In just a few days the ultimate annual gift exchange will take place around the world. It is a wonderful thing to give and receive gifts out of love and connection with others. Here is a question for you: what gift will you give yourself this year? At first, this can sound very self-centered. I am not primarily thinking about material gifts, but ones that will empower and accelerate your own growth. What about the gift of personal development?
When Me First Is The Right Thing
There is a healthy, non-egotistical approach to investing in yourself in order to serve others. In fact, if you don’t take the time and resources to invest in you, there won’t be much to offer others. Aren’t you glad when you are sick that your doctor spent years studying and thousands of dollars in training?
Your potential for meaningful influence and impact is in direct correlation to the investment you make in your own development. Fully engaging your heart, head, and hands is needed to be your best. This engagement is sustained through intentional and continual improvement. Personal development is the gift that keeps giving!
Several years ago I was coasting on skills and my knowledge base from earlier successes. I realized I was not reaching my God-given potential due to a lack of intentionally investing in my development. During the next three years, I invested my time, energy, and resources in personal growth. The results were transformational.
Here are some Personal Investment Strategies – Think for a moment what would the gift of personal growth and development look like for you this year? If you think holistically the opportunities are vast:
Take your skills to the next level – Find a course, a degree program, or an organization that can challenge and stretch you to another level of performance. You are not as good as you can be.
Diversify Yourself– Learn something new and read broadly. Our brain functions slowly in the well-defined ruts we create. New knowledge and routines sharpen our minds and broaden our base. Take a speaking or writing course or join a group to explore the untapped potential.
Make your health a priority – We tend to justify not taking care of ourselves because we serve our work or families instead. This is faulty thinking. Such imbalance drains you and benefits no one. For some, exercising with someone ensures it happens. Join a gym or group for running, hiking, biking, martial arts, etc.
Hire a coach– You will never be as good as you can be without a coach. Top-ranked athletes hire coaches. Why? Outside input keeps them performing at their best. In whatever area you want to excel, hire a coach to go farther faster.
Become a coach– if you have a desire to help others develop, coach training may be your personal development gift. Your impact will multiply as you experience the power of professional coach training. (Essential Coach Training coming March 2018!)
Michael Hyatt, says it well; “I would have hired a coach sooner.”
What about you? Will you invest in yourself in order to make a difference in the world?
Last GiveAway for 2017!
My mission is to develop people for maximum influence.
So what I can’t do for all I’ll do for one.
Enter to win a Strengths-Based Leadership Coaching Plan
(Strength Finders 2.0 assessment and book with 2 hours of coaching)
$375 Value (you can apply this amount to a fuller coaching plan)
To enter, click here.
A winner will be randomly drawn on December 22nd. Don’t wait, enter now.