You’ve seen the books in the store, heard people talk about it, caught a motivational speech on TV. If you are anything like I was, you rolled your eyes. I used to think, “sorry, dude, but life’s problems aren’t going to be solved by my simply reading your book.” Then I became a Beachbody Coach. One of the three vital behaviors of our company is personal development. To be a coach, you have to commit to 10-15 minutes per day of reading or watching personal development. I’m going to explain to you why this has changed my life.
First, let me back up. Maybe you have no CLUE what I’m talking about. Personal development media is designed and developed to teach you how to set goals, how to achieve dreams, how to talk to yourself, how to become a better human being, how to be a better leader, etc. You may have heard of Brian Tracy, John C. Maxwell, or Chalene Johnson - they are all authors of some amazing personal development books.
Now, if you are the cynic that I was, you will understand when I say “PUHHHH-LEEEEASSSEE!” Seriously. How the hell is reading a book by a millionaire going to help me, the working-family woman who has a mortgage and a slightly above average income. What a waste of time, right?! I mean I’m all about dreams and goals but reading how someone else achieved theirs has absolutely nothing to do with how I’m going to achieve mine. They don’t know the struggles I face. They don’t live my life. They can’t HELP me. Right!!? Well… WRONG!
Personal development stimulates you to THINK. You’re encouraged to lay out a plan of your own, not follow the exact footsteps of someone else. You’re reminded that your goals have been achieved by others before in a way that encourages you to KNOW that you can achieve them too. You are taught ways to lay out your goals and develop plans that are easy to follow but are on YOUR terms. You are taught how to lead, how to grow. Personal development books guide you to see your flaws and then push you to step away from those flaws. They teach you that you have to surround yourself with greatness in order to become great. They teach compassion and understanding. Personal development books show you how to be your best self.
But there’s more than just what they teach you. It’s that fire that begins to burn in your heart and mind when you’re caught up in them. It might start as a tiny little flame, but that flame melted away my cynicism! When you are reading a book about becoming a better your, it radiates. To use my coaching business as an example, in the month of October, I hardly read. I was busy getting accustomed to my first job as a nurse and I was overwhelmed. The books fell off my to-do list. I had an awful business month in October. I helped no one. You might say, oh well you were busy, Christina, of course you had an off month. What I say is this.. November and December were 10 times busier and 10 times more successful. The ONLY difference? I was reading every day without exception.
If you are a cynic, this my sound like a crock of.. you know. But I am TELLING you HONESTLY that personal development will open your eyes to a side of yourself that you didn’t know existed! You will be amazed at the improvement you see in your relationships with yourself and those around you, the way you see the world, and the drive you have to make your dreams come true.
If you do ONE thing today, spend $10 on a book that is going to make you better. Turn off the TV for 15 minutes each day and read. I’ll even tell you where to start. Darren Hardy wrote a book called The Compound Effect. Get it now and read it. Your eyes will be opened. It’s not preachy or salesy. It is about how SMALL actions compound into BIG results - and it’s up to you decide if you’ll make those results positive or negative.
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