Personal Stock

If you were to consider a valuation of your personal stock, would you be excited?  Has your personal stock value increased in the last year or has it been flat?  Maybe you lost a job or went through a divorce that has your personal stock at an all time low.  If you are familiar with the stock market, you might know there is only one reason to invest in a stock: future value.  We invest in a company because we anticipate its value will rise over time.

With this concept in mind, would you invest in you?  If not, why not? And if you said yes, now what?  I want to be clear that we all have equal value in the sight of God, but our value in the markets vary greatly.  My bet is that you have the capacity to increase your value to the market by 10X.  You only lack a clearer strategy of how to get there. This article will offer a framework for you to begin growing your personal stock.  Warning: it will not happen overnight.  You will grind it out following these principles for a few years before the market rewards you for your efforts.  In my experience, I have never seen it not work.  It is critical that you stay the course and be consistent.  It is also important to realize there in so limit and as long as you continue to consistently apply these principals and avoid the “I have arrived” mentality, your personal stock value will continue to rise beyond your wildest dreams.  You don’t lack capacity, it is likely you lack discipline.

Let’s begin to grow your personal stock value in the market.

1. Take Responsibility – The market rewards people who take responsibility. If you truly want to grow your personal stock, you will never be a victim again.  Stop all excuses.  You are where you are because of the choices you have made, unless you live in a third world country.  However, I would submit to you that in a third world country, the people that take personal responsibility for their situations are happier and have far higher personal stock in their market than those that don’t.  The media, the government, the legal system, and countless other self-serving outlets want you to be a victim.  Of course, they don’t outright claim this, but ultimately, they want your dependence on them.  Our dependence either legitimizes them or brings them revenue.  My point is not to belittle these institutions, but to encourage you to live with your eyes wide open.  Take time to understand the underlying motives of whatever and whoever, and you will avoid being a victim.  If you fail to take responsibility or if someone you are responsible for fails to take responsibility, don’t wear it like a badge of honor.  Just accept it and move forward with a new plan.  If you want to grow your personal stock value over the long term and maintain it, taking responsibility is a must.
2. Make Plans and Set Goals – The market rewards those that have plans for their future and the future of their sphere of influence. Your personal stock will not increase by accident.  Let me ask a question: If you win the lottery, does it increase your personal stock value immediately?  Absolutely not.  Personal stock is not about money.  It is about the value we bring to the market and money is a byproduct of value.  If you have never made plans before, I will warn you: it is hard work, but it is the most fun you will have working.  Planning is largely about asking questions and documenting the answers.  After you have the answers, you identify a legitimate time frame for executing.  From there come goals that are short term and long term.  Short term goals are focused on achieving the long-term goals.
3. Be a Student – It is nearly impossible for your personal stock value to increase without being a student of life. We live in the age of information, which affords us zero excuses for not studying.  The key is to have a study plan.  If you were to consider your current circumstances, what knowledge do you need to acquire immediately?  What knowledge would best help you out of your current circumstances, or take you to the next level?  The market rewards students.  Did Einstein read?  You bet he did.  He was a prolific reader.  Imagine that the person largely considered the greatest genius to have lived was a life-long student, as was Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.  It is nearly impossible to maintain and grow your personal stock without studying.  Again, you should have a plan.  What knowledge will most immediately impact your personal stock value?  Go all in.  Buy the books, watch the videos, take the courses, go to the seminars, join the groups, and get around others who seek the same knowledge.  Everyone wants it, but almost no one is willing to do the work to make it happen.
4. Stay Healthy – The healthier you are when applying the 3 previously discussed principals, the faster your personal stock value will rise. There are three aspects to health – mind, body, and spirit.  I believe mental health should be your highest priority.  Mental health can help you avoid being an asshole.  For the most part, the market does not reward assholes, so you better get your emotions in check.  Meditation, reflection, sleep, and exercise are all key factors to maintaining your mental health.  My mentor Jim Rohn says, “If you don’t feel well, you won’t do well.”  Physical exercise is one of the easiest ways to begin increasing your personal stock.  It is as simple as putting on a pair of tennis shoes and going for a run.  Just start.  90% of personal stock growth is how can feel about yourself.  Getting healthy is the simplest way to increase your self-efficacy.  Healthy living just feels good.  To be clear, I am not saying never drink alcohol or eat dessert.  This is about getting active and improving your fitness.  You don’t have to be a gym rat or run triathlons to be fit and healthy.  Feed your spirit.  Whatever your beliefs are, practice them.  Be a student and be curious.  Our society today significantly discounts the spiritual side of humanity.  Don’t let social dogmas keep you from seeking and quenching your spiritual thirst.
5. Be Mentored and Mentor Others – Our personal stock is directly proportional to our level of contribution. Allowing yourself to be mentored or coached by someone that has “been there and done that” has been a game changer for me personally.  My mentors include Jim Rohn, Zig Zigler, Dave Hardy, Brendon Burchard, Earl Nightengale, Dennis Waitley, Og Mandino, Tim Ferris, Mike Montgomery, Greg Popp, my parents, Gene Bressler, and countless others.  My point is there in no such thing as “self-made” because the influence from others is a major part of who we are.  From birth, we model others and that is why getting around the people that align with your vision of a better future is so important.  Take 90 seconds right now and identify five people that you would like as a mentor.  They could be alive or dead.  Now put your student hat on and go after them.  Next, ask yourself “What groups could I join that will challenge me and help me grow?”  Now take action to join these groups and get involved.  Allowing yourself to be mentored and mentoring others is a game changer in the growth of your personal stock value.  Taking time to pour into others hungry to learn is one of the most rewarding activities you will ever pursue.  For me, this is the most rewarding aspect of parenting.  Influencing others in a positive and meaningful way is the greatest of responsibilities.  To give much, you must have much to give.  This isn’t about giving stuff, it is about giving your wisdom.  Each time we share with others, it allows us to re-learn the material and push ourselves to express it in a more meaningful way.  Several years ago, a young man that worked for one of our principal companies rode with me for a day.  I could tell he was hungry for growth, so I asked him lots of questions and helped him clarify what he wanted in his life.  He went home and worked with his wife to develop a plan for their lives.  He took responsibility for his future.  We spoke a couple of times after our initial car ride, but nothing in depth.  Five years later, I received a box in the mail.  It was a gift that was accompanied by a card expressing his gratitude for that day in the car.  It totally changed his life.  My intent was not to change his life, but to offer what I had learned to him.  If cost me nothing and completely altered the course of his life.  Wow, that is a win-win.  I used my personal stock to help increase his personal stock.  That, my friends, is how we influence the world around us.  I have shared what I have learned about goal setting and goal achievement to thousands of people.  This guy was different because he was ready and he took action, and I hope you do too.

There is no limit to the growth of your personal stock value.  This is not about monetary value.  It is about personal growth.  There is an opportunity for growth in every challenge we face, every person we meet, every book we read, and every decision we make.  What is the major key to growing personal stock?  Mindset and intention.  We must make our minds up and set our intentions.  Only then are we able to implement the disciplines required to grow our personal stock.  It is not going to happen overnight.  It takes time and daily actions.  It is going to suck at times, but anything in our lives that we value took time and effort to accomplish.  Our choices every day will determine our future personal stock value.  I recently heard an awesome quote that emphasizes this point.  “Easy choices, hard life. Hard choice, easy life.”  Something so simple has never been so true.  Every person I know that has chosen the easy life suffers far more than those I know making hard choices.