Personal Development Toolbox

Ideas to contribute to your success!

John Maxwell Concepts

These are some concepts that I have picked up from leadership speaker and author John Maxwell.

1. The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to temporary failure.

2. Most of your unhappiness is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself. Listening is passive, talking is active. Streams of uninvited thoughts come into your mind and start talking to you. When we are discouraged we listen to our feelings and emotions rather than talking to them.

3. Fear is not based upon fact, it is based upon feeling.

4. Fear is something that you believe so much that might be completely wrong, but appears real and can paralyze you.

5. How do I respond to adversity?

Does it create resilience or drain me?

Does it develop maturity?

Does it push the envelope of accepted performance?

Does it provide a greater opportunity?

Does it prompt innovation or creativity?

Does it bring about unexpected benefits?

Does it motivate me?

6. Differences between successful and unsuccessful people.

Thinking–Successful people analyze and control their own thoughts.

Feeling–Successful people know that their behavior determines their feeling, unsuccessful people allow their feelings to determine their behavior.

Doing–Successful people take action immediately and don’t wait for “the time to be right.”  There is never a perfect time to begin.

7. To organize your overall work strategy:

Work 80% in the areas where you are strongest

Work where you are learning 15% of the time

Work 5% where you are weakest–delegate the remainder of the work to be done.

8. Don’t be afraid to innovate

Look for new opportunities everywhere

Challenge preconceived beliefs, biases, and assumptions

Spot trends before everyone else does

Redefine goals continuously

Develop and try ideas of your own

Watch for concepts that can be borrowed and applied from other fields

9. We all have reasons why we coulda, shoulda, didn’t. Put it behind you and fix it, and don’t dwell on it.