Chapter 1

1.1 Know and Accept Yourself

Your image of yourself may include your feelings about your:

Physical appearance.

Athletic ability.

Sense of humor.

Special talents.

Morals and ethics.

Aptitudes (natural abilities).

Values and beliefs.

Dos of Building Self-Esteem

Follow these tips to build self-esteem:

Engage in positive self-talk.

Remember what you like about yourself.

Talk with others about your good qualities.

Focus on your achievements.

Plan for your future.

Donts of Building Self-Esteem

Avoid these pitfalls as you strive to build

self-esteem:

Dont try to imitate someone else.

Dont think negatively about yourself.

Dont neglect yourself.

Dont let setbacks get the best of you

Rewards of Good Self-Esteem

Those who have a high level of self-esteem:

Take on responsibility (have a can-do attitude).

Take pride in their accomplishments.

Approach challenges positively and with enthusiasm.

 Are not afraid to show a broad range of emotions.

Feel qualified to influence others.

Tolerate frustration, challenges, and setbacks.

1.2 Believe in Yourself

Tips for building self-esteem:

Each evening, list your accomplishments.

Do something nice for someone else.

Build the esteem of others.

Do something challenging each day.

Think positively.

Establish and work toward your goals.

Look your best.

Be Sensitive to Feedback

Those who recognize the importance of feedback:

Cultivate sources of feedbackfriends, teachers, coworkers, and others.

Are open, alert, and sensitive to both positive and negative feedback.

Dont take negative feedback personally.

Listen, reflect, and make necessary changes

Chapter 2 self development

2.1 Develop a Self-Improvement Plan

Use these techniques to build self-confidence:

Use positive self-talk.

Increase your knowledge and skills.

Learn from mistakes.

Expect to succeed.

Conquer shyness.

Accept responsibility for your success.

 2.2 Improvement Requires Work
Personal development involves making a life-long commitment to reaching your goals and being
all that you can be.

Self-Improvement Guidelines

Start now.

Start small. Focus on your highest priorities and add other goals as time goes by.

Involve others who can keep you on course.

Dont give up. Think of a slip as an opportunity to try again.

Stay focused on your goals. Review your goals every day.

Acknowledge your improvements. Recognize how far youve come.

Let every success trigger a new goal. Keep moving forward to something higher to
attain.

Focus on gratitude. Mentally list what you have to be thankful for.

Chapter 3
ATTITUDE
You are learning constantly as you grow personally and professionally.

Learning is categorized into three types: knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

You acquire knowledge by reading, attending classes, using the Internet, talking with others, and
experiencing life.

Skills such as learning to keyboard or play an instrument are gained through practice and repetition.

It is easy to identify the first two types of learning, but have you given much thought to the third type of
learning how you acquire attitudes?

Attitudes are complex and develop over time. People with high degree of optimism typically view
events in their daily lives as positive, which in turn leads to a positive attitudes.

Others can provide you with knowledge and teach you skills, but you (and only you) can determine your
attitude.

What is attitude? It is your outlook on life how you respond to people and events. More importantly
attitude is guided by your mind.

If you spend your mental energies worrying about what might happen next, your outlook in life (your
attitude) is probably negative.
If you spend your mental energies taking each day as it comes and appreciating the experiences you are
having and the people in your life, your attitude is probably positive and healthy.

Attitude is extremely important because it drives your behavior.

Behavior is a manner of acting or reacting under a general set of circumstances.

Your actions (behavior) and body language are a result of your mental attitude.

Three important things to remember about attitude are:

1. Only you control what you think

2. Attitudes can and do change over time
3. Your attitude affects others
Changing your attitude

If you are experiencing a negative attitude about work, a relationship, or life in general, recognize that
attitudes can be changed.

An attitude change can take place based on new knowledge, experiences, or sincere desire to change.
But only one person can make that change and that person is you!

Changing negative attitudes into positive attitudes can be very satisfying, because positive atitudes are a
foundation for personal satisfaction and effective human relations. When you change your attitude, you
automatically change:

Your perspective
The way you interpret things
The decisions you make
The actions you take
The results you get
Steps in Improving Your Attitude

Developing positive attitudes and eliminating negatives ones is the best first step toward self-
improvement. But where should you start? Although there is no one way for improving attitude that
will work for everyone, the following suggestions can be helpful if you have the willingness, courage, and
inner strength to try them.

1. Visualize the attitudes you want to improve. Picture the attitudes you want to change.
Write a brief description of the image you have of yourself that will embody after you
have achieve your attitude-improvement goals. For example, you may see yourself as
having more patience with classmates or coworkers. You mental picture must be so clear
and so constantly present that it can create a pattern for your behavior. Again, attitudes
do drive behavior.
2. Resolve to adopt those attitudes you want to improve. After you identify the attitudes
you want to improve, make a conscious effort to change them.
 3. Use the image of the ideal you as a model for your behavior. With practice and effort,
the desirable behavior will come naturally, and the improved attitudes will transform you.
For example, your goal may be to change you please dont call on me attitude when
asked to participate in a class discussion. You could practice imagining yourself
answering clearly and confidently when called upon. With time, you may be eager to
participate in class discussions.
4. Choose to create a positive atmosphere around you. Everyday you have choices to make,
and the choice you have a positive attitude or negative attitude is one of those very
choices. You can create a positive atmosphere by smiling, being pleasant, and making a
genui9ne effort to be interested in whats going on around you. Look for positive,
optimistic, good-natured, or complimentary things to say.
5. Surround yourself with positive people. Ask yourself five questions: Who am I around?
What are they doing to me? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me
going? What do they have me thinking? What do they have me becoming? Then ask
yourself the big questions: Is that okay?
6. Celebrate your successes. You need to celebrate your successes and not beat up on
yourself when you have failure. Learn from setbacks, but then move forward with
optimism for the future.
Chapter 4
4.1 Image Matters

Image is:

One of your most important assets.

How you look.

How you speak.

How you behave.

How you walk, sit, and stand.

The set of qualities and characteristics that represent perceptions of you as judged by others

4.2 Image in the Workplace

Why strive to be a professional?

You get a heartfelt feeling of pride in knowing you are doing the work to the best of
your ability.

Others will hold you in high regard for the example you set.

New opportunities may be available to you

A Professional Attitude

Professionals:
 Are team players.

Recognize organizational structure and roles.

Are persistent and determined.

Want to be helpful to others.

Are always on the lookout for unmet needs.

Use good judgment

Character and Work Ethic

Professionals display these traits:

Trustworthiness and dependability.

Honesty and genuineness.

Responsibility and accountability.

Diligence (conscientiously give total attention to each task).

Are You a PRO

A professional:

Focuses on the work to be done.

Addresses mistakes as they occur.

Accepts challenging assignments.

Completes tasks in a timely and efficient manner.

Looks, speaks, and acts like a professional.

Exhibits a positive attitude.

Walks, sits, and stands like a professional.

Stays with a job until it is completed.

Produces more than is required.

Takes advantage of learning opportunities