What do you think of when you hear the term “self development”? It sounds a bit new age, doesn’t it?
For me, self-development is simply seeking new ideas and new ways of doing things. As a business owner, this input is vital to help you build and evolve your business. Standing still and hoping the world does too? Not a good option!
In the age of the internet, self development has become more accessible and less expensive than ever before. No longer do you need to sign up for a university course or even a short training course when there are so many resources available that you can fit into your schedule and budget.
I have found that listening to audiobooks in the car is a good way to take in some fresh ideas. The full book versions can seem to drag on though, so I plan to give podcasts a go instead. My suggestion is simply to experiment and see what works for you.
Podcasts
Like audiobooks, podcasts can help you make better use of time that you might otherwise waste while commuting, travelling or exercising. Podcasts such as TED talks give you access to inspiring speakers and ideas in a fraction of the time taken to read or listen to a book. TED’s online library has thousands of talks across hundreds of subjects, and you can sign up to receive recommendations based on your interests.
Syndication Platforms
Online content and publishing platforms, such as Medium, curate content across thousands of topics, writers and publications, and include an estimated reading time so you can select relevant articles to fit the time you have available.
YouTube
YouTube has evolved to be much more than a channel for watching funny animal videos (although there’s still plenty of those). It’s now used as a media and learning site by multinational corporates, as well as hosting “how to” videos for almost everything you might want to do, such as DIY, beauty, fitness … and business. You can subscribe to channels or just search by subject, and save your videos to watch later.
Audiobooks
If you really don’t have time to read or just don’t like reading (hello President Trump!), check out the wide range of audio books available from sites such as Amazon, Booktopia, iTunes and Audible. Listening to audio books while commuting, travelling or at the gym is probably a better use of your time than swearing at the traffic or checking social media.
Business books
Making time to read can be challenging as a business owner, so look to others’ reading lists to help you identify and prioritise your reading. Business websites, such as Business Insider, Australian Financial Review, and Entrepreneur regularly list the best books for business owners with a summary of who should read them and how they will benefit you and your business.
Browse online retailers such as Amazon or Booktopia, or check out the business section at your local bookstore. If you’re watching your budget, you can join your local library or buy pre-loved books via eBay or World of Books.
Masterclass
Get your creative juices flowing and learn from the experts at Masterclass. Whether you want to learn about investigative journalism (from Bob Woodward), chess (Gary Kasparov) or writing (Malcolm Gladwell, James Patterson and other famous authors), Masterclass has a class of video lessons that will inspire your creativity.
The sources of information are virtually endless. New ideas, new authors, new content appear daily on the internet.
You could do this on a casual basis – who knows, you might pick up something worthwhile from time to time. Though to achieve real results, I would say that you need to be committed to change and have the discipline to set aside time to work on yourself, reset your thinking, and introduce some new ideas.
So, over the coming months, I’ll share some learning resources and ideas to stimulate your thinking and help achieve your business goals.
If you’d like to talk more about how Bridgepoint can help you achieve your business goals for this year, call us on 1300 656 141.
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