Ben franklin autobiography and self improvement

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TEMPERANCE.
Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2. His record contained a matrix as follows:

And so it continued.

If leadership is to have meaning over time, to be sustainable, it requires continuous attention and effort. When a Quaker friend criticizes Franklin for his “Pride,” Franklin recognizes the need to practice “Humility” (87). Try Dr. Franklin’s method and see how you might incrementally improve yourself today.

Franklin’s Famous Chart

In his twenties he set out to improve himself in a  measurable, accountable manner.

INDUSTRY.
Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. One might well say that self-improvement is part of our national DNA. It is a recurring strand of  practical idealism that makes us unique, renders us one.

In the article that follows, Daniel R Murphy distills the essence of the Franklin method. —JMS

Benjamin Franklin, Father of  the American Self-Improvement Ethic

Between 1771 and 1783 Benjamin Franklin wrote his Autobiography.

Franklin’s dedication to mastering his list of 13 virtues illustrates his belief that self-improvement must be approached in a strict and systematic way. His life’s work can be seen as an ever expanding act of leadership and service, built upon his own project of self-improvement, reaching ever greater numbers of others.

He implemented them on a weekly basis. It contains a great deal that you would profit from and is only about 175 pages long. FRUGALITY.
Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

6. Then make a list and decide to focus upon one such item of improvement each week or month. Each morning focus upon what you plan to change and resolve to do so.

You will also find more success in this effort if you carry your little notebook about with you and refer to it often during the day, both to remind yourself about what you seek to improve upon, and to make sure you do not forget to record your success or failure.

You will find, as did Franklin, that while you will not likely achieve perfection, you will change yourself in ways that will amaze you and will pay off handsomely in your future success.

Try Benjamin Franklin’s method of change and improvement.

He first ascertained the qualities that he found most important to cultivate: Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity and Humility. Through repeated self-discipline and efforts such as these to modify his own habits and behavior he became a man of great understanding.

He became known for being a good listener, rarely one to offer his own opinion and a man who everyone liked and admired.

By making these changes to himself Franklin became wealthy, retiring in his early 40s, and then went on to become an internationally celebrated scientist, statesman and inventor.

You Too Can Use Franklin’s Method

You too can use Franklin’s method of reflection upon your own conduct and habits and efforts to modify them.

First decide what you would like to strive to change about yourself.

CLEANLINESS.
Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.

11. From his humble beginnings as a printer he became an icon of that century.

His virutes he worked on were as follows:
1. It was in fact a collection of Yankee wisdom accumulated for decades.

Perhaps the most interesting and potentially useful part of Franklin’s autobiography is his description of his self-improvement project.

His Poor Richard’s Almanac series included many stories and bits of advice for the common man.