Investing Just One Hour In Yourself Can Change Your Life

Ben Franklin was a firm believer in this strategy for success. As a child, he did not demonstrate any unusual intellect, other than he was a voracious reader. Yet, Franklin became an inventor, author and one of America’s earliest entrepreneurs. How did he do it?

Benjamin Franklin was a firm believer in devoting an hour of each day to himself. His schedule included:

• Getting up early to read and write

• Associating with those who shared the same love of learning and improvement

• Setting personal goals

• Developing experiments to test his ideas

• Reflecting on his day

Successful people are a creative lot. To fully develop their ideas, they need time just to think. Don’t underestimate the power of “downtime.” Here’re some ways to best utilize this time.

• Give some thought to what you want to learn and set goals accordingly.

• Devote time to just learning. Consider taking a class, reading a new book, or talking to those who share similar interests.

• Ponder to get a proper perspective. Some people think best in a bath or while taking a walk.

• Make an effort to practice things you don’t know. So often, we’re just on “automatic pilot.” Practicing new things allows you to get comfortable with moving out of your comfort zone.

• Tackle problems as they occur. Use your downtime wisely.

• Experiment: Whether it works or not, you’ve learned something valuable.

Many people measure their day by how many tasks they’ve accomplished. When you alter the focus to learning, you do the opposite. Every phone call, every task presents an opportunity to learn. A learning lifestyle provides greater returns in the long run. Consider Bill Gates. He still reads a book a week, citing that reading is the main way he gleans new information.