Did you expand your knowledge in 2018?

December 31, 2018
Business, Entrepreneur, Leadership

What lessons did you learn last year?

Were they positive lessons? Or negative lessons?

Fast Company magazine wrote an article regarding 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 really 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, 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 the look and respond to emails as well as setting up filters to avoid the junk improves their productivity. Same with social media. They all stated they do look at social media, but narrowed down which sites they look, 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 electronical devise. So, set some time out of the day and read.

Speaking of books. I do mix of real paper books along with audio books 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 audio book. As Brian Tracy says, turn your car into a rolling university by listening to books while you drive. In 2018, I have read/listened to 63 books. Many times, I will be reading one book and listening to another in my car.

Here are my top 10 books that I read/listened to in 2018 (no particular order):

Essentialism – Greg McKeown. This is a great explanation on how to simplify everything.
Outliners – Malcolm Gladwell. Many of us wonder why one person “gets the breaks” while other done. There is more to this as Malcolm explains.
Born to Win – Zig Zigler. Haven’t read this one in a while and really give you the jump start you may need to push ahead and WIN!
Find your why – Simon Sinek. Great follow up that now provides a step by step method to Know your Why.
Crush It & Crushing It – Gary Vaynerchuk. Just get off your butt and do it. Find a medium for your message and just get your message out there. These books are for doers and action takers only.
Walmart Effect – Charles Fishman. Want to know why Walmart became a juggernaut? This book shows the pros and cons of dealing with Walmart. The gallon of pickle story will really make you think about your operation.
Measure what matters – John Dorr. Great lesson for business owners to keep focus on the true metrics in their business and ignore the rest.
100 tricks to appear smart – Sara Cooper. Very funny play on how to appear smart. Hear a lot of these tricks from people.
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill. This is always on my annual reading list and it should be on yours as well. Reading this book every year, will really keep you on your path for success. Get into a mastermind group to really 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 it a plan to learn something new in 2019 and put it into practice to grow your business, or improve your life, maybe to 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.

By continually learning you are growing as a person. Right now, decide what action you are going to take to learn something new in 2019. 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 2019.

Let me know what were your favorite books that you read/listened to in 2018 and why.

Steve Feld, MBA, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training. Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business. Contact Steve today to see how he can assist you grow your business, steve@coachstevefeld.com, or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business