Work harder on yourself than you do on your job
“Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.” — Jim Rohn
The late, and great, motivational speaker Jim Rohn knew something many people did not: success is an inside job.
Plenty of our future successes arise from our mindset. We will either adopt: 1) a fixed mindset or 2) a growth mindset. For more information, I’d suggest reading Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck.
Therefore, it is no surprise that those individuals who are successful encounter frequent setbacks and failures.
To many, failure may represent the absence of success which is something we’re programmed with at a young age.
However, the person who has a growth mindset knows failure is an opportunity to improve on their attempts, drawing lessons from their failures which move them closer to success.
If success is a journey that you’re willing to endure, recognize it comes with valleys and peaks, despite the many setbacks you’ll encounter along the way.
Working harder on yourself than your job requires paying attention to your mindset, attitude, learning ability, who you choose to associate with, along with nurturing your innermost thoughts and self-talk.
I’ve had five corporate jobs in the past 4+ years and am now onto number six.
I’ve been given two weeks' notice twice by my employers.
Thankfully I’ve been able to find new work/contracts before the two weeks were up by planning ahead each time.
The moral of my story (and I’m confident for others too) is that we are all replaceable in the gig economy.
In today’s world, markets, businesses, product demand, technology, and global economies shift faster than ever before.
Ask yourself (as an employee or your own boss), does your employer or clients truly care about you? Is the extra work worth it? Is the time away from family and sacrificing your health worth it?
We are all expendable.
However, our time is not.
Go home and spend quality time with your family.
Use your vacation time. Take a mental health day. Hit up the gym consistently. Make time for your hobbies, interests, and passions. Retire early if you’re able to financially speaking.
Because what I’ve found over the years is that your income seldom exceeds your levels of personal and professional development.
Audit your circle, surroundings, and environment. Make time for what’s important by living life by your design and not by someone else’s. We can’t get our time back.
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.” — Earl Nightingale
Recognize that every failure and every obstacle draws you closer to the person you must become to realize victory.
Success is the sum of your personal growth and development.
Those who work hard on themselves outside of their jobs are heavily invested in their personal and leadership development. They are committed to reading books daily, weekly and monthly. They attend industry seminars and lectures to further their education. Also, they invest and work with the right coaches and mentors to be lifelong learners in their fields of study.
When a person develops their greatest asset and their innate strengths, he or she can create unlimited income. Remember, that a wage is a fee you receive set by your employer, based on the exchange of time and services rendered.
Profits are unlimited only by your earning potential and efforts. As you upgrade your mindset, so too does your bottom line and income streams.
Therefore, your self-worth will determine your net worth.
It is the pay-off of devoting time, energy and resources on yourself and others, rather than by simply working harder in your job or profession.
Lastly, I’m not down on jobs; merely up on opportunity in 2019 and beyond!
My Very Best,
Donovan E. Vogel
