Developing an Effective Personal Philosophy

Why is developing an effective personal philosophy so significant? Well, if your personal philosophy is not helping you succeed, that could be one good reason for developing a more effective personal philosophy. One of the major ideas I have picked up in studying self improvement, has been that in order to make a successful personal change, I had to start with my personal philosophy. Jim Rohn, one of the best, if not the best business philosopher of our time said that. It all starts with our personal philosophy, or as Mr. Rohn termed it, "the set of the sail". I began to look at what I had done to create the current results in my life, especially the one's I didn't like. Some results I was happy with, some not. When I really thought about it, I noticed that I created all of the results, whether good or bad in my life by applying my own personal philosophy first. If I had not reached the results I wanted, surely a change in philosophy was needed? Why? We create results in our life that are consistent with our own personal philosophy.

Someone can want to have good health for example, but do they perform the disciplines of a person who seeks to have good health? If not, that persons philosophy needs to be changed in order for desired results to come about. After all, the old saying goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” right? It’s not a can of coke and a candy bar a day…no way! That won’t work. Obviously, the personal philosophy here in this example is at fault.

As a life coach, I think the best way to change our personal philosophy, is to make it a goal. Take anything you want to improve on in your life - that you may not be producing desired results in. You already know what does not work. I would suggest that you no longer follow that pattern. What does work? That's what we have to find out. If we are in trouble financially, we may be overspending. If we are overweight, we may be overeating. If our relationships are suffering, chances are that we are not giving them enough care. You see, by pondering what does not work, we can make some great distinctions and then work on getting some answers on what can work. What’s next? A change in your philosophy to include taking disciplined action, daily, to improve each area of your life, one by one. Spend less and save more. Eat less and exercise more. Pick up the phone or take 15-20 minutes to write a friend or loved one a personal letter. This shift in your philosophy can make all the difference!

Focusing on What We Want

Focusing on what we want is important in developing an effective personal philosophy. Why? Imagine wanting to achieve a promotion at your job, but never focusing on adding value to the business. In most cases, this type of philosophy will cause you to never achieve the promotion. Imagine wanting to achieve financial freedom, but constantly spending your time in front of a television watching programs that do not help you achieve that goal in any way. Imagine wanting to look thin for a party, but overeating consistently and not exercising at all. We need to focus on what we want. Our personal philosophy will ultimately shape our destiny, so we want to create an effective personal philosophy by beginning to focus in on what we want and not the opposite.

Making a Change to Your Personal Philosophy

How can we change our personal philosophy? An effective way to change your personal philosophy is slowly. Do one discipline at a time. You want to avoid overwhelming yourself. Remember the current personal philosophy you are operating under. Your decision and actions under you current philosophy are done effortlessly. It's already a habit. It did not happen ove
ight, but was embedded over the last few years, day by day. There is only one way to turn that around. If you are in financial trouble, you need to study your finances. You need to find the cause of the problem. You need to cut out the actions that are not contributing to your overall financial success. Are you over budget each month? Are you spending money poorly? Are you saving any money from your income? Focus on what you want. Change your philosophy. Instead know that your current philosophy is not generating desired results. Focus on the results you want. I want to save 3% of my income each week. I will spend my money wisely and repay my debts at 3% bi-weekly. This is just an example of course, but I know you get the idea. Your personal philosophy of how you currently operate needs to change. If you fail to make any change and continue to run the same pattern of poor judgment how will it turn out in say, 3-6 years from now? A deeper hole is harder to climb out of for sure. Don’t continue falling into the trap. It’s much easier to change your philosophy and avoid the pain.

Begin to practice the smallest fundamental principles in the areas of health, relationships, finances and career. Keep what you have to gain in your focus and make the changes. It’s just as easy to follow a principle of success, as it is of failure – the choice is always ours.