Life Lessons: What I’ve Learned About Myself

One of the most important things I’ve learned about success is that you have to be open and prepared for growth.

Growth isn’t something that just happens, it’s something you have to work for. 

I recently spent some time on Dr. Edwin Adams podcast, The Aesthetics of Leadership, where he asked me some very interesting questions. The interview led me to do a lot of self reflecting and really try to break down some of the things that have pushed me to be the person I am today. There are a lot of great tips and valuable insight in the full interview for anyone looking to better themselves, which you can watch or read the summary in my blog here. But the thing I want to focus on now is a few key things I identified that have played a pretty big role in the man I am today. 

 

 

The interview got me thinking about how far I’ve come and the things I’ve learned and made me realize the most impactful thing I’ve done to work towards growth. Reading is such an important part of my life that I’ve put in a lot of effort to incorporate it into my daily routine. I talk about it in my blog, Making Your Mornings Work For You, but it’s a vital tool in my life. I think the best way to live a successful life is to continuously learn and grow, whether it be spiritually, financially, or whatever. I love to share the things I’ve learned from whatever reading I’m doing at that moment in my blogs and on social media like my Instagram because I figure if it’s useful to me, odds are it could be useful to someone else, too. Or if it’s something I think people could live without, at least I can help spare someone. The point is, I love helping others in whatever ways I can, that’s why I started the business I did with Mealfit and Table & Thyme, it’s the way I’m raising my kids and it’s the way I love my life. 

When Dr. Edwin Adams asked me what I’ve learned about myself, I took a moment to look back on some of the more important lessons I’ve learned in life. I think there are two books that have really helped me so that I can navigate life, and all its crazy ups and downs, so that no matter what, I’m always in a better place than I was before. 

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson is a great book that I’d recommend to anyone, but especially self-starters and entrepreneurs. He does an awesome job of outlining the way our daily lives can directly impact our level of success. This book teaches you how to change the way you think about the things around you so that you can make decisions and actually see results around you all the time. We’re all capable of accomplishing the things we want and I think this book really helps to pinpoint the areas of your life you need to align in order to start progressing in life. 

 

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy is a book I’ve talked about before. It’s one of my favorites and I boasted about it in my blog, 4 Books to Help You Succeed. I think Darren has really made an incredible book that’s filled with so many important things. It’s a super easy read, but it’s also enjoyable. Once you get into it, it’s actually hard to put down, which is how you know it’s a good book. He talks a lot about this effect in life where the little things you do everyday compound on one another and are what eventually determine your success in life. By working every day to improve ourselves, little by little we can build a better life for ourselves. This book does a great job of showing how to start this process and how to follow through on that growth in the long-term which is another reason I think it’s a great read for everyone. 

 

What These Books Taught Me

1. Don’t Let Yourself Get Bored

I talked about it in the interview, but I want to reiterate it because it is one of the most important and impactful things I’ve learned so far. You cannot let yourself get dragged down by the mundane. Once you let yourself get bored, that disinterest can spread into the other areas of your life pretty quickly and all of a sudden you’ve given up on everything you’ve been working toward. Of course, most people don’t enjoy the long lists of emails or stacks of paperwork that come with this path to success, but you have to make peace with the process. You’ll confront these things every day of your life, so will you control the situation and push through, or will you let that boredom control you and keep you from achieving your goals just because the benefits aren’t immediate? 

 

2. Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

This idea bounces off of the last piece of advice, but it’s still important. It’s not just in those moments of monotony that you’re more likely to struggle, but obstacles and mistakes are inevitable, too. You’re going to mess up, no doubt about it. And odds are, something is going to stand in your way at one point or another. It’s probably going to happen a lot more than you’d like it to, but if you want to make it through, you’ve got to be prepared to deal with it. One of the most beneficial ways I’ve found to tackle obstacles and boredom is to have a strong long-term goal or vision to turn to. I always think “this may really suck right now, but once I reach my goal, I know it’ll have been worth it.” You’ve got to have something bigger than you to focus on to get you over the hill, so I suggest taking some time to evaluate your goals and focus on what’s important for you and your future. 

 

3. Consistency is Key

Another extremely important lesson I’ve learned is that consistency is key. Ultimately, your success is directly related to your ability to overcome whatever challenges you face. If you find yourself giving up on little things or letting certain behaviors and attitudes slide, you’re not going to have the diligence and strength you need to truly succeed. Whether it’s about health, building a business, your relationship with your family, being consistent in everything you do is going to take you so much further than just coasting through life. There is no get-rich-quick scheme that’s going to solve all your problems because there is no substitution for hard work. 

These things have helped me to grow and learn so much in my life, and these books are part of the reason I was able to learn these lessons. I hope these things are useful to anyone looking to better themselves and those who are willing to do the work it takes to succeed. 

 

I would love to answer any questions you may have.

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