How to Become More Successful In Everything You Do
Benjamin Franklin designed a plan to help himself to build the character qualities that he felt he needed to strengthen.
His plan certainly seems to have been successful, at least in many respects.
He identified thirteen character qualities that he felt he needed to improve in his own life and he devised a method of focusing his attention on each of those qualities for one week at a time.
Thus, during a year’s time, Mr. Franklin would go through his entire list four times. (Click here to get Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography.)
From Benjamin Franklin’s plan we learn the value of focusing our attention on one character quality at a time.
During that time we should seek to understand as much as possible about the character quality – what it really is, how it has been illustrated in positive and negative ways in history, how it can be applied to our own life situations.
We should also attempt to live our lives as if we fully possessed the character quality that we are focusing on.
We should be aware of how the character quality (or the lack of it) is demonstrated in the lives of those around us and we should evaluate the results and consequences we see in their lives.
Each of us can undertake to improve our own character, just as Benjamin Franklin did.
We can intentionally seek to build good character qualities into our lives and the lives of our family members.
Like Benjamin Franklin, we can study one character quality at a time and apply what we learn in our lives. (The best tools I know of for studying individual character traits are the character bulletins published by Character First!)
We can certainly try to demonstrate good character on the job and in our community. And we can try to encourage others to do the same.
We can recognize the vital importance of character to the success of our lives, our businesses, the organizations to which we belong, and to our country and world.
And, we can seek to influence the part of the world that we touch to become involved in developing better character.
Many resources are available to us. If we will use them, we can make a difference our own lives, in our families and communities, and, ultimately, in our world.
Self Improvement Is Really Character Improvement
How character affects the world around us.
The World Needs People With Better Character!
Today’s world faces many difficult problems. Escalating crime, drug and alcohol abuse, workplace violence, gang activity, vandalism, school dropouts, deteriorating work ethics, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, racial tensions, broken families …
The list seems endless.
At their root, all of these problems spring out of the lack, or mis-application, of good character qualities.
If we are to find lasting solutions to the problems of our day, we must deal with these roots!
We must work to improve our own character, teach good character to our children, and help those around us to improve their character!
Character development is essential to the ongoing success of our society. That is why Character Education is so important.
Character truly is the Key to Success!
Businesses Need Employees with Good Character Qualities
The success or failure of a business has everything to do with the character qualities of the people in the business. It affects productivity, profitability, and ultimately even the success or failure of the business.
For some examples of how character can affect the workplace, read...
Character and Workplace Safety
How a Restaurant's Employees Drove Away Future Business
Many business leaders are learning that it is counterproductive to focus only on achievement and profit, without emphasizing the character qualities that form the foundation of the achievement.
A business whose employees are developing greater attentiveness, more alertness, more responsibility, and more diligence will certainly become much more successful.
We must think in terms of developing character. Character training is essential for lasting success in business!
Go to the next page for some thoughts on How To Implement A Character Training Program.
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