Personal Development Tool Kit (2 Essential Items)

Your personal development tool kit is an essential part of your personal growth and self-actualisation journey. These two simple tools are easy for you to carry with you help you and use whenever you need to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, actions, and communications. They empower you to identify the lessons from the past, obstacles in the present, and goals for the future.  

Additionally, you can use the tools to assess your valuable talents and attributes. Most importantly, use the tools to inspire you to take action to pursue your personal growth and self-actualisation dreams, and find your unique and valuable hidden treasure through stream of consciousness writing.

Two Essential Tools for Your Personal Development Tool Kit

After years of exploring, I have narrowed down the list of what you need to carry in your personal development tool kit to just two essential tools. By starting with the very basics, you will discover how to make the most of short spaces of time. In other words, when you have a spare few minutes, you can reach into your kit for the two most important tools.

Tool 1. An Empty Notebook

“Be a buyer of empty books. I paid $26 for this one. Kids say “$26 for an empty book? Why would you do that?” Well, the reason I paid $26 was to press me. To see if I can’t find something worth $26 to put in here.”

—Jim Rohn,  Author, Entreprenuer, Motivational Speaker.  Quote from The Art of Exceptional Living.

I have been a buyer of empty books long before I was introduced to Jim Rohn in 2005. Over the years, he has been one of the biggest influences on my own personal development, authorship and entrepreneurship journey. Unfortunately I never got to meet him in person. Our relationship was through his books, audios, videos, courses and other channels. In many ways, I feel that I am carrying on his legacy through the work I do.

Certainly, like me, the late Jim Rohn saw the unlimited value of an empty notebook. That is to say, we both believe that the potential value of an empty page is what is lying deep within you. Moreover, both Jim Rohn and I keep our journals private. However, as he said in “The Art of Exceptional Living” audio CD, if someone was to come across our journals, and read them, they wouldn’t have to look to far to find something of value within our words.

Consequently, when you set out on your journey, commit to being a buyer of empty notebooks to include in your personal development tool kit. Obviously, you don’t have to spend $26 on your notebooks. For example, I often use A5 wire spiral bound sketch notebooks, which only cost me a few dollars. Note: for US based readers, A5 is close to 8.5×5.5 inches sizing.

Most of all, I prefer notebooks with unruled pages. Because this gives you the freedom to throw away all of the rules about writing you were taught. In addition, you can unleash your inner creator to be as creative as they desire! I’ve designed some A5 writing practice journals which you can purchase here.

Keep Your Notebook Private

Above all, lock your notebook away. Most importantly, do not show what you write in them to others.  Because this is where you write down your innermost thoughts, ideas, and more. Therefore, the content in your notebook needs to be protected. For example, I refer to my notebook as my very own metaphorical “writing diamond mine”. Consequently, I need to keep my rough writing diamonds as secure and protected as I would natural ones.

Additionally, I carry my current journal in my portable personal development tool box (handbag). Because I have it with me all the time, I can record notes during meetings, when I have a moment of inspiration, or experience down-time when waiting for an appointment.

Tool 2.  A Favourite Pen

Next, the second essential tool to go in your personal development tool kit is a favourite pen. Because your pen is the pipeline that channels and ejects the rocks and gems onto the empty page. To clarify, your words flow from your subconscious and unconscious minds, down your arm, into the pen and ejects via the ink onto the blank paper in your notebook.

Therefore, make sure that you choose a pen that fits comfortably in your hand. In addition, the ink should flow smoothly, so that it keeps pace with your words.

For example, I have a couple of favourite pens. 

The first is a Sheaffer® ball point pen I purchased over 30 years ago from Myers, Melbourne, Australia. I still remember that overseas trip with my mother. She wanted to go to the department store to shop for a dress to wear to my sister’s wedding.

I wandered off to the stationery department, and fell in love with the quality and range of items we didn’t see in New Zealand. So I ended up spoiling myself with what was a luxury purchase for a nineteen year old. At the time it was only $40, but my stainless steel and gold pen has proven its worth over and over. And because of the reasonable cost, I don’t mind carrying it with me in my handbag.

Gold Medal Pen Channels Valuable Rough Gems

On the other hand, I tend to keep my other favourite pen securely at home. Because the price tag is few hundred dollars! However, I won my Montblanc Meisterstück Ballpoint Pen as a “gold medal” prize. Olympic Swiss Watches ran a window display competition during the 2008 Beijing Olympics when I worked in the jewellery industry. As a result, it’s the perfect instrument for channelling my writing rocks and gems!

 

I also have a supply of cheap Paper Mate® pens, which I tend to keep spare in my handbag, or scattered around the places I work. The reason for these is I don’t mind if other people borrow them (and often don’t return them). But my two premium pens are for my use only!

Buy a Premium Pen to Challenge Yourself

Consequently, investing in a premium pen for your personal development took kit is an investment in yourself. It sends a message to your inner creator that you’re worth the money. Schedule time to go shopping for a luxury pen. Shortlist those at the top of your price range. Then give them a test drive.

Firstly, notice how they fit in your hand. Do you find the circumference of the barrel comfortable to hold and write with?

Next, take time to write a few sentences with them. Don’t just make short lines on the page. Specifically, assess how the ink flows. The Goldilocks measure is nice and smooth. If it’s too fast it will be blotchy (I don’t like roller balls or fountain pens for this reason). On the other hand, some pens have scratchy nibs which catch on the page and slow your writing down.

Lastly, choose a pen made from durable components, like metal or, for example, Mont Blanc’s “precious resin“.

Invest in These Two Items for Your Personal Development Tool Kit

In conclusion, these two essential items in your personal development tool kit are an investment in yourself. When you buy an empty notebook and a premium pen, you invest in your personal growth and self-actualisation journey. You tell your subconscious and unconscious minds that you believe that you have valuable treasure hidden within you. In return, they will prompt your inner creator to eject valuable gems through your pen and onto the empty page of your notebook.

Now that you have these two essential items for your personal development took kit on your shopping list, I invite you to explore our blog further. We share more tips on journal writing, and provide other resources to help you eject untold value onto the empty page of your notebook.