By Rudy Mawer Bellingham
Like many business owners and entrepreneurs, I would previously dip in and out of personal development courses, podcasts, seminars and books. However, in the past 12-18 months, I became hyper-focused and stayed consistent every single week. The results? I’ve probably had a more successful past 18 months than my last three or five years. And consistent personal development has been the key to my success.
Here’s a breakdown of why personal development is key, along with some of my top recommendations and general tips you can use to stay consistent and get your weekly dose.
Why and How Personal Development Helped Me Build a Multi-Million Dollar Business
Although I obviously needed to possess skills in my specific niche and other traits, the list of benefits my extensive personal development provided me is really endless, from helping me stay focused and motivated every day to keeping me more organized. I built vital relationships with highly influential public figures, clients new friends and key connections.
I was able to open my mind to achieve my true potential, allowing me to set much bigger goals. Having an unbeatable mind is a defining trait behind most of the world's most successful people.
Different Forms of Personal Development
There are multiple forms of personal development, which is just an umbrella for developing yourself and aspects of your life. Topics include:
- Leadership/management
- Communication, social interaction, engagement, etc.
- Habit forming goals, productivity
- Goal setting
- Motivation, focus, inspiration
- Career, business, entrepreneurship
Like anything, there’s probably not one best method or subject to follow. You will get the best results from a diverse mix. For example, the type and context of personal development you pick should likely be tailored to your desired outcome, areas you need to improve on, the best format to match your learning style, etc. There are multiple learning styles or consumable platforms to pick from. And again, while you may have a main go-to, you should likely get a mix of multiple platforms.
Luckily, there’s now an endless library of personal development at your fingertips. With modern technology and the internet, you can really never be without a form of personal development to consume. Some of the best platforms to get you started include books, audiobooks/Audible, podcasts, YouTube, TED talks, live events, seminars and live feeds like Snapchat, Instagram stories, Facebook Live, etc.
Most Popular/Recommended Personal Development Listings
Like with most big topics, there are hundreds of experts and valuable resources. This shortlist is by no means complete. Below are some of my personal favorites, along with other top-rated authors, books or titles to get you started. From there, you can find what style and topics you love the most then venture down the endless rabbit hole of resources.
Top Personal Development Books or Audiobooks:
- 10x by Grant Cardone
- Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
- The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
- How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Relentless by Tim S. Grover
- Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Brian Tracy
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
- The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
How to Stay Consistent with Personal Development
Firstly and most importantly, it’s vital to find your preferred platform and topics you love. Just as with anything in life, you won’t be consistent (or you will have a much harder time) if the method doesn’t match your passions. I personally consume the majority of mine in Audiobook format, simply because it matches my personality and lifestyle and I can absorb it while traveling, performing minor tasks or while driving, etc.
Others may love to watch a one-hour presentation in video format per night or read 30-60 minutes of a book before bedtime. There’s no right or wrong. Just pick what you enjoy and can be most consistent with.
Now, if you want to go with the Audiobook route, sign up at Audible.com. For around $15 per month you get three books, giving you about 25-30 hours of content per month or one hour a day. If, like me, you move fast, play all books at 1.5x speed. It’s still easily consumable and throughout a year you will be able to listen to 50 books as opposed to around 35 -- that’s a highly significant difference. I use several techniques to keep myself accountable and work on one book per week. I listen to books while traveling, doing house chores or simply when I am getting ready in the morning or at night. This alone gives you around one hour per day, allowing you to easily finish one book per week.
If you plan to read books, commit by first purchasing 3-5 popular books from the list or in a subcategory you think you’ll enjoy and reap the most benefits from. From there, commit to 30-60 minutes per day and then schedule a set time and make it happen.
Whichever platform you pick, the most important factor is always consistency. To start, set alarms or schedule in a 30-60 minute block per day. After around one, month it’ll be habitual. And after one year, the benefits and results will be crystal clear and astounding. The knowledge from these books has helped me more than double my productivity, set and achieve goals that are probably 10 times higher than what I would have in the past, improve the culture of my team and business and become a more well-renowned and understanding individual in general. I guarantee you will take away some amazing information you can't find online, from how to develop a killer mindset to how to double your income with just a few small, yet genius tweaks and ideas.
Remember, you are the single best investment you will ever make in life.
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Owner of RudyMawer.com, www.caplabs.com, 10xFitnessMarketing.com & real estate. Skilled in fitness, FB ads, funnel creation, marketing.