesus needs)
 Jesus grew in strength, wisdom, and grace/favor with God and people. (Luke
2:40, 52)
 At 30 years old he asked to be baptized by John and was blessed by the Father:
“You are my beloved son and in you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22)
 He was so full of grace that gracious words constantly fell from his lips like honey
from the comb. (Luke 4:22)
Enthusiasm (full of divine life and joy and blessing others)
 As a child he enjoyed celebrating religious festivals with his family (Luke 2:41)
 At twelve years old he thrilled to be in his Father’s house and to share his wisdom
with religious leaders. (Luke 2:42-47)
 When he launched his public ministry at age 30 he was “full of the Holy Spirit.”
(Luke 4:1)
 Alone and fasting in the wilderness for forty days, with no physical or
circumstantial comfort, he relied on his Father in the spiritual world for his LIFE
needs and was so well-sustained that he resisted Satan’s temptations for worldly
pleasures and advancements. (Luke 4:2-13)
 He taught with the confident authority of someone who knew from experience
the goodness and effectiveness of his teachings. (Luke 4:32)
 He was “full of joy.” (Luke 10:21)
Conversion (being born from above with divine life; Jesus had life in
himself)
 The angel announced the incarnation of Christ to Mary, which for us enables and
represents the new birth. (Luke 1:26-38)
 As an adult Jesus received John’s baptism of cleansing from sin and public
display of new life, not because he needed it, but as our example. (Luke 3:21-22).

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Help in Discipleship (growing in grace and godliness)
 As a boy Jesus was taught to worship God, read the Scriptures, and pray at
the temple in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:41-52)
 He practiced solitude and silence, fasting, meditation on Scripture, and prayer.
(Luke 4:1)
 He had a custom as a boy and throughout his adult life of going to the local
synagogue to worship God and discuss the Scriptures in community. (Luke 4:16)
 He practiced early morning prayer and used particular places to pray. (Luke
4:42; 11:1; 22:39-44)
 He enjoyed spiritual community with friends. (Luke 22:15).
Responsibilities in Ministry (serving others)
 As a young man he worked as a carpenter, serving as unto the Lord. (Luke 4:22)
 In his public ministry Jesus offered people deliverance, healing, teaching, and
discipleship. (Luke 4:31 and following)
Inward Journey (understanding emotions and needs, overcoming
temptations and trials)
 At age 30 Jesus spent forty days praying to his Father, reflecting on his feelings
and God’s call for his life, resisting Satan’s temptations, and strengthening his
resolve to carry out God’s call. (Luke 4:2-13)
 Jesus often withdrew from the crowds that clamoured for his attention and went
to lonely places to pray. (Luke 5:16)
 He prepared for going to the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane, wrestling with
his emotions, overcoming Satan, and submitting his will entirely to his Father.
(Luke 22:39-44)
Spirit-Led Ministry (serving others, not by self-effort, but by God’s power)
 Jesus didn’t rely on his own gifts or power to heal, but on the power of the Lord.
(Luke 5:17)
 When crowds kept after Jesus he withdrew into solitude and listened for God’s
direction on what to do next. (Luke 5:42-44)
 He prayed on a mountain in an all night prayer vigil to discern from God who to
choose as his Apostles. (Luke 6:12-13)
 By relying on God’s peace and power, he calmed a storm with a word. (Luke 8:22-
25)
 God’s power came out through his body — even his clothes! — to heal the sick.
(Luke 8:42-48)
 He drove out demons “by the finger of God.” (Luke 11:20).
Transforming Union (intimacy with God and revealing God to others, even
in trials)
 Jesus was transfigured and his body radiated with God’s light and glory. (Luke
9:28-36)

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 With love he gave himself to suffer and die on the cross to reconcile people to
God, submitting himself entirely to God as he prayed, “Father, into your hands I
commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:26-47)
 By God’s power he rose from the dead and appeared to his followers, showing
them that he conquered sin, death, and hell. (Luke 24:1-49)
 He ascended back into the heavenly realms all around us and from here he
continues to love and guide us into the Kingdom of God. (Luke 24:50-53).

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STUDY NOTE 16:
Insights and Applications From The Spirit of the
Disciplines by Dallas Willard
Introduction
This Spiritual Disciplines List features some main disciplines for life in Christ with
concise definitions for each. We call these “spiritual disciplines,” but the activities are
physical, not spiritual. They are bodily activities that can engage and effect our whole
person (Romans 12:1-2). So a more accurate term for the exercises in this list is
“disciplines for a spiritual life in Christ.”
To excel in anything in life discipline is required. This is true for athletes, musicians,
plumbers, accountants, and disciples of Jesus. Effective discipline is not drudgery, it
is delightful! Of course, training has difficult aspects, but the hard work pays off to
facilitate ease and joy of living. Just watch a master pianist and you’ll see that he or
she is not straining to do well, but enjoying the music. Hence the title of Richard
Foster’s classic book for disciples of Jesus, The Celebration of Discipline.
Two Keys to Success: Indirection and Habit
Discipline works by indirection. A discipline is something we can do that enables us to
do what we haven’t yet been able to do by our own direct effort. Trying is not enough.
(“Don’t try — train!” is a way to paraphrase 1 Tim. 4:7.) Our training is connecting us
with a power much greater than our own — the Spirit of God that raised Jesus Christ
from the dead!
So if you can’t break the power of an addiction to alcohol or pornography one step to
get free (in addition to obvious measures like 12 Step Recovery and psychotherapy)
might be to fast from food. With practice you can experience the reality that fasting is
feasting: even though you’re not eating you’re sustained in the joy and peace of God
by meditating on Scripture and praying. If you can get past headaches and grumpiness
when fasting and learn to be sweet and strong without getting the food you need then
you can apply this to resisting your compulsive behavior.
The other way discipline works is because we’re developing new and
healthy habits. You can’t be good at golf without developing a number of specific habits
in your body — there are seemingly a hundred aspects to a good golf swing! We can’t
even drive our cars safely without habits. Without thinking about it we notice
conditions on the road and break when needed.
The spiritual life works the same way. We need bodily habits that engage our mind and
heart with God. We want to get into a position in our daily lives where we find ourselves
meditating on Scripture, praying, or blessing the one who curses us without even
having intended to do so. Using an intelligently designed course of disciplines over
time will do that.

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Grow in Grace with Jesus
Christ Jesus himself practiced this Spiritual Disciplines List and this was crucial to the
peace and power that he lived with. I show this in my book Your Best Life In Jesus’
Easy Yoke.
Studying our Master’s rhythm of life in the Gospels is one of the most important things
we can do. Jesus grew in grace (Luke 2:40, 52) and Peter urges us that we must do the
same (2 Peter 3:18). Disciplines don’t set aside our need for grace nor do they earn us
anything — they simply are means to help us be with Jesus to become like him. As the
Son of God abided in the Father’s love so we abide in him and then he and the Father
abide in us! (John 15:9-10)
To grow in the grace of our Lord and Saviour we need to practice some tried and true
disciplines from both major categories of disciplines: abstinence (self-denial) and
engagement (connecting relationally with God and others). Using one side without the
other will not lead to much growth. Abstinence makes space for deeper engagement
with God and others and engagement gives strength to endure the challenges of
abstinence.
The Spiritual Disciplines List
What activities belong on a Spiritual Disciplines List? There is no complete list! Any
activity that helps you to grow your reliance upon the Spirit of Jesus might make your
spiritual disciplines list. Here are some main disciplines of abstinence and engagement
that have been helpful to Christ-followers over the centuries.
Disciplines of Abstinence
These are ways of denying ourselves something we want or need in order to make space
to focus on and connect with God.
 Solitude: Refraining from interacting with other people in order to be alone
with God and be found by him. (Solitude is completed by silence.)
 Silence: Not speaking in a quiet place in order to quiet our minds and whole
self and attend to God’s presence. Also, not speaking so that we can listen to
others and bless them.
 Fasting: Going without food (or something else) for a period of intense prayer
— the fast may be complete or partial.
 Sabbath: Doing no work to rest in God’s person and provision; praying and
playing with God and others. (God designed this for one day a week. We can
practice it for shorter periods too.)
 Secrecy: Not making our good deeds or qualities known to let God or others
receive attention and to find our sufficiency in God alone.
 Submission: Not asserting ourselves in order to come under the authority,
wisdom, and power of Jesus Christ as our Lord, King, and Master. (If you think
of this as submitting to a person as unto Christ then it’s a discipline of
engagement.)
Disciplines of Engagement
These are ways of connecting with God and other people, conversing honestly with
them in order to love and be loved.

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 Bible Reading: Trusting the Holy Spirit-inspired words of Scripture as our
guide, wisdom, and strength for life.
 Worship: Praising God’s greatness, goodness, and beauty in words, music,
ritual, or silence.
 Prayer: Conversing with God about what we’re experiencing and doing
together. (As we see in the Lord’s Prayer the main thing we do in prayer is to
make requests of our Father for one another.)
 Soul Friendship: Engaging fellow disciples of Jesus in prayerful conversation
or other spiritual practices.
 Personal Reflection: Paying attention to our inner self in order to grow in
love for God, others, and self.
 Service: Humbly serving God by overflowing with his love and compassion to
others, especially those in need.
Help For Incorporating Spiritual Disciplines Into Your Life
In Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live
Empowered I bring this spiritual disciplines list to life through sharing the stories of
real people who need help with the stress and hurts of daily life.
I lead you in engaging and practical ways that you can experiment with these
disciplines. Instead of telling you to go do a discipline, I take you by the hand and
guide you closer to Christ through Scripture meditations, prayers, and other simple
exercises. This book is full of Biblical insights I’ve learned from being personally
mentored by Dallas Willard.

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CONCLUSION:
Conclusively, we can summarise the key areas of Christian Personal Development to
cover the following:
1. Increase Your Faith - Be willing to believe that God is real, that He is the Creator,
that He loves you and has a great plan for your life. So….
 Believe that God’s way is the ONLY way to have life and have it more
abundantly. Believe that ALL things work out for good for those who love Him
and are called according to His purpose.
 Believe that Jesus Christ is your redeemer and has cleansed you from all of your
sins, even those you have not yet repented for.
 Believe that Jesus Christ has sent God’s Holy Spirit to comfort, guide, teach and
train you in what is right.
 Believe that you are more than a conqueror over your old life, and can do all
things God has called you to do through Christ who strengthens you.
 Believe that through Christ and your faith, you have supernatural power to
allow God to do incredible things through you in this world, to benefit others.
 Believe that through Christ, there is no more room for fear or regret, only
confident hope and joy for what tomorrow brings.
2. Develop Wisdom - Understand that neither your life, nor anything else in this
world can work without God and His influence. Realize, since God is the Creator of all
things, that not one of your strengths, talents, and abilities come from your own power,
but by God’s power. Know that by living outside of God’s Will, you are vulnerable to
all manner of evil attacks by the Devil, that you could not possibly understand - and
that without God’s grace and divine instruction, your life could be much worse. Don’t
ever think too much of yourself because everything you have is a gift from God. He has
the power to give life and the power to take it away. Never turn away from God. If you
remain in the center of God’s Will, He will bless and keep you. If you turn away, then
you are on your own.
3. Walk in Love and Trust - Know that our God is the God of Love. Nothing in God’s
kingdom works without love. The essence of your personal development in
Christianity is the “Love-Walk”, and without it you hinder your growth, your abilities,
and God’s ability to work through your life. The love-walk is based on trust,
forgiveness, mercy, patience, and all the other fruit of God’s Holy Spirit. In order to
walk in the Spirit, you MUST walk in love.
4. Renew Your Spirit - Re-ignite the fire of your faith and devotion to God on a daily
basis. Re-establish your communication with God daily and ask for His leadership and
guidance. Remind yourself of who you are in Christ daily, and re-commit yourself to
God’s service and God’s Will, each and every day.
5. Renew Your Mind - Understand the battlefield of good and evil is your mind.
Recognize that you must make a habit of re-setting your mind on godly things, and on
your new love-walk of faith. Realize you have authority over your mind, the way you
think, and what you think about.

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6. Honour Your Body - Have respect for the body that God has given you. Keep it
clean, healthy, and pure. Remember, your body is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit, and
should be presented as a living sacrifice to God. Take your strength and energy, and
use it to serve others - not just yourself.
7. Control Your Emotions - Remember, you ARE NOT what you feel! Your feelings
are the result of how you think. Fill your mind with God’s Word, and you CAN take
authority over your emotions. You have the power to conquer both fear and anger
through the power of God’s Word - so use it! Give God your sadness and He will give
you joy. Give God your worries and He will give you peace. Give God your low self-
esteem, and He will give you confidence through Christ, your Saviour.
8. Take Responsibility - Learn what God has made you responsible for, and what
your part is in carrying on the good fight of faith. Develop good judgment in your
decision-making. Do what you can do (and should do) and let God do what you can’t
do.
9. Build Right Relationships - The basis of our lives is connected to relationships.
Learn how to build a relationship for the “greater good” rather than just your “personal
good”. Learn what it means to serve and how you can be a catalyst for positive change
in ALL of your relationships.
10. Increase Your Knowledge - Understand that knowledge is power, and study is
important. Do no allow yourself to walk through life in ignorance about the things you
need to know, in order to prosper, to serve, and to fight the good fight of faith.
11. Discover and Develop Your Talents - Learn what you are good at. Recognize
your talents as spiritual gifts from God, that are to be used in service to Him and His
people, for His glory. Don’t take for granted what makes you unique and what you can
do that others may not be able to do as well. NEVER be boastful - but ALWAYS be a
blessing!
12. Serve God and Others - Understand the summary of our life’s purpose: To
Serve. Learn different ways that God can use you to impact the world and leave an
impression that only you can leave, with the unique qualities, capabilities, and
strengths that God has given you.
13. You Need an Accountability Partner – When I teach church leaders, I used to
say, ‘every pastor need a pastor’. This is a cue from discipleship where the disciple need
one-on-one with a discipler on regular basis. To develop in all of the above areas, you
need someone you’re accountable to, who can questions your actions, words and even
intentions and call you to order.

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20 Best Personal Development Books
to Skyrocket Your Success
Personal development is such a nebulous topic. In reality every single book on this (now 200+
title) list is a great self-development book. For the sake of this list, my choices for this section
all revolve around books that are more about igniting passion and giving ideas rather than a
step-by-step action plan.
This list includes, the grandfathers of all self help books, and it also has some of the modern
masters of inspiration, education and self-empowerment. These books all DO have actionable
steps to take, you will learn things, but I feel that their true purpose is as inspiration and
motivation.
1.The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
Any avid reader of self-help books will recognize
Jack Canfield. Creator of the popular motivational
“Chicken Soup for the Soul” series, Jack has
been inspiring people for years. In “Success
Principles”, Jack gives 65 methods for transforming
your life. If you are looking for a single self-help
book that gives you a ton of great ideas on how to
improve your life and your success, this would be
the one.
However, die-hard personal development fans
may find some of these ideas to be rehashed
versions of ideas they have heard before, not fresh
new ideas. The principles are repeated here due to
the simple fact that they work! Even if you know all
65 principles before buying the book, I believe it
can be an excellent refresher on things you need to
do to achieve the success you desire.

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2. Your Growth Is Your Future: (Revised and Updated for
the 21st Century) by Francis Bola Akin-John
Growth has no alternative. It is not optional. Your
growth is your vehicle to the future. Your growth
determines the level you will get to in life. If you desire
success passionately either as a pastor, businessman
or woman, student, corporate leader, trader, Church
worker, professional, house wife or Church leader, this
book is for you. Your personal growth precedes every
other growth. Without growth you will become a person
of yesterday, abort your greater future and open door
for decay. This is a book for everybody.
3. Think and Grow Rich: (Revised and Updated for the
21st Century) by Napoleon Hill
It could be very easy to think that a book about achieving
success written 80 years ago and based on the success
principles of men like Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison
and Henry Ford would be stale and out of date, like a dry
history lesson. This simply is not true. While there are
admittedly parts where you have to substitute modern
methods of execution for old fashioned counterparts,
the basic principles themselves are based on human
nature and just as true today as they were 80 years ago.
This book is a classic and for good reason. Over the past
80 years many successful people have read this book and
gained from it knowledge and insight that have helped
them to achieve their own success. When a self-
improvement book sticks around for as long as this one
has, there has to be a reason for its longevity and
success.
4. The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent
Peale
Most people who achieve any degree of success will tell
you that attitude is a big part of the success equation.
Positive thinking will not magically make success happen,
as this books “successor” The Secret, would have you
believe, but positive thinking can put you into position to
make the most of it when it happens. So skip the “Secret”
and go write to the first (and best) book on getting your
mind right for success.
One slight negative is that many people complain
because of some of the religious overtones of the book.
While Dr. Peale is clearly a faithful Christian, I believe this
book has merit for you regardless of personal faith. Just
listen to the good advice.
Note: some of you may like The Secret. I mean no offense
to you in this review. The positivity aspect of the book is
fine, I simply have a problem with the idea that the
“universe will deliver” success. I believe the only way you
get success is to go out and work for it. Let’s agree to
disagree.

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4. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm
Gladwell
Outliers takes a scientific look at what it actually takes to
achieve success. Unlike some of the other books on this
list, it does not wgive a specific list of the things you need
to do to achieve success. It looks at very interesting
anecdotes that support the main point of the book, that
success is not achieved by luck, attitude or even skill, but
that the only real measurement is the time we put into
our skills. People who achieve higher degrees of success
almost always have more time building the skills they use
for their success.
This book is quite interesting with some really good
stories and anecdotes. It is an enjoyable read.
5. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free
Productivity by David Allen
I am not by nature an organized person. Due to this fact
I would say that reading GTD for the first time was a life
changing experience. Allen gives solid advice on how to
plan all the aspects of a hectic life (both business and
personal).
This book comes with a solution to all the chaos life
throws your way. It can help you stay organized and on
top of everything. I do not currently follow all the
tenants of GTD. I have incorporated a more web based
approach as I discuss in my book on Evernote. But I
still feel Getting Things Done is a must read, even if you
discard his specific approaches, the core ideas will still
shed light on many ways to be more productive.
6. The Power of Full Engagement: Managing
Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High
Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim
Leohr and Tony Schwartz
Everyone thinks time is the enemy. I can’t count how
many times I have heard, “I don’t have time for that” or
“I wish I had the time”. The central idea of this book is
that people have it backwards. Loehr and Schwartz state
that energy is the key, not time. Success is about creating
a series of “life-sprints” not a marathon. By laser
focusing on tasks, then completely resting, you actually
can get a lot more done in less time and live a happier
and more fulfilling life at the same time. This book makes
some excellent points. The next time you hear yourself
saying, “I don’t have time” to do something important,
you should reach for a copy of this book. Unless you
don’t have time for that… then I can’t help you.

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7. How to Win Friends & Influence People by
Dale Carnegie
Just like the previous entry, “Think and Grow Rich”
Carnegies book is another classic from the 1930s
that still packs a ton of truth bombs in it’s nearly 90
year old pages. While T&GR was about the
principles of success, Carnegie discusses the
personal habits that lead to success. Included
are: the twelve ways to convert people to your way
of thinking, six ways to make people like you, and
the nine ways to change people’s opinions without
arousing resentment.
Regardless of what you intend to do with your life,
other people will always be there. Carnegie gives
you the tools to effectively recruit others to your
cause, rather than have them potentially be
obstacles. A must read classic on dealing with other
people.
8. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live
Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferris
I have to admit, I have a few mixed feeling on Tim Ferris
in general. On one hand, let’s face it, the guy is a bit of
jerk. Additionally while there is some great information,
it might not pertain much to people who just want more
from their 9-5 lifestyle, and are not really into the idea of
a “digital lifestyle”. On the other hand, however, this
book does an excellent job of challenging people to
rethink the status quo and evaluate how to make the
most of their time. Time does an great job of explaining
how to make the most of the digital lifestyle, how to get
started with this business and does it all with a fierce
energy that will get you motivated. If the idea of making
a living online appeals, this book should be a must read,
and is likely already on your bookshelf. If you are just
looking for tidbits to develop your personal productivity,
attitude or health, this might be a book you can miss.
9. Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In
on Your Passion- by Gary Vaynerchuk
Crush It! has a few problems these days. Mainly is that
the core idea of the book, fresh and new when it was
first released, has become a bit dated. Most people have
come to understand the revolutionary power of Social
Media and the effect this can have on any and every
single business.
However, a good portion of this book is also about
following your dreams and turning your passion in a
career. While this book no longer imparts what I would
call “new” information, it is still extremely motivational.
Gary Vaynerchuk has an incredible amount of energy
and reading what he has to say is sure to get you
motivated to get out and conquer the world.

46. 45
10. Let Go! by Pat Flynn
“Let Go!” is Pat Flynn’s inspiring story. If you
do not know Pat, he is a normal guy, trained as
an architect who began to work as an online
entrepreneur when the architect business got
rough. In this inspiring story Pat shares the
challenges he faced and the keys to his
success.
Much like “Crush It” the value of the specific
lessons are of less value than the inspiration it
can give you to achieve success. If you want
specific’s for achieving success through Pat’s
methodology his podcasts and website are
chocked full of actionable information.
11. Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes
That Take Five Minutes or Less by Steve Scott
Yes, that’s me. I would like to include my own book
in this list because I think it has a lot of value. Habit
stacking is based on a method to incorporate small
habits into daily life. These small habits are easy
individually, but are often the sort of things that
“fall through the cracks” in a hectic life.
While it is very hard to add dozens of new habits to
a daily routine, habit stacking helps you do just that,
by doing these small tasks in a block you can plan
for the time to act on these tasks in your daily
schedule and stick firm to implementing these
habits on a daily basis.
12. Choose Yourself! Be Happy, Make
Millions, Live the Dream by James Altucher
The climate of business and personal
success is changing. The times when going to
college, working a job for 40 years and
retiring a success are evaporating before our
eyes. Altucher shows a path to creating art,
make money and achieve success through
non-traditional methods.
Altucher’s sense of humor and brutal
honesty make this book a great read. He
doesn’t pull any punches even sharing many
of his personal failures as well as successes.