As a highly sought after business and life strategist, I am often asked about personal and professional development. Many people are eager to know what it takes to achieve success in any career. I have won many awards, been featured on numerous platforms and empowered people all over the world. However, when it comes to this question I am always able to answer this one openly and quickly.
I know a bit about success and I also know about the work that it takes to reach a place of success in life. So many people have a dream but they do not realize that it takes development to see a dream manifest. The reason that most dreams die is because people simply refuse to go through the developmental process. The greatest way to design the life of your dreams is making the decision to develop.
The best piece of advice I ever received about achieving my career goals was to be a lifelong learner. While this sounds cute in theory, I know many of you may be asking what exactly does this mean. Does it mean I should be in college the rest of my life? Should I be studying every waking moment of every day? No being a lifelong learner is making a decision to grow and develop every single day of your life. In my latest book on leadership, I talk about the importance of growth and development in our lives. If you really want to be the best at what you do then you must adopt a philosophy of rigorous practice, focused endeavors and lifelong growth. This is a winning formula for success.
Honestly, I have been blessed to have amazing coaches and mentors in my life. Before I became known as a highly sought after coach and thought leader, I spent years studying and learning because I was passionate about being the best at what I do. I would read tons of books. I would read everything from Think and Grow Rich to Acres of Diamonds.
Now I read hundreds of books every single year. From reading, I have learned tremendous facts, insights and strategies that have contributed to my success in life and business. I took everything that my mentors taught me to heart. I purchased books, audio programs and even invested in programs that I believed would help me on my journey to success. Every mentor played a unique role in my life. However, they all taught me that if you want to be the best then you have to make a commitment to grow and develop every single day. This piece of wisdom was priceless and it has resulted in extraordinary achievements in my life.
Ultimately, I owe much of my success to my commitment to grow and develop daily. Choosing to grow and develop has given me extraordinary influence in the world. Most importantly, this decision has caused me to excel far above others in life. When others are scrambling to find answers to complex questions, I am able to draw from my well of knowledge and experience to provide solutions to global issues. If you will make a commitment to grow and develop you will reach your full potential in life. I am proof that being a lifelong learner is a master key to success!
This blog post is part of a series for HuffPost Icon Next, entitled 'The Best Piece of Advice I've Ever Received For Achieving My Career Goals.' To see all the other posts in the series, click here. To contribute, submit your 500 - 800 word blogpost to icon-next@huffingtonpost.com.