success it's a word that echoes in the hearts of millions yet eludes so many why because most people have it all backwards they pour their energy into their job thinking that's the key to a better life but let me tell you something profound something that can change the entire trajectory of your existence learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job now don't get me wrong your job is important it's how you earn a living how you contribute to society but your job is not you it's what you do not who you
are and if you want to do better you need to become think about it if you work on your job you'll make a living but if you work on yourself you can make a fortune not just in terms of money mind you but in terms of life itself in happiness in fulfillment in the sheer Joy of becoming the best version of yourself I remember a young man who came to me years ago he was frustrated working long hours but feeling stuck he said I'm working so hard but I'm not getting ahead what am I doing
wrong I asked him a simple question how many books have you read in the last year he looked at me puzzled and said books I don't have time for books I'm too busy work and there it was the problem laid bare he was so busy working on his job that he had neglected to work on himself he had stopped growing stopped learning stopped evolving and when you stop growing you start dying so challenged him I said for the next year spend as much time working on yourself as you do on your job he looked skeptical
but he agreed to try one year later he came back a changed man his income had doubled but more importantly his life had transformed he was happier more confident More Alive why because he had invested in himself now let me ask you how much time do you spend working on yourself are you reading books that expand your mind are you attending seminars that challenge your thinking are you seeking out mentors who can guide you or are you just going through the motions day in and day out wondering why things never seem to change you see
your income seldom exceeds your personal development oh you might get lucky for a while but without personal growth you'll always fall back to what you're worth that's why lottery winners often end up broke they get the money but they don't have the mindset to keep it they haven't worked on themselves so how do you work on yourself it starts with a decision a decision to make yourself a priority to invest in your own growth and development and it's not just about skills for your job it's about becoming a better human being it's about developing your
mind your character your health your relationships let's break it down first your mind your mind is like a garden you can let it grow wild Full Of Weeds and Thorns or you can cultivate it planting seeds of wisdom and knowledge read books not just any books but books that challenge you that make you think that expand your horizons I'm not talking about light entertainment I'm talking about books that change lives biographies of great men and women books on philosophy on psychology on personal development and don't just read them study them take notes reflect on what
you've read ask yourself how can I apply this in my life remember it's not just about consuming information it's about transforming that information into action next your character your character is your foundation it's what you build your life upon and like any foundation it needs constant reinforcement work on your integrity be a person of your word if you say you're going to do something do it no excuses no rationalization just pure unadulterated follow through work on your attitude attitude is everything it's the lens through which you view the world and here's the amazing thing you
get to choose your attitude you can choose to be positive to be optimistic to see opportunities where others see obstacles it's not about ignoring reality about facing reality with a spirit of possibility I once met a man who had lost everything in a business venture he was broke his reputation in tatters but when I talked to him he smiled and said I haven't lost everything I still have my attitude and that's my most valuable asset within a year he had rebuilt his business and his life why because he worked on his attitude now let's talk
about your health your body is the vehicle through which you experience life if your vehicle is broken down Rusty and out of fuel how far do you think you'll go not very far that's why you need to work on your health with the same intensity you work on your career exercise regularly eat nutritious food get enough sleep these aren't luxuries they're Necessities they're investments in your most important assets yourself and here's the thing when you take care of your body your mind works better you have more energy more clarity more enthusiasm for life I remember
a successful executive who came to one of my seminars he was at the top of his game professionally but he looked terrible overweight out of shape always tired I challenged him to start taking care of his health he resisted at first saying he was too busy but finally he agreed to give it a try 6 months later he came back to another seminar I hardly recognized him he had lost weight gained muscle and had a spring in his step but more than that his business business had grown he told me I used to think I
didn't have time for exercise now I realize I don't have time not to exercise It's Made Me sharper more productive more creative That's The Power of working on yourself it doesn't just improve one area of your life it improves everything now let's talk about relationships no man is an island we're social creatures designed to connect to love to share but how many of us actively work on our relationship we take them for granted assuming they'll always be but relationships like everything else of value require Investments work on your communication skills learn to listen really listen
not just wait for your turn to talk learn to express yourself clearly and kindly learn to resolve conflicts in a way that strengthens relationships rather than destroys them work on your empathy put yourself in other people's shoes try to understand their perspective their feelings their motivations it's easy to judge to criticize to blame it's much harder and much more rewarding to understand and to empathize I once knew a businessman who was brilliant at making deals but terrible but maintain relationships he'd win the contract but lose the client he'd get the promotion but alienate his team
finally he realized that his people's skills were holding him back so he decided to work on himself he read books on emotional intelligence he practiced active listening he learned to control his temper and express appreciation the results were dramatic not only did his business relationships improve but his personal life transform his marriage which had been on the Rocks flourished his children who had been distant Drew closer all because he decided to work on himself now I can almost hear some of you thinking this all sounds great but I don't have the time I'm too busy
with my job my family my responsibilities and to that I say you don't have time not to work on yourself because if you don't you'll always be struggling always be playing catchup Always Be Wondering Why others seem to get ahead while you stay stuck think about it this way if you keep doing what you've always done you'll keep getting what you've always got if you want something different you need to do something different and that starts with you here's a challenge for you for the next 90 days commit to working on yourself for at least
one hour a day one hour that's less than five of your day surely you can invest five of your day in becoming a better version of yourself read for 20 minutes exercise for 20 minutes spend 20 minutes in quiet reflection or meditation that's it do this consistently for 90 days and I promise you your life will change you'll start to see opportunities you never noticed before you'll have more energy more enthusiasm more clarity about what you want and how to get it and here's the beautiful thing as you grow everything around you grows your job
performance improves not because you're working longer hours but because you're working smarter with more focus and creativity your relationships improve because you're bringing a better you to those relationships your sense of fulfillment improves because you're constantly challenging yourself constantly evolving now let me be clear this isn't about becoming selfish or self-absorbed it's about becoming the best version of yourself so that you have more to give to others it's about expanding your capacity to contribute to create value to make a difference in the world remember you can't give what you don't have if you're running on
empty always stressed always overwhelmed what do you have to offer others but when you're full of energy full of ideas full of enthusiasm you become a fountain of value you lift up everyone around you I've seen it happen countless times a person starts working on themselves and suddenly their whole world transforms their career takes off their relationships deepen their sense of purpose clarifies all because they made the decision to invest in themselves now I know what some of you might be thinking but what about formal education what about degrees and certificates and yes those can
be valuable but they're not enough I've met plenty of people with impressive degrees who were stuck in their lives and I've met people with little formal education who were wildly successful and fulfilled the difference the successful ones never stopped learning they never stopped growing they understood that education doesn't end with graduation it's a lifelong process and the most important teacher is you you see traditional education teaches you how to make a living self-education teaches you how to design a life it teaches you how to think not just what to think it empowers you to question
assumptions to challenge the status quo and in today's world that's more important than ever the pace of change is accelerating what was cutting edge yesterday is obsolete today the job market is transforming before our eyes Industries are being disrupted left and right in this environment the ability to learn to adapt to reinvent yourself is not just an advantage it's a necessity so how do you do it how do you work on yourself in a way that truly transforms your life let me share with you some strategies that I've seen work time and time again first
develop a voracious appetite for knowledge become a learning machine read books listen to podcasts watch educational videos but don't just passively consume engage with the material ask questions challenge assumptions apply what you learned to your own life I knew a truck driver who used to listen to educational audio programs while he drove he turned his truck into University on Wheels within a few years he'd started his own logistics company why because he invested in his own growth he worked harder on himself than on his job second seek out mentors and Role Models find people who
are where you wanted to be who have achieved what you want to achieve study them learn from them if possible reach out to them most successful people are happy to share their wisdom if they see you're serious about growth I remember a young entrepreneur who was struggling to get his business off the ground he identified a successful businessman in his field and reached out to him asking for 15 minutes of his time that 15minute meeting turned into a mentorship that lasted years and transformed his business oh because he had the courage to ask and the
humility to learn third Embrace discomfort growth happens outside your comfort zone if you're not feeling challenged if you're not feeling a little uncomfortable you're not growing take on projects that scare you speak up when you'd rather stay silent try things you've never done before I once challenged to shy introverted man to speak at a local community meeting he was terrified his hands shook his voice quavered but he did it and you know what the sky didn't fall the Earth didn't open up and swallow him in fact people appreciated his input that small Act of Courage
was the first step in a journey that led him to become a confident public speaker and leader in his community Fort developed a habit of reflection at the end of each day take a few few minutes to review your day what went well what could you have done better what did you learn this simple practice can accelerate your growth exponentially it turns experience into insight and inside into action F take care of your physical and mental health your body and mind are the instruments through which you experience and interact with the world keep them finally
tuned exercise regularly eat nutritiously get enough sleep practice mindfulness or meditation a healthy body and a clear mind are the foundation for all other forms of growth six cultivate meaningful relationships surround yourself with people who inspire you who challenge you who support your growth minimize your exposure to negative influences remember you are the average of The Five People You spend the most time with choose those five people wisely seven set ambitious goals and pursue them them relentlessly goals give direction to your growth they provide a target for your efforts but don't just set goals develop
a plan to achieve them break them down into smaller manageable steps track your progress celebrate your victories no matter how small I knew a woman who set a goal to run a marathon even though she had never run more than a mile in her life she started with short runs gradually increasing her distance she face setbacks and moments of Doubt but she persisted and 18 months later she crossed that finished line the sense of accomplishment she felt was Indescribable but more than that the person she became in pursuit of that goal was unrecognizable from the
woman who had started the journey eight develop a growth mindset believe in your ability to learn to improve to overcome challenges see failures not as indictments of your worth but as opportunities to learn and grow Embrace challenges as chances to develop your skills and character ninth practice gratitude it might seem counterintuitive but gratitude is a powerful Catalyst for growth when you appreciate what you have you open yourself up to receive more gratitude shifts your focus from what's wrong to what's right from what's missing to what's present it provides the positive energy you you need to
fuel your growth 10th and perhaps most most importantly take action knowledge without action is like having a powerful car but never turning the key all the insights all the goals all the plans in the world mean nothing if you don't act on them so take that first step then the next and the next momentum is a powerful force once you start moving it becomes easier to keep moving now I know what some of you might be thinking this all sounds great but I'm too old to change I'm set in my ways and to that I
sess you're never too old to grow to learn to become better age is not a barrier to personal development in fact with age comes wisdom experience perspective all valuable Assets in your journey of growth I remember meeting an 80-year-old man who had just started learning to play the piano when I asked him why he said because I want to be a better person tomorrow than I am today that that's the attitude of someone who understands the value of working on themselves others might say but I'm already successful in my job why do I need to
work on myself and to that I say because there's always another level always another mountain to climb always another aspect of yourself to improve the moment you think you've arrived that's the moment you start falling behind I've known CEOs of multi-million dollar companies who still read voraciously who still attend seminars who still seek out mentors why because they understand that the Journey of personal growth never ends there's always more to learn more to achieve more to become and here's something else to consider when you work on yourself you're not just improving your own life you're
improving the lives of everyone around you your growth creates a ripple effect as you become better you inspire others to become better as you acheve re more you create more opportunities for others as you expand your capacity to give you enrich your entire Community think about the people in your life your family your friends your colleagues don't they deserve the best version of you don't they deserve someone who's constantly striving to be better to do better to give more by working on yourself you're not just serving yourself you're serving everyone whose life you touch now
let me share with you a powerful Secret The Secret of the seasons you see life is like the changing of the seasons you can't change the seasons but you can change the win but you can adjust your sales you can't change the fact that winter comes but you can prepare for it you can store up for winter in the spring and summer in life winter can come at any time it could be a job loss A Health crisis a personal setback the question is not if winter will come but how prepared will you be when
it does and the only way to prepare is to work on yourself to develop your skills your mind your character your resources I remember a man who lost his job during an economic downturn many of his colleagues were devastated scrambling to make ends meat but this man he thrived why because he'd been working on himself all he developed multiple skills he had built a network of relationships he had saved and invested wisely when winter came he was prepared that's the power of working on yourself it's not just about today it's about preparing for all the
tomorrows that are yet to come now let's talk about something that often holds people back from working on themselves fear fear of failure fear of change fear of the unknown but here's the truth fear is a signpost it points to where you need to go if something scares you it's probably worth doing I once knew a woman who was terrified of public speaking the very thought of standing in front of an audience made her knees weak but she recognized that this fear was holding her back in her career so what did she do she joined
a public speaking Club she practiced she stumbled she felt embarrassed but she kept at it a year later she was giving presentations to hundreds of people she had transformed her greatest fear into one of her greatest strengths all because she was willing to work on herself to face her Fears Head you see working on yourself isn't always comfortable it isn't always easy but it's always always worth it now let me ask you a question 5 years from now you will arrive the question is where who you be five years from now what will you have
accomplish how will your life be different and the answer to those questions depends on one thing what you do between now and then if you keep doing what you've always done you'll keep getting what you've always got but if you commit to working on yourself to constant and NeverEnding Improvement your life 5 years from now could be beyond your wildest dreams I want you to imagine that future for a moment imagine the person you could become if you dedicated yourself to personal growth imagine the impact you could have the contribution you could make the life
you could live now here's the exciting part that future is available to you but it's not going to come to you you have to go to it you have to work for it you have to earn it and that work Starts Now it starts today it starts with a decision a decision to make yourself a priority a decision to invest in your own growth and development a decision to work harder on yourself than you do on your job remember you're job might give you a paycheck but working on yourself pays dividends for a lifetime your
job might give you a living but working on yourself gives you a life so I'll challenge you start today right now don't wait for the perfect moment don't wait until you have more time more money more energy start with what you have where you are read a book take a course start a journal begin a fitness routine reach out to a potential Mentor do something anything that moves you forward on the path of personal growth and here's a little secret once you start once you get that momentum going it becomes easier to keep going growth
breeds more growth success breeds more success the hardest part is often just getting started now I know some of you might be thinking but I'm so busy I have so many responsibilities how can I possibly find time to work on myself and to that I say you can't afford not to you can't afford to stay stagnant in a world that's constantly you can't afford to neglect your greatest asset yourself think about it this way if you had a goose that laid golden eggs wouldn't you take care of that goose wouldn't you feed it it the
best food give it the best shelter make sure it was healthy and strong of course you would well you are that goose your skills your knowledge your character these are the golden eggs and the only way to keep those golden eggs coming is to take care of the goose to work on yourself I want you to make a commitment right now a commitment to yourself a commitment to your growth a commitment to becoming the best version of yourself say it out loud I commit to working harder on myself than I do on my job now
I want you to think about one area of your life or you want to see Improvement maybe it's your health maybe it's your relationships maybe it's your career skills whatever it is I want you to decide on one action you can take today to start improving in that area it doesn't have to be big remember small hinges swing big doors if it's your health maybe that action is going for a 10-minute walk if it's your relationships maybe it's calling a friend you haven't spoken to in a while if it's your career skills maybe it's signing
up for an online course whatever it is commit to it and then do it because here's the thing the world doesn't pay you for what you know it pays you for what you do knowledge isn't power knowledge plus action is power and as you take that action as you start working on yourself something magical happens you start to feel different you start to see the world differently you start to see possibilities where before you only saw obstacles you start to feel a sense of progress of momentum and that feeling it's addictive in the best possible
way once you start experiencing ing the benefits of personal growth you won't want to stop you'll want more you'll hunger for it and that hunger that drive for constant Improvement that's what separates the extraordinary from the ordinary now let me be clear this journey of personal growth it's not a Sprint it's a marathon there will be ups and downs there will be setbacks and disappointments there will be days when you feel like you're not making progress but remember this even if you're on the right track you'll get run over if you just sit there the
key is to keep moving forward keep learning keep growing keep pushing yourself to be better and here's something else to remember the person you become is far more important than the things you achieve yes achievements are great they're important but they're not everything what truly matters is who you become in the process of pursuing those achievements I've known people who achieve great things but were miserable because they neglected their personal growth and I've known people who may not have achieved worldly success by conventional standards but who were deeply fulfilled because they were constantly working on
becoming better human beings so as you embark on this journey of personal growth don't just focus on external achievements focus on becoming a better person a Kinder person a more resilient person a more compassionate person because at the end of the day that's what truly matters now let me share with you one of the most powerful principles I've ever learned it's called The Compound Effect the idea is simple small consistent actions repeated over time lead to massive results think about it like this if you improve yourself just one every day in a year you'll be
37 times better not 365 better 37 times better that's the power of compound growth it's like planting a tree when you first plant it nothing seems to happen days go by then weeks and still you see no results but underground roots are growing and then one day seemingly out of nowhere a sprout and once that Sprout appears growth accelerates personal growth works the same way at first you might not see dramatic results but if you keep at it you stay consistent one day you'll look back and be amazed at how far you've come I knew
a young man who decided to read one book A Week at first it was a struggle he had to force himself to sit down in R but he stuck with it week after week book after book after a year he had read 52 books more importantly he had transformed his mind his vocabulary had expanded his understanding of the world had deepened his ability to to think critically had sharpened all from one simple habit consistently applied That's The Power of working on yourself small actions repeated consistently lead to massive trans now here's another key principle you
don't have to be great to start but you have to start to be great too often people wait until they feel ready to begin their journey of personal growth but here's the truth the key is to start anyway I remember talking to a woman who wanted to start her own business she kept saying I'll start when I have more experience when I have more money saved up when the timing is right and you know what that perfect moment never came years went by and she was still in the same place still waiting for the perfect
moment don't let that be you start now start where you are start with what you have because the perfect moment is now the perfect place is here the perfect remember every expert was once a beginner every success story started with a decision to try every Journey Of A Thousand Miles begins with a single step take that step today now let me share with you one of the most important lessons I've learned in my journey of personal growth it's this your income your influence your impact they will rarely exceed your personal development in other words to
have more you need to become more think about it if you want want a better job you need to become a better candidate if you want better relationships you need to become a better partner a better friend if you want more success you need to become more valuable this is why working on your job isn't enough your job is external personal development is internal and what's inside always determines what's outside I remember a young salesman who was struggling to meet his quotas he was working long hours making more calls than anyone else on his team
but he wasn't seeing results why because he was focusing on the wrong thing he was working hard on his job but not on himself so I challenged him to shift his Focus instead of making more calls I told him to work on becoming a better Communicator to study psychology to understand his customers better to practice empathy to connect with people more deeply at first he was skeptical but he decided to give it a try and you know what happened his Sal skyrocketed not because he was working harder but because he had become more valuable he
had worked on himself and his job performance improved as a result That's The Power of personal development when you grow everything around you grows too now let me ask you a question what's the biggest obstacle standing between you and the life you want is it lack of time lack of money lack of opportunities I'll tell you what I I think it is the biggest obstacle is you or more specifically the you that you've settled for the you that says this is just how I am the you that's comfortable with the status quo but here's the
exciting part if you're the biggest obstacle you're also the biggest opportunity because you have the power to change you have the power to grow you have the power to become better and that power it's not someday power it's not when I have more time power or when I have more money power it's now power you have it right now the power to decide the power to change your life by changing yourself so I challenge you don't settle for less than you can be don't settle for a life of mediocrity when greatness is within your reach
decide today to work harder on yourself than you do on your job decide to become the best version of yourself because here's the truths the world needs you to be great your family needs you to be great your community needs you to be great and most importantly you need you to be great so start today start now read that book take that course have that difficult conversation face that fear take that step towards becoming the person you're capable of being remember the best investment you can make is an investment in yourself it pays the best
interest it yields the highest returns and un likee other Investments no one can take it away from you your job might change your circumstances might change but who you are what you know what you can do that stays with you that's yours forever so invest in yourself work on yourself believe in yourself because when you do amazing things happen you grow you progress you become more and as you become more you can give more you can contribute more you can make a bigger difference in the world that's what this journey of personal growth is all
about it's not just about becoming successful it's about becoming significant it's about living a life of purpose and meaning it's about becoming the best version of yourself so that you can give your best to the world so I leave you with this final thought your life will be shaped by your choices and the most important choice you can make is the choice to invest in yourself to work harder on yourself than you do on your job make that choice today make it every day and watch as your life transforms in ways you never thought possible
