I know you want to be the best you can be. We all do. But sometimes we look for success in the wrong places or we try to achieve it in the wrong ways.
Here are 60 inconvenient truths about personal development to help you stay on track.
- The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing. Growing happens when what you know changes how you live.
- You can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones.
- A good idea without action is nothing at all.
- It’s not so much about finding opportunities as it is about creating them.
- 10% of our lives is decided by uncontrollable circumstances. 90% is decided by how we react to those circumstances.
- What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow.
- If you’re waiting for the perfect conditions, ideas or plans to get started, you’ll never achieve anything.
- If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
- Change is often resisted when it is needed the most.
- Discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want right now. Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
- The harder you work, the luckier you will become.
- Kindness and hard work together will always carry you farther than intelligence.
- Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.
- Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.
- Lots of successful people have failed as many times as they have succeeded.
- Nobody succeeds all by themselves.
- Right now, there’s a lot you don’t know.
- Having a plan, even a flawed one at first, is better than no plan at all.
- In the beginning, you need to say “yes” to a lot of things to discover and establish your goals. Later on, you need to say “no” to a lot of things and concentrate on your goals.
- No matter how you make a living or who you think you work for, you only work for one person, yourself. The big question is: What are you selling, and to whom?
- We all have different strengths. What worked for someone else might not work for you.
- To be great does not mean you have to dominate others. It means you have to dominate your own potential.
- Being successful is a journey, not a destination.
- Results are more important than the time it takes to achieve them.
- Being busy and being productive are two different things.
- Being happy and being successful are two different things.
- You don’t have to settle. It’s simply a choice you make every day.
- Life is full of opportunities to feel exactly the way you want to feel.
- You have every right to be happy, but it’s up to YOU and only YOU to exercise that right. Read The Happiness Project.
- You have the ability to clear negativity from your mind with a single thought.
- We are all multi-dimensional human beings with simultaneous dimensions of success and failure in our lives.
- Your success isn’t just about you. It’s about how you positively impact the lives around you.
- Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain, and most fools do.
- Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else – you are the one who gets burned.
- Life isn’t always logical.
- When you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.
- It’s usually only as good or bad as you think it is.
- There is a lesson in everything you do, and learning the lesson is how you move forward.
- No matter how smart you are, you will make mistakes.
- There’s no such thing as ‘risk free.’ Everything you do or don’t do has an inherent risk.
- Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right opportunities.
- Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
- When you’re caught up in the moment and your emotions are soaring, you’re bound to make poor decisions.
- Simplicity is often a major factor of success. But the process of simplifying things is rarely easy.
- Cutting your losses is often better than the alternative.
- It’s uncomfortable to challenge the status quo, but it’s worth it.
- You can raise the bar or you can wait for others to raise it. Either way, it’s getting raised.
- Oftentimes, the only reason they want you to fit in is that once you do they can ignore you and go about their business.
- Confusion isn’t a bad thing. It means you’re growing and thinking.
- When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.
- When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.
- Trying to be somebody you’re not is not sexy. Be you. That’s when you’re beautiful.
- Good looks attracts the eyes. Personality attracts the heart.
- Sometimes you just have to do your own thing your own way, no matter what anyone else thinks or says about you.
- When you receive negative feedback, remember, it doesn’t matter how many people don’t get it, it matters how many do. Read The 4-Hour Workweek.
- If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
- Truly ‘rich’ people need ‘less’ to be happy.
- A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, need less, smile often and realize how fortunate you are right now.
- If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you want money, provide value. It really is this simple.
- If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
And remember, the extra mile is the stretch of road that’s never crowded. As long as you follow your heart and never stop learning, you’ll turn not older, but newer every day.
Photo by: Moiht
Stuart says
All true. I love this website, the lists are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Every list is beautiful 🙂
Abhishek Sainani says
“Growing happens when what you know changes how you live.” quite a revelation for me! 🙂
Thank you for sharing these, one needs such guidance to get back on track every once in a while. 🙂
perdedor says
This post could not have come at a better time, as I recently realized that I have been stuck in a state of arrested development since graduating from college a year ago. Definitely inspirational.
Jaky Astik says
One more. Personal development is not always about helping you reach your goals but sometimes it is about enjoying where we stand now.
Jen Lanuza says
Very inspiring. Thank you. 🙂
Annabelle Beckwith says
I love this – both true and insightful.
From my own point of view, it’s the knowing when to say ‘yes’ and when to say ‘no’ that’s my biggest challenge. Is it a genuine opportunity…or a distraction? Am I saying ‘yes’ to the right people for the right reasons… or out of a skewed sense of obligation?
Thanks, guys, for some really useful food for thought to chew over!
Annabelle B at Yara Consulting
Karen says
Powerful stuff. I love this.
Living the Balanced Life says
So many of these are SO good.
Being happy and being successful are 2 different things. Love it!
Confusion isn’t a bad thing. It means you are growing and thinking. I am glad of that! I am hopefully making progress then!
Bernice
4 ways to be like the energizer bunny
John Sherry says
Marc I don’t know where you get these from (I guess you just have an amazing ability) but they are totally stupendous. I’m not sure they are uncomfortable more than they are supremo level truisms. Living them is to reach your own pinnacle and potential and live as Robon Sharma says, “on your own moutian top”. This post was a top one in the same vane – top notch!
Bryce Christiansen says
61. Our IQ isn’t the ultimate decider of whether we will be successful or not. EQ (Emotional Quotient) can affect our behavior and performance just as heavily or more. http://bit.ly/dKzYAg
4got10iwish says
Some worthy thoughts listed here, my problem is when people do alot of good things for the wrong reason.
What do you say when you see a discouraged person getting another load of discouragement?
Sophie says
52.Trying to be somebody you’re not is not sexy. Be you. That’s when you’re beautiful.
53.Good looks attracts the eyes. Personality attracts the heart.
I absolutely loved these two… because they’re so true.
They’re all true, but these two catched my eye right away.
I love your blogs 🙂
bendedspoon says
Inconvenient if not currently happening therefore I say, “Yes, some of those indeed inconvenience me — Thank you!” Meaning I have to work on it 🙂
And you made me smile with number 56!
Something wonderful will happen in my life today! And the today of each tomorrow!
🙂
inspirational thoughts by Stephen says
These are all wonderful truths and takes me back to memories of when I was coaching basketball and soccer. My players would get frustrated me when I made them stop and start all over when they weren’t doing something fundamentally right which affected their performance. I explained to them that practice doesn’t make perfect. If you just keep on making the same mistakes, you are going to reinforce the failures. Success comes when we stop, evaluate our mistakes and improve upon the fundamentals.
Great list. Definitely worth sharing.
jonathanfigaro says
Wonderful List! Great work!
farouk says
i like this one so much “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.”
it inspires me to keep going
Fred Tracy says
My favorite was this one: Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain, and most fools do.
So, very, true! Thanks Marc.
Shanie Matthews says
Wonderful post…it is so true…it is not what we achieve but what we become that is important…
Mars Dorian says
Some kick-ass examples you share here – luv the way you wrote them.
Especially luv these:
“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.”
“When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.”
This one is gold – that’s actually a new goal of mine – I want to inspire people after all !
Thanx for the inspirational blast !!
louise says
fantastic list- beautifully concise thoughts. have sent this to heaps of people each with an individual note about how much i love them 🙂
Just Plain Joy says
I recently started my own Happiness Project on my blog and I love this list! These could also be called the “60 Commandments!”
Nea | Self Improvement Saga says
I’ve been thinking a lot about simplicity lately, so this one speaks to me: “Simplicity is often a major factor of success. But the process of simplifying things is rarely easy.”
Marc says
So glad you all enjoyed this one. 😉
Have a rockin’ weekend!
Cheri says
I have never stayed long online till I got to see your blog. I love it. Thank you!
Carsten says
I love this post. Keeps me motivated to stick to my goals (personal, health, financial, relationships) and I simply love it. It´s so true…..
Cool Dude says
Hei Marc & Angel.
This is really cool.
Very much appreciate the work.
Yours posts are instant brain coolers and highly motivating.
Cheers,
mslt says
Love it! Inspiring stuff.
Trina says
This comes at a time when I am contemplating a move to another country and continent. Lots of food for thought. Thank you!