What do the world’s richest man, Bill Gates , Oracle founder, Larry Ellison , and computer innovator Michael Dell (combined wealth $US 100 billion) have in common?
None of them has a University degree—proving that a University degree is not necessarily a pre-requisite to being successful.
So what does it take? Here is a very simple method, tried and proven by personal experience and observation that will work for anyone, anywhere... and in remarkably little time.
Study something—literally anything that is of interest to you—one hour a day in the same way that a university student would study their courses. (Well, maybe without the sleepless nights and the hangovers...). A concept that was popularised by Earl Nightingale a half-century ago, then largely forgotten, taking an hour each day to study a subject that interests you is incredibly empowering and will quickly pay off—emotionally and, depending on what you study, financially.
In Nightingale's research on the technique, he found that daily study is a trait of almost all successful individuals—and that in just six months of concentrated one-hour-a-day study, you can become an expert in almost any topic. Sound simple? It is. That's the beauty of it, and one of the reasons this technique can change lives, whether of directionless teenagers... people stuck in mid-career ruts... or individuals in the golden years who feel sidelined by society and need some extra cash.
What might you study to achieve the freedom you want and the revenue to enjoy it? The answer is study something you are passionate about, or were as a youth. It makes the daily studying fun and assures your new career will be emotionally as well as financially satisfying. Don't feel like changing jobs? There is no better way of moving up the corporate ladder than by daily study of the industry you're in. In just a month or two, you'll attract the attention of your superiors by rattling off details about your business that demonstrate your fast-growing knowledge.
When can you find an extra hour a day to study? I found the best way to proceed is to plan your study period at the same time each day. Nowadays I use the quiet hours between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Too early? Go to bed by 10:00 p.m. and you can still get in a solid 7 hours of sleep before rising at 5:00 a.m. to make coffee and get in the groove.While you may not be able to become a brain surgeon by studying one hour a day for six months, there are any number of professions and new jobs where six months of study will get you well on your way. How long would it take for you to become a really competent video editor? To learn how to build a great surfboard? To learn the critical principles of design for web sites? The list goes on and on.
Regardless of what you study, don’t procrastinate—if you don’t learn something new today, you will just be one day older and not one bit smarter tomorrow.
And don’t forget to spread the word of Earl Nightingale—knowledge is power, and you can build a remarkable amount of knowledge in just one hour a day.
- Wayne Mansfield
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