You Are Your Most Important Asset; Invest In Yourself

* How will you spend your free time?
* What books will you read?
* What audio books will you listen to?
* What online communities will socialize in?
* What sort of people will you surround yourself with?
* What forums will you attend?
* What course will you undertake in order to improve your skills and expertise?
* Will you volunteer?

To improve your life, you need to commit to reading or listening to a minimum of two books a month. If you can do 3 or 4, that is even better. 

I often get reactions to the effect that people are busy they don’t have time to read. No one is ever too busy to do what is important to them. You can read or listen to audio books while commuting, performing domestic chores, waiting in queues, during lunch break, etc.

I will give you a short list of 5 personal development books to get you started on your road to self-improvement. Include reading these books in your 2017 goals.

1. Rich Dad Poor Dad By Robert T. Kiyosaki

This is the book that will challenge your beliefs about money. How many times do we hear the words; ‘I can’t afford it. I don’t have the money…’ Many people struggle financially all their lives and eventually retire poor and dependent on others not because they did not earn money during their working years but because of their lack of financial literacy.

Why do some people earn good salaries but still retire poor and dependent while others start out in life earning little but are able to turn that little money into great wealth? What is the difference? Robert uses two fathers to parallel two possible routes in life and how each goes full cycle.

The highly educated professional who goes through life enjoying a successful career but gets a rude awakening upon retiring and discovering that he can no longer finance his lifestyle with his pension (if there is any pension anyway). 

The second type is the person who takes the route of building assets that last generations, even after he is gone from this world. If you have not read this book, get yourself a copy especially if you are an employee and read it through. You will be thankful that you did.

2. Think and Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill

This is one of the best books I have ever read and I never get tired of re-reading it. It does not grow old. After interviewing over 500 of the most affluent men and women of his time, Napoleon Hill uncovered the secret to great wealth based on the notion that if we can learn to think like the rich we can discover wealth and success.

According to Napoleon Hill, the secret to success really lies in the mind. Success is actually hidden in the power of thought. There is a great secret hidden in this book which is really the magic formula to success.

There is a reason the book’s title is Think and Grow Rich and not Work and Grow Rich. The book has been updated and revised to include stories of top achievers of our day such as Bill Gates and Arnold Schwarzenegger. This book will transform your entire outlook to success and money. Fail to read it at your own risk.

3. The Magic Of Thinking Big By David Joseph Schwartz

This book is really a self-help guide to getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life as well as your community. It provides you with the cure for failure. The difference between successful people and everyone else is the magic of thinking big; the size of one’s thinking.

Are you a happy and fulfilled individual in life? Do you blame something else from your parents to the government to your spouse for your lack of success? If you are not 100% satisfied with your life, you will do yourself a great service by reading this book.

4. Making A Living Without A Job By Barbara J. Winter

If you are employed, you could be wondering what this book has to do with you. This book teaches something that is critical for survival in today’s economy; the importance of having multiple profit centres which is nothing but multiple streams of income.

A single source of income will not keep you afloat in today’s economy so you better figure out additional ways to generate revenue, aside from your core business.

This book will open your eyes about finding opportunities in a chaotic economy. That is exactly what each one of us needs. This book is a must read in today’s economy. You risk living a life of financial struggle if you don’t read it.

5. Make Your First Million in Network Marketing By Mary Christensen with Wayne Christensen

I guess that if you have heard all manner of horror stories about network marketing and are convinced that it is some sort of scam or pyramid scheme, you will be shocked to find this book on my list. That is completely understandable. In today’s economy, we cannot afford to ignore this industry that is growing at a very fast rate around the globe.

This book is simple but very comprehensive. Instead of following rumors and misconceptions by people who are not experts, be open minded about an industry that is going to transform many lives in the coming decades. Don’t dismiss an opportunity to transform your life but rather get full information then you will be equipped to make informed decisions.

Once upon a time I was ignorant about the network marketing industry and would have preferred to struggle financially rather than look at it. The reality is that many people are still in the dark about network marketing.

It is amusing that many reject this model of business largely because network marketing organizations are configured in the form of a pyramid, but the reality is that just about every organization on the planet is; government, billion dollar corporations, schools, churches and even the family unit.

Network marketing is not illegal and it shouldn’t be. If you are struggling financially and could do with an extra source of income, this book will give you the straight facts about what you need to do to build a successful network marketing business.

And because the school system does not teach us how to build businesses, you will do well to learn entrepreneurial skills as taught in the network marketing industry. You will have better chances building your own business after you have mastered the skills you need to build a successful network marketing business.

This article is written By: Susan Catherine Keter; a network marketing professional, personal development and business coach and blogger. Catch me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Financial.Literacy.Africa/?pnref=lhc or Twitter: https://twitter.com/SusanCatherineK