3 Reasons To Embrace A Lifelong Commitment To Learning And Personal Development.

We live in a fickle world full of capricious people who go whichever way the wind blows. And whilst without a doubt it is true that can be fun, it can also be ruinously counter productive. If you really want to get on in life, not just in the here and now, but for a long time into the future, invest in yourself to the max. You may well be pleasantly surprised at the results.

1.Enjoyment.

Reason number one for signing up to learning and personal development is that it is in fact so damn enjoyable.

I rejoice at learning something new, something that I didn’t know before, something that will stand me in good stead for the rest of my life. And that is why I do it, because I love it.

When you devote your time to learning a new language, as I have done and still am doing, the benefits are enormous. When in Spain, I get so much more out of living in general and all my daily activities having taught myself to be fluent in Spanish. (I am now doing the same in Japanese).

Now I can focus on just enjoying myself rather than having to worry about trying to understand, or being misunderstood, about being ripped off, about not being able to do what I want to do just because I couldn’t be bothered to learn the language.

Another thing I have done recently is teach myself to build websites. Ok, it’s not the most complex computer activity, but it is still something I can do now that I couldn’t do before.

2.Tangible results.

Reason number two is that this commitment to your own learning and personal development is something that produces tangible results.

With new learning and personal development I have much better career prospects. I now have better job positions to go for, higher salary grades and better relationships with my co-workers, my bosses and my employers. All that will result in a much better life, for me and my family.

When you know more, when you can do more, and then you will gain more. A higher salary, more free time, more respect of your peers. It’s a win, win, win situation.

With two new languages, Spanish and Japanese, I have that many more possibilities to find a good job that is both rewarding and fulfilling. And now with the design and build of five new websites under my belt the possibilities are expanding even further. Those five new websites I have designed and built are going to be monetised, bringing in much needed extra income, meaning I can do a lot more with my life than before.

3.Live better, live longer.

Reason number three is that such an investment in yourself will pay massive dividends in the state of your health, both mental and physical.

It is a proven fact that people who keep mentally active, especially by learning a new language, or who learn a new computer skill like building websites, statistically suffer much less from mental illnesses. And, what’s more they live longer, healthier lives in general. There isn’t any downside to any of this at all. Mental health is closely connected to physical well being. Mental stress causes high blood pressure which can cause all sorts of serious health problems. And physical health problems can be the root cause of mental infirmities. It is quite easy to become stressed about a dodgy heart, liver or kidneys. So don’t take any chances, head it all off at the pass whilst you can.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be a new language or websites. Whatever floats your boat.It could be doing a course in astrophysics or neuroscience. Or it could be a new sport or some other physical activity. Yesterday I climbed yet another Japanese mountain. Ok, it wasn’t Everest, but it was an arduous climb up to the stars whichever way you slice it. And there are may more mountains to ascend and rivers to cross yet. And I love it.

A short story of success.

I’ll leave you with this little personal story. Due to being born on the wrong side of the tracks, in turn due to living in an urban jungle and attending a Catholic Secondary Modern School that was little better than Alcatraz, I left school as nothing less than factory fodder. I can see that now, but I couldn’t see it then.

I went from one poorly paid, dead end job to another. I earned a pittance and my life was going nowhere fast. So I spent three years of my life going to evening classes after a hard days work just to get enough qualifications to go to university for three years. I then spent that three years recovering my lost education and I adored every single minute of it. The net result was nothing less than transformational. Upon graduation I got a job paying me for one hour what used to take me a week to earn ! And that was just the beginning !

Since that time I have tremendously enjoyed some great jobs and even greater successes. I have have been inspired to launch my own businesses all of which paid very handsomely indeed. And I haven’t finished yet! The best is yet to come.

The only real question is when exactly are you going to start? There is no time like the present. Get on it and reap the benefits almost right from the get go. Enjoy.