Personality Development Notes 1

BBA 1st Year Subject- Personality Development
SYLLABUS
BBA/B.Com/ B.Com (Hons)/BAJMC/ Ist Year
Subject – Personality Development
Personality, Success and Facing Failures:

Concept of personality. What is success? – Hurdles in achieving success, Factors responsible
UNIT – I for success, developing effective habits. What is failure? – Factors affecting failures, learning
from failures, overcoming failures, power of faith, practicing faith, SWOT analysis and Goal-
Setting (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound-SMART goals)
Time and Stress Management and Employability Quotient:

Time as a Resource, Identifying Time Wasters, Techniques for better Time Management,
UNIT – II Introduction to Stress, Causes and Effects of Stress, Managing Stress.
Resume building, The art of participating in Group Discussion, Interview-Frequently Asked
Questions, Mock Interview Sessions
Communication Skills and Digital Etiquettes:

Communication Skills: Effective reading/writing/listening skills, Hard skills & soft skills,
overcoming stage fear, role of body language, art of professional presentation, use of audio &
visuals presentation, social etiquettes
UNIT – III
Use of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) in day-to-day management,
Effective use of social media, E-mail etiquette, Netiquette, Useful electronic gadgets and
mobile applications
UNIT I
Personality:
Personality is a psychological factor of an individual which is rarely known to others. An individual’s

personality is not an artificial fact or occurrence that can be easily understood, merely on his/her personal
appearance. Personality is the whole aspect of an individual from general point of view. It includes a
person’s physical, psychological and emotional aspects.
Personality originated from a Latin word ‘Persona’ which means to speak through a mask (which refers
to a theatrical mask worn by performers in order to either project different roles or disguise their
identities). As in the ancient days masks were worn in Greece and Rome by actors, while enacting plays.
Thus, personality is used for influencing others through external appearance. However, personality is not
the external appearance alone. Personality, which makes an individual to stand apart, is the impression of
characteristic attributes. It is an entire sum of an individual’s physical, psychological and behavioural
aspects contributing to his ‘good personality’ or no personality, according to the presence or absence of
the characteristic qualities.
Personality – Meaning
Personality has a long history. It dates from the time of Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BC). In
order to understand the behaviour of people in the organizational or in general setting, we need to know
the basic nature of personality. It is a psycho-social phenomenon, which analyses the analytic features and
presentation of individual in the society.
Personality is made up of the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviour of an individual.
These attributes make a person unique. Personality originates within the individual and remains fairly
consistent throughout life. Personality exhibits distinctive qualities of a person, especially those
distinguishing personal characteristics that make one socially appealing. If a person wins an election on
his own, society may say that he/she has won “more on personality than on capability”.
Personality reveals distinctive qualities of mind and behaviour of a person. It is a pattern of collective
character which includes behavioural, mental, temperamental, and emotional traits of a person that makes
one socially appealing. It exhibits the quality of a person, which is visible and impresses or disturbs
others. For example, the statements such as “He has a pleasing personality Raju is a rude persona” reveal
the collective characters of a person which display positive or negative personality.
The basic components of personality refer to the personality characteristics. Many researchers have
shown interest to know about an individual’s personality as it is linked with behaviour. If one can predict
the behaviour of individuals, modification of behaviour can be done in a smoother way towards achieving
the organizational goals. Each personality factor represents a collection of related or cluster of traits.
These clusters of traits determine whether the individual is achievement-oriented, dominating,
responsible, etc.
Definitions of Personality:
“It is the constant pattern of thinking, feeling and acting.” — Macionis
“Personality is the relatively stable set of psychological attributes that distinguish one “person from
another.” — Lawerence Ervin
“Personality refers to the relatively stable pattern of behaviours and consistent internal states that explain
a person’s behaviour tendencies.” — RT Hogan.
“Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others.” — Stephen
P. Robbins
“Personality is the supreme realization of the innate idiosyncrasy, of a living being. It is an act of courage
thing in the face of life, the absolute affirmation of all that constitute the individual, the most successful
adaptation to the universal, conditions of existence, coupled with the greatest possible freedom of self-
determination.” — C.G. Jung
Thus, personality devotes for the methods of affecting others, reacting to others’ actions and interacting
with others. These methods are chosen by individuals based on several factors. Important one among
these is their traits.
A careful analysis of the above definitions will observe the followings:
i. Personality may be defined as the characteristic pattern of behaviour that determines an individual’s
adjustment to the environment or situation.
ii. It describes how an individual affects others, how he understands himself and his pattern of internal as
well as external measurable traits.
iii. It is the dynamic organization within an individual of those psychological systems which determines
his unique adjustment to the environment.
Characteristics of Personality:
Every person has a different personality and there are a lot of factors which contribute to that personality.
We call them the ‘determinants of personality’ or the ‘elements of personality’ or ‘factors affecting
personality’. Some of them are mentioned as under:
1. Education: Education can affect personality because this is the most powerful way to develop the
personality. So, we mention education is the first factor that affects personality.
2. Family Environment: Every person learns his/her first lesson from his/her family. Every child follows
his/her parents and this is the starting point of development of the human personality. So, the family
environment is another most important factor that affects personality. In the family the child is connected
with his/her elders, and different loved ones, his likes, dislikes, other individuals, expectations of security,
and emotional responses. The kind of coaching and life experiences received from the family plays a
crucial role in the development of personality. Besides this, economic factors, i.e., condition of the
household also influence the personality of the kid.
3. Culture: Culture has a great impact on a person’s personality. As a result of this, we see that
personality differs in various socio-cultural countries.
4. Religious thoughts: Religion can play a vital role in developing a person’s personality because from
childhood a man grows up which his / her religious values.
5. Workplace environment: People spend most of their time in their work environment so; the work
environment is a great important factor that affects personality.
6. Social status: Social status can affect personality very effectively. We can see this impact of social
status in personality if we look at different people whose status is different in society.
7. Characteristics of peer group: This is another most important factor that affects personality more
effectively. People belonging to the same age group or same generation or group affect each other’s
personality to a greater extent.
8. Childhood memories: Human personality is affected by childhood memories. There are a huge
number of people who have much affection for a particular thing that happens for childhood memories.
9. Cultural Environment: The cultural setting refers to cultural traditions, ideals, and values, etc. These
factors leave a permanent impression on the child’s temperament.
10. School Environment: Schools play a crucial role in molding the personality of the kids as a result of
a significant part of a child’s life. The school poses new issues while addressing the old ones that have to
be solved and all of that contribute their share in molding temperament.
11. Language: Human beings have a particular characteristic of communication through language.
Language is a crucial medium by which the society is structured and culture of the race is transmitted
from generation to generation. The method of interaction forms the child’s personality through language
with different members of his setting.
12. Social Role: The child needs to play many roles like the younger son, elder brother student, finance
officer, husband, and father. The Social effective roles are also marked out as the method by which the
co-operative behavior and communications among the society members sped up.
13. Interpersonal Relations: Interpersonal relationships among the members of a community are vital
means that that facilitates the development of social temperament characteristics like attraction towards
others, the conception of friendly relationship, love, sympathy, hostility, and additionally isolation that
could be a negative orientation.
14. Psychological Factors: These embody our motives, non-inheritable interests, our attitudes, our
character, our intellectual capacities like intelligence, i.e., the skills to understand, to observe, to imagine,
to suppose, and to reason.
These factors verify our reactions in numerous things, and so have an effect on our temperament, growth,
and direction. A person with a substantial quantity of power can to build choices a lot of quickly than
others. Thus, we have a tendency to see that hereditary, environmental and psychological factors
contribute towards the event of personality. Actually, personality can be affected by various factors and it
varies from person to person. A factor may affect someone’s personality very seriously. On the other
hand, the same factor may cause no reaction to others.
Significance or importance of Personality Development:
Most people underestimate the importance of having a pleasing personality. Majority think it just means
being born good-looking, that there isn’t anything much to do about it. But this is not true. The scope of
personality development is quite broad. It includes knowing how to dress well, social graces, grooming,
speech and interpersonal skills. Whatever your career, these are very important skills that will promote
your objectives.
To better appreciate its importance, some of the key benefits of developing your personality include the
following:
(a.) Confidence: Personality development gives more confidence to people. When you know you are
appropriately attired and groomed, this makes you less anxious when meeting a person. Knowing the
right things to say and how to conduct yourself will increase your confidence.
(b.) Credibility: Personality development makes people more believable. Despite the saying that you
don’t judge a book by its cover, people do tend to judge people by their clothing and how it is worn. This
does not mean buying expensive clothes. We all know people who look shabby in expensive clothes.
There are also people who look great even if their attire is inexpensive. Because of this, you must know
what to wear and you must be aware of other aspects of enhancing your physical features.
(c.) Interaction: Personality development encourages people to interact with others. Studies have
consistently shown that people communicate more openly with people they are comfortable with. If your
hygiene and social graces are unrefined, then expect to have a much harder time connecting with people.
(d.) Leading and Motivating: Personality development enhances the capacity to lead and motivate. A
person with a winning personality will be able to motivate better. People are less likely to get bored, and
our ideas will have more credibility. We can lead better if we project an aura of confidence and
credibility.
(e.) Curiosity: A single wrong word can destroy a business relationship. Knowing the right things to say
shows both respect and intellectual sophistication. This is especially the case if you are dealing with
foreigners or if you conduct business outside the country. The right thing to do in our country could be
horrible blunders in a different culture. These are the soft skills that may break or make a deal.
(f.) Communication skills: It improves your communication skills. People are more receptive to what
you say if they are impressed with your personality. Verbal communication skills are also part of
personality development; improving your speech will strengthen the impact of your message. You cannot
win by talent and hard work alone. Personality development is a crucial ingredient that you must obtain.
Most of the people you see as models of great personality have taken a lot of effort in developing their
natural features.
What is success?
What makes a person successful? How do we recognize success? To some people, success might mean
wealth. To others, it is recognition, good health, good family, happiness, satisfaction, and peace of mind.
What this really tells us is that success is subjective depends on individuals. It can mean different things
to different people. The best definition for success is
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal”
Let's look at this definition carefully. "Progressive" means that success is a journey, not a destination. We
never arrive. After we reach one goal, we go on to the next and the next and the next. "Realization"
means it is an experience. Outside forces cannot make me feel successful. I have to feel it within myself.
It is internal not external. "Worthy" refers to our value system. Which way are we heading? Positive or
negative? Worthiness determines the quality of the journey. That is what gives meaning and fulfillment.
Success without fulfillment is empty. "Goals" are important because they give us a sense of direction.
Hurdles in Achieving Success:
Although there are a lot of potential obstacles, the following hurdles are more common:
1. Lack of Information: Information can have one of two effects. With too much you can be
overwhelmed, and can stop you from making a decision or taking the next steps. With too little
information you are not able to put things into perspective, or look at the bigger picture. Identifying where
you have gaps in your knowledge, and including this as part of your goal will move you closer to
achieving it. There are several ways to obtain new information. Research, planned reading, listening to
CD’s, DVD’s on a specific topic or networking with individuals who have the knowledge to share with
you.
2. Lack of Skill: In order to move forward one may have to pick up skills along the way. This need not
be an enormous challenge. As part of goal setting, understanding what skills are needed to acquire, and
how it will be acquired this will form steps of a plan. This does not necessarily mean that one needs to
enroll on a course, although that is a great idea. Other alternatives such as on-line study, planned reading,
following a colleague in the workplace, or seeking advice from a friend can also helps a person to obtain
the skills needed.
3. Limiting beliefs: We all have a set of beliefs by which we live our lives. These are set in our
subconscious at an early age. Sometimes these beliefs can hold a person back and limit their ability to
achieve goals. Some common examples like Indecision - should I do one thing or another? This often
results in a person doing nothing. The limiting belief manifests itself as “I am not able to make
decisions”. Unable to make progress – when a way of working is no longer effective, one can continue to
use it and often it becomes a comfort zone, the limiting belief here could be “I can’t/ won’t change”.
Often people will state that “I don’t deserve to be successful”, or “that shouldn’t work for me”. Here self
sabotage and not valuing themselves and their own ability is observed.
4. Well being: Despite of best efforts, there may be times when one is simply unable to pursue his/her
goals. A sudden illness or injury can put a setback. When this happens one needs to be realistic. Beating
oneself up will not help, nor simply giving up. Take a little time to reassess goals and consider what
options are left. How important is it that this goal is achieved within the original timeframe. Also consider
how else a goal can be pursued, and who can help during these times.
5. Other People: Quite often the people that are closest to us fear us achieving our goals. For them this
means that we may change and that will also mean change for them. They may not be aware how
important our goals are to us. If the people we share our time with for example family, friends, colleagues
to not understand and support your goals, there is a chance that we may be influenced by this. If these
people are adverse to change then they may well harm our plans.
6. Own Motivation: Although we may see out with the best intentions, after a while the newness may
disappear or there are other distractions. This may be down to a number of factors. Perhaps the goals that
we set were too large, and needed to be broken down into smaller manageable chunks. Perhaps we are not
getting the results, and need to consider what we are doing that is preventing us from moving forward.
After continued effort we may feel that the goal is now actually something that we don’t want, or at least
the outcome. In this case the goal needs to be reconsidered. If it requires modification because
circumstances have changed, then change it. If it no longer serves us, then don’t waste energy following
up on something just because we started it.
7. Time: We all live in a world where we don’t seem to have enough time. Many of us are “time poor”,
which means that we do not manage our use of time to get the best results. Quite often we hear from the
people around us “I just don’t have time to do it”. How true is this statement really? Have we taken on too
much, overcommitted ourselves and are embarrassed to say no? If we approach our use of time without
any structure we may just leap from one thing to another in no particular order. Without priority we will
move from one thing to the next urgent thing. There is also the aspect of distractions. This can be
distraction from others who do not have the same aspirations as us. There is the distraction of telephone
calls and emails. Quite often we busy ourselves with those things that are nice to do, but do not take us
any further forward to achieving our goals.
8. Money: Money is a common reason for not pursuing our goal. Usually it is the lack of money that
stops us. When we hear someone say “I can’t afford it” or “I just don’t have the money”. These
statements are usually offered up without much hesitation. While agreed that it may well be true to some
extent, what alternatives have they really explored and how else could the money be found? If we are
really serious about achieving this goal, what lengths would we go to in order to find the money (legally)!
Let’s turn this around and look at it from another perspective. What is it costing us to not have that goal in
your life right now? If in achieving this goal it was going to get a person that next job, or mean that he/she
would get that 10% performance bonus at work, what efforts would he/she go to?
9. Fear: What do I mean by fear? There are the more straightforward examples. If we need to do
something that takes us right outside of our comfort zone for the first time, which may well install fear
into us. Then there is the fear of failure. What will those around me think if I don’t achieve my goal. How
will I face them and maintain my integrity. Better to quit now than to see through it? That way no-one
will be able to judge me. Another type of fear is the fear of success. What if I actually do it? Is this goal
something that I really want anyway? Self doubt comes into play and one tries to talk oneself out of it.
Factors Responsible for Success:

1. Desire: The motivation to success comes from a burning desire to achieve a purpose. Napoleon Hill
wrote, "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve." A young man asked
Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning.
Socrates asked the young man to walk with him toward the river. When the water got up to their neck,
Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but
Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. Socrates pulled his head out of
the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked,
'What did you want the most when you were there?" The boy replied, "Air." Socrates said, "That is the
secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it." There is no
other secret. A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment. Just like a small fire cannot give
much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results.
2. Commitment: Honesty and wisdom are the two pillars on which commitments are built and kept.
Prosperity and success are the result of our thoughts and decisions. It is our decision what thoughts will
dominate our lives. Success is not an accident. It is the result of our attitude. There is a big difference
between playing to win and playing not to lose. When we play to win, we play with enthusiasm and
commitment; whereas when we play not to lose, we are playing from a position of weakness. When we
play not to lose, we are playing to avoid failure. We all want to win, but very few are prepared to pay the
price to prepare to win. Winners condition and commit themselves to winning. Playing to win comes out
of inspiration, whereas playing not to lose comes out of desperation. There are no ideal circumstances. To
reach anywhere we cannot just drift nor lay still. We need to sometimes sail with the wind and sometimes
against it. Ask any coach or athlete what the difference between the best and the worst team is. There
would be very little difference in their physique, talent and ability. The biggest difference you will find is
emotional difference. The winning team has dedication and they make an extra effort.
3. Responsibility: People with character accept responsibilities. They make decisions and determine their
own destiny in life. Accepting responsibilities involves taking risks and being answerable which is
sometimes uncomfortable. Most people would rather stay in their comfort zone and live passive lives
without accepting responsibilities. They drift through life waiting for things to happen rather than making
them happen. Accepting responsibilities involves taking calculated, not foolish, risks. It means evaluating
all the pros and cons, then taking the most appropriate decision or action.
4. Hard Work: Success is not something that you run into by accident. It takes a lot of preparation and
character. Everyone likes to win but how many are willing to put in the effort and time to prepare to win?
It takes sacrifice and self-discipline. There is no substitute for hard work. The world is full of willing
workers, some willing to work and the others willing to let them. One cannot develop a capacity to do
anything without hard work, just as a person cannot learn how to spell by sitting on a dictionary.
Professionals make things look easy because they have mastered the fundamentals of whatever they do.
5. Character: Character is the sum total of a person's values, beliefs and personality. It is reflected in our
behavior, in our actions. It needs to be preserved more than the richest jewel in the world. It is not the
polls or public opinions but the character of the leader that determines the course of history. The road to
success has many difficulties. It takes a lot of character and effort not to fall in these difficulties. It also
takes character not to be disheartened by critics. How come most people love success but hate successful
people? Whenever a person rises above average, there will always be someone trying to tear him apart. In
any profession, a successful person will be envied by those who are not successful. Don't let criticism
distract you from reaching your goal. Average people play it safe to avoid criticism, which can be easily
avoided by saying, doing or being nothing. The more you accomplish, the more you risk being criticized.
It seems there is a relationship between success and criticism. The greater the success, the more is the
criticism. Critics are underachievers who shout at doers, telling them how to do it right. But remember
critics are not the leaders or doers and it is worthwhile asking them to come down to where the action is.
“The critic is one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
6. Positive Believing: What is the difference between positive thinking and positive believing? What if
you could actually listen to your thoughts? Are they positive or negative? How are you programming your
mind, for success or failure? How you think has a deep effect on your performance. Having a positive
attitude and being motivated is a choice we make every morning. Living a positive life is not easy; but
then neither is negative living. Positive thinking is better than negative thinking and it will help us use our
abilities to the fullest. Positive believing is a lot more than positive thinking. It is having a reason to
believe that positive thinking will work. Positive believing is an attitude of confidence that comes with
preparation. Having a positive attitude without making the effort is nothing more than having a wishful
dream. The following illustrates positive believing.
7. Give More Than You Get: We have no competition. If you want to get ahead in life, go the extra
mile. There is no competition on the extra mile. Are you willing to do a little more than you get paid for?
How many people you know are willing to do a little bit more than what they get paid for? Most people
don't want to do what they get paid for and there is a second category of people who only want to do what
they can get by with. They fulfill their quota just to keep their jobs. There is a small fraction who are
willing to do a little bit more than what they get paid for. Why do they do more? If you fall into the last
category, then where is your competition? The advantages of doing more than you get paid for are:
• You make yourself more valuable, regardless of what you do and where you work.
• It gives you more confidence.
• People start looking at you as a leader.
• Others start trusting you.
• Superiors start respecting you.
• It breeds loyalty from both your subordinates and your superiors.
• It generates cooperation.
8. The Power of Persistence: Nothing will take the place of persistence. Talent will not: Nothing is more
common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not: Unrewarded genius is a proverb.
Education will not: The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are
omnipotent. --Calvin Coolidge The journey to being your best is not easy. It is full of setbacks. Winners
have the ability to overcome and bounce back with even greater resolve. Fritz Kreisler, the great violinist,
was once asked, "How do you play so well? Are you lucky?" He replied, "It is practice. If I don't practice
for a month, the audience can tell the difference. If I don't practice for a week, my wife can tell the
difference. If I don't practice for a day, I can tell the difference." Persistence means commitment and
determination. There is pleasure in endurance. Commitment and persistence is a decision. Athletes put in
years of practice for a few seconds or minutes of performance. Persistence is a decision. It is a
commitment to finish what you start. When we are exhausted, quitting looks good. But winners endure.
Ask a winning athlete. He endures pain and finishes what he started.
THEORIES OF PERSONALITY:
Many psychologists have developed theories about personality—how to describe it, how it emerges, what
influences it, how it changes, and what constitutes a healthy or an abnormal personality. Here you will
learn about the three most important personality theories: psychoanalytic theory, behaviourism and
humanism. The first of the modern personality theories was developed by Sigmund Freud and is known
as psychoanalytic theory. His theory about personality has had tremendous influence around the world
through many different disciplines. Right or wrong, these ideas have had a lasting and enormous impact.
FREUD THEORY: Freud theorized that personality contains three structures—the id, ego, and
superego—and that the mind is like an iceberg, the unconscious making up 90% while the conscious (like
the tip of the iceberg floating above water) makes only 10% of the mind.
Freud suggested a similarity about the mind. He said that the mind is like an iceberg in the ocean, floating
10% above the water and 90% below. Freud said that unconscious mind makes up the vast majority of our
mind. In Freud’s view, only about 10% of our behaviours are caused by conscious awareness—about
90% are produced by unconscious factors.
According to psychoanalytic theory, most of what controls our behaviours, thoughts, and feelings is
unknown to our aware minds. Normally, the unconscious guides us. Freud said that the mind could be
divided into three abstract categories. These are the id, the ego, and the superego.
1. The id: Latin for the term “it,” this division of the mind includes our basic instincts, inborn nature, and
animalistic urges. Freud said that the id is totally unconscious, that we are unaware of its workings. The id
is not rational; it imagines, dreams, and invents things to get us what we want. Freud said that the id
operates according to the pleasure principle—it aims toward pleasurable things and away from painful
things. The id aims to satisfy our biological urges and drives. It includes feelings of hunger, thirst and
other natural body desires aimed at deriving pleasure.
2. The ego: Greek and Latin for “I,” this personality structure begins developing in childhood and can be
interpreted as the “self.” The ego is partly conscious and partly unconscious. The ego operates according
to the reality principle; that is, it attempts to help the id get what it wants by judging the difference
between real and imaginary. If a person is hungry, the id might begin to imagine food and even dream
about food. (The id is not rational.) The ego, however, will try to determine how to get some real food.
The ego helps a person satisfy needs through reality.
3. The superego: This term means “above the ego,” and includes the moral ideas that a person learns
within the family and society. The superego gives people feelings of pride when they do something
correct (the ego ideal) and feelings of guilt when they do something they consider to be morally wrong
(the conscience). The superego, like the ego, is partly conscious and partly unconscious. The superego is a
child’s moral barometer, and it creates feelings of pride and guilt according to the beliefs that have been
learned within the family and the culture.
Conclusion: Although these are known as structures, do not take the term literally. Freud did not mean
that these are physical parts of our bodies or our brains. He coined these terms and proposed this division
of the mind as abstract ideas meant to help us understand how personality develops and works, and how
mental illnesses can develop.
Freud theorized that healthy personality development requires a balance between the id and the superego.
These two divisions of the mind are naturally at conflict with one another: The id attempts to satisfy
animal, biological urges, while the superego preaches patience and restraint. The struggle between these
two is an example of intrapsychic conflict—conflict within the mind.
According to psychoanalytic theory, defense mechanisms are automatic (unconscious) reactions to the
fear that the id’s desires will overwhelm the ego. Freud believed that a healthy personality was one in
which the id’s demands are met but also the superego is satisfied in making the person feel proud and not
overwhelmed by guilt. If the id is too strong, a person will be rude, overbearing, selfish, and animalistic.
If the superego is too strong, a person is constantly worried, nervous, and full of guilt and anxiety and is
always repressing the id’s desires.
An overly strong id makes one a psychopath, lacking a conscience, or an ogre, selfishly meeting one’s
needs without concern for others. An overly strong superego, on the other hand, makes one a worrier, a
neurotic, so overwhelmed by guilt that it is difficult to get satisfaction.
ERIKSON THEORY: Erikson converted Freud’s emphasis to a focus on social relationships into eight
psychosocial stages. These stages became known as the Eight Ages of Man. (As you know, at that time in
history, the word man was used to apply to all human beings.) Each of Erikson’s eight stages was
described as a time of crisis—a time when the personality would go one way or the other. For example,
you’ve likely heard of the identity crisis. Erikson theorized that during adolescence, we all face a crisis of
figuring out who we are. Each of the stages has this either-or quality.
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages: (Eight Ages of Man)
Trust Babies whose needs are met develop a feeling of trust for the
1. Infant versus environment. If infants have frustration and deprivation, they learn a
Mistrust basic mistrust for the world that will stick throughout life.
When toddlers learn to act independently and to control and doubt their
Autonomy bodies (toilet training, walking, etc.), they learn self confidence and a
2. Toddler versus feeling of autonomy. Failure leads to feelings of inadequacy and
Shame therefore a sense of basic shame and doubt.
Initiative The preschooler is ready to take action—in play, in imagination and in

3. Preschool versus running his or her life. Success here leads to good self-esteem; problems
Guilt lead to feelings of guilt.
The school-aged child is ready for learning many new skills and, if
4. Early Industry successful, will develop a sense of industry—being good at things.
school age versus Failures at this stage result in a deep sense of being no good, of being
Inferiority inferior to others—a feeling that might carry into adulthood.
An adolescent is beginning to think abstractly and can conceptualize his

or her self-identity and personality. The adolescent begins to consider
questions of identity such as: Who should I be? What should I value?
Identity versus And what interests should I have? The teen must answer these to
Role of develop a good sense of self-identity. Exploration of various roles and
5. Adolescent confusion personalities is common in this stage.
A young adult faces the challenge of developing close emotional

Intimacy relationships with other people. Here the term intimate does not mean
versus sexuality, but social and emotional connections with others. The
6.Young adult Isolation opposite result, for those who do not develop a sense of intimacy, is to
become isolated from social contact.
Middle-aged adults feel an urgency to leave a mark on the world, to

Generativity generate something of lasting value and worth. Finding a purpose in life
7.Middle-aged versus is a central theme. To fail at generating something significant means a
adult Stagnation person becomes stagnant and stops moving forward; this person may
become selfish and self-absorbed.
In old age, it is common to look back on life and reflect on what was
Integrity accomplished. People who feel good about what they have done build a
8. Old adult versus sense of integrity. For those whose evaluations are not so good, there is
Despair despair, the feeling of regret and remorse for the life they led.
Developing Effective Habits:

Habits:
Daily habits might not be too hard, but what about those habitual behaviors that you dislike;
These are the habits that are hard to change. A habit is an activity that is acquired, done frequently, done
automatically, and difficult to stop. Most people think of behaviors when they think of habits, but
thoughts can also become habits. Sometimes our habitual thinking can keep habitual behaviors going and
make them hard to change. Habits can be good or bad. Good habits help us get through our daily lives.
When we drive, we use a number of habits – behaviors that are acquired and done automatically.
Stopping at red lights, slowing down when going through a school zone, buckling seat belts. These are all
good habits that protect us when we drive. Of course, we can also develop some pretty bad habits, ones
that can be harmful to us, and to other people. Speeding through red lights and school zones and driving
without a seat belt are examples of bad habits.
In general, habit is repeated, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through
frequent repetition. We tend to think of habits as things we do and we categorize them as good or bad.
Brushing our teeth every morning (good habit) or smoking (bad habit). In truth a habit is a complicated
set of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that we repeat often enough that it becomes engrained in our
brains at a level where conscious thought or choice is no longer really necessary. All of our habits began
as thoughts.
It can help to think in terms of habits that support or don’t support your highest goals for yourself
when you are thinking of changing a long-held behavior that has become habit. Instead of Changing a
Habit, Create a New One. So changing habits requires rewiring the brain, with something new. It can help
if you think in terms of starting a new path, rather than trying to change an old one. A new habit can take
as little as 30 days of consistent repetitive behavior, whereas breaking an old habit, especially if there are
addictive/chemical components involved, can take much longer.
Start Small:
Most people want to get to the end result so quickly that they skip steps or place unrealistic expectations
on themselves. Then when the results don’t happen, they walk away defeated and the volume of their
inner critic’s voice gets really loud. Trying to change too many things at once leads to failure because it’s
unrealistic that we can change a habit we’ve had for years overnight – let alone two or three habits at the
same time! This is true not because we’re bad or incapable, but because making changes that last occurs
at a very deep level – at the root of our thoughts and beliefs. It takes consistent new action over a period
of time to reinforce the new way of thinking. Skipping steps is results in failure because changes that last
are built upon a solid foundation. Taking small, consistent action every day builds inner strength and the
capacity to integrate the natural effects of your new behavior, which also gives you the time to integrate
and get comfortable with your new way of thinking.
New beliefs = new actions = new results.
By keeping it simple, choosing one place to start, and making the action doable - you are setting yourself
up to win. There is no urgency when it comes to your new habit. You are not in a race - you’re on a
journey and choosing the one part of the new habit that most appeals to you is the perfect place to start!
How to get started on your new habit?
1. Think of the habit as something that will support your highest goals for yourself.
2. Think in terms of creating a new habit instead of breaking an old one.
3. Start small. Think of one new habit you want to instill and begin there.
4. Start at the level of your thought. If you want to start a habit of healthy eating, spend 30 days practicing
this thought every day: “I am a healthy eater, and I love choosing foods that support my vitality”. Spend
this time before you do any action and you will find yourself with a solid foundation from which to shift
your actual behavior.
FORMING GOOD HABITS:
We are all born to lead successful lives but our conditioning leads us to failure. We are born to
win but are conditioned to lose. We often hear statements like, this person is just lucky, he touches dirt
and turns to gold. Or he is unlucky, no matter what he touches, it runs to dirt. This is not true. If you
analyse, the 16 successful person is doing something right in each transaction and the failure is repeating
the same mistake in each transaction. Remember, practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice
makes perfect. Practice makes permanent whatever you do repeatedly. Some people keep practicing their
mistakes and they become perfect in them.
Professionals make things look easy because they have mastered the fundamentals of whatever
they do. Many people do good work with promotions in mind. Cultivating a habit takes time. It has to
grow from within. Habits generate other habits. Inspiration is what gets a person started, motivation is
what keeps him on track and habits is what makes it automatic. In the face of hardship our behavior can
only be the one we have practiced, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. When we practice
negative traits such as weakness or dishonesty in small events, hoping to handle the major ones in a
positive way, the latter wouldn’t happen because that is not what we have practiced. Anything we practice
long enough becomes ingrained into our system and becomes a habit.
A person who is honest most of the time gets caught the first time he tells a lie. Whereas a person
who is dishonest most of the time gets caught the first time he tells the truth. Honesty and dishonesty to
self and others both become habits. Stephen R Covey presented a framework of habits for personal
effectiveness in his best seller “7 Habits of Highly effective people” the summary of which is as
follows:
Dependence to Independence
• Habit 1: Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Choice ----
• Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision
• Habit 3: Put First Things First: Principles of Integrity & Execution
Independence to Interdependence
• Habit 4: Think Win/Win: Principles of Mutual Benefit
• Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Principles of Mutual Understanding
• Habit 6: Synergize: Principles of Creative Cooperation
Continual Improvement
• Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal
Each of the habits, are represented by the following imperatives:

1. Habit 1 - Principles of Personal Choice: Covey emphasizes the original sense of the term "proactive" as
coined by Victor Frank. You can either be proactive or reactive when it comes to how you respond to
certain things. When you are reactive, you blame other people and circumstances for obstacles or
problems. Being proactive means taking responsibility for every aspect of your life. Initiative and taking
action will then follow. Covey also argues that man is different from other animals in that he has self-
consciousness. He has the ability to detach himself and observe his own self; think about his thoughts. He
goes on to say how this quality enables him: It gives him the power not to be affected by his
circumstances.
2. Habit 2 - Principles of Personal Vision: This chapter is about setting long-term goals based on "true
north" principles. Covey recommends formulating a "Personal Mission Statement" to document one's
perception of one's own vision in life. He sees visualization as an important tool to develop this. He also
deals with organizational mission statements, which he claims to be more effective if developed and
supported by all members of an organization rather than prescribed.
3. Habit 3 - Principles of Integrity & Execution: Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is
aimed at long-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are in fact less important.
Delegation is presented as an important part of time management. Successful delegation, according to
Covey, focuses on results and benchmarks that are to be agreed in advance, rather than on prescribing
detailed work plans.
4. Habit 4 - Principles of Mutual Benefit: An attitude whereby mutually beneficial solutions are sought
that satisfy the needs of oneself as well as others, or, in the case of a conflict, both parties involved.
5. Habit 5 - Principles of Mutual Understanding: Covey warns that giving out advice before having
empathetically understood a person and their situation will likely result in that advice being rejected.
Thoroughly listening to another person's concerns instead of reading out your own autobiography is
purported to increase the chance of establishing a working communication.
6. Habit 6 - Principles of Creative Cooperation: A way of working in teams. Apply effective problem
solving. Apply collaborative decision making. Value differences. Build on divergent strengths. Leverage
creative collaboration. Embrace and leverage innovation. It is put forth that when synergy is pursued as a
habit, the result of the teamwork will exceed the sum of what each of the members could have achieved
on their own. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
7. Habit 7 - Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal: Focuses on balanced self-renewal: Regain what Covey
calls "production capability" by engaging in carefully selected recreational activities. Covey also
emphasizes the need to sharpen the mind.
In today's challenging and complex world, being highly effective is the price of entry to the playing field.
To thrive, innovate, excel, and lead in this new reality, we must reach beyond effectiveness toward
fulfillment, contribution, and greatness.
What is a Failure?
Failure can be defined as the state or condition of not achieving a desirable or intended objective; it
can be considered the opposite of success. Failure is just a state of mind. You are a failure only if you
think that you failed. Your attitude towards a certain situation determines whether or not you have
failed. The fact is that everyone fails in something or the other at some point in their lives.
It is easy to think negatively when it seems that everything that you do is not good enough.
Look at the following failures and come to a conclusion yourself:
1. Only 400 Cokes were sold in its first year of production.
2. Albert Einstein’s PhD dissertation was rejected.
3. Henry Ford had two bankruptcies before his famous success.
4. Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the electric bulb failed no less than 10000 times before
succeeding. But he said “I have not failed. I have just found 10000 ways that won’t work.
Disappointments, Rejections, Unsuccessful attempts were not failures to the successful people. They
used them as stepping stones to success. This is the difference between people who win and people
who don’t. Failure is not the lack of success. People are looking only the successes of others. They are
not seeing the struggles, frustrations and disappointments they faced.
Ralph Waldo Emerson who was a successful American essayist, lecturer and poet told “Men
succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories”
Successful people don’t blame others for what has happened to them and they don’t use other
people’s definitions for success and failure. They use their own. They just change paths, reassess
goals, try something new or adjust direction. To them, failure happens when they stop trying to
achieve their personal best.
Factors affecting failures:
The under mentioned factors can affect the occurrence of failures:
• Human failure is normal and predictable.

• It can be identified and managed.
• One should deal with error reduction in a structured and proactive way.
• Managing human failure should be important.
• A poorly designed activity or plan may lead to a combination of errors
• More than one solution may be necessary to overcome failures.
• Involvement in design of tasks and procedures.
• Risk assessment should identify where human failure can occur critical tasks.
• The performance influencing factors which might make it more likely a failure
• The control measures necessary to prevent failure should be carefully planned.
• Investigations should seek to identify why individuals have failed.
CAUSES OF FAILURE:
The following factors can be considered as causes of failure. The most common failure-causing
problems and their solutions:
1. Lack of Persistence:
More people fail not because they lack knowledge or talent but because they just quit. It’s
important to remember two words: persistence and resistance. Persist in what must be done and resist
what ought not to be done. Try new approaches. Persistence is important, but repeating the same
actions over and over again, hoping that this time you'll succeed, probably won’t get you any closer to
your objective. Look at your previous unsuccessful efforts and decide what to change. Keep making
adjustments and midcourse corrections, using your experience as a guide.
2. Lack of Conviction:
People who lack conviction take the middle of the road. But what happens in the middle of
the road? You get run over. People without conviction go along to get along because they lack
confidence and courage. They conform in order to get accepted, even when they know that what they
are doing is wrong. Decide what is important to you. If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing
right and doing well. Let your passion show even in mundane tasks. It’s OK to collaborate and
cooperate for success, but it’s not OK to compromise your values—ever.
3. Rationalization:
Winners might analyze, but they never rationalize. Losers rationalize and have a book full of
excuses to tell you why they couldn’t succeed. Change your perspective. Don’t think of every
unsuccessful attempt as a failure. Few people succeed at everything the first time. Most of us attain
our goals only through repeated effort. Do your best to learn everything you can about what happened
and why.
4. Lack of Discipline:
Anyone who has accomplished anything worthwhile has never done it without discipline. Discipline
takes self-control, sacrifice and avoiding distractions and temptations. It means staying focused.
Don’t be a perfectionist. You might have an idealized vision of what success will look and feel like.
Although that can be motivational, it might not be realistic. Succeeding at one goal won’t eliminate
all your problems. Be clear on what will satisfy your objectives and don’t obsess about superficial
details.
5. Poor Self-Esteem:
Poor self-esteem is a lack of self-respect and self-worth. People with low self-confidence are
constantly trying to find themselves rather than creating the person they want to be. Don’t label
yourself. You might have failed, but you’re not a failure until you stop trying. Think of yourself as
someone still striving toward a goal, and you’ll be better able to maintain your patience and
perseverance for the long haul.
6. Fatalistic Attitude:
A fatalistic attitude prevents people from accepting responsibility for their position in life.
They attribute success and failure to luck. They resign themselves to their fate, regardless of their
efforts, that whatever has to happen will happen anyway. Look in the mirror every day and say, I am
in charge. You might not have control over every phase of your life, but you have more control than
you realize, and you are responsible for your own happiness and success. Your attitude determines
your altitude, and you can turn “down” into “up”.
Overcoming Fear of Failure:
Overcoming fear of failure is crucial for success. For many highly successful men and women who
have accomplished great things in life, failure was merely a stepping stone to achieving greatness.
Men like Henry Ford, Winston Churchill and Thomas Edison understood that failing to make the
attempt is the 'real' failure and that doing nothing, begets nothing ‐ least of all success. Women like
Emily Dickinson and Marie Curie did not succeed initially and certainly had a more difficult time
striving towards it in their day.
Why then would someone have a fear of failure?
• Not knowing what it really takes to succeed. One reason is that many of us are so focused on
success and the appearances of it, that we forget what it really takes to achieve it. We rarely think
about failure as being a part of life and how many success stories have emerged from sheer failure.
No one talks about how many times Abraham Lincoln failed at getting elected to office before he
ended up becoming president, how Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard before becoming a sensation in
the computer world, or how Michael Jordan failed to make his high school basketball team before
becoming one of the greatest basketball players ever. In these times of fast media and instant news,
we often see the glamorous side of success rather than the obstacles and hard work it takes to get
there.
• Having unrealistic expectations. We often expect to succeed on our first attempt at a venture and if
we don't, we think we've failed. How realistic is that? Just because we failed a test, got passed over
for a promotion, or didn't get a 'yes' asking that cute girl/guy for their phone number, does it mean we
will never succeed at it? Not at all! Yet fear of rejection, or perceived failure, stops many from trying
again. The same applies in competitive sports. Athletes must learn to accept loss before they discover
what it takes to win. In any sport, expecting to win from the onset is totally unrealistic. Failure is part
of the process of learning how to win. Likewise, in the entertainment and music businesses. Most
'overnight' successes took years before achieving high levels of success.
• Perfectionism. Some of us are afraid of failure because we believe we must be perfect. If we make
an attempt and then fail at it, we risk looking foolish and therefore feel somehow flawed. For
perfectionists everything must be done at a high level with no room for mistakes. They believe that if
they can't get something done perfectly, they'd prefer not do it at all. Unfortunately, this type of
thinking deprives the perfectionist of real learning and the benefits and value gained from experience.
Learning from failures:
Everyone fails in life. At one point or another, one is going to go through failure. The problem is most
people associate failure with complete defeat. In fact, before having to suffer through countless failures,
one after another, a person never realizes the importance of failing. While failure hurts at the time, it’s
part of life’s design. When we fail, we learn. We grow and mature, achieving new understandings and
perspectives on life, love, business, money, relationships, and people. We’re forced to make new
connections, bridging gaps where we hadn’t connected the dots before. Throughout many failures, a
person learns some important lessons. Failure has shaped us for the better as follows:
1. You realize it isn’t the end of the road: When a person fails, it feels like the end of the world. It feels
like everything once hoped for and dreamed for is now completely out of reach. It takes an emotional toll.
It breaks a person physically, mentally, and spiritually. But, failure isn’t the end of the road. It helps us to
build ourselves up into who we are today. Most of the time, we’re worried more about the fear of failure
rather than the failure itself.
2. It helps to redefine priorities in life: Failure will either make you or it will break you. But it can’t
make you until it breaks you. No one has experienced a wild sense of success without first failing in a
major way. While some have had to endure only a few failures before success, others have endured
thousands. When you fail, you begin to redefine your priorities in life. You reorder the things that matter
to you. And you come to realize the things that matter the most to you. For most, this redefinition of
priorities is a crucial step for overcoming failure.
3. It shapes what you value: Through each successive failure in our life, our values are reshaped. Over
time, they completely morphed. What we valued 10 years ago is no longer the same as what we value
today. One of the biggest mistakes that people make when trying to succeed is that they value the wrong
things. It’s easier to give up so value the right things?
4. It makes you more compassionate: We all know the power of ego. Before we fail in a major way, the
ego runs our life. We are more concerned with what people think of us or how much money we spend in
before others. But when we fail, things change. Major failure breaks the ego. As a result, we become
more compassionate with our fellow human beings. It forces us to look deeper at things, understanding
and caring more about others rather than solely focusing on our self. The failures in our life made us
kinder, gentler, and more caring and giving than we had ever been.
5. It improves your perspective on finance: Every major failure helps you look at money in a different
way, whether you fail at marriage, business, relationships, or anything else. You’re forced to improve
your point of view on all things money-related. All of the decisions we make in life or when we disrespect
money and treat it with disregard, it brings the potential for failure closer. When you add things like
gambling, alcohol, and other addictions to the mix, it only amplifies your chances for failure. But through
each successive failure, I improved my perspective on money I learned to respect it and treat with care.
6. You’re forced to revise your approach: There is a necessity for creating a plan in order to succeed.
But not just creating one plan and never changing it. You have to constantly revise your approach,
measuring and adjusting things as you go. Failure means we were not planning properly. The goals
shouldn’t change, but your plan should be constantly evolving.
7. You learn who your true friends really are: Failure acts as a “friend filter,” so to speak. When you’re
succeeding, everyone wants to be around you. But, when you fail, most of those so called friends
disappear. At the time, it feels painful. But, true friends love you for who you are, not how successful you
are. A true friend doesn’t care about how much money you have in the bank or the kinds of things that
you’ve accomplished. They uplift you rather than to pull you down. True friends will be there for you no
matter what.
8. You develop new ways to cope with your emotions: The wild gyrations of success and failure can
wreak havoc on your emotions. It’s hard to stay focused and committed when you’re upset and reeling
from the pain of failure. Your emotions can be all over the place, up and down like a rollercoaster ride.
Failure was painful for me. It was emotional. Oftentimes, I felt like I couldn’t bear it. But, I came away
with some important tools for coping with my emotions. I learned how to refocus and retrain my mind to
see positive things rather than the negative ones. The mind is very much like the lens of a camera – it will
see whatever you focus on. When you train your mind to focus on the right things, you can better cope
with the emotions that might make their way to the surface.
How to Overcome Fear of Failure:

Only by overcoming fear of failure will anyone be able to achieve success in life. Here are some tips
on how to eliminate fear and focus on success:
• Understand and expect that at times you will fail. Realize that you are human and humans make
mistakes. Before any of us learned how to walk, we crawled. We got up, fell down, got up again and
continued the process until we could walk expertly.
• Don't take failure personally. Instead, view it as a stepping stone. Make certain you learn from it
and then apply what you've learned to future situations. Refuse to consider it a character flaw or
weakness. Doing so will only prevent you from achieving future success.
• No one succeeds all of the time, sometimes not even most of the time. In baseball, star players
fail 70% of the time. Babe Ruth's batting average was .342 which means he struck out 66% of the
time. Wayne Gretzky's career shooting percentage in hockey was 17.57% meaning he missed 82.43 %
of the time. Wayne is also famous for saying "You miss 100%of the shots you don't take." So it is in
life. You won't fail at anything if you don't make the attempt. You also won't succeed!
• Remember that 'failure' has produced many successes. Consider how many people in history had
failed before they became successful and quite likely because of it. Albert Einstein's teacher told him
to quit school because; "Einstein, you will never amount to anything!" Ludwig Von Beethoven's
music teacher said of him "as a composer, he is hopeless". Henry Ford's first two automobile
companies failed.
• Appreciate the benefits of failure. Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "All life is an experiment. The
more experiments you make the better." In other words, your chances of getting things right on the
first try are slim to none. The more you try, the better you'll get at it.
• Believe in yourself. Rather than giving up when things don't work out, take it as an opportunity to
build perseverance and resolve. Believe that you've got what it takes to work through the obstacles
and difficult times. Remind yourself how many failures became successful because they wouldn't give
up. The wonderful poem “Don't Quit” by Edgar Albert Guest is an inspiring illustration of that
mindset.
Power of faith & Practicing faith:
When faith is blended with thought, the subconscious mind instantly picks up the vibration,
translates it into spiritual equal, and transmits it to Infinite Intelligence, as in the case of prayer.
Faith is a state of mind which you may develop at will through the application and use of some
principles. This is the basic principles of Prayer. The impulse of thought which is repeatedly pass into the
subconscious mind is, finally, accepted and acted upon by subconscious mind, which proceeds to translate
that impulse into its physical equivalent.
In connection with this, consider again the statement all thoughts which have been emotionalized
(given feeling) and mixed with faith, begin to translate themselves into their physical equivalent.
Not only the thought that mixed with faith, but those have been mixed with other positive
emotions (like happiness, love) or any negative emotion, may reach and influence the subconscious mind.
There are millions of people who believe themselves “doomed” to poverty and failure, because of
some strange force over which they believe they have no control. They are the creator of their own
misfortune, because of this negative belief, which is picked up by subconscious mind and translated
into physical equivalent.
At this point you have to deceive your subconscious mind by reverse or reinforcing with
some positive thoughts and faith or believe. To make this lie more realistic, conduct yourself just as
you would if you were already in possession of the material things/ success level which you are
demanding, when you call upon your subconscious mind. The subconscious mind will change into its
physical equivalent, by the most direct and practical medium available, any order which is given to it in a
state of belief or faith that the order will be carried out.
It is essential for you to encourage the positive emotions as the dominating forces of your mind,
and discourage – and eliminate negative emotions. A mind dominated by positive emotions, becomes a
favorable house for the state of mind known as faith. A mind so dominated may at will, give the
subconscious mind instructions, which it will accept and act upon immediately.
There must be a steady and unfailing practice of positive prayer if you are to succeed. And to
pray you need faith. Possibility thinking is just another word for faith. You will be controlled by their
positive thoughts or negative thoughts. One of the two emotions will dominate and drive you: either fear
or faith. If you are not living by faith, then you will automatically be living by fear. Never surrender the
leadership of your life to fear.
No force, no emotion is more paralyzing than fear. It stops a salesperson about to make a call, the
young man to go for his goals, a job hunter about to seek an interview. In the whole none is more
destructive and defeating than the fear failure. If you are living by fear, then see this as a flaw for negative
thinking. It will not stand up. It will crack for sure. Walk away from negative thinking. Dare to live by
faith. Faith is indeed the greatest miracle – working power imaginable. Faith never fails a person. We fail
when we give up on faith. Faith sets you free from downgrading, negative emotions and replaces them
with success-generating emotions. Faith leads to dreaming. Dreaming leads to desiring. Desiring leads
praying. Praying leads to beginning leads to deciding. Deciding leads to waiting. Waiting leads to paying
the price. Paying the price leads to managing problems which ultimately leads to expecting success.
SELF-CONFIDENCE FORMULA:
Here is the Self-confidence Formula or Prayer ….
1. I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my purpose in life; therefore, I demand of
myself constant, continuous action towards its attainment, and I here and now promise to deliver
such action.
2. I realize that thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in action and gradually
transform themselves into reality; therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for thirty minutes
daily, upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a
clear picture.
3. I know through the principle of prayer or autosuggestion, any desire that I persistently hold in my
mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of attaining the object back of
it; therefore, I will devote ten minutes daily demanding of myself the development of self-
confidence.
4. I have clearly written down a description of my chief aim in life and will never stop trying, until I
shall have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.
5. I fully realize the that no wealth or position can long continue, unless built upon truth and justice;
therefore I will engage in no business which does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed
by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use, and the cooperation of other people. I will
eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness by developing love for all humanity, because I know
that a negative attitude towards others can never bring me success. I will cause others to believe
in me, because I believe in them and in myself.
6. I will sign my name to this formula, commit it to memory, and repeat it loudly once a day, with
full faith that it will gradually influence my thoughts and actions so that I will become a self-
reliant, and successful person.
The Personal SWOT Analysis:
Personal development is an essential step for making yourself more appealing to employers and
customers. It also helps boost your self-image. People apply many different tactics to stand apart in this
sea of candidates. They want to secure the top position, but it not as easy as it sounds. Individuals often
conduct the SWOT analysis.
SWOT is seen as an analytical framework which can help companies facing great challenges. It helps to
find the most promising new markets. The analysis was created by business gurus Edmund P. Learned,
Kenneth Andrews, C. Roland Christensen and William D. in the 1960s. They wrote about it in their book
“Business Policy, Text, and Cases.”
Even though SWOT was originally used for business, it can help assess a person’s Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats too. This kind of simple analysis structure will provide guidance.
It looks at internal and external factors. Do not take the SWOT analysis light.
Self-analysis is perhaps one of the most complicated things. But, it plays a very significant role in
personal progress. The personal skills SWOT analysis will help you to learn more about you. Carrying
out a personal SWOT analysis is an important step towards finding life and career direction. Follow all
steps seriously and create your Personal SWOT analysis. Before you allot precious time in the process,
make sure that you are ready to provide honest answers to yourself. While we easily scrutinize
companies, jobs, employers and colleagues, criticizing ourselves is the first step here.
Dig deep and identify what your own contributions really are. The analysis entails finding out what you
are good at and what you are terrible at. SWOT is a tool for you. After you learn all the necessary details
about yourself, you can try to make positive changes which will lead to new opportunities. Basically,
SWOT analysis provides a better picture of all pros and cons you have.
The outcome will depend on how you react to the findings. For example, you can react in 2 ways after
you list all your weaknesses. You can either understand how they can be threatening to not only your
career but also your personal life, or you can work to overcome the weakness. It is always wise to think
positively. Act proactively to turn the weakness into strength. Also, try to eliminate all threats. Give
importance to your strengths and take advantage of the opportunities.
THE ELEMENTS OF A PERSONAL SWOT ANALYSIS:

A SWOT analysis focuses on the 4 elements included in its acronym. Knowing about these positive and
negative factors can help you make changes more effectively. Typically, a SWOT analysis is done by
creating a table, divided into 4 columns. Usually, the strengths and weaknesses do not match the
opportunities and threats listed. Remember that pairing external threats with the internal weaknesses can
help highlight the most serious issues. For each of the SWOT elements, ask yourself some questions. I
have listed some example questions below, but they may vary.
STRENGTHS
• What benefits do you have which others do not have? This could include skills, education, or
connections.
• What are you better at than anyone else?
• What personal resources do you have access to?
• What do other people see as your strengths?
• Which achievements are you most proud of?
• What values do you believe in that others fail to show?
• Are you part of a network no one else is involved in? What connections do you have with powerful
people?
WEAKNESSES
• What work do you usually avoid because of lack of confidence?
• What do people think you weaknesses are?
• Are you happy with your education and skills training?
• Do you have any negative work habits?
• Which of your personality traits hold you back?
OPPORTUNITIES
• What new technology can assist you?
• Can you take advantage of the market in its present state?
• Do you have a network of strategic contacts to offer good advice or help you?
• Is any of your competitors failing to do something important? Can you take advantage of it?
• Is there a need in your company which no one is filling?
• Could you create an opportunity by offering solutions to problems?
THREATS
• What hindrances do you currently face at work?
• Is any of your co-workers competing with you for projects or roles?
• Is your job changing?
• Can technological changes threaten your position?
• Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats?
THE ADVANTAGES OF CONDUCTING A PERSONAL SWOT
The main purpose of a SWOT is to promote the identified strengths, reduce weaknesses, exploiting the
opportunities and having contingency plans to minimize threats. There are many benefits and advantages
of using SWOT Analysis for personal development. It is good for your success and betterment. Some of
the most common benefits of conducting a personal SWOT analysis have been mentioned below:
• Helps to develops strategies to attain your goals
• You can be better than your friends and colleagues
• Shows where you currently stand on the path of success
• Measures your scopes of reaching desired goals
• Boosts your career, life and personality
• Helps to better understand who you really are as a person
• Maximizes your strengths and diminishes your weaknesses
• Explores and also enhances your soft skills and hard skills
• It helps you understand your preferences and personality traits.
• Focuses on your attitudes, abilities, skills, capabilities and capacities There are many other advantages
of this analysis. Apply it to your situation and enjoy the awesome benefits of personal SWOT analysis.
Goal-Setting (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound-SMART goals):

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn
your vision of this future into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go
in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your
efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.
Why Set Goals?
Top-level athletes, successful businesspeople and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting goals gives
you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you
to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the most of your life. By setting sharp,
clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see
forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raise your
self-confidence, as you recognize your own ability and competence in achieving the goals that you've set.
Starting to Set Personal Goals: You set your goals on a number of levels:
• First you create your "big picture" of what you want to do with your life (or over, say, the next 10
years), and identify the large-scale goals that you want to achieve.
• Then, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit to reach your
lifetime goals.
• Finally, once you have your plan, you start working on it to achieve these goals.
This is why we start the process of setting goals by looking at your lifetime goals. Then, we work down to
the things that you can do in, say, the next five years, then next year, next month, next week, and today, to
start moving towards them.
Step 1: Setting Lifetime Goals
The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your lifetime (or at least,
by a significant and distant age in the future). Setting lifetime goals gives you the overall perspective that
shapes all other aspects of your decision making. To give a broad, balanced coverage of all important
areas in your life, try to set goals in some of the following categories (or in other categories of your own,
where these are important to you):
• Career – What level do you want to reach in your career, or what do you want to achieve?
• Financial – How much do you want to earn, by what stage? How is this related to your career
goals?
• Education – Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information and
skills will you need to have in order to achieve other goals?
• Family – Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent? How do you
want to be seen by a partner or by members of your extended family?
• Artistic – Do you want to achieve any artistic goals?
• Attitude – Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way that you
behave that upsets you? (If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a solution to the
problem.)
• Physical – Are there any athletic goals that you want to achieve, or do you want good health deep
into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?
• Pleasure – How do you want to enjoy yourself? (You should ensure that some of your life is for
you!)
• Public Service – Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?
Spend some time brainstorming these things, and then select one or more goals in each category that best
reflect what you want to do. Then consider trimming again so that you have a small number of really
significant goals that you can focus on.
As you do this, make sure that the goals that you have set are ones that you genuinely want to achieve, not
ones that your parents, family, or employers might want. (If you have a partner, you probably want to
consider what he or she wants – however, make sure that you also remain true to yourself!). Crafting a
personal mission statement can help bring your most important goals into sharp focus.
Step 2: Setting Smaller Goals: Once you have set your lifetime goals, set a five-year plan of smaller
goals that you need to complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan. Then create a one-year plan, six-
month plan, and a one-month plan of progressively smaller goals that you should reach to achieve your
lifetime goals. Each of these should be based on the previous plan. Then create a daily To-Do List of
things that you should do today to work towards your lifetime goals.
At an early stage, your smaller goals might be to read books and gather information on the achievement
of your higher level goals. This will help you to improve the quality and realism of your goal setting.
Finally, review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live your life.
Staying on Course: Once you've decided on your first set of goals, keep the process going by reviewing
and updating your To-Do List on a daily basis. Periodically review the longer term plans, and modify
them to reflect your changing priorities and experience. (A good way of doing this is to schedule regular,
repeating reviews using a computer-based diary.)
SMART Goals: A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While
there are plenty of variants (some of which we've included in parenthesis), SMART usually stands for:
• S – Specific (or Significant).

• M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
• A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
• R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
• T – Time-bound (or Trackable).
For example, instead of having "to sail around the world" as a goal, it's more powerful to use the SMART
goal "To have completed my trip around the world by December 31, 2027." Obviously, this will only be
attainable if a lot of preparation has been completed beforehand!
Further Tips for Setting Your Goals:
The following broad guidelines will help you to set effective, achievable goals:
• State each goal as a positive statement – Express your goals positively – "Execute this
technique well" is a much better goal than "Don't make this stupid mistake."
• Be precise – Set precise goals, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can measure
achievement. If you do this, you'll know exactly when you have achieved the goal, and can take
complete satisfaction from having achieved it.
• Set priorities – When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid
feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals, and helps to direct your attention to the most
important ones.
• Write goals down – This crystallizes them and gives them more force.
• Keep operational goals small – Keep the low-level goals that you're working towards small and
achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it.
Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunities for reward.
• Set performance goals, not outcome goals – You should take care to set goals over which you
have as much control as possible. It can be quite dispiriting to fail to achieve a personal goal for
reasons beyond your control!
In business, these reasons could be bad business environments or unexpected effects of

government policy. In sport, they could include poor judging, bad weather, injury, or just plain
bad luck.
If you base your goals on personal performance, then you can keep control over the achievement
of your goals, and draw satisfaction from them.
• Set realistic goals – It's important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (for
example, employers, parents, media, or society) can set unrealistic goals for you. They will often
do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions.
It's also possible to set goals that are too difficult because you might not appreciate either the
obstacles in the way, or understand quite how much skill you need to develop to achieve a
particular level of performance.
Achieving Goals: When you've achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so.
Absorb the implications of the goal achievement, and observe the progress that you've made towards
other goals. If the goal was a significant one, reward yourself appropriately. All of this helps you build the
self-confidence you deserve.
With the experience of having achieved this goal, review the rest of your goal plans:
• If you achieved the goal too easily, make your next goal harder.
• If the goal took a dispiriting length of time to achieve, make the next goal a little easier.
• If you learned something that would lead you to change other goals, do so.
• If you noticed a deficit in your skills despite achieving the goal, decide whether to set goals to fix
this.
Feed lessons you have learned back into the process of setting your next goals. Remember too that your
goals will change as time goes on. Adjust them regularly to reflect growth in your knowledge and
experience, and if goals do not hold any attraction any longer, consider letting them go.
******************

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BBA 1st Year Subject- Personality Development

Personality, Success and Facing Failures:

Time and Stress Management and Employability Quotient:

Communication Skills and Digital Etiquettes:

Personality is a psychological factor of an individual which is rarely known to others. An individual’s

A careful analysis of the above definitions will observe the followings:

Significance or importance of Personality Development:

Factors Responsible for Success:

Initiative The preschooler is ready to take action—in play, in imagination and in

An adolescent is beginning to think abstractly and can conceptualize his

A young adult faces the challenge of developing close emotional

Middle-aged adults feel an urgency to leave a mark on the world, to

Developing Effective Habits:

Each of the habits, are represented by the following imperatives:

• Human failure is normal and predictable.

How to Overcome Fear of Failure:

THE ELEMENTS OF A PERSONAL SWOT ANALYSIS:

Goal-Setting (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound-SMART goals):

Why Set Goals?

Step 1: Setting Lifetime Goals

• S – Specific (or Significant).

Further Tips for Setting Your Goals:

In business, these reasons could be bad business environments or unexpected effects of

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