Has your business growth leveled off? Are you feeling stuck and burned out? Grow yourself! This is a very common position that business owners find themselves. Sometimes their business grows beyond their ability to effectively move forward to the next level. This was where I was in a previous business. Here are 10 ways to grow yourself.

My Personal Growth Story

One of the businesses I started had grown to about $1 million in sales, and it was growing beyond my ability to effectively lead it. I felt like I needed to grow personally in order to lead the business to more growth. Over the next few years I took action on my personal growth in a number of ways and my business grew to $8.5 million in annual sales prior to selling it to a publicly held company. Personal growth helped to pull me out of burnout and prepared me for rapid business growth.

Jim Rohn, one of my favorite motivational speakers said this, “A formal education will get you a job, but personal development will get you a fortune.” There is something powerful about choosing areas that you want to see personal growth!

10 Ways You Can Grow Yourself

Over the years I have coached hundreds of business owners in the area of leadership. Here are some ways I share with my clients to begin to grow yourself. Following these 10 ways you can grow yourself to change your life and business:

1. Make a List of Your Personal Growth Goals.

Decide where you want to improve. Some areas could include leadership, sales, marketing, reading financial statements, time management, process management, public speaking, etc. It has been said that “variety is the spice of life.” As you begin learning about new areas in business and learn more about areas that you have some knowledge, you become energized!  Use some of the following tools to begin growing. Write down at least one new task each day as you use the tools below:

2. Become a Reader.

You have likely heard the saying “Leaders are readers.” There are many successful business owners who don’t have a degree, but few leaders who don’t read. You can read eBooks, traditional books or even articles.

3. Listen to Books on Audible.

Zig Ziglar, the famous motivational speaker taught business owners to attend “Automobile University”. He recommended that while driving down to road you can listen to audio recordings of motivational speakers and other business training speakers to get an education. You can also listen while at the gym or waiting in lines, etc. Doing so will inject ideas and enthusiasm into your life.

4. Listen to Podcasts.

There are countless podcasts available on every topic imaginable for you to watch or listen to. Take advantage of these free resources.

5. Hire a Business Coach.

Without a doubt the biggest impact on myself and my business came from my decision to hire a business coach. Within just a few months of working with a coach my salary doubled and my work hours were cut in half! Since that time, I have always had a business coach.

A good business coach will teach you about many aspects of business (we have 36 coaching areas of business and will have 30 in by the 1^st Quarter of 2020. A good business coach will hold you accountable to the areas you want to improve. Finally, a good business coach will give you an amazing return on investment. It is not unusual to see 1000% ROI.

6. Watch Business Related TV Shows.

There are many TV shows that teach in the area of business. You can watch Shark Tank, The Profit, The Apprentice, Restaurant Impossible, etc.

7. Attend Industry Association Conferences.

Attend your industry association meetings and go to the workshop offerings. You will learn about elements of success in your industry.

8. Attend Webinars.

You can get education from the comfort of your home by attending webinars. With a free webinar you usually have to sit through a sales pitch. But you also can attend a paid seminar and get training on most any topic.

9. Attend Local Workshops/Seminars.

You can find all kinds of workshops on Facebook, Event Brite, and Meetup groups. Or search your community calendar for upcoming events

10. Get a Degree Online.

Do you regret not getting your degree? It’s never too late! You can get a fully-accredited degree by studying from anywhere you wish. There are many e-learning companies that offer online degrees and courses so you can learn almost any skill from home.  Through the CLEP and Dantes programs you can earn courses that apply to virtually all colleges and universities. And you can prepare for the exams by using tools such as instantcert.com . Many students have earned their bachelors degree in as little as 6 months.

Ray Kroc, creator of the franchising model for McDonalds said, “If you’re green you’re growing, if you’re ripe you rot.” Begin to grow yourself and your business will grow. It will change your life!

Summary

Has your business growth leveled off? Are you feeling stuck and burned out? Grow yourself! This is a very common position that business owners find themselves. Sometimes their business grows beyond their ability to effectively move forward to the next level. Follow these 10 ways to grow yourself and it will surely help you grow your business too.