Personal Development Unplugged

A Respectful Look at the Views of Others A Five-Minute Quickie from the Personal Development Unplugged Podcast Ever wondered how someone can hold a belief so different from yours — even the total opposite — and still be right? Well, in this five-minute (ish!) ramble, we explore one of NLP’s most important presuppositions: respect for another person’s model of the world. We all build our own "maps" of reality based on our experiences. But what happens when we genuinely listen to someone else's? Can we learn from it? Can it balance, challenge, or even evolve our own beliefs? In this episode: Why no one’s map is 100% the territory How curiosity leads to harmony (and less conflict) And why active listening could be your secret growth tool Take a moment, a breath, a coffee — and muse with me. Test everything. Respect difference. Be curious. Want the full experience? Subscribe, follow, and share the hell out of this with someone open-minded like you! https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-506-a-respectful-

#454 Mental Wellbeing – Tools and Strategies Part 1 Two simple tools that could change everything. We’ve all been through tough times — sadness, anxiety, OCD, loss of confidence, grief, loneliness… and it’s all “stuff” that affects your mental wellbeing. But here’s the thing: most of that big stuff? It started small. In this episode of the Personal Development Unplugged podcast, I (Cloughie) guide you through two powerful, yet beautifully simple mental wellbeing tools. These aren’t fluffy techniques – they’re real strategies that help you: Acknowledge and neutralise uncomfortable emotions (instead of pushing them down) Interrupt anxious thoughts and looping inner dialogue Get clarity, create strategies, and take back control Transform worry into personal power and positive action We do the work together. Right here. Right now. These are practical NLP-based tools you can use any time life throws you a curveball – no fluff, just real results.

My Favourite Podcasts Hey! Just sharing some podcasts I really love. I think they’re pretty popular, but if you haven’t checked them out, give them a listen. Modern Wisdom (Chris Williamson):** Super thoughtful, articulate guy. Most guests resonate with me. Chase Jarvis Live:** Creative chats with honest, talented people. *School of Greatness (Lewis Howes):** From athlete to business guy, really grounded and inspiring. Mark Devine Show:** Navy SEAL turned spiritual explorer—really cool to see that side of things. Making Sense (Sam Harris):** Deep, sometimes complex, but worth it. Jordan Peterson:** Thoughtful and deep—might need a dictionary at times! Jordan Harbinger:** Down-to-earth, real conversations. Think Fast, Talk Smart:** Tips on how to communicate better. Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast:** Hilarious, honest, with some swearing. Joe Rogan:** Wide range of guests, super popular. Ass-Breaking Motivation:** Gets you fired up—some shouty, some inspiring. Would love to hear your favorites too! Send m

Kindness: The Next Superpower Hey my friend—kindness… a superpower? Really? In this longer, deeper episode of the Personal Development Unplugged Podcast, Cloughie explores why kindness is one of the most underrated forces for change—inside and out. In a world that feels increasingly self-centred, reactive, and short-tempered, a simple act of kindness can disrupt the noise and spark real transformation. This is part personal confession (yes, Cloughie admits to being “a bit of a dick”), part gentle wake-up call, and 100% full of practical reflections to help you become more self-assured and more connected to those around you. What you’ll discover: Why kindness isn’t weakness—it’s proof of deep inner strength The surprising return on investment of a small act of kindness How to shift from frustration to compassion (even in traffic!) Why you sometimes forget your own kindness—and how to bring it back to mind A reminder to start by being kind to yourself, because that’s where it all begins How kindness

“I’m Stupid — I Don’t Understand / They’re Stupid — They Don’t Understand Me” Another Five-Minute Quickie for those deeper musings… Ever thought “they just don’t get me” or “I must be thick because I don’t get them”? Here’s a fresh lens: The meaning of your communication is the response you get — a golden presupposition of NLP. In this episode, we dive into: Why it’s your responsibility to be understood How feeling misunderstood (or stupid) is a communication challenge, not a personal flaw Simple ways to change the way you speak so your message lands A mindset shift to stop blaming others (or yourself) when communication fails The power of reflection and “musing over a G&T” to grow your emotional intelligence If you’ve ever felt unheard or misjudged, this episode is your 10-minute reframe. Press play. Muse. Learn. Share. Subscribe, follow, and most of all — share this with someone who needs it. Let’s spread better communication, understanding, and kindness, one listen at a time. Shine Brightly

The Key To Unlocking Your Potential What if everything you want is already within you—just waiting for permission to emerge? In this unplugged deep dive, I share the true, no-fluff key to unlocking your potential… and it’s not just motivational fluff or clickbait—it’s practical, doable, and wildly empowering. You'll explore: What potential really is (and the Latin origin may surprise you) Why you’re not living up to it (yet) How to smash that invisible box of limiting beliefs A simple 10-minute imagination exercise that can change everything How to prime your unconscious mind for success The tiny, powerful decision that turns dreaming into doing No guru-speak. No hype. Just honest tools to unlock your inner power and go further than you thought possible. Because your potential isn’t fixed. It’s only limited by one thing… and it’s time to break that. "You choose to empower yourself. I’ll give you the key—you turn it." — Cloughie Listen now and take the first step toward your true, limitless self

How to Know If You or Someone Else Has Changed Have You Really Changed? In this five-minute muse, we dive into one of the simplest ways to know if you've truly changed… and most of us miss it. You’ll explore the power of behaviour as the only real measure of change — and why we often forget the progress we’ve made. It's time to reflect, reset, and maybe even celebrate the changes you didn’t know you'd already made. Let’s pause, ponder, and grow — one convenient assumption at a time. And then share what you learn https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-503-how-to-know-if-you-or-someone-else-has-changed Oh and to see me recording this click here Shine Brightly

The REAL Path to Self-Confidence: Why There's No "Blueprint" But Steps to Self-Assurity That Actually Work What This Episode Is Really About Let's get one thing straight right off the bat - there's no such thing as a confidence blueprint. If someone's selling you that, it's clickbait, pure and simple. But here's what I can give you: a real, honest look at self-assurity and how to build it from the ground up. You see, I've been where you are. I remember being at the peak of my confidence in my career - I couldn't do anything wrong, just knew I had it all figured out. Until I didn't. Something unexpected happened, boom, that confidence bloody went. Completely went. So where did it go? Well, stick around because I'll tell you about that. Self-Assurity vs The Confidence Myth Here's the thing about self-assurity - it's different from confidence. Self-assurance is being confident in the things you say and do because you're sure of your abilities. I love this little saying: being confident in your competence. Your c

I'm Weird - What About You I'm 'Special' and Very Wierd and very proud about it too - Are you? This 5-minute quickie is from the video I recently put out on my very random newsletter in which I ask, encourage you to show your Specialness, your Weidness and make this little old planet Earth a nicer place to live. Please listen and share: https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-502-im-weird-what-about-you/ And you can get the video here: https://youtu.be/A526GBETRcU Shine Brightly

Loneliness and My Plan To Conquer It The Revolutionary Solution to Loneliness That Actually Works Feeling isolated? Struggling with loneliness? You're not alone. In this powerful episode, Paul Clough reveals his breakthrough plan to conquer loneliness once and for all – and it's not what you think. Why This Episode Matters: Loneliness has become an epidemic affecting millions worldwide. Whether you're personally struggling with isolation, know someone who is, or simply want to future-proof yourself against loneliness, this episode is essential listening. Paul's unique approach offers real hope and practical solutions that work – because everyone deserves meaningful connection. What You'll Discover: The Counterintuitive Approach: Why creating a plan for someone ELSE might be the key to solving your own loneliness crisis The Small Steps Strategy: How tiny actions like visiting coffee shops without your phone can transform your social life The Ikigai Framework: Paul's proven daily/weekly/monthly system that keep

What You Didn't Know Back Then   Here is a little something I like to use with my clients, and it seems to give them an understanding as to why we sometimes hold ourselves back from moving forward. Please come with me and get a clearer understanding of how we can utilise this to move forward through difficult times. I know this is a bit ambiguous, but everything will become clear in the next 5 minutes, and you can join me in creating a better you. Please share this episode and let others become clearer too: https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-501-what-you-didnt-know-back-then And a video of the recording is here to: https://youtu.be/nVUZtY6XyMA Shine Brightly

How to Achieve Your Dream Outcome - The Complete Blueprint Episode Overview In this transformative episode, Paul CLoughie delivers on his promise from episode #445, revealing the exact methodology for turning your biggest dreams into reality. This isn't another generic goal-setting session—it's a deep dive into the psychological architecture of achievement, complete with a powerful guided hypnosis session to embed these principles into your subconscious mind. Episode Length: Approximately 25 minutes Key Focus: Dream achievement, goal manifestation, subconscious programming What You'll Discover The Specificity Principle Why vague dreams produce vague results (and how to avoid this trap) The danger of saying "I want more money" vs. creating specific financial targets How to transform general aspirations into laser-focused outcomes The Wish Fulfilled Methodology See It: Visualizing your achieved dream with crystal clarity Hear It: Programming the sounds of success into your mind Feel It: Embodying the emotio

How To Change Quickly Do you want to change the way you feel or act? Let's see if we can find a way to change either of those quickly. I feel we forget to notice how it is now and how you would like it to be. It ends to be one or the other but not both. So, in five minutes or so, let me share my thoughts and share a 'how to'. And it all comes from thinking in a particular way and asking a question. What's that way of thinking and that question? Well, you'll have to press play. Please share what you learn so others get the benefit too https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-500-how-to-change-quickly/ Shine Brightly

A Journey to Better Behaviours: Rewire Your Reactions for Good Ever catch yourself snapping at someone and thinking, “Where the hell did that come from?” You’re not alone. In this episode of Personal Development Unplugged, I’m getting honest about my own struggles with automatic reactions—and how I turned them around. This isn’t just about stopping bad habits. It’s about understanding the intention behind those knee-jerk behaviours and learning how to respond with calm, curiosity, and confidence. What you’ll learn in this episode: How to recognise the unconscious triggers behind emotional outbursts Why your unconscious mind isn’t the enemy—it’s actually trying to protect you (even if it’s doing a rubbish job) A simple yet powerful way to thank those old patterns—and let them go How to build new beliefs and emotional habits that support the real you Practical steps to respond with intention instead of reaction And a process to boot to follow along with If you want to feel more in control, improve y

Keeping On Target To Success   Following on from the last FMQ musing about constant and never-ending improvement, I ask the question  How Do You Know? Do you actually have a plan? Do we measure from where we were to where we are now, and how much further have we got to go? And how often do we need to check on our progress? Let's answer these questions and a couple more in this 5-minute muse.  Come with me and press play Then share what you've learned https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-499-keeping-on-target-to-success Shine Brightly

Embracing Life: What If Today Was Your First or Last Day? In this episode of Personal Development Unplugged, we dig into two simple but powerful questions: What if today were your last day? What if it were your first? This is an extract from a live Q&A call I did for my son's (Joseph Clough) Mind Mastery group, and invite you to reflect, respond, and explore what really matters in your life. It’s not heavy or dark—it’s a spark. A chance to wake up to what you’re doing with your time and how you want to live going forward. What you’ll discover in this episode: The power of writing letters of love and gratitude—and who they need to be sent to. How small acts of kindness help shape the legacy you’re already leaving behind. Why waiting for “someday” is a trap—and how to flip into action now. How to live with intention and awareness, instead of drifting on autopilot. A simple, powerful way to visualise your best self—and take the first steps to becoming them. You’ll hear honest conversation, real m

Can I Really Get Better Every Day? CANI Constant and Neverending Improvement - Is that really a thing? Can you continue to improve by 1% a day? Is all that possible or just Personal Development hype? Well, let's see. Come with me for about 5 minutes and let's muse and see what we think. After that, please share this episode and your thoughts https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-498-can-i-really-get-better-every-day Oh! And the video of me recording this is here: https://youtu.be/cPNHyDEOE9E Shine Brightly

Did I Do Enough? A Deep Dive into Daily Reflection Ever catch yourself at the end of the day wondering, "Did I do enough?" Here's the thing - having the courage to answer that question honestly is where real growth begins. In this episode, I'm getting vulnerable about my own journey with this question. Some days I'm flying high, crushing goals and feeling unstoppable. Other days? Well, let's just say they feel like I'm moving through quicksand. Sound familiar? The beautiful truth is this: you are more than what you think you are, even on those challenging days. But here's what I've discovered - the difference between those breakthrough days and the struggle days often comes down to one simple thing: intention. When I set my intentions the night before, something magical happens. I wake up with clarity instead of confusion, purpose instead of procrastination. It's like giving your mind a roadmap before it even opens its eyes. What you'll discover in this episode: The simple ritual that transforms scattered day

If This Was The 1st or Last Day of your life? There's a question people often raise If this were the last day of your life, what would you do? or If this were the first day of your life, what would you do? I'd like you to think of the answer in a different way we usually would answer these two questions, which I think will make a difference to every day of your life. Have a listen and then share: https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-497-if-this-was-the-1st-or-last-day Shine Brightly

IGNITE YOUR DREAM: THE JOURNEY TO REALIZATION Hey there, dream-chasers and life-lovers! Welcome back to another raw and real episode of Personal Development Unplugged. Ever had that dream sitting in your gut that feels like it might just burn you up from the inside if you don't pursue it? That vision that keeps you awake at night, whispering "what if..." even when every logical voice around you is shouting "impossible"? Today, I'm ripping open my own journey – the messy, beautiful adventure of chasing down a dream that completely revolutionized not just my career, but who I am at my core. THE DREAM THAT WOULDN'T DIE Let me take you back to when I was standing at that crossroads we all face – playing it safe or diving into the unknown. My passion for NLP and hypnosis was like this persistent itch I couldn't scratch. Society told me to find something "sensible," something "realistic." But as we talked about in our last mastermind session – your soul doesn't speak the language of sensible. It speaks in goosebump