What did you learn in 2023?

What lessons did you learn this year?

Were they positive lessons? Or negative lessons?

Recently I read the Fast Company magazine on their top 30 most productive people, and I found some very interesting similarities within ALL of these interesting people.  Here they are (in no particular order):

  • They all get adequate sleep. Anywhere from 6 to 8 hours. If you have not been exposed to the mounds of research showing that sleep is very important for us, then here is a summary. You need to get at least 6 to 9 hours of good REM sleep per day. Being sleep-deprived and proud of it is not a positive thing.
  • They all have set schedules made in advance. They know before they go to bed what they are doing the next day, and then they review it in the morning to stay focused and productive.
  • They all have filters on their email and social media. Having a set routine on when they look and respond to emails as well as setting up filters to avoid junk improves their productivity. Same with social media. They all stated they do look at social media, but narrowed down which sites they look at, for what reason, and only in small doses.  They are not scanning Facebook looking for cool GIFs.
  • Most of them exercise. They do some form of exercise, whether it be yoga, working out, etc. Some of them even told us their food habits, which works well for them.
  • They all read – BOOKS. Yes, real paper books.  Studies have shown we retain and process words better on paper than on a tablet, computer, phone, or any other electronic device.  So, set some time out of the day and read.

Speaking of books. I do a mix of real paper books along with audiobooks within my schedule. Do yourself a HUGE favor and stop listening to the talking heads on the radio while you drive and educate yourself with an audiobook. As Brian Tracy says, turn your car into a rolling university by listening to books while you drive. In 2023, I have read/listened to 67 books.  Many times, I will be reading one book and listening to another in my car.

Here are some great books that I read/listened to in 2023 (in no particular order):

  • Think and Grow Rich lost secret – Vic Johnston.  This is a great expansion to think and grow rich with a lot of deeper insight into the original book by Napoleon Hill.
  • The One Minute Millionaire – Mark Victor Hansen. Great insight into how to achieve extraordinary wealth and success. Easy to understand examples of wealth creation.
  • The Coaching Habit – Michael Stanier. If you own/lead a business or manage anyone, then this should be on your reading list in 2024. It provides great insight on how you can be a better leader/manager and get more out of your people just by asking great questions.
  • Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg. You may have heard that to form a habit, you need to do it for 21 straight days. This book is right up that alley and gives some great advice on how to develop that positive habit a little easier.
  • ABC’s of Success – Bob Proctor.  An older book, but still very relevant today. Great for new business owners and those business owners looking to get a reboot within their business.
  • Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill. This is always on my annual reading list and it should be on yours as well.  Reading this “Workbook” every year will keep you on your path to success.  Get into a mastermind group to get the most out of this book and improve your life.

No matter what, we all have learned something this past year. If you haven’t learned one or more new things, then make a plan to learn something new in 2024 and put it into practice to grow your business, or improve your life, maybe move up in the company you work for, get a new job, mentor someone, share your time by volunteering for an organization that you have no affiliation with.  Just learn something new.  I learned how to use a new CRM in 2023.  What did you learn?

By continually learning you are growing as a person.  Right now, decide what action you are going to take to learn something new in 2024. Read more real books. Take an educational class. Learn a new computer program. Learn martial arts. Just learn.

I wish you much learning success in 2024.

Let me know what were your favorite books that you read/listened to in 2023 and why.