SUMMARY

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

 

FULL TRANSCRIPT

[The following is the full transcript of this episode of The Brendon Show. Please note that this episode, like all TBS episodes, features Brendon speaking extemporaneously–he is unscripted and unedited. Filmed in one take, The Brendon Show has become one of the most viewed unscripted, direct-to-camera self-help series in the history of YouTube. It has also been the #1 Podcast in all of iTunes and is regularly in the top podcasts in Self-Help and Health categories around the globe. Subscribe to the free motivational podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.)

Make a development plan. Make a development plan. You are the learning development officer in your life, not someone in HR, not your old teachers. You are. For those who’ve been with me for so long, you know I say this all the time. If I parachuted into your house today and we opened up another tab and we opened up your calendar and I stepped through your calendar for the next six months, is it terribly obvious to me what you are working on, what skills you’re trying to develop, what projects you’re trying to complete to stretch yourself, to grow yourself? Or is every day another reaction day?

Because listen: if every day is another reaction day, you are in a fixed mindset.

Write it down. If every day is another reaction day, you’re in a fixed mindset. You stopped believing in big projects that would require you to schedule stuff out. You stopped thinking, “What skills must I master to grow?” Because you’re just trying to handle all the problems. Remember, you’re stuck in one signal of problems.

So, development plan—what does that mean? What are the next five books you’re going to read? What are they? Here’s the difference, if you know you have books and a development plan or you just have books, okay? If you have a development plan, you know the next five books you’re going to read. Why? ‘Cause you began with an outcome, not just chasing down a bestseller or an interest or what showed up in your inbox. You said, “I’m trying to develop the skill of public speaking.” So, your next five books are on public speaking. “I’m trying to grow my business.” Your next five books on scaling the business. “I’m trying to improve my marriage.” Next five books on your marriage.

Now, obviously I’m using books as a metaphor but maybe those books are online courses. Maybe that book is an online livecast like this. Maybe that book is a podcast. You got to figure out, “What is my development plan? What are the conferences, the courses, the events, the trainings: virtual, online, in person? Who are my mentors? What are the resources I’m going to stack up? And when am I going to consume them?” That’s what’s important.

Please listen. Let me break down the development plan for you. Ready? Number one: outcome.

What am I trying to grow into?
What am I trying to improve?
What am I trying to make happen?

See, a growth mindset needs you to cast out an outcome.

A growth mindset doesn’t just say, “I’m good. I can learn.” No, there’s an objective. “I’m going to get better at that test. I’m going to improve that marriage. I’m going to lose that 10 pounds. I’m going to be more active.” There’s something there; there’s an outcome. Then we work backwards. “What must I learn to grow into that outcome? What must I learn about myself? What skills must I develop? What can I learn from other people?”

You know, every outcome I’ve ever gone after in my life, I read biographies of people who already achieved that outcome. I buy books that are specifically built for that outcome. I follow, listen, or consume content or courses or training like this from people who already achieved that outcome. And I listen to how they think, I listen to what they do. Remember, I said development plan.

Number one: Outcome.
Number two: What must I learn?
Number three: How will I learn it? Books, podcasts, following this person, going to these conferences, engaging virtually like this.
Number four: It’s going to show up in your calendar.

This is why I brought up the calendar. Notice Brendon, the little productivity kid, getting excited about this calendar thing. Come on people. I know it’s weird. But listen, it’s going to show up on your calendar. You don’t have a development plan even if you have a full shelf of books. Let me say it out loud for a hallelujah.

You don’t have a development plan just because you have a full shelf of books. When will you read what? When will you take what? When will you try what? A development plan is fundamentally fixed in its success based on scheduling.

I know that’s not sexy so let me make it sexy. Raise your hand if you’re grateful for life. Raise both hands if you have people to serve who you love and lead. You want to serve and add great value to people you love and lead. Okay? So, you’re grateful. I can see you all. Amen if you’re grateful for life.

Here’s the greatest breakthrough I ever had.

If you are really grateful for life, if you have reverence for life, you really care about time management. If you believe life is precious, clearly you know it’s also short. So now, you deeply care about the time that you spend on things.

And time becomes something that you are consistently managing towards—experiencing, living, setting up—so that life is valuable. Like, if we’re happy to be alive, we’re like, “God, thank you for this time I have on earth.” Then notice that. “God, thank you for this time I have on earth.” Don’t you think he’d ever go, “Use it well”? You know what I’m saying? So, you’re not developing yourself if it’s not in the calendar. You’re hoping you grow. You can’t keep hoping you grow. You must grow! How do you do that? It’s in the schedule.