The Number One Way You Can Improve Yourself Today
One of the things I am constantly trying to do in my life is improve. There are many ways to do this in each area I want to improve. If I want to lose weight, lose fat, and/or gain muscle, I know I can lift weights, do cardio, and change my diet accordingly. If I want to have more relationships I put myself in social situations and push myself to meet new people and social circles, or even just build upon the relationships I already have in my life. If I want more money, I have to either work harder or work smarter in some way to increase my income. I made these all sound very simple, and the truth is that they are not that simple. There are small steps, tactics, methods, and techniques to doing each that can very well make the process successful or not. The one way I most improve my life in anything that I undertake to do is this: READ.
If you are not reading regularly, then start. Education, and more importantly, self-education is the number one way to ensuring success or improvement in any area of your life. I have purchased and borrowed books, read blogs, looked at internet forums, and talked to people better than myself to improve in all 3 of these areas and that is how I continue to approach each one every day. I have always done this to some extent throughout my life, but I remember having an epiphany about it a while back. It came while (no surprise) I was reading!
I was reading Mark Cuban’s blog and he listed reading as possibly the biggest key to his success. He said that he thought that since every book and magazine out there was just sitting there for anyone to pick up that everyone would have all of this information and it would be worthless. But then he noticed that no one consumed the amount of information he did, and that he could compile it and come up with brilliant ideas for his business and his life. He said he still averages around 3 hours of reading time a day. I realized at that time I read a lot and that the more I read, the more valuable ideas I got. If I read AND implemented what I learned, then I got even more.
It really takes a lot of effort for some people to admit to themselves that they need to improve something in their life and sometimes twice as much to actually getting around to doing something about it. Taking the time and effort to actually get a book or do a Google search on a subject and read up on how you can improve is that first big step. If you really want to fix that nagging issue in your life, here are a few pointers:
1. Make a list of things that you are unhappy with or would like to improve. Identify which one irks you the most and make a conscious decision to get that area of your life handled and under control.
2. Begin your search: ask some friends who have conquered a similar problem, do an internet search, go to the bookstore, or drop in at the library. Find out the best book or books to read and get some information on how to improve yourself in that particular area. Buy or borrow.
3. Actually READ! Read all at once or a chapter a day, whichever you are comfortable with. If you get good ideas (which tends to happen when you’re reading), write them down and go over them at your leisure.
4. Develop a plan to implement. This could be a diet/workout regimen, a social calendar with missions to meet new people, or a plan to get a raise/start your own business.
5. Implement the plan and make observations. Experiment a little bit. Notice what works and what doesn’t and start phasing out what doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to ask someone you trust for help if you need it. If you don’t have anyone, consider getting a mentor.
6. Continue to read and feed yourself good information and come up with ideas for what you are trying to accomplish. More knowledge can only give you new perspective on your quest.
So go out, pick up a good book, and take action to making things better for yourself. It’s your life and you only get one, so make it count!
My 5 Favorite Blogs
1. Timothy Ferriss
The author of “The 4 Hour Workweek” is far and away my favorite blog to read. His posts are informative, innovative, and fascinating. The theme is lifestyle design, which is an awesome catch phrase for personal development. If you’ve been entertained by his book, then you won’t be disappointed with the value and insight you gain from Tim’s blog. He usually has cool pictures and videos to accompany and supplement his articles.
2. Mark Cuban
How can you not be amused by this guy? Pending SEC charges aside, his posts are usually very entertaining, if not extremely informative. I really enjoy and pay attention any time he discusses his views on business and how he got to the level of success he enjoys today. Mark Cuban speaks his mind: the good, the bad, and the ugly. You can learn a lot from this guy and I highly recommend giving his blog a look if you don’t already.
3. Hitori
This is a lesser known one to the mainstream but very popular amongst the PUA community. Hitori is an excellent social analyst, one of the most brilliant I’ve ever read. Couple that with her brutal honesty and that she is telling it like it is from the female perspective and you can learn a massive amount about the dynamic inner workings of human relationships. She can write some racy posts but within each one lies new understanding and innovation. I am a huge fan.
4. V
Another obvious PUA choice. This guy took his destiny into his own hands and went from a 22-year old virgin to an overabundant dating life. He doesn’t post as much as he used to, but his earlier work and social experimentation is a thing of beauty.
5. Joe Vitale
You may never have heard of Joe Vitale. But he is a prolific author and made an appearance in the movie “The Secret”. He offers a lot of insight on the law of attraction, hypnotic marketing, and making money on the internet. I recently read his book “The Attractor Factor” and enjoyed his five step process on using the law of attraction to manifest the things you want into your life.
His blog has also been an enlightening and enjoyable resource. Definitely worth checking out.
finis
Clark
