Wanting to become an outstanding person does not guarantee success. In fact, having the motivation and desire to become outstanding does not guarantee you anything. Sounds a little pessimistic? Read on, as I explain what will make you an outstanding person, in twelve weeks time.

Let me begin by telling you what I consider to be outstanding. It is not a measure of success, wealth or popularity among your peers. Outstanding is a measure of a person’s character. Character can be both good and bad, but everyone knows just how to achieve the former so we will explore the latter in more detail.

Virtue as defined by Wikipedia ^[1]:

Virtue is moral excellence of a person. A virtue is a character trait valued as being good. It is “habitual excellence”. It is something practiced at all times. The virtue of perseverance is needed for all and any virtue since it is a habit of character and must be used continuously in order for any person to maintain oneself in virtue.

Now we are clear that virtue is the core of your personal development to become an outstanding person and provides the foundation for your success. Benjamin Franklin created an excellent easy to follow system for achieving the moral standard that you set for yourself. But first, here are his twelve virtues.

Benjamin Franklin’s Twelve Virtues

1. Temperance . Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. Industry. Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
11. Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

Benjamin Franklin’s system was based on the principle of replacing old-bad habits with new-good habits. The key word being habits. When motivation and desire fade away or take a leave of absence our habits automate us in a preprogrammed direction. The question is are you programmed for success or failure? Allow me to steer you in the right direction.

This is my excel replica of Benjamin Franklin’s journal page as per his autobiography ^[2], which I previously mentioned in my money management ^[3] article.

So here’s the system. In your journal mark up twelve pages with one virtue heading each page. Each week you concentrate on following one virtue, while allowing the rest to take their natural course. Record all the times you stray from a virtue, for each virtue, on a daily basis. The idea is that if you can stick to a virtue for one week you will have forged a habit and it will be your virtue to keep. Follow up each consecutive week with a new virtue until you go through the list. If at the end you feel a little shaky about having committed all these virtues to habit than repeat the entire list, it’s worth it.

Remember, the only way to get any use out of this guide is if you start, now ^[4].This post is the beginning of a series of self improvement exercises. Below is a list that I will be updating weekly until the self improvement exercises are complete. You can think of it as gaining domestic discipline and branching out into the world.

Becoming Outstanding Series

• How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks ^[5]

• Week 01 – Temperance ^[6]

• Week 02 – Silence ^[7]

• Week 03 – Order ^[8]

• Week 04 – Resolution ^[9]

• Week 05 – Frugality ^[10]

• Week 06 – Industry ^[11]

• Week 07 – Sincerity ^[12]

• Week 08 – Justice ^[13]

• Week 09 – Moderation ^[14]

• Week 10 – Cleanliness ^[15]

• Week 11 – Tranquility ^[16]

• Week 12 – Chastity ^[17]

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