After almost two years of research, reading, and writing Further, I think I’ve got this personal growth thing down.
Now, let me qualify that. From an informational standpoint, I know what works when it comes to leading a meaningful life that results in becoming a better version of yourself. This excludes all the “woo woo” non-scientific stuff and the cult of personality that comes from your friendly neighborhood guru.
From an execution standpoint, I still have a lot of work to do. There’s a big difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it.
The core principles boil down to:
- Know you can change (growth mindset)
- Do whatcha like (intrinsic motivation)
- Always get better (constant progress)
- Take baby steps (incremental change)
- Keep going (Further)
Simple, just not always easy.
This occurred to me a few weeks ago when reading The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed On Your Own Terms by Vishen Lakhiani. The book is about those core principles and some related ways of thinking.
The thing is, Lakhiani didn’t come up with any of this stuff. What he’s done in his life (and the book) is to make these established concepts his own, with his own metaphors and ways of expressing himself.
This isn’t a knock against the book or Lakhiani himself. The only people who seem disappointed with Extraordinary Mind are the people who recognize that they already know these things, and were hoping for some new secret silver bullet.
But that’s the thing. There really isn’t anything new to know, there’s only finding what works for you and doing it.
Take the meditation craze of the last several years. This is an ancient practice that has gone mainstream. It’s not new, it’s just that more people are doing it and experiencing the benefits.
But meditation is not for everyone. You have to find what works for you and own it as an individual.
The perfect personal growth strategy is the one that works for you. But that means you have to stop searching, and begin trying new things to find what works.
Look, new information is helpful in gaining an enhanced perspective, but execution is what matters. As we enter the third year of Further in 2017, I’ll do my best to help you (and myself) execute on the right things.
Which Self-Improvement Strategy Is Right For You? Try One And Report Back
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed On Your Own Terms (Amazon Associate link)
Keep going-
Brian Clark
Further
further: health
Grab a Forty
As the saying goes, an hour-long workout is roughly four percent of your day, so use it wisely. A 40-minute workout can be an even better fit for an on-the-go lifestyle—and if you’re making the most out of your time, you can achieve the cardio and strength benefits of an hour-long workout in two-thirds of the time.
The Best Way To Spend 40 Minutes At The Gym
Stone Cold Killer
It’s that time of year — cold and flu season is here. A healthy diet and lifestyle can to help keep the immune system on track.
Change of Heart
Spending an hour slogging it out on the treadmill, the elliptical, or a stationary bike sounds like a snoozefest sometimes. Instead, crank up the intensity with this 30-minute dynamic workout.
A 30-Minute Bodyweight Workout for When You’re Super Bored With Cardio
further: wealth
A Failure to Communicate
Miscommunication happens frequently in life and work, partly because technology allows us to communicate faster, but not necessarily better. While some miscommunications are merely annoying, others can create conflict or be a disrupting influence in relationships.
5 Common Communication Misfires (And How To Avoid Them)
Save Together
A Spousal Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is a special type of IRA that is designed to benefit a non-working spouse and allows a married couple to each have an IRA to help fund their retirement.
The Producer
We are consuming so much content, so many posts, texts, commercials, marketing messages, so much music and TV that our brains get overwhelmed. Our consumption heavily outweighs our production. Let’s foster creative productivity.
Want to Be More Creative? Do This for 1 Hour Every Day
further: wisdom
Book Therapy
Bibliotherapy is a very broad term for the ancient practice of encouraging reading for therapeutic effect. Reading books can be good for your mental health and your relationships with others, but exactly why and how is now becoming clearer, thanks to new research on reading’s effects on the brain.
Happy Travel
Research shows that we experience the same increase in happiness when we buy something we want and when we travel. But the amount of happiness we derive from our purchase falls over time, whereas the memories of our traveling experience continue to supply us with happiness hormones for much longer.
It Turns Out that Traveling Makes Us Far Happier than Any Material Wealth Ever Does
Get Hard
Even for the relatively self-aware and emotionally adept, struggles can take us by surprise. But learning healthy ways to move through adversity—a collection of skills that researchers call resilience—can help us cope better and recover more quickly, or at least start heading in that direction.
Five Science-Backed Strategies to Build Resilience
further: sharing
Please forward this issue of Further to a friend who could benefit from it. Or use these easy social options:
