Prior to 2016 I never read a personal development book, attended a seminar or tried things like meditation. Honestly, I thought it was all kind of hokey and felt like I was more than enough already. Well, I'm happy to say I was 100% wrong.
It wasn't until I attended a one-day event in 2016 where I began to see the power of personal development. It hit me when I was a low point in life. I was tired of my routine, tired of my career, and feeling extremely unfulfilled.
What's transpired since then has been something I never could have imagined from one single day with a few thousand strangers at a seminar. Here are five ways personal development has positively changed my life.
1. Model Successful People
As the legendary Tony Robbins said, “Success leaves clues.” At the beginning of his career, over 40 years ago, Tony Robbins learned to model the habits of successful people. He realized to get a result, he talked to people who had been where he was and where he wanted to go. And it worked in all areas of life - fitness, business, relationships, and spirituality.
Until learning this, I'd been doing it all wrong. I was always trying to find a unique way to lose weight or make more money. But after learning this lesson I simply found people doing what I wanted or where I want to be and modeled them. Sure, I made it my own but I took the fundamental from them to speed up my success.
There's no need to reinvent the wheel! I started reading their books, hiring them or attending their events. Modeling has helped me speed up results and in turn shave off a lot of the pain and struggles that come with change.
2. Learn Like Your Life Depended on It
Personal development content made me realize the most successful people in the world are always learning. Usually, the more successful people are learning the most. Warren Buffett is my favorite example. Despite being worth 80+ billion and being nearly 90 years old, he still reads five or more hours per day.
I've taken this approach and made a conscious effort to learn something new every day. Each day I try and read a new book or article, listen to a podcast or watch an educational video on Youtube. It's easy to forget that learning is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
3. The Mornings Make or Break Your Day
As Robin Sharma said, "If you win the morning, you win the day." Prior to diving into all this personal development content, I had zero morning routine. While I woke up relatively early compared to most, I instantly started using social media, checking email, and starting the day off reactive.
Then I learned this is the worst way to start the day. Instead, I started a set of morning rituals that have changed my life. I adopted things like journaling, meditation, and affirmations to start the day positive and inspired. Instead of consuming I focus on creating and getting centered before heading out in the world.
I can honestly say this habit has changed my life more than anything else on this list. Morning routines allow time for reading, exercise, mindfulness and so much more.
4. The Best Investment is Always An Investment In Yourself
As Warren Buffett said, “The best investment you can make is in yourself.” My previous background was in finance so I always looked at things based on the return of investment. But if someone as legendary as Warren Buffett was saying the stock market wasn't his greatest investment I started rethinking it.
After learning more about Warren, he has said his best investment was a public speaking course from Dale Carnegie early on his career. Warren was terrified of public speaking but knew he needed the skill to sell to his investors. He's said that without this investment in himself he wouldn't have become the incredibly successful investor he is today.
So I started doing the same. Instead of pouring money into stock and bonds I pulled back and started investing in myself. From coaches, masterminds, and continued education. While you can't always see instant or a measurable ROI, I'm confident they are paying off and will continue to pay off for a long time!
5. Guard Your Inner Circle Closely
Prior to diving into this content, I never heard common sayings like "You are the five people you surround yourself with" or "Your network is your net worth." But it's 100% true.
After consuming all this content I realized I was hanging out with some losers and extremely toxic individuals. It wasn't until I was conscious of my choices of surrounding myself with certain people until I realized how much happier I was without them in my life.
While it wasn't easy separating from some people, it was necessary. Plus, this gave me more time to find and attract people with like-minded ambitions. These individuals have helped me stay accountable to my goals and level up in every area of my life.
Use these four personal development lessons to take your life to the next level. Your goals are closer than you realize.
Study successful people and copy their habits to create success in your own life. And always remember, you are the best investment. Don’t skimp on your own development!
