Although this is the last wheel in the book it is, perhaps, the most important. Your personal development links with every other wheel, so it’s critical you get a balance in this area. So let’s begin by completing your Personal Development Wheel now.

Positive attitude

How positive are you? Is the glass half-full or half-empty? If problems emerge do you choose to look at them in a positive way or do you feel negativity creeping in? Is the world with you or against you? You know how this works. Give yourself an honest mark out of 10 for how positive you are and mark it on the Positive Attitude spoke of your wheel.

Confidence

Do you lack self-confidence? Are you a shrinking violet who worries too much? Or are you full of certainty with high self-esteem? Most people believe they lack self-confidence but how much does it affect you? Give yourself a mark.

Motivation

Are you full of energy, highly motivated, jumping out of bed each morning with a spring in your step and the desire to get things done? It’s a highly motivated high mark for you. Or is that snooze button just too inviting? Do you find yourself procrastinating? ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ Then it’s a low mark for motivation for you.

Open to change

The ability to be open to and accept change is a key to positive personal development. Everyone is happy to change the things they want to change, but what about when change is forced on you? How good are you at accepting change? And how well can you adapt? High marks for chameleons here!

Courses

So let’s move on to what you are doing to improve your personal development, starting with your personal education. Here’s a question: when was the last time you went on a course or seminar to learn more for your own development? And more importantly, did you pay for it yourself? If you’re investing in yourself and devoting time to your personal development then it’s high marks here, if you’re not . . .

Reading

Are you a bookworm, devouring books like this one to give you an edge? Or is your reading confined to the back of a cornflakes box? The fact you are reading this book right now gives you a couple of bonus marks (well done) but could you be doing more? Do you read books that only entertain or do you read books that make you better?

Keeping a journal

How do you know how well you are doing? Are you able to refer back two years and see what you were doing this week? Are you keeping organised references to the actions you are taking so you can refer back later and plot your journey? This one’s easy: if you keep a detailed journal you get high marks; if you don’t keep one at all – no marks. Sporadic journal writers get sporadic mid-range marks.

Mentors

Having a mentor (or two) is one of the best ways to keep yourself on track and move you to the next level of your personal development. If you have a formal mentor or coach, then well done – you’ll be familiar with the benefits and you can give yourself a high mark. If, on the flip side, your mentoring tends to be asking a few friends in the pub ‘what do you think?’, then it’s low marks I’m afraid.

So, now you have completed your Personal Development Wheel, join up your marks and take massive action by reading the chapters you need to focus on right now.