2-3-4 Friday 

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I’ve spent more than $20,000 on personal development courses. I would hate for you to spend that kind of money too before realising that it could be a waste of your precious, hard earned money. 

If you’re subscribed to this newsletter, chances are, you’re ambitious and want to improve yourself. Yet why doesn’t your self-development seem to work? 

I used to be a self-development junkie. If you caught me in 2020, you would have seen me with a shelf full of self-help books, Harvard Business Review must-reads, and other online courses (untouched). 

On Sunday afternoons, whilst everyone was out having fun, I would be watching on a 42-inch TV online courses on how to create online courses (oh the irony), jotting down copious notes on my notebook.

Strangely, one year on, I haven’t referred to any of those notes. 

And I still haven’t sold that online course.

But what has happened in the past year has been incredibly instructive in terms of how to make self-development work. 

Here are two things I’ve learnt. 

Most training sucks. Really. In person, online, whatever. The best way to learn isn’t by sitting in front of an expert telling you what to do, passively absorbing what is being taught. 

It’s by doing the thing you want to learn. Let’s say you want to start a business. Start selling your product, not watch another online course or read another book or do another business plan. 

Or you want to learn a counselling skill. Read, then try it. 

Learn by doing, do by learning. 

Secondly, distinguish between implementation and ideas self-help. By all means, consume as much resources as possible about different ideas or perspectives of seeing the world. But when you are learning how to implement something, try to learn from one master or guru. 

It’s like building an Ikea table. You wouldn’t refer to Ikea’s instruction manual, then get inspiration from a random YouTube video on making tables, and then attend another design workshop on designing your very own table. 

You would just refer to the Ikea instruction manual. 

Similarly, if you’re applying what you learn, try as much as possible to follow one lane. 

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Self-help doesn't need to involve you helping yourself. Others can help too.

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What has further accelerated my self-development journey is being part of a community of like-minded, growth individuals. Being accountable to others, realising that others are pushing the bounds of what’s possible, makes you equally game to push your own boundaries. 

Here in Singapore, we organise in-person monthly events that bring together ideas, implementation and people for rapid implementation. 

If you’re interested, you can click here. 

John

Live Young and Well