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July 3, 2024
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July 7, 2024
The Love of Reading: A Gateway to Personal Growth
For the Roman philosopher and politician Marcus Tullius Cicero, cultivating the intellect was essential to the good life. He once said that all you need in life is a garden and a library, and often waxed poetic about the love of reading. In the words of Cicero, “read at every weight, read at all hours, read within leisure, read in the times of labor, read as one goes in, read as one goest out.” The key takeaway is compelling: read to lead.
As Bill Gates wisely said, “Be nice to book nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.” By most accounts, reading is an essential habit of success.
Find a Learning Method That Works for You
Learning is a meta-skill and arguably the only skill that truly matters. If you know how to learn and are passionate about it, you can learn anything else in life. While some people are avid book learners, others may learn better through alternative methods. Some prefer audiobooks and podcasts. Others learn best kinesthetically through hands-on experiences like museums, classes, and guided hikes.
The point is, it doesn’t matter how you learn, as long as you learn often and without abandon. For the most fulfilled people, learning is a constant part of their lives until the day they die.
Incorporate Learning Into Your Personal Development
Ask yourself: What things do you need to learn to round out your wheel of life? What subjects bring you joy and excite your curiosity? How can you incorporate learning into your personal development in a way that inspires and engages you? By pursuing learning in areas that matter to you, you can fill gaps and find greater happiness and fulfillment.
The Value of Life Coaching
What Life Coaches Do
Many people feel the need for a professionally trained expert dedicated to helping them reach their mission. Life coaches assist healthy individuals in leading lives of more meaning. They help clients make wise choices to create an effective, balanced, and fulfilling life.
Coaches help you discover your personal best and provide the right amount of motivation and praise to get you there. They are particularly helpful during times of personal or professional transition.
Life coaches can assist with various aspects of personal development, including:
- Writing a book
- Proactive retirement leisure planning
- Beginning to date after launching your children
- Getting stronger and fitter
- Idea generation
- Organization
- Time and stress management
- Accountability
How Coaching Differs from Therapy
Coaching focuses more on the present and future than the past, and more on goals and behaviors than emotions. There is an assumption that the client has most of the answers within and just needs some guidance to uncover them. Coaching involves a more equal power balance than typical therapy. The coaching relationship depends on the client being highly functional and ready to work hard between sessions.
Is Coaching Right for You?
While the tools taught in this course are generally powerful enough to propel you forward, especially when combined with mentors and role models, there are times when a coach can provide the extra support you need. Anytime you feel stuck on your journey, that’s when enlisting a coach makes sense. In the words of Albert Einstein, “we cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” A coach offers that outside perspective to help you level up your thinking and get unstuck.
The Power of Peer Coaching
The concept of peer coaching is to provide mutual support through regular one-on-one contact. The goal is to help each other reach your highest potential. You develop clear personal mission statements and set related goals to launch important new directions or maintain balance and serenity. As peer coaches, you want your partner’s goals to happen as much, if not more, than they do.
How Peer Coaching Works
In the peer coaching model described, a group meets weekly for around 10 weeks and commits to each member’s growth. Participants set personal and/or business mission statements and goals, then discuss them regularly with a peer coaching partner. Each week, partners pledge to complete steps toward their goals.
Peer coaches ask personally relevant questions and offer support through calls, cards, emails, brainstorming, and practice sessions. The weekly peer support is instrumental in providing accountability. These relationships build intimacy and allow partners to call each other out on destructive patterns and unhelpful excuses while celebrating successes. Many find the bonds formed through peer coaching to be deeply satisfying.
In summary, whether through self-study, professional coaching, or peer support, committing to lifelong learning and personal development is key to leading a life of meaning, success, and fulfillment. Find learning methods that engage you, set meaningful goals, and don’t be afraid to enlist help when you need it. The journey is so much richer with growth-oriented companions by your side. Remember, your happiness is in your control, and continuous learning is a powerful tool to unlock your full potential and create the life you desire.
