What are you doing to develop Yourself | Jim Rohn

The first question is very simple. What are you doing to improve yourself? If you were to tell me, oh, wow, let me tell you, I'm doing a lot to work on myself. I have a plan for personal growth and I make sure to focus on it every day. Then I'd say, great, we're in a good place because that's what really matters. You see, the question about what you're doing to grow is super important. It's not about being selfish, though it might seem that way at first. Some people might ask, why should I focus on myself first? The answer is simple. You can't give to others what you don't have yourself. So it's crucial to start with your own growth. If you're trying to lead others but don't have anything valuable to offer, to share or to teach, then you won't be able to succeed as a leader. After 40 years of focusing on my own growth, I can assure you that any success I've had is due to my commitment to personal growth. It's what has brought me to where I am today. So what are you doing to improve yourself? It's a really important question. Personal growth are all about working on yourself. And once you've answered that, the next question is, what are you doing to help others grow? The first question is about laying the foundation for your future. The second question is about building on that foundation, multiplying your impact. This is how you can create a large, successful business by knowing how to help other people grow. To truly understand the law of intentionality, we need to realize that you can't grow as a person and you can't help others grow unless you're deliberate about it. You don't need some grand vision or plan, just start somewhere. Maybe it's by improving your health or focusing on small changes. It's all about getting back on the right track, even if it's just a small step. For example, think about how quickly you can start improving your health. It could be as simple as eating an apple every day. We've all heard the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Let's say you've been dealing with health problems for a while and you finally decide, that's it, I'm done with this. I'm going to start taking better care of myself. You don't need to completely overhaul your entire lifestyle all at once. Just start with one small thing, like eating an apple every day. You might wonder, is it really that easy to begin improving my health? And the answer is yes, it is. The key is to just start. Imagine picking up a book about healthy living. You get halfway through and the book tells you to stop reading and see how many pushups you can do. Then it says, if you haven't done that, maybe this book isn't for you. It might seem like you're not going to follow through, but you don't need to do anything drastic. You can build momentum and make changes over time. The important thing is to begin. When you start moving in a new direction, something amazing happens. Your self-esteem begins to grow. It doesn't take much to start feeling good about yourself. Just commit to a small change and you'll start to feel better. For instance, deciding to eat an apple every day as part of a new health routine could be the first step toward becoming the healthiest version of yourself over the next 20 years. All you have to do is eat that first apple. You don't need to tell anyone or make a big deal out of it. Just take that first bite and think, this is the beginning of a health program that will make me so healthy that I'll have the energy to do whatever I want for the next 30 years. As you enjoy that apple, you'll start to feel happier and more confident and your self-esteem will skyrocket. Imagine that you eat an apple on the second day and suddenly you feel almost thrilled thinking, wow, I'm really doing this. Someone might ask just two days, but they don't understand how important this is. Not only did you eat the apple yesterday, but you also did it again today. This consistency is proving something to yourself. Without any audience, without anyone watching, you've convinced yourself, I'm on my way to becoming the healthiest I've ever been. I'm starting a new life and this is just the beginning. This is day two and I'm on my way. It's that simple to start changing your life. When it comes to improving yourself and getting better, you need to understand that it doesn't require being a genius. It doesn't take a lot of time and it doesn't even require a lot of effort. But it does require intention. That's the key word here, intention. You won't automatically get better just by wishing it. You get better because you intentionally decide to improve. You need to move from being a person who just has good intentions to being a person who actually takes good actions. That's what makes all the difference. To really develop yourself, you have to stop just thinking about it and start doing it. In fact, while good intentions might sound nice, they are completely useless if you don't act on them. The phrase good intentions is one of the most overrated phrases out there. I know so many people who have good intentions, but they never achieve anything because they don't follow through with action. If you really want to develop yourself and get better, you need to start doing what you've been talking about. The moment you stop just talking about it and start taking action, that's when you truly start to change. I once had a friend named Randy who told me something I'll never forget. Jim, your words talk, but your actions speak much louder than your words. And he was absolutely right. So today, make the decision to become a person of action. Self-discipline is a skill that anyone can learn through dedication and consistent practice. Although the process of building self-discipline is simple, it's not necessarily easy. With the right effort and persistence, anyone can become a great leader, boost their confidence, and achieve success. The truth is, you can develop any quality you consider important or necessary. For some, this might come naturally and be easier, while for others, it might take more time and hard work. But everyone has the natural ability to shape their character and personality in a positive way. This happens when you're clear about what you want in the future and are determined to keep going, even when things get tough or when you face setbacks. The steps to developing discipline are simple, though not easy. Anything truly valuable usually isn't easy. First, decide on one area of discipline that would be most beneficial for you in your career right now. Don't try to change multiple things about yourself at once or try to build several new habits all at the same time. No matter how tempting or useful they might seem, the key is to focus on just one area of discipline until it becomes a natural part of who you are. Once that happens, you can move on to the next area you want to improve. After you've picked a discipline to work on, start by imagining how you would act if you already had this habit or skill. Picture yourself in situations where you wanna practice this discipline behaving exactly as you would if you had already mastered it. Then, create a positive statement or affirmation to reinforce this new habit. Repeating this affirmation regularly will help you internalize the discipline. You'll start to believe in yourself more and see yourself differently. For example, if you want to become more punctual, you might say to yourself, I'm always on time. I arrive early for every meeting. I am always punctual for every appointment. By repeating this over and over, you embed it into your subconscious mind. Eventually, your subconscious will push you to be on time for every meeting and appointment because you've programmed yourself to believe that's just who you are. This practice not only builds your self-discipline but also strengthens your self-confidence, helping you see yourself in a new and more positive way. Once you've chosen the discipline you want to work on, it's crucial to start off strong and stay committed. Make a firm decision not to allow any exceptions until this new discipline becomes a permanent part of your routine. If you slip up or fall off track, don't get discouraged. Instead, immediately remind yourself of your goal by repeating your positive affirmation and get back on track right away. This is the only way to truly build and solidify the habit of discipline in that specific area. One of the best things about developing self-discipline is how closely it's connected to persistence. The more you persist in any activity, the more self-discipline and self-confidence you'll gain. It's often said that persistence is self-discipline in action, and that's absolutely true. The more consistently you practice your chosen discipline, the more you'll start to like and respect yourself. You'll feel more confident, optimistic, and capable. As a result, you'll become more effective in every aspect of your life. When you develop strong leadership disciplines, you'll find yourself becoming a more powerful and resourceful leader. You'll accomplish more, feel more self-assured, and achieve higher levels of success in everything you do. Now, let's talk about the way you think and the way I think, because your mindset plays a huge role in what you achieve in life. I want you to understand that there's more out there for you than what you have right now. Your future holds more potential and possibilities than anything you've experienced so far. In other words, I want you to adopt a mindset of abundance, not scarcity. Too many people focus on what they don't have, thinking in terms of lack or limitation. But it's important to think of abundance, to believe that there is always more available to you. Remember, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Your thoughts shape your reality. So start thinking big, believing in abundance, and expect more out of life. You might be feeling like you're at a crossroads in your life, like you're stuck in a transition, not really sure what's coming next, or where you're headed. And that's totally okay, it's normal to feel that way sometimes. But there's something important I wanna tell you. Here's what I know for sure about life, and here's what I know for sure about you. There's so much more waiting for you. There's more ahead of you, more possibilities, more opportunities, more everything. And I want you to really understand that, because I believe it with all my heart. Now, to help you navigate through this uncertain time, I want you to focus on two key words. These two words are going to help clear things up and guide you forward. The first word is creativity, and the second word is flexibility. These are the two qualities you need to embrace to move into that world of more that's waiting for you. Let's talk about creativity first. When we think about creative people, we often assume they're just naturally talented, or they have some special genius that lets them think outside the box. But here's the real truth about creativity. It's not just about talent. At the heart of a truly creative person is a deep belief that there is always an answer. No matter what problem they're facing, they trust that a solution exists. And it's that belief, that confidence that keeps them creative, that drives them to keep searching, keep trying, and keep thinking of new ideas. Creativity isn't just about coming up with something clever or unique. It's about having the mindset that there's always a way forward, always an answer to be found. So as you stand at this juncture in your life, remember these two words, creativity and flexibility. Embrace them, live them out, and they'll help you unlock all the more that's in store for you. Think about this for a moment. If you don't believe there's a solution to a problem, how creative are you really going to be? How long are you going to stick with that idea? How much effort are you going to put into trying to make it work, to develop it, to turn it into something bigger and better? The truth is, creative people believe deep down that there is always an answer. They've got this mindset that says, if I work hard, use my mind, and tap into my creativity, there's gotta be something out there that I haven't figured out yet. There's always an answer waiting to be discovered. Now let's look at the word flexibility. Flexibility isn't just about finding one answer. It's about realizing there's more than one way to solve a problem. That's what makes it so powerful. There's not just one answer, but many possible answers. When you approach life with this understanding, you start to see that not only is there an answer to whatever you're facing, but there could be several answers. This means you're not locked into one way of thinking or one solution. You're open to exploring different possibilities. Someone asked me recently, Jim, you're always striving to be better. How do you handle doing your best? And I said, well, every day I do my best. At the end of the day, if I've given it my all, I can say, yeah, I did my best today and I'm proud of that. I like doing my best. But here's the thing tomorrow, that best becomes the foundation I build on. Best can always get better. You see, best only becomes a problem when you start thinking it's the ultimate achievement. You might feel tempted to celebrate it, to put it on a pedestal and say, this is it, I've reached the top. But here's the reality. Best is only the best if it's what you're doing right now. It's great to do your best, but you've got to understand that there's always something beyond your best. There's always a way to improve, to take it up a notch, to push a little harder, to reach a little higher. So while we celebrate doing our best, we shouldn't get too comfortable with it. Instead of resting on your best, keep striving for more. Keep pushing yourself to improve because there's always room to get a little better, to excel a little more, to climb a little higher. Best is wonderful, but the journey doesn't stop there. There's always something better waiting if you're willing to go after it. When I meet people who say, this is as good as it's ever going to get, I can't help but feel sorry for them. I introduce myself and say, hi, I'm Jim. If you really believe this is the best it's ever going to be, that's a sad way to live, should we bury you now? You've hit your peak, so everything else from here is just downhill. But no, that's not the way to think. You've got to understand that your best can always get better and there's always more waiting for you. Creativity tells us that there's always an answer and flexibility shows us that there's more than one answer. So even when you think you've figured it all out, when you think you've succeeded or reached your goal, remember this, you're not done yet, there's no finish line in life. Now, let's think about building a house. When should you start building? The answer is as soon as it's finished in your mind. You wouldn't start laying bricks without knowing what the house is going to look like, right? If you just started putting bricks together and someone asked, what are you building? And you replied, I have no idea, they'd probably think you've lost it. It might even suggest taking you somewhere safe to clear your head. The point is, it's entirely possible to finish something in your mind before you even start physically working on it. In fact, it would be a bit foolish to start a project without a clear vision of the end result. We as humans have this incredible ability to see the finished product in our minds before we begin the actual work. So before you start any new venture, take the time to visualize the end goal, make sure you've finished it in your mind and then begin the process of bringing it to life. You've probably heard the old saying, don't count your chickens before they hatch. It's meant to remind us not to assume something will happen before it actually does. But here's the thing, we actually do have the ability to count those chickens before they hatch. Why? Because we have faith, we believe in ourselves and we understand the law of averages. We know that out of a dozen eggs, a certain number are likely to hatch. It's possible to envision the outcome before it even begins. So let's talk about setting goals. When you're thinking about what you want to achieve, where you want to go, or the kind of person you want to become, start by looking into the future. Try to get a clear picture in your mind of what the finished goal looks like. Imagine yourself there already having achieved it, already in possession of what you desire. I once worked with Bob Cummings, an old movie star and he had some great advice. He said, decide what you want and then act as if you already have it. Being an actor, he knew a thing or two about acting. He meant that once you've decided on your goal, you should start behaving as though it's already yours. The reason we can do this is because not only can we imagine the end result, but we can also visualize the steps needed to make it real. So as you set your goals, don't just think about the end, start acting like you've already achieved it. This mindset helps you stay motivated and focused because you're not just dreaming about the future, you're actively working toward making that vision a reality. We don't start something until it's already finished in our minds, but here's the amazing thing, humans have the unique ability to finish something before they even begin. This might sound a bit philosophical, but it's important to understand. Human beings are the only creatures on earth with the incredible ability to change the course of their own lives. No other living thing can do this. Every other life form operates purely on instinct and follows its genetic code. Take a goose, for example. When winter comes, the goose flies south. How often does it do this? Every single winter. Now, if you tried to tell a goose, hey, this year it might be better to fly west instead of south, it wouldn't listen to you. Why? Because it can't make decisions based on advice or choose a different path. The goose has to follow its instincts and the genetic code it was born with, but the humans are different from all other creatures on earth. While animals and other life forms mostly act based on instinct and their genetic code, we humans have something special, something that sets us apart. We are not bound by instinct alone. We have the power to make choices, listen to advice, and change our direction if we believe it will lead to a better outcome. We as humans are not like that. We are not stuck on a single path. We have the freedom to decide where we want to go in life and how we want to get there. We can listen to others, learn from them, and make changes to our plans if we think it will help us reach our goals. This freedom to choose and change is one of the most powerful things about being human. It's important to remember that, as a human being, you have the unique ability to take control of your life. You can shape your future in ways that no other creature can. If you're not happy with where you're headed, you have the power to change course. If you see a better way to reach your goals, you can choose that path. You're not just following a predetermined path like animals do. You have the freedom to decide what's best for you and the ability to make it happen. So embrace this power and don't be afraid to make changes in your life. You have the unique ability to create the future you want.