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You have heard it said many times that you need to have a balanced budget. The general understanding here is that you need to make sure spend less than you make. Unfortunately for many this gets complicated. People struggle to follow a budget. That is why I use a “Simple Budget Technique”.

Beyond having a balanced budget where incoming funds and outgoing funds are balanced, it is also important to balance where you spend your money; you should spend money on the things that are really important – both now and into the future. This involves creating an appropriate mix of how you spend your money and what you spend your money on. This is balanced spending. Here are four categories everyone should consider having a budget for:

1. Health

Increasingly, people are starting to pay attention to their health. There are a lot of ways to improve your health for free, but sometimes you should invest money in your health.

I’m not going to recommend a set amount to spend on your nutrition. But think about it – how much money do you spend on your car? I calculated out the other day that between insurance, oil changes, and basic maintenance (not even gas), I spend close to $4 a day on my car! How much then should I spend on my most valuable asset – my health?

Your health budget might include money for:

Better food – Good food costs money. Unless you have your own garden or live on a farm, it will cost you more to eat natural organic foods and to eat more fruits and vegetables. All of these can be valuable investments.

Fitness – While many people will choose to exercise for free, there are a number of things that you may want to spend money on. If you run or walk a lot you should invest in a pair of good running shoes. Some will want to invest in a gym membership, or purchase a quality piece of exercise equipment. Where I live in Canada, there are several months of the year where outdoor activities are limited due to the cold and snow. This is why my wife and I purchased an elliptical trainer. It gets lots of use, even in the summer. You might choose to get a membership at a golf club or tennis club. Choose something that you will enjoy and will keep you fit.

Vitamin/Minerals and Supplements – More and more today people are realizing that good nutrition is needed to live a life that is full and vibrant. It is almost impossible to get the nutrition you need from the food you eat. It is just no longer there. Soil quality has decreased substantially over the last century. Further, much of the food we eat is shipped long distances and loses its nutritional value over time. In fact even the American Medical Association now recommends that everyone take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Beware in your shopping because most minerals have a difficult time absorbing in the body – in fact the average absorption of store brand products as been shown to be only 3-6%. You should be able to notice a difference after a couple of months taking the supplements.

2. Self-Improvement

If you are not growing and developing you are falling behind. We live in an information world and technology in almost all fields is expanding exponentially. In fact it is said that you need to double your knowledge every 7 years. Thankfully, there are more and more free sources of training and information such as blogs and podcasts. Beyond that there are some great ways to spend a little and invest in your self:

Books - Reading is a great way to gain knowledge and to keep motivated. I make it a practice to always be reading something motivating, inspiring and educational. If there is a subject you want to learn about, read a few books on it and you will far ahead of most people. And with reading you don’t have to stop learning about something. If you are passionate about a subject, just keep reading. Here are my top book choices to get you started.

Audio CDs - Many top speakers sell their material on CD or DVD. I also purchase blank CDs and burn my favorite podcasts on to them for listening in the car. One popular choice is to learn a language. Many programs combine audio recordings with online or computer-based learning to help you learn a new language more quickly.

Conferences - Make sure that at least once each year you attend a conference related to your personal growth. This might be a conference specific to your field, or a general personal development conference. I find it best to plan to attend a conference that is some distance from your home. Use it as a personal retreat weekend to refresh and connect with your goals.

Seminars or Classes - Look for other opportunities to learn. These might be seminars put on by the local Chamber of Commerce or you may take a class at a local college or university. These can be fantastic ways of learning a new skill or staying up on your industry.

Coaching - Everyone needs a coach. A coach is someone you can bounce ideas off of, share your goals with, and go to for advice. A good coach will keep you accountable to your goals, help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses and inspire you to achieve your best. I speak with a coach every two weeks, and I serve as a coach to many others.

3. Giving

Look to give money away. There is a clear connection that occurs between giving in receiving. The people that give money away tend to receive more back. I don’t think there is some magic reason for this happening, but I do think it works in our psychology. If you give away money, you naturally carry with you an abundance mentality. You are able to understand that more money will come and you will be alright even though you give it away. No matter whether you earn a lot of money, or very little, you should start giving now. A good place to start is by giving 10% of your income. For some, this may seem like a lot, and yet if you set it up as an automatic gift each month you will hardly notice it. And yet, it will be able to make a significant difference in the lives of others. Some ways to give are:

Support a meaningful cause - If there is a cause that is particularly meaningful for you, look to support that cause. For example, you may be passionate about cancer research. If so, look for ways to give to that cause.

Support your local church, synagogue, or worship community - If you attend a church or similar community you should be involved in supporting it. Not only does it support the ongoing functions of the church itself, but churches often provide an opportunity to pool funds and use them to accomplish things that individual donors would not have been able to do.

Support a microenterprise - I’ve previously written about how entrepreneurship can play an important role in poverty alleviation through microcredit. You can contribute as well. Kiva.org partners individual lenders with entrepreneurs in less developed countries. You loan a small amount to them, and it is repaid back over the next year. You are then able to take the same money and loan it to another person.

Sponsor a child - One very rewarding form of giving is to sponsor a child. There are many organizations that allow you to sponsor a child in a less developed country. Your funds go to help pay for food, clothing and education for that child. You are often able to send and receive letters from your sponsor child providing for a hands-on connection to your giving.

4. Investing for the Future

Investing is a vital step. Some people have been scared by the recent economic downturn and have retreated away from investing. You shouldn’t let fears about the economy stop you. Yes, you may want to learn a little bit about risk and stay away from over optimistic views of investments in areas such as real estate, but it is still important that you save for the future. There are several things you should be saving for:

Retirement/Long Run - Investing for your retirement and later life is vital. No matter how much or how little you are making now, invest 10% in your long-run plan. Be diligent and don’t cheat on this plan. Stick to it, and you will have a nice nest egg ready for your retirement. It is never too early or too late to start investing – you’re never too young or too old. With tax deductions given for starting retirement savings programs, saving for your future can even be more valuable. Make sure you’re making your money work for you. Investments can serve to leverage your money, allowing you to earn even while you sleep. Do it now!

Emergency Fund - We all know now that job stability is a thing of the past. Beyond that, life is full of surprises, and some of them are very costly! Having an emergency fund in place provides peace of mind, and stability when those surprises occur. Author and radio host Dave Ramsey suggests having an emergency fund that will cover 3 to 6 months of living expenses. This is a great guideline that everyone should follow.

Education Fund - If you have children, it is wise to put money away into an education fund, to help them pay for college education. Even if you are hoping your child will pay for their own education, having a small fund in place can make a big difference for them. Ideally, put some money away when your child is born and allow it to grow all the way until they are ready to go to college. If you missed that time, start now anyways!

Asset Replacement - you should also have money to replace your personal assets. You can use this to save for and buy a car with cash, be prepared when something breaks, or as part of a planned replacement strategy.
Having a balanced budget means more than keeping income higher than expenses. You need to have a balanced budget to ensure your spending habits match your long-term priorities. Invest money in your health, your personal development, your future, and in others through giving. Only when these spending choices match your values and goals will you have a real balanced budget.

Written by  -
Danny Gamache – The Success Professor
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For years people believed it was impossible. It was impossible that a man could run a mile in under four minutes. Doctors and Scientists said that the human body could not possibly achieve such a feat; some suggested that the body would break apart before such a speed could be reached. Everyone agreed: the four minute mile was not possible.

Well, not quite everyone. After breaking the 1500m record (the mile is 1600m) Roger Bannister started to believe. He started to believe that the four minute mile could be broken. And that belief made all the difference. It led to increased training and an all out effort to break the barrier.

Then on May 6, 1954 this happened:

Roger Bannister had done it. He had broken the four minute mile; a barrier thought impossible. Now he had proven that it could be done. Other people now had the evidence that the four minute mile could be broken.  Other people had the belief.

In the days and years that followed, that belief turned into results:

• Just 46 days later Jim Landry of Australia broke the record again.
• Less than two months after that both Landry and Bannister both broke four minutes in the same race
• Since then thousands of people have run the mile in under four minutes
• In the next 30 years the record was broken 16 more times
• The record now stands at 3 minutes and 43 seconds
• Even high school students have broken the four minute mile
• In 1997 Daniel Komen of Kenya double the feet running TWO miles in LESS THAN EIGHT minutes.

Each of these feats took Roger Bannister breaking the record to show the way. To show them that it was possible. To break the barrier that others had put up. Once the barrier was broken by Bannister, everyone else followed suit.

What is your “Four Minute Mile”?

What is the thing in your life that everyone thinks is impossible? What is the thing that you keep hearing can’t be done? Maybe you even believe it. Perhaps it is a goal you have given up on, or a sales target you think can’t be achieved. It might be the next step to success in your field.

Your four minute mile might even be something that others have accomplished. It just might seem impossible to you. You need to treat this goal as a four minute mile, and know you can do it, that you can break your four minute mile.

“Every time I ran the mile I was aware of my own weakness, there was some opponent who could give me a hell of a fight, so I never went into a race with a sense of invincibility. I always had that feeling of fragility and nerves which made me run faster.” – Roger Bannister.

Lessons From Bannister’s Four Minute Mile

1. You need support

Bannister didn’t do it by himself. As you see when you watch the video, he had teammates to help pace him. They went out and set the early pace for Roger to follow. Behind the scenes he had coaches, training partners, and a support system. To break your four minute mile you need support. Bring the right people around you that can help push and encourage you towards success.

2. Facing criticism

Bannister faced significant criticism as he worked towards his goal. First, he faced criticism that came from having a goal that everyone though was impossible. He was wasting his time. Pursing an impossible goal is a waste! He also faced criticism about his unorthodox training methods. People had an understanding about how to best train for these kinds of races, and Bannister wasn’t following those methods. Roger faced this criticism and went right past it. He didn’t let the criticism affect his belief and the way that he saw his goal.

3. Push through the pain

Reaching any worthwhile goal requires pain and discomfort. In athletics that is often a physical pain, but your pain might be emotional or mental stress. Pushing through the pain and getting out of your comfort zone is vital to success. Bannister said:

“The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.”

4. Barriers are often mental not physical

Scientists believe that the barrier to reaching the four minute mile was a physical barrier. It was not. It was a mental barrier. No one broke the four minute mile, in part because no one thought it was possible. Certainly it wasn’t easy, but it was possible. The same is often true for our goals. What we think we can’t achieve is really only a mental barrier, not a physical barrier. If you believe in your abilities you can achieve far more than you imagine.

What is your four minute mile? It is likely something that you think you can’t do. A goal you think you can’t reach. It is mental. To break through and beat your four minute mile you need to start by believing. Believe that it is possible. Once you have that belief you will still need to work hard. You will need to train, face criticism and push through the pain. But by surrounding yourself with a support team and persevering, you can break your four minute mile.

I’ll leave you with this inspirational video that helps apply Bannister’s four minute mile to life:

Written by:
Danny Gamache – The Success Professor
If you liked this article, leave a comment below, share it with others, or subscribe by RSS!
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Hi everyone,

Another week is complete.  It was a great week for me in many of my goals.  Here are a few excellent articles that I came across this week that will help you succeed.

1. Michael Hyatt asks, “What Keeps You Going When You Want to Quit?”

2. The 150 Project shares, “Lessons from My Conducting Debut.”

3. At The Art of Nonconformity, Chris Guillebeau, writes a great post on “Personal Responsibility and Showing Up.”

4. Career Renegade, Jonathan Fields, helps you improve your blog by asking “What Does Google Think Your Website is About?”

5. Goodlife ZEN shares “Why Getting Up Early  Enhances Life and How to Beat the Stay-in-bed Blues.”
Bonus:

Elsewhere on the web: On my other blog, I share tips on “Improving Your Follow-up With Prospects.”

From the archives: “A Wicked Example of Customer Services.”

Enjoy

Danny Gamache – The Success Professor

Follow me on Twitter (@Successprof)

Do you remember what you were like as a teenager? No, I am not talking about the awkwardness and struggles with self identity or the clumsiness as you wonder about who your next date will be. I am talking about how you looked at the future. The optimism you had about who you could become and what you could do in life. Chances are your thought process was much different than it is today after you have been beaten up by life a little. It is time to change that, to reconnect with your teenage-self, and start thinking big again.

Have Big Dreams

As a teenager you probably had big dreams about life. Think back to that time. What did you dream about? What were your hopes for the future? At one point, I remember dreaming about being able to retire young and play golf every day. Your dreams at this age are not limited by life experiences. There isn’t as much that you think “I couldn’t do that” or “that’s not possible”. Instead you believed that it was possible to live your dreams.

Do Anything/ Achieve Anything

Chances are you believed that you could do anything in life. You could achieve whatever you wanted to. What did you want to achieve? Did you have a list of what you wanted to do in life? If so, your list was probably very extensive. The world was in front of you and you could aim to do anything you wanted to. It was all possible.

Change the World

Not only did you believe that you could do things for yourself, but you knew that you could make a difference. You could change the world. Your dreams were not small dreams limited to yourself, they were world changing. What impact did you want to have on the world? What was the thing that you wanted to change, for the betterment of all humanity?

Unshakable Confidence

The most interesting thing is that your mindset didn’t stop with big dreams and a belief that you could do anything, achieve anything and even change the world. That dream was combined with an unshakable confidence that not only could you do it, but you would do it. You would achieve more, have more and be more. You would make a difference in the world. You would make your dreams come true.

So What Happened?

A drastic change occurred. Likely you don’t have those same dreams anymore. You likely do not see yourself changing the world, and while you have goals you likely have much smaller goals than the “teenage-you”. Somehow things changed.

This change didn’t happen all at once. It was a gradual change. It happened step by step in your life as things didn’t quite go the way you thought it would. One disappointment at a time, you slowly began to accept less in life. You started to lower your goals and to dream of smaller goals.

Photo by: The Consumerist

It started small. Maybe you didn’t get into your top choice for a college. Perhaps you didn’t get the summer job you hoped for. Later, the disappointments got a little bigger. You graduated from college and ended up working in a fast-food restaurant or a retail store. This wasn’t what you went to college for! You started to think more about paying off your student loans than about the dreams you used to have.

Over time, step by step, the burdens of life and the disappointments that occur have diminished your dreams. As a result, you set smaller goals, and you began to accept less and less out of life.

What Can You Do?

It is time to get your dreams back. No, they don’t have to be the same dreams you had as a teenager – although some of them might be. It is not the actual dreams that you need to get back, but your ability to dream; your ability to think big about life, to see the world as full of possibilities instead of full of limitations. It is about being able to see yourself as capable of achieving big things, and getting back your unshakable confidence.

The Irony of It All

The irony of the situation is that you are now in a better place to achieve big goals. You are now far better prepared to do big things, to live an extraordinary life. You have more skills and abilities. You may have more education, or at least a lot more life experience. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You have more connections, a bigger network. You have more potential!

Combine the Two

In the end, what you need to do is combine the two sides. Combine the energy, belief, and dreams of your teenage-self, with the knowledge, wisdom and abilities of the current you! The trick of course is to combine them without letting your current mindset and beliefs takeover again. Stick to your big dreams. Stick to your unwavering belief that you will achieve your goals, and stick to the attitude that comes from those beliefs. This change in mindset and attitude will take time. You will need to work at it and create a new habit of thinking. But if you do work at it, you can replace your current thinking with the type of dreaming that was true of your teenage-self.

When you combine the two, you will move forward rapidly towards your goals. You are better than you think you are and by connecting with the teenage-you, you can reach your dreams, achieve more than you imagine, and you can change the world.

Written by:

The Success Professor – Danny Gamache
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Lance Armstrong is inspiring. His story is one that encourages you to fight to reach your goals.  The story is so good that you almost think it can’t be true.  Think of the sporting accomplishments alone.  Before Lance Armstrong, no one has ever had more that than five Tour de France victories.  Not only did Lance win five, but he went on to win number six and number seven.  Far more than anyone had done before.  Now he’s made a comeback, showing that he is still one of the best in the world at 37 years of age, and with three years off from professional cycling. It is inspiring!

And then there is the other Lance Armstrong story.  This is the story of the cancer survivor. Lance went through a battle with testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. When he was diagnosed he was given a 20% chance of survival. Not only did Armstrong survive, but he went on to become a world leader at raising money and awareness in the fight against cancer.

No combine those two stories. Each on their own could make a movie, together they are spectacular.  Armstrong’s fight with cancer came in the middle of his professional cycling career.  He was out for two years and came back better than ever.  The following year he won his first Tour de France, winning the three week race by a substantial margin, over 7 minutes. Some called it a fluke victory, so Lance came back and won again and again and again…. proving to be one of the best cyclists of all times.

Below, we’ll look at some lessons we can learn from Lance Armstrong.  To give you a clear picture of Lance’s story, check out this video:

There is a lot we can learn from Lance Armstrong and the Tour.  Lance himself tells us that we can learn life lessons from the Tour.  He writes,

“It’s not about the bike.  It’s a metaphor for life, not only the longest race in the world but also the most exalting and heartbreaking and potentially tragic.  It poses every conceivable element to the rider, and more: cold, heat, mountains, plains, ruts, flat tires, high winds, unspeakably bad luck, unthinkable beauty, yawning senselessness, and above all a great, deep self-questioning.  During our lives we’re faced with so many different elements as well, we experience so many setbacks, and fight such a hand-to-hand battle with failure, head down in the rain, just trying to stay upright and to have a little hope. The Tour is not just a bike race, not at all.  It is a test.  It tests you physically, it tests you mentally, and it even tests you morally.”

From “It’s Not About the Bike” by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins.

Here are some lessons that we can learn:

1. Persevere Beyond the Competition

Whether it is in his fight with cancer or in battling to win the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong is a great example of perseverance.  The fact that he made a cycling comeback at all required significant perseverance.  He didn’t need to go back to cycling. Success in any goal requires that you persevere.

In the Tour, pain builds from days of racing and mountain after mountain to climb up.  What makes Armstrong successful is that he fights through the pain.  Cancer taught him how much pain he could endure and cycling can’t match it.  Now he pushes through the pain.  Perseverance towards your goals will mean that you need to push through pain, and do so more than your competition.

Lance knows that if he keeps pushing on through the pain the competition will eventually fall behind him and he will ride on to victory.  The same is true if you are in business.  Your competition won’t keep up with you if you keep doing the things that you need to do to become successful even when you don’t want to – perhaps ESPECIALLY when you don’t want to.

2. When You Fall, Get Up and Keep Going

In one of the most impressive Tour de France performances ever, during the 2003 Tour on the important mountain stage to Luz Ardiden, Lance crashed after clipping a spectator with his handlebars.  As with everything else in his life, Lance didn’t stay down.  He got back up and powered his way back to the leaders catching and eventually blowing past them to take a commanding lead in the Tour.

When something happens in your business or life that gets you down, you need to get back up and keep going. Dust yourself off, get back on your bike, and ride.  We will all face obstacles on a daily basis as we work towards our goals.  Don’t let them slow you down.

Aside: To watch this impressive comeback visit:
(http://wheels.videosift.com/video/Tour-de-France-2003-Lance-Armstrong-s-Amazing-Comeback)

3. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

No one prepares for the Tour de France like Lance Armstrong.  Certainly Lance prepare physical by getting into peak condition, but what really sets him apart from the others is the other things he does.  Armstrong goes to the important mountain stages before the Tour and examines the climbs.  He then rides them over and over again making sure he knows exactly where the steepest parts are, where to attack the field, and where to rest.

What kind of preparation can you do that will help you reach your goals more quickly? Perhaps extra practice before you give the big presentation, more research into your potential clients so you can specifically address their needs, or maybe going the extra mile to make sure your blog article has all the facts.  Take the time to prepare well.  Know that those who prepare and then take action will reach the top, they will get the big client and make the big sale.  Do your preparation.

4. Surround Yourself With a Great Team

One of the ironies to professional cycling is that it takes a team to win, even thought there is an individual winner. Lance has consistently surrounded himself with an excellent team that helps him win the Tour.  As the team leader, Lance would rely on others to set the pace, block the wind creating a draft, and help him defend the lead.

Whatever goal you are working towards you need a team. This may be a support team that encourages you on, challenges you, and holds you accountable to your goals.  It might be a team that you work with on a day-to-day basis trying to achieve a common goal. Look to build a team that compliments your skills, encourage you, challenge you, and help you move on to victory.

5. Don’t Listen to the Critics

If you are attempting to do something great you will face critics.  There will be people that will tell you that you can’t do it, or that it can’t be done.  There will be people who look at your weaknesses and focus on those, and there will be people who simply try to pull you down because they want to keep you where you are.

As a champion, Armstrong has faced a constant berrage of critics.  They said he couldn’t win and when he did, they said he couldn’t do it again.  Later they turned to accusations of cheating and anything else they could do that could hurt his image.  Time after time, Lance rose up and showed the critics that he was a real champion.

So ignore your critics; or better yet, use their criticism to energize you and provide the fuel you need to push you over the top.

6. Life Is Short, Use it Well

Cancer attacked Lance Armstrong as a young athlete in the prime of his career.  This should be a reminder that life is short.  We never know when our time will be up. Make every day count. Be thankful for the health you have, enjoy every day, and use it well.

As we leave, check out this inspirational commercial from Nike.

Source: http://fearlessstories.com/blog/2009/07/lance-is-back/

Use today, set your goals, and just do it!

(Last year I wrote about Success Principles from the Tour de France.  Check it out here!)

Written by:
Danny Gamache – The Success Professor

Create wealth with your own business: Visit here!

Find me on Twitter: @Successprof

Hello everyone,

Summer Vacation trip is over, and I’ll be getting back to a regular blogging schedule.  We will start with a new edition of “Sunday Browsing”.

Let’s start off with a post from my favorite blog, Zen Habits.  Leo shares “A Beautiful Method to Find Peace of Mind” .

Next, Seth Godin shares a short but powerful post on mediocrity.

37 Signals shares “How playtime is responsible for Post-It Notes, Lasik and more”.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with a couple of videos:

1. Chris Guillibeau (from another one of my favorite blogs, The Art of Non-Conformity) is interviewed by Career Renegade Jonathan Fields.

2. A great talk from Gary Vaynerchuk

Enjoy!

Danny Gamache – The Success Professor

(Start a New Home Business TODAY – click here)

Most readers will be celebrating a National Holiday sometime this week. For American’s July 4th marks Independence Day.  Canadians celebrated Canada Day on July 1.  These are great times to celebrate, spend time with family and enjoy the summer.

There is one more thing you should take some time to do over this holiday week: review your goals, and set goals for the quarter or half of the year.
As I’ve written before, I believe in setting goals for short period of time – such as 3 to 4 month periods.  July 1 is the start of a new quarter and the second half of the year.  So, amidst the celebrating, fireworks, and time with family, take a few minutes to set your goals for the next quarter or next half of your year.  You’ll be glad you did.

Happy Holidays to all!

Written by:
The Success Professor – Danny Gamache

On Twitter: @successprof

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We all know that personal growth is important if we want to move forward in life, get better, and achieve our goals.  But how consistent is your personal growth? If you are like many it goes in spurts.  You’ll have a period of time when you are doing all the right things: you are listening to CDs and podcasts and reading books.  Because you pursue these activities in spurts you also grow in spurts.  You grow for a little, and then stabilize.

What is interesting is that your progress towards your goals will end up following the same track.  When you are growing and pursuing personal growth activities you will be moving towards your goals. There is a direct relationship between personal growth activities and progress towards your goals.

So what’s the solution?  A small but consistent daily commitment to personal growth.

Just FIFTEEN minutes a day!

That’s all it takes.  Fifteen minutes a day can help you stay focused on your goals, moving forward, growing, and a step ahead of your competition.

Here’s how you can make the most of your fifteen minutes a day:

1. Those fifteen minutes a day must be FOCUSED.

They must be FOCUSED on the field or discipline that you need in order to achieve your primary goal.  If your primary goal is in sales, you should be pursing personal growth activities that help you be a better salesperson and stay motivated.  If your primary goal is your blog, you need to be learning about how to be a better blogger.  If your primary goal is to run a marathon, you need to be pursing activities that keep you excited, encouraged and learning how to be a better runner.

This means that other personal growth activities that you pursue don’t count towards your fifteen minutes.  Only activities directly connected to your primary goal count as your fifteen minutes a day.

2. Know the skills and abilities that you want to improve.

Based on your goals, you need to know what areas you need to get better at.  If you are a salesperson, perhaps you need to focus on closing skills or on understanding your customers.  If you are a blogger, you may want to learn about developing WordPress themes or improving your marketing skills.  What are the skills that you need to excel in to achieve your goals and be excellent in what you do.

3. The fifteen minutes a day must be consistent.

You need to do this every day without skipping.  Initially this might be hard.  You may forget, there may be other things going on, and it may feel like you don’t have time.  Even if it is the last thing you do before you go to bed at night make sure you take that fifteen minutes pursing focused growth.

Personal growth in this manner is a habit.  That means after a period of time it will become a lot easier perhaps even automatic.  It takes time to form a habit, but it is worth it.

4. Have someone hold you accountable

Anytime you are looking to pursue a goal or create a habit, you will have more success if you have someone holding you accountable.  As you work to create a fifteen minute a day of personal growth habit, you will be more likely to do it if you have people holding you accountable.  Ideally these should be people who are pursing a similar primary goal and as such are working on similar personal growth activities.

I have a group of four other people that I work with to hold each other accountable to our fifteen minute a day of personal growth.  We email each other every couple of days and share how we have spent our fifteen minutes of personal growth time.  Not only does that help keep us motivated but it serves as a way to share ideas on personal growth activities.

5. Engage in personal growth activities

Just do it!  The slogan that Nike uses is useful here.  You need to get started and just do your fifteen minutes of personal growth time.  What should you do?  There are many options:

• read a book (my top 10 books are listed here)
• listen to a training CD
• get an audio book from the library
• listen to podcasts (my top 10 podcasts are listed here)
• read inspiring blogs
• watch a TED presentation (my top 5 TED presentations are listed here)

There are lots of options, choose one and get started!

Fifteen minutes a day is not a lot of time.  You can learn a new skill, move towards your goals, and above everything else grow!

Written by:
Danny Gamache – The Success Professor
Follow me on Twitter: @successprof

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