By Jack Perry
If you're not serious about investing in your personal and professional success and growth, you might as well stop reading this now and file it in the trash. Only individuals who are seriously focused on their potentially prosperous destiny will want to know and choose to use the valuable information in this article. Having said that...
People invest their time, money and energy into many things: a home, income producing investments a favorite sport or pastime. While these investments are worthwhile, they are not your number one best investment choice. The most valuable business assets you have are: yourself, your employees, and your community. It goes without saying that your family is your prized personal asset. Invest in these assets and you will reap significant returns.
Invest In Yourself
There is no better asset to invest in then you. No one can do things quite the way you can. You are unique and priceless!
You are your most valuable asset.
And because of your potential value, you need to make sure you invest in your education, physical health and mental health.
Formal Education
Most business people choose to end their pursuit of an education after receiving their four-year degree. But unless you continue to pursue new information and keep your brain active, how can you grow as a person and as a businessperson? You can’t. My dad said, “Unless you are getting better, somebody’s going to take it away from you. This is America, the land of opportunity.”
The world is changing every day. There is so much you can learn, things you don’t know. There are so many new interesting people to meet, people who can help you achieve your goals, and whom you can assist with theirs. And as you gather new pertinent knowledge, you are able to use the new information in ways you never dreamed.
It’s not how much you know, it’s how you use it that has value.
In the fall of 1999, I was in Santa Barbara, California, teaching a class on how to grasp opportunities in today’s rapidly changing environment. One of the key points in this lesson was to be prepared for opportunities. As an example, I shared a concept that Dr. Donald Moine, an international sales psychologist, revealed to me, in the fall of 1990, during a lunch meeting: “Americans love credentials. With credentials, you have added power.” One of my students that day, Melissa, pursued this idea and asked a series of serious, penetrating questions regarding credentials.
Rule: Americans love credentials.
Melissa decided to make a commitment to get her CFP, Certified Financial Planner. It was her opinion that with a CFP she would then get added opportunities in the financial services world. No truer words were stated, because , two years later, she was the proud owner of a CFP, plus CLU, Series 7 and a Series 24. Melissa’s approach to professional excellence speaks volumes about her true commitment.
You need education to survive and thrive.
I think of business like a game of poker, five-card draw or stud poker. In these card games you are dealt five cards. But, if you continually seek knowledge and education you have the upper hand .In essence, you will hold an extra card, six cards while your competitors have only five cards. This is a 20% advantage! There’s always the possibility of an extra ace, and you’ll have even better odds than anyone else in the game.
Other Ways to Get a R.O.Y. – Return on You
Additional ways to invest in yourself include reading books, listening to CDs and watching DVDs that relate to your industry. You might want to choose a mentor or role model, someone who has experienced success in your field and seek their advice regarding sources for pertinent education opportunities. Harvey McKay, in his bestseller, Beware of the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt, laid it on the line. He said, “Education can help you avoid the high cost of experience.”
Zig Ziglar, a world-famous motivational speaker and businessman, knows the power of continued education. He stated, “I get more testimonials and letters for my tapes and books than I do for my seminars. Why? People attend my seminars, and have an entertaining and eye-opening experience. They typically go home with good intentions regarding the new information from my class, but without a reinforcement tool many return to their old ways. However the people who invest in my CDs , DVDs and books can use them over and over to reinforce the proven concepts.”
I am a believer in the power of knowledge and walk my talk by choosing to continue to educate myself through books, CDs, DVDs, lectures and seminars. Sunday after church, my wife and I typically visit our local book store, peruse the shelves of books and invest in new educational materials. Several weekends each year I invest in and actively participate in educational programs related to my personal and professional education.
Hire a Coach
Serious athletes and businesspeople have coaches. In the tennis world, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe always had a coach. In the golfing world, even Tiger Woods has coaches.
Anyone who is really serious about becoming successful should hire a coach, because it is difficult, if not impossible, to see yourself objectively. No matter how hard you try, you simply can’t. Everyone can benefit from a coach, in essence a tool, who can see us and our circumstances realistically.
Invest In Your Employees
If you have your own business make sure the people who work with you have everything they need to do the best job possible.
Bill Gates says “…if you have an employee who needs a tool or education and you don’t get it for him, you’re paying for it anyway in the form of loss
of productivity and quality of work.”
You have to make a decision when you own a business. Do you want success enough to invest your money and time? If the answer is “yes,” spend the money on the proper technology, training and continuing education for those who work with you. You’re not only providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to make your company successful, you’re telling your employees that you believe they are valuable.
Invest In Your Community
Twenty years ago, my wife and I helped start one of the first non-profit organizations in the country to raise money for public schools in our community. During a group meeting of parents in our living room in Laguna Beach, we named the organization “Schoolpower.” This organization provided our local schools with much-needed money for supplies and computers, no strings attached. As we started to give the parents and members of the community the opportunity to invest in our childrens’ futures, we encountered the argument that “this is the government’s responsibility.” Two to three evenings a week I would sit at local kitchen tables in our community and explain that the government wasn’t going to provide the necessary funding and we had a simple choice to make. We could stand up and help our schools or watch our children, and future generations of children, go down the drain. We all have a responsibility to invest in the futures of our children and our community.
The truth: Local and national governments should provide schools with
everything they need for students.
The reality: That is not going to happen. We all have to get involved
to make it happen.
So, we did just that. We set up the organization and visited people in the community, spreading the word about “Schoolpower.” The first year we raised a little more than $100,000 and gave it all to the school system. The teachers and students became enthusiastic about it and got involved. Today, this program is alive and well in Laguna Beach.
Dividends Pay Off
There is nothing more valuable to your business than where you choose to spend your money, time and energy. In business, as in life, you are either moving forward or backward. There is no such thing as standing still. Choose today to move toward the successful business you are destined to have by making investments. When you begin to invest in yourself, your employees and your community, you will see your returns grow exponentially.
P.S. Start investing today for your future dividends
Invest from The Respect Factor® Series
THE RESPECT FACTOR® is a trademark of Jack Perry in the United States and other countries. Used with permission. ©2009 Jack Perry. All rights reserved
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