Are You Working on the Most Important Thing?

Yes – are you working on the most important thing in your life? 

Many people think they are.  They are working on their business, their family, their goals, etc.  These are all important, but really, what is the most important thing? 

It’s you, yes, you!

When I look back on the past year, I realize that I have done so much to improve myself.  We sometimes take for granted all the things we have done to develop ourselves and make us better in different ways.  Life is a journey and that means doing and experiencing more to make you a better person.

So when I look back on 2016, these are the things I have done to make myself a better person and I highly recommend them for you as well:

1.  Attend personal development events. 

You get better by learning from those that have walked the walk.  It doesn’t matter if it is about life, relationships, or business, getting advice, guidance and training from experts will definitely go a long way to making you more capable of dealing with life. 

Just this last weekend, I spent time learning about changing my life goals and attitude in Puerto Rico at our leadership retreat. This was money well spent, because I was trained by Tony Jeary, the Results Guy, who has coached some of the top people and companies in the world, to have better results.  His insight was simply amazing and he is one person who has walked the walk – been successful, lost it, regained it, and is now extremely sought after.

“Become addicted to constant and never-ending self improvement.” –  Anthony J. D’Angelo

2.  Attend business training conferences and events. 

If you are going to be better at what you do, whether it is business or some type of profession, you have to keep honing your skills.  And that means getting more training.  I spend a lot of time some time at a business training events to help me reach the next level.  Getting advice, information and new tools from those that are successful is never wasted time or money.  In fact this year, my business and income grew more than I expected even while working less hours. 

At one event, I learned from Tony Robbins, Sir Richard Branson, Eric Worre, Tom Chenault, Mel Robbins, and John Addison, just to name a few, who provided me with what I need to be successful in my business.

“The goal of education is understanding; the goal of training is performance.” – Frank Bell

3.  Read.

How many books on self-improvement do you read in a year or even in your lifetime?  My goal is to read a new self-improvement book every month.  That is not a lot but at least it is a goal.  And it is not hard to do.  My shelves are full of books that I have devoured over my lifetime.  And do you know, it was never wasted time. 

I always learned something that would help me in life.  So spend time reading rather than watching the “Boob Tube”.  Every night read at least 10 pages from a book and you will read a minimum of a book a month.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” – Sir Richard Steele

4.  Listen. 

We spend a lot of time driving, waiting, walking, running etc, where we cannot be reading to improve our lives.  So what is the alternative?  Listen to audio CDs, audio books or podcasts. What this does is allow you to maximize your time.  It also helps you to stay current, motivated, and knowledgeable. 

“Listen once in a while.  It is amazing what you can hear.”  – Russell Baker

5.  Talk with your mentor and your coach on a regular basis. 

First of all, do you have a mentor and a coach?  If not, then find them.  You need to have both a mentor and coach to make you better, because they are different.  Do you know the difference of the two?  One focuses on the longer, strategic term and your progress,  while the other one focuses on the shorter, tactical term and is task orientated. Both of them are going to help you improve and do what you need to do.

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” – John C. Crosby

6.  Think.

You need to spend time just thinking.  It is the most important thing you can do.  Many people are too busy every day to sit down and actually think.  They are reactive rather than proactive.  Successful people take the time to think – strategically and tactically. Regular thinking can give you clarity, focus, ideas, and actions.  So schedule time in your day to just ‘think’!

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it.”  – Henry Ford

So you are the most important thing.

If you do not work on yourself then no one else will. Strive to grow on a daily, monthly and yearly basis. Put it in your calendar. Have a personal development budget.  Tony Jeary suggests that if you make a 100k income in your business, then 25k in personal growth and training is an absolutely worthwhile investment, and it will give you even greater gains in the future.  

Working on your self is time well spent. It is an investment in ‘you’.  So commit today to making a difference in you, the most important thing in your life!

“Never stop investing, Never stop improving.  Never stop doing something new.”  – Bob Parsons