Do you realise the power of having a personal development plan? It's like having your very own blueprint for success in your life - tailored to create your life exactly how you want it to be. If you could learn how to build your own personal development plan, would you be willing to devote 10 -15 minutes per day to nurture it and put it into practise?

Before we get started, let me ask you a question: "Why do successful people seem to find it easier to get what they want in life?" And why do some people get to the top of their careers and earn good money, while you continue to struggle to make a decent living?

There's one common trait amongst all successful people - and that is that they are all virtually totally uninhibited. They see what they want, and do whatever it takes to get there.

Successful people still experience nerves and feelings of anxiety when they find themselves in positions outside of their comfort zone, but they learnt some time ago, exactly how to manage their behavior and overcome their negative emotions and even eliminate them completely.

Successful people are constantly learning and adapting to methods that empower them. When they find something that works, especially where emotions and feelings are concerned, they repeat the behaviours that bring on those emotions until they become second nature.

If these people can learn how to not feel nervous and anxious in important situations, so can you.

If successful people can learn how to remain relaxed and focused when they get into a winning position in sport - then so can you.

And if successful presenters can learn how to conquer their fear of speaking in front of an audience, present their ideas, and wow the crowd, then so can you.

And if these people have learned how to overcome their frustrations and inabilities to achieve their highest goals in life, so can you.

If you're truly serious about overcoming your inhibitions, and can set aside 10 to 15 minutes each day (or every other day will do), you can learn some very simple NLP techniques that will show you exactly how to take control of your life. You can learn how to turn negative and dysfunctional emotions into positive and empowering behaviour patterns that will take you ever closer to your goals.

NLP - or Neuro Linguistic Programming - in its simplest form is basically a method to help you control your thoughts and reactions in any given situation. When you experience negative emotions, like fear or nerves or anxiety, you are reacting negatively to that situation. NLP provides a mechanism that shows you how to take those negative reactions, and turn them round into positive and functional reactions that will start to empower you.

To help you get started, there are two very simple exercises that you can start practising right away:

1. First of all, you need to start to take notice (or become aware) of the things that are causing you to feel bad. If a particular situation of place causes you to feel nervous or anxious, simply make a note of it. The best plan is to carry a little notebook around with you so that you can take notes whenever you feel this way.

In order to start tearing down the barriers that are standing in your way, you need to know exactly what those barriers are.

2. Secondly, you need to create 2 lists. One list of exactly how you would like to feel for most of your day. Happy, excited, energised, adventurous.. Your other list should be all the negative and dysfunctional emotions and feelings you want to eliminate from your life.

Take you time to do step two thoroughly - the more detailed your list, the better you will be able to focus in on those areas, and create a personal development plan that supports your goals.