Here's a great short from Jim Rohn talking about working harder on yourself than you do your job. When I first came across this quote it took me a while to completely understand and apply it to myself. I realized that my job consists primarily of me clocking in and earning money from my time. Essentially, the money I earn is "stored time." It doesn't matter how much harder I work or how much energy I expend, the amount of money I earn is the same. I also knew that there is no growth to earn more because my coworkers have been there 10+ years and make the same amount as I do. Although this job allows me to make a living, I am not living my life to the fullest. Once I started applying this concept to my life, everything changed for me. I'm now working hard on my own business, my health, my mindset, disciplines, relationships, finances, continuing education, and various skills. Now I feel more fulfilled and on the right track to becoming the best version of myself. Now it feels as if I am continuing to grow in all aspects of life and am enjoying the journey. What do you guys think of this quote, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Here's a good video from the pioneer of Growth Mindset research, Carol Dweck, explaining how to use Growth mindset vs. a Fixed Mindset. I used to always have a fixed mindset on certain things, especially when it came to reading books, whether that be in college or in life (personal development books). I always told myself "I'm a slow reader and I've always been like that" or "I think I am an undiagnosed dyslexic so I won't read." This was my Fixed Mindset speaking. This mindset hindered my learning capabilities and in turn had me miss out on invaluable lessons. Lately, I've shifted my mindset to a Growth Mindset and this involves me problem solving different ways I can learn as opposed to reading. I asked myself "Although I read slower than others, how can I still learn the material? Because I know I need to in order to benefit myself." One of the ways I solved this problem was to listen to audiobooks or recordings instead. I was always good at listening to others, so I used this strength as a solution to continue learning. This applies to other things in my life, especially when it comes to learning new things. Having a growth mindset is essentially being out of your comfort zone and doing it so you can become a better version of yourself. Have you ever experienced this before or are you currently experiencing moments like this? Let me know I'd love to hear your stories!

Here's good advice from Mel Robbins on intentionally acting like the person you want to become. Over the past year I've been applying this advice to my life and I've seen my mindset shift drastically. I used to always tell myself "maybe I can be that person" or "I think I could get this done." But simply changing my words to "I can be that person" or "I can get this done" has made me a more confident person when tackling ongoing or new challenges in my life. Another thing that has also empowered me is writing down who I want to become in the present tense. An example would be writing "I am financially independent and free." After doing this every morning and evening, I feel the same sense of mindset shift and capabilities of already being this person. Although I have various financial debts (credit cards and student loans), empowering myself that I am financially independent and free puts me in a state of being worry free. It makes me stronger and push through to achieving this dream identity that I know I will become. So, I want to encourage you all today to apply this advice to your life. I know that it will improve your lives instantly. Comment below who you want to become and write it in the present tense!

Here's a good short video with Dr. Andrew Huberman and David Goggins discuss how your brain (anterior midcingulate cortex) grows when getting yourself to do hard things. Doing hard things when you don't feel like doing them is the definition of "discipline." When you experience this and get through something difficult, then the anterior midcingulate cortex (recent research) grows and develops. In turn, your discipline and willpower grows as well. There's been plenty of times when I set personal goals to achieve on a certain day, but when it comes time to complete it my brain and body literally gets stressed out and lazy. I start telling myself all the reasons why I can't do it. For example, with exercise, I'll tell myself "I don't have energy" or "I'm too tired, I can push it tomorrow." During this moment, is the time for me to work on this "willpower" or "discipline" muscle or in scientific terms to work out my "anterior midcingulate cortex." If I push through and complete my exercise despite these thoughts, then I would have exercised my "brain muscle" (in lack of better terms). Eventually, after doing this numerous times with all my personal goals or simple daily tasks, this brain muscle gets stronger which also makes all new difficult things a lot easier to approach and complete. This is something that we all face on a daily basis and are given the opportunity to work out this brain muscle. I encourage you all to take this into consideration every day and start to re-frame your mindset and character to becoming someone who does difficult things opposed to someone who always takes the easy path.

Here's a good video from Brian Tracy on how to set your goals. When I first learned about this it was from reading the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. At first I thought "nah this is lame, this won't work," but after trying it out for the past year I have seen immense benefits from doing this and in fact I have met the goals I set. One of my goals for example was to have read 12 books within a year. I broke it down into 3 month increments and put a timeline (i.e. 1 book per month). I even went as far as listing the name of the book that I wanted to read each month. After trial and error, I realized that I read too damn slow, so I switched over to Audiobooks. I learned that listening to Audiobooks was a more preferential way for me to learn, rather than reading because not only did I acquire more information, but I could listen to it while I was doing other things (driving, chores, etc.) which made it more efficient and productive. By the end of 1-year, I far exceeded having read (listened) to 12 books and this habit was now built in my systems opposed to it feeling like a chore that I HAD to do. Now it was something that I do without even thinking about. So set your goals and make them specific with a time range! This will give you added pressure to get it done in a timely manner and push you to achieve it. Let me know if any of ya'll need help with setting and achieving your goals and I'll gladly help you!