Character – Activity: Get Creative

Creative problem solving is a key skill in life. We can all be creative! This week, flex your creativity muscles. There are many forms of creativity, so try to use one of the 8 Types of Creative Intelligence. Try an art form like painting or drawing, or writing,  have a discussion or solve a puzzle. Get ideas from a 32 Creative Arts to Try Spinner. Prepare for the three pillars of a creative mindset: deconstruction, imagination, and action. Learn to Engage Creativity with TED talks that also have books by the author. More ideas to spark creativity:

• Seek new connections
• Play
• Ask questions
• Reveal ideas
• Keep an open mind
• Look closely
• Experiment
• Imagine and inspire
• Take time for thinking

I will choose something creative to try this week.

Get your creativity perking with a free printable Creativity Prompter based on 101 Ways to Brew up a Great Idea.

• 40 ways to Stay Creative Infographic at layerform.com, at Behance
• 101 Creative Resolutions
• Find TED talks, books, and websites to Engage Creativity
• More creative ideas at the Idea Toolkit to explore.
  

This is one of the weekly activities for a Year of Personal Development.

Character – Activity: Watch Character in Action

The Steven Spielberg movie “Lincoln,” is a stirring account of the president’s last days, and a wonderful example of showing character in action.

This week, watch character in action in a film.

Resources:

• Top 100 Most Inspiring Films from Infoplease
• Videos @ personalexcellence.co
• Movies with an ethical emphasis  from teachwithmovies.org
• movieclips.com

Then read the poem “You” by Edgar Guest to inspire action in your own life.

This is one of the weekly activities for a Year of Personal Development.

Character – Activity: Who are your heroes?

Identifying your heroes can point you in the direction of purpose, and give you insight into the character that you want to develop. Think of people you have great respect for; they may be famous, or people you know. They may be real people or characters from books or movies, from the present or the past. They may be athletes, politicians, musicians, artists, peace seekers, or simply brilliant. What are the qualities they possess that you admire?

Resources:

• Find my role model tool at Academy of Achievement
• Famous People at Biography.com
• 100 Significant Americans at Smithsonianmag.com
• 100 Greatest Americans at University of Washington news

This is one of the weekly activities for a Year of Personal Development. See also Discover Your Heroes at the Discover U in Ten Steps series.

Relationships – Activity: Do a Needs Analysis

This week, do a needs analysis to understand them and how they fit into relationships. A part of relationships can be an exchange of meeting needs in different life areas. For example, in the mental area, you may meet your need to learn by taking classes, watching the news and reading. Your need to learn will be enhanced by sharing ideas and conversation in a relationship, and you may be meeting their need for the same thing. If this need is equally important and equally met, both will be happy. When relationships fail to meet the needs of either or both, trouble can follow. Dr Harley talks about emotional needs at MarriageBuilders.com.

While we strive to meet needs ourselves, we may request for a need to be met by others, and they may request needs to be met by us. When thinking about needs, it’s important to understand what we control. When our needs conflict with the needs of others, it’s time to explore ways to compromise or take turns. Clearly, nobody gets everything they want, and there is a middle ground between not asking for (or sometimes even knowing) what you want, and insisting on getting everything you want. In a relationship, we must consider the needs of each person. This is the challenge of relationships.

When needs are identified and communicated, there is a better chance that they may be met. Understanding the needs of both partners is important for relationships. In Maslow’s hierarchy, as basic needs are met, higher needs become more important. We have needs in various areas and in different levels of intensity.

Possible Needs in Different Life Areas

• Mental (to learn): information, challenges, freedom
• Spiritual (to grow): meaning, purpose, principles, character
• Emotional (to give & receive): recognition, respect, affection, support, understanding, kindness
• Relationship (to share): appreciation, consideration, love, romance
• Social (to connect): interaction with others, communication, friendship, family, belonging
• Physical (to care for): food, shelter, rest, exercise
• Financial (to work): contribution, achievement, security, abundance
• Recreational (to enjoy): fun, new experiences

Understand the difference between wants and needs

• A need is a necessity, something you must have.
• A want is a desire, something you want to have.

While needs are a necessity, and wants are desires, there are different levels of importance, and sometimes a want is so strong that it can feel like a need.

Need-O-Meter

Functional needs are described by Bob Murray and Alicia Fortinberry in the book “Creating Optimism” as:

1. Expressed in concrete terms
2. Appropriate to the relationship
3. Use action words
4. Doable

Read more at Creating Optimism and Meeting Needs With Love

Expressing needs in concrete terms:

In [this] area I need [what], at an importance level of [high, medium, low], which will be met by doing [what]  [when] [how much] [for how long].

Print the Needs Worksheet available at the Daily PlanIt Shop to do a needs analysis. Both people in a relationship can then fill one out to compare and discuss.

An Example Needs Worksheet

Read Difference Between Needs and Wants at keydifferences.com, 6 human needs from Tony Robbins, Needs Inventory at cnvc.org.

This is one of the weekly activities for a Year of Personal Development.