In the same way that entrepreneurs are encouraged to reflect and act on the concept of working on the business versus working in the business, we can all benefit from giving quality time to ‘working on ourselves’ rather than being busy ‘doing, doing, doing’ all the time. 

Keeping busy ‘doing stuff’ is like working on efficiency and not effectiveness – which rarely leads to the best outcome. ‘Being effective is about doing the right things, while being efficient is about doing things right’. 

I regularly meet people that want to make changes to their lives but don’t give them priority. They often start with enthusiasm. But after a while, the change is relegated to time that is not filled with other stuff. There is time occasionally but it is never enough to integrate habits, build momentum and sustain positive change and transformation.  People have the illusion they are working on themselves and become easily disheartened and eventually give up because of lack of progress or ‘it wasn’t for me’ or it ‘didn’t work’.  

Taking time regularly to reflect on how you’re doing and prioritizing your health and growth, mind and body can and does pay great dividends.   When, you are at your best, you can naturally bring your ‘best self’ where ever you to.   

Just as entrepreneurs and business owners create a sustainable and successful business by working on the business and not just in the business, equally, we can all benefit from stepping back, taking stock, seeing what might be holding us back or what might grow us and working on ourselves – ultimately growing capacity, strength, drive and effectiveness and ensuring consistent growth and development in the long-term.  

Stress + Rest = growth.  Stress + no rest = burnout.  Because of being ‘busy doing’,  many of us operate from a place of partial burnout much of the time.  Either we don’t, take care of ourselves,  give time to recharge our batteries or allocate time for personal growth and working on ourselves.    

Why do we avoid this? Working on yourself takes courage. It can be challenging as we must sit with and look at the parts of ourselves that we would often rather not see. We often even tell ourselves convenient lies to avoid these uncomfortable truths – because we are ‘too busy’.    Ironically, the discomfort passes when we sit with it.   

People that work on themselves, bring fresh perspectives to situations.   They are expanding their horizons continuously. Warren Buffett reads for 6 hours a day.  Bill Gates has read a book a week for the last 20 years.   There are many other examples. Working on yourself pays. We can do this through books, self-study and reflection or even doing courses or simply giving time to personal development body and mind through regular exercise, meditation, reading, studying and actively learning new things and challenging ourselves daily.  

We can all benefit from sharpening our saws and keeping them sharp.

Here are seven quotes to inspire self-improvement

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you’ve always been.
T.D. Jakes

Make the most of yourself….for that is all there is of you.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Work on yourself more than you do no your job.  
Jim Rohn

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.
Ernest Hemingway

The mind is just like a muscle – the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand.
Idowu Koyenikan

Change is your friend not your foe; change is a brilliant opportunity to grow.
Simon T. Bailey

The time is now. Stop hitting the snooze button on your life.
Mel Robbins