The quote from Horace Mann ‘A house without books is like a room without windows’ sums this weeks blog up nicely.
In a room without windows you don’t get to see outside, only the four walls around you. You can’t observe the outside world, so how can you learn from others.
The day you stop learning is the day you stop earning!
The day you stop learning is the day you lose your edge, your ability to challenge your own thinking and truly step out, show up and be your best self – both personally and professionally
I often talk about two zones; the Performance Zone, the zone where you’re ‘on it’ being the best version of you in whatever your chosen field of endeavour, and the Recovery Zone, the zone where you take time to process the day, feed the mind and soul, work on becoming the best version of you.
It still amazes me when I speak at conferences and events and ask the audience how many people have read a self-development book in the last 6 month. On average, less than 50% of the audience put their hand up.
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
A book is jam packed with the Authors life experiences – what has worked and what hasn’t. If you just take one idea away which is a positive reinforcement of what you are currently doing or gives you a new way of thinking, feeling and acting then that has to be a worthy goal!
If you are not a big fan of reading then no challenge, audio books are widely available.
Listening is the new reading!
Listen to them on the way to work in the car, walking or on the train. Listen to them in the gym or out running or just block out some quality time with yourself to immerse yourself in listening/reading and feed your mind.
If you’ve never listened to an audiobook before, here’s your chance…
LISTEN HERE and you’ll get instant access to Chapter One, The Fundamentals of Business Growth from my book Built to Grow.
Or better still.
Download your FREE Built to Grow Audiobook when you sign up for the Audible 30-day free trial. Listening is the new reading and what better way than trying it for free!
The power of a book.
Within the covers of a single book are the ideas that, if acted upon, have the power to rescript aspects of your life; becoming a better thinker, developing a stronger mind-set, learning from others experiences.
To bring this point to life I want to share with you feedback I received from a South African business owner who had read my book, Built to Grow
‘Greeting from South Africa.
Thank you for the toolkit and indispensable book that all business owners/leaders and entrepreneurs need.
The book has taken me through the nuts and bolts of how to grow my consulting business and how to help our clients “Built to Grow.”
The timing of buying your book was perfect for me given that our team is in the process for developing our next three-year strategic plan (2018 – 2020).
I’m hoping to write sometime in 2018 with a view point of sharing results that we hoping to achieve after using your toolkit and the powerful insight’
Clearly as the author of Built to Grow, I’m feel very proud to receive an email like this, but my point for sharing it with you is that it simply demonstrates the power of a book.
Think about it for a moment.
When you pick up a biography in your hands you have the lifetime experiences of an individual who has been there and done it. The highs they’ve experienced and the lows, the successes and the failures (or learning opportunities depending on which way you choose to view failures!).
What about an individual who has dedicated their entire life to being a specialist in a chosen area and captures all their experiences into 220 pages. Or the sports person who captures their secrets for success. Whichever angle you look at it from there is a vast reservoir of experiences out there for you to tap in to ‘fast track’ your own success and experiences.
This is your opportunity to do what I call ‘collapsing the timeline’.
You see why wait until you’re old to become experienced? I want the experiences of an older person while I am still young. And the way I figured out how to do it was to collapse the timeline and build my experience bank through other people’s experiences.
Developing a passion for reading/listening is one of the best habits you can create for yourself.
And…if you need positive reinforcement of the benefits here’s some inspirational quotes for you;
A book is a gift you can open again and again. —Garrison Keillor
To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark. —Victor Hugo
Reading is important, because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything. —Tomie dePaola
He that loves reading has everything within his reach. —William Godwin
If you’re thinking “Royston this is great in theory but I just don’t have time” why not make it your New Year’s resolution to read more, or even start the habit of listening to an audiobook.
Go online or to your favourite book store this weekend and choose which book you’re going to read next.
An obsessive thirst for learning and self-education is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself in order to unlock your real potential and unleash your success.
