I remember back to the year 1992. I was driving an 18-wheeler for a living, thinking all I had to do to make life better was drive more miles per week. When I was working as a mechanic, it was always “work more hours a week”; then I worked in sales and it was “get more sales.”
No matter what part of life we are in, no matter the profession, it seems you always hear you need to do more. We get locked into that mindset that if you just do more of what you are doing, you will become successful.
Well, my life came to a point where I needed to get out and learn more in May of ‘92 when a head injury left me with a form of epilepsy. One thing that really helped me get through that time was being introduced to business people, specifically, business people who taught me two things that have become very important in life.
1. You need to build an income that is passive, that comes in regardless of you putting more hours in. That is one of the reasons we had yesterday’s post — to help you see you need to be on the lookout for income that builds over time with you doing the work once. Yes I know in our world we are not being taught this very concept. Instead we’re taught that kind of work is what scammers do, or it’s not real work if no labor is involved. I want you to think about that the next time you purchase a song from your iTunes that was recorded once and sold over and over again.
2. You need to become a life learner. I remember when they told me I needed to read more; I was told I should spend five minutes before bed every night and read a positive book. At the time, it had been eight years since I had picked up a book to learn. I was out of school and didn’t think books were needed. I thought you learned a trade and went to work. After all, if you know my story, you know that is what the experts told my parents I should do because I was not going to do better than that. Well I picked up books again in ‘92 and did exactly what this week’s theme is: I went back to school.
You see, we need to become life-long learners. I cannot imagine my life as those or teachers told my parents I should be. There was something inside of me that needed to come out. It was a dream and I was not going to get that dream just by putting in more miles and it was not going to happen making more sales.
So 20 years later, not only have I become a life learner, each day I pick up one of the books I’m reading and learn more. I have books I am reading for the 10th time or more. I have new ones that I’m reading to learn new things. Bottom line is I will never stop learning as long as I’m alive.
So thinking of our theme this week, “Back to School,” are you going to go back to school in your life? It’s time to pick up a book, attend a seminar, listen to a podcast or radio show of someone who is putting out life education material. It’s your time to go back to school. It does not mean you have to sign up for a college course; you may just need to pick up a book.
I’m Tim Gillette, the Rocker Life Coach. It’s time to live your dream, to love what you do and those you share life with. Pick up some books, learn something new and become a RockStar in your world.
