GE1706

Personal Development

I. Personal Hygiene
• It is the action, habit, or practice of keeping oneself clean.
• It is the principle of maintaining cleanliness and grooming of the external body.
• It is the science, practice, maintenance, and preservation of health and well-being through
cleanliness.

Basic Personal Hygiene Habits

1. Washing the body regularly
It is recommended that a person should take a shower or a bath every day to reduce your
perspiration odor. If the situation prohibits a person from having a regular bath, s/he could clean the
body with a wet sponge or cloth.
2. Brushing the teeth at least once a day
Brushing the teeth helps to prevent plaque, tooth decay, gingivitis, etc. It will also help you to have
a great looking smile, and keep your gums healthy. Save yourself some money by only using a pea-
sized amount of toothpaste when you brush.
3. Washing your hands
Wash your hands after going to the toilet, before preparing food, and before eating to stop the
germs, which can cause diseases such as diarrhea, worms, and epidermophytosis, from entering
our body.
4. Trim your fingernails
The nails should be trimmed weekly. Fingernails need to be trimmed straight rounded at the top
while toenails need to be trimmed straight across. It is good time to cut and trim your nails after
having bath when your skin and nails are soft and easy to trim.
5. Changing into clean clothes
Dirty clothes should be washed with laundry soap before wearing them again. Re-wearing dirty
clothes many times or sharing dirty, sweaty sports equipment can lead to body odor and skin
infections.
6. Turning away from people or covering the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
This should be done to prevent droplets of liquid containing germs from nose and mouth from
spreading.

Add Notes Here:

II. Grit and Motivation

A. Grit
• Grit is the firmness of mind or spirit; the unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger.
• Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is
sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years,
and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint
(Duckman, 2013).

Five (5) Characteristics of Grit (Perlis, 2013)

1. Courage – helps fuel grit; the two (2) are symbiotic. Courage is like a muscle that needs to be
exercised daily to grow and if not, it will shrink. A person who lacks courage might not venture
risky tasks as s/he is afraid of failure. But, a gritty person is not afraid to fail and embraces it as
part of the process.

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2. Conscientiousness – a conscientious person has a feeling of moral responsibility to do his/her

work carefully and to be fair to others. Individuals with a high level of conscientiousness are
good at formulating long-range goals, organizing and planning routes to these goals, and
working consistently to achieve them.
3. Long-term goals and endurance – according to Duckworth (2007) as cited by Perlis (2013),
“…achievement is the product of talent and effort, the latter a function of the intensity, direction,
and duration of one’s exertions towards a long-term goal.” Gladwell’s rule states that a person
needs at least 20 hours a week over 10 years of “deliberate practice” or 10,000 hours to master
a skill. However, long-term goals provide context and framework to find the meaning and value
of a person’s long-time efforts, which helps cultivate grit.
4. Resilience – refers to the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy,
threats or significant sources of stress. It means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences.
John Lennon once said, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”
5. Excellence vs. Perfection – gritty people strive for excellence and not for perfection. “Excellence
is an attitude, not a skill” according to Ralph Marston. It is far more forgiving, allowing, and
embracing failure and vulnerability on the ongoing quest for improvement. On the other hand,
perfection is pedantic, binary, unforgiving and inflexible. There are times when “perfection” is
needed, like in diving or gymnastics. But in general, perfection is someone else’s perception of
an ideal, and pursuing it is like chasing a hallucination.

B. Motivation
• Motivation is the enthusiasm for doing something; it is the need or reason for doing something.

Three (3) Hidden Motivation Killers (Best, 2017)

1. Lacking purpose - find meaning in what you are doing. If you don’t care about it, you will not be
motivated.
2. Setting unrealistic targets - setting impossibly high goals and failing to reach them will make
you want to give up, fast. Instead, set achievable targets and enjoy the satisfaction of achieving
many small goals – they’ll soon add up.
3. Trying to please everyone - it’s impossible to make everyone happy all the time. Focus on your
purpose, and do what you think is right – don’t try to change yourself to appeal to others.

How to Stay Motivated Even Though You Can't See Yourself Moving Forward (Hill, 2017)
1. Always celebrate small wins, no matter how small they are.
A study made by Amabile and Kramer regarding the impact of acknowledging small victories
on long-term and sustained success found out that tracking and recognizing efforts of small,
daily achievements enhanced workers’ motivation, increased positive emotions and favorable
perceptions of the organization, of their work, and their colleagues.
2. Track your progress, and review every milestone.
Keeping track of our progress allows us to see what you have achieved over time. Second, it
allows to you pinpoint what works well and what doesn’t. It is also a great way to find and lessen
triggers and hindrances that slows down your progress.
3. Stop punishing yourself for slip-ups and small failures.
We should view failure as a part of the process of achieving something great. Instead of fixating
on your failures, learn from them and hone in on your successes. Learn to forgive yourself, pick
yourself up, and keep moving forward.

III. Respecting Others

A. Respect
• It refers to an admiration for someone or something that you believe has good ideas or qualities.
• It is the polite attitude shown toward someone or something that you consider important.
B. How to treat others with respect
1. Don't insult people or make fun of them.
2. Listen to others when they speak.
3. Value other people's opinions.
4. Be considerate of people's likes and dislikes.

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5. Don't mock or tease people.

6. Don't talk about people behind their backs.
7. Be sensitive to other people's feelings.
8. Don't pressure someone to do something s/he doesn't want to do.

IV. Social Etiquette

A. Etiquette
• It is the customs or rules governing behavior regarded as correct or acceptable in social or official
life.
B. Basic Social Etiquette Rules (Mayne, 2017)
1. Always be on time for dates and get-togethers. Showing up late is rude and shows a lack of
respect for other people’s time.
2. Make eye contact when you are in a conversation with someone. Avoid looking over the other
person’s shoulder unless you see potential danger.
3. Never interrupt the other person.
4. Give and receive compliments graciously.
5. Refuse to gossip with and about friends. After all, if you share gossip with someone, that person
will wonder what you are saying behind his/her back.
6. Hold doors for anyone who seems to be struggling, including physically challenged people and
parents with young children.
7. When you are invited to a party, don’t show up empty-handed. Bring a host or hostess gift and
something to share.
8. If you are sick and contagious, let the other person know. It is generally best to postpone your
plans and reschedule after you are feeling better since it is rude to knowingly expose your friends
to illness.
9. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze.
10. Pay your share when you are with a friend or group. If you stiff your friends, they may not invite
you again. This includes tipping.

C. Filipino Etiquette and Customs

1. Meeting Etiquette
• Initial greetings are formal and follow a set protocol of greeting the eldest or most important
person first.
• A handshake, with a welcoming smile, is the standard greeting.
• Close female friends may hug and kiss when they meet.
• Use academic, professional, or honorific titles and the person's surname until you are invited
to use their first name, or even more frequently, their nickname.
• Food is a huge part of Filipino culture and socialization, so expect business meetings to be
conducted over lunch, afternoon snack known as “merienda”, or dinner. When it comes to
meetings, the one who initiated or invited is usually expected to foot the bill.
• Punctuality is not one of the Filipinos’ strongest suits, and professionals try their best to shake
this notion and make a good impression. However, people you will be meeting with may not
arrive until half an hour after the set time. This may irk you, but still arrive on time yourself.

2. Gift Giving Etiquette

• If you are invited to a Filipino home for dinner, bring sweets or flowers to the hosts.
• If you give flowers, avoid chrysanthemums and white lilies.
• You may send a fruit basket after the event as a thank you but not before or at the event, as it
could be interpreted as meaning you do not think that the host will provide sufficient
hospitality.
• Wrap gifts elegantly as presentation is important. There are no color restrictions as to
wrapping paper.
• Gifts are not opened when received.

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3. Dining Customs & Etiquette

If you are invited to a Filipino’s house:
• Wait to be told where to sit. There may be a seating plan.
• Never refer to your host's wife as the hostess. This has a different meaning in the
Philippines.
• Dress well. Appearances matter and you will be judged on how you dress.
• Compliment the hostess on the house.
• Send a handwritten thank you note to the hosts in the week following the dinner or party.
It shows you have class.
When eating in restaurant in groups:
• Be observant, as being the first to get food may be seen as rude. It is safe to politely decline
or offer the food to others first and then wait until it is offered to you a second time before
getting your portion.
• When a last portion or piece of the dish is left, Filipinos will typically wait for one another
instead of getting it right away, often ending up in leaving it untouched altogether.
• The one who initiated or invited is usually expected to foot the bill.

References:
7 personal hygiene. (2010). Retrieved from
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-enhealth-manual-atsi-cnt-l~ohp-
enhealth-manual-atsi-cnt-l-ch3~ohp-enhealth-manual-atsi-cnt-l-ch3.7.
Best, E. (2017). Why we lose motivation once in a while and how to fix it forever. Retrieved from
https://www.lifehack.org/606271/why-we-lose-motivation-once-in-a-while-and-how-to-fix-it-
forever?ref=category_page_latest_section_post_606271.
Cheprasov, A. (n.d.). Importance of good personal hygiene for health. Retrieved from
https://study.com/academy/lesson/importance-of-good-personal-hygiene-for-health.html
Clothing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hygieneforhealth.org.au/clothing.php.
Conscientious. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/conscientious?q=conscientiousness.
Conscientiousness. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.123test.com/personality-conscientiousness/.
Duckman, A. (2013). Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance/transcri
pt.
Etiquette. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/etiquette.
Grit. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/grit?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld
Guide to the Philippines – etiquette, customs, culture & business. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/guides/guide-philippines-etiquette-customs-culture-business/
Hill, D. (2017). How to stay motivated even though you can't see yourself moving forward. Retrieved from
https://www.lifehack.org/606200/motivation-move-forward?ref=sidebar.
How to treat others with respect. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/RespectingOthers.html
Mayne, D. (2017). What is etiquette and why is it important? Retrieved from https://www.thespruce.com/what-
is-etiquette-and-why-is-it-important-1216650.
Motivation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/motivation.
Perlis, M. (2013). 5 Characteristics of grit -- how many do you have?. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/margaretperlis/2013/10/29/5-characteristics-of-grit-what-it-is-why-you-need-
it-and-do-you-have-it/#4ed530b34f7b
Personal hygiene. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/files/5thGrade.pdf
Personal hygiene. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/personal_hygiene.
Personal hygiene. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hygieneexpert.co.uk/whatispersonalhygiene.html.
Respect. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/respect.
Philippines guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/phillippines-guide.
The road to resilience. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx.

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