#1170 Intentional Growth

A Reminder: My new podcast, Selling in the Age of AI is out there. This week I spend time with Morty Davis. Morty is a Wall Street icon who has received prestigious awards from numerous individuals, including Ronald Reagan during his presidency. Morty is 96 and a character and a half. Give him a listen. Selling in the Age of AI is available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Now for this week: Intentional Growth

When Quentin Tarantino was asked if he went to film school, he replied, "No, I went to films."

I love the idea of a good education, but if you're reading this, you are likely beyond taking the SATs or applying to graduate programs.

Formal education is important.  I have successful friends who got their MBAs in their forties while juggling work, school, and families.

Beyond that, education still rules. There are hundreds of newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos to enhance your capabilities. 

Tarantino's quote implies that hundreds of films were not just watched but dissected, and the plethora of conversations, questions, meetings, submissions, rewrites, door-knocks, and rejections that came before any recognized success. And most importantly, it continues today.

I know people who think they're done – that they have nothing more to learn and I know people who think they're done because they don't believe they still can learn.

They're both right.  THEY'RE DONE. They may not have retired, but they're done.

If you don't like to learn, how do you think you'll do when you compete against someone who does?

"Somewhere, someone is practicing, and when you meet him in head-to-head competition, he'll beat you.

Ed Macauley, former Boston Celtics coach.

This goes for everything. I've been working out regularly for 50 years and continue to ask questions and learn new ways to train my body.

As a speaker, seminar leader, and coach, I want to learn more and grow continually.  When that desire wanes, it's time for me to hang up the mic. There is no end to learning unless mediocrity is your goal. 

That doesn't mean there is no easing off the throttle. Whether retired or working, there is more to learn regardless of what you pursue.

I know that there are folks who while away their days watching TV with no regard to personal improvement. I can't judge. I don't know how they got there or why they stayed. I can only say it's not for me, and hope to avoid whatever circumstances brought them to where they are.

My daily six, (six things I want to do each day to lay my head on the pillow at night with satisfaction and peace of mind) includes learning something. It's a core value for me, and the more I discuss this with happy, successful people, the more I see it as a commonality. Being successful and happy do not necessarily go hand in hand, like coffee and donuts. I know many people who have attained the outward measures of success and remain unhappy. Whenever we mention success here, we mean having all of the things money can't buy and some of the things it can.

Reading, learning, and staying curious are core principles for me. A closed mind is a dying mind, and a lack of curiosity is a lack of life force.

Sometimes, monetary or business success leads people to believe they have answers they don't have. I can tell you unequivocally from my experience that I learn a great deal from people with opposing opinions and lifestyles. They often bring a perspective I am oblivious to, a way of looking at something that would not have occurred to me. Learning doesn't mean I change my opinion or lifestyle to match theirs.  It means I have more information with which I can refine my own opinions.

My Dad is 90 and has been retired for many years. He still inquires about various exercise methods appropriate for his age and reads about improving his bridge game and putting. The desire to learn and improve continually is a large part of how he got to 90.

It isn't all about competing or excelling. It's about taking pride in who you are and what you do. Whatever it is, pickle ball, pinochle, or parenting. Whether you walk for fitness, ride a bike, or try to lift the gym. If you're a bean counter or want to cook beans in interesting ways, there are plenty of resources to help you learn more about whatever it is you do, and for me, that learning will keep you interested and interesting as well.

Own Your Sales Gene…