Here, today, we are presented with a massive opportunity, an opportunity for growth.
The daily strategy of get up, fight the morning traffic, go to work, work from 9am - 5pm (7pm in reality), come home, put the kids to bed, wash up, relax, go to bed has been erased.
I’m serious, the world has never had an opportunity in its midst of this magnitude and scale. The strategy of how we ‘normally’ operate our lives, always planning for the future, work trips, evenings out, dinners, parties, events, commitments, gym, cinema, restaurants has all come to a standstill.
There’s no FOMO (Fear of missing out) because no one is doing anything, no travel, no clubbing, no concerts, nothing to be missed, and as a result I predict we’ll be happier, if we adapt and apply ourselves to the opportunity at hand.
There is a stillness to daily life now, less rushing around and more consideration, for the family and for the individual. Diaries and schedules have to be communicated in advance, so that video calls can be taken in the office without interruption. I have seen this in my own life with my wife, we are now more across each other’s day than ever, “how did that call go”, “what happened with that client”, “is there anything I can do to help”.
We are a team. Families are a team, sharing important updates, friends are a team, “did you see these changes”, “don’t get caught out”, “do you need anything”, partners are a team, “you look like you need a break, let me take the kids while you unwind.”
The daily strategy has changed, and possibly for the better. We communicated with loved ones in other counties, states and towns with more frequency and care. We think of future events and sympathize with those that might need to be cancelled, weddings, birthdays, holidays.
The world is maturing, growing up, becoming more human.
On a personal level, I truly believe there is an opportunity to go bigger in this adversity than ever before. To push yourself out of your comfort zone, to expand your business during this period of uncertainty, to do the webinar, live or video conference call. This time calls for audacious warriors who are willing to go to the edges of their comfort zone and expand it.
This is your time to Shine!
This is your moment, to invest in yourself fully, to do retool, and realign your life to what matters, to listen to that inner self and go courageously after that burning desire, the thing that lights you up inside. If you’re having these thoughts, and you want more for your life, make sure you recognize them and do something about it.
Podcasts, audiobooks, lectures online, the world is giving you a gift and it is all there for the taking. The knowledge and skills are there to be learnt and now is the time to double down on your goals, dreams and vision.
Now, let’s look at some specific ways you can take a advantage of this unique opportunity to expand your learning and growth.
Podcasts
These are a fantastic way to enhance the learning process because they can be done in what I call ‘dead time’, this is when you are waiting for the pizza to come, cooking a fish pie, taking a shower, going for a run or bike ride or just relaxing on the balcony.
You won’t regret integrating the ritual of listening to 30 minutes of motivating, uplifting and insightful dialogue into your daily routine.
Just taking a quick look of the web it is easy to find results, here are some recommendations for the Top 10 Self-help Podcasts out there today
Online Courses
Coursera is a valuable resource when it comes to ready and available online courses from top Universities around the world, for example go the home page and you will see courses offered for Machine Learning at Stanford and Wellbeing at Yale with over 3 million people enrolled.
Alternatively, now is the time to take the course of your favourite Author, inspirational leader or expert. Most will have courses online ready for you to work through to master their teachings.
Reading
Below are a selection of my recommended reads, split into four sections, Creation, Conditioning, Certainty and Connection taken from my 4Cs Framework I detail in Be The Lion.
Creation (Action)
By Alex Banayan
By Jen Sincero
This book has everything you need to turn your life around and start living the KICKASS life that you deserve. I FULLY recommend you grab yourself a copy of this book, it is fundamental reading to getting unstuck, owning your greatness and taking your life to a whole new level. Click, click, click, this book needs to end up in your possession.
By Richard Branson
I really enjoyed this book, Richard takes a good hard look at the journey from 1998 onwards, the ups and downs and the relentless ambition, courage and decisions that he took to make it happen and bring Virgin to all corners of the globe. What I loved about this book is it feels like Richard is right there in your living room, telling you these stories first hand. This is one entrepreneurs tale who will never stop.
By Tim Ferriss
By Ashlee Vance
Conditioning (Mind & Body)
By Napoleon Hill
Be prepared to get everything you DESIRE! There is so much value contained within the pages of this classic text that if you're struggling in any area of your life, pick up a copy and see your stars align. This book captures the magic of mastering mindset and directing it towards what it is you want. Follow the principles to the letter and watch you life transform.
By Tim Ferriss
By David Goggins
Goggins is one tough dude! Once I got to grips with how he operates his life and why I started to understand. Concepts like "callousing the mind" and "day one, week one" are big lessons that can be learned in this adventure he takes us on through Navy SEALS training, ultra marathon races and many more pursuits that most people wouldn't even think were possible. Conquer your mindset and get after it with this book.
By Gary John Bishop
I read this book, and then re-read it straight away. It's like the mother load has been dropped, everything you ever wanted to know about why and how you self-sabotage and how to address it is in here. This book will not only change your life it will see you live one great big life of your fullest potential. This book spoke to me, it's real, down to earth and much needed. I cannot recommend this book enough, just get it.
Certainty (Self-Belief Strategies)
By Jen Sincero
By Duncan Clark
By George S. Clason
By Phil Knight
Connection (Spiritual)
By Idil Ahmed
By Gabrielle Bernstein
By Paulo Coelho
By Mastin Kipp
YouTube University
Remember how before people told you not to scroll through YT videos all day wasting your time? Well, now, it’s still the same, the key is to find videos from people like Tony Robbins, Les Brown, Gabrielle Bernstein, that will actually help you develop your skills and put them into action. Taking a 20-minute break each day to enhance your knowledge in a specific area is mightily powerful.
This is also important if you are building something, for example you might have decided to learn how to code your first app and so YouTube becomes a helpful tool that can save you time when it comes to learning a new skill. My suggest would be to combine this learning with learning from online courses, experts and books. That way you get a fully rounded education and build a skill that you can rely on for life.
I’ll say it again because it is worth repeating, this is your time to Shine.
Say yes to opportunity today, make it your mission to put your all into adapting to these changes and taking advantage of the massive opportunity that is in front of this. We can all come out of this experience stronger, more resilient and better people with new skills under our belts.
We’re in this together and I am proud of you for making the shift towards a life of fulfilment.
With gratitude,
Tim
