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Success comes to those who commit to lifelong learning
19 June 2006Question of the day:
Are you committed to lifelong learning?
In our ever changing world, those who succeed and get ahead are the lifelong learners. Successful people are thos committed to continuous improvement and growth. If we are not growing and expanding, we are contracting. It is a natural law.
One point that I make in the Mediation Biz & Marketing Success System is that you should get good at mediating before you engage in full-blown marketing of your services. You don't want to start marketing and promoting yourself until you feel confident in your ability to help people resolve their conflict.
One way to really improve is to read many of the great books out there. In a mediation I did, after I had not done very many, one of the attorneys said to me, "You clearly are good at what you do and know what you're doing."
I was thrilled!(hey we all need a little positive reinforcement, especially when we are new). Little did he know that I was only just beginning and didn't really know what I was doing. The reason that he didn't know that I was new was because I was incorporating tools and techniques from material I had read.
I make an effort to read, read, and read. I want to be as prepared as I possibly can. I want to be flexible and creative. If something doesn't work, I am not afraid to try something else. You can learn a lot from experts! They can mentor you through their books, they can mentor you through their interviews.
For example, I recommend the books featured by three of the mediators in the success system, Gary Furlong's Dispute Resolution Toolbox and Eric Galton's Ripples From Peace Lake and Bernie Mayer's Beyond Neutrality (and Bernie has a previous book on mediation that is really excellent too).
One of the techniques that I used was from Eric's book — the essay on People Moving — that sometimes in mediation you need to get the right people together and move people around.
In addition, I am currently reading Mediating Dangerously by Ken Cloake and Jeff Krivis' Improvisational Negotiation.
I also recommend the classic mediation/negotiation texts:
Beyond Winning by Robert Mnookin
Getting To Yes (Fisher & Ury)
Getting Past No (Ury)
and the recent publication from Harvard:
Beyond Reason (Fisher & Shapiro)
There are countless books on negotiation that I am also in the process of perusing and will recommend the better ones to you.
I spend time each week in Barnes & Noble. It's a great place to get some work done and I love to grab new books on negotiation, marketing, success, business building and management.
It doesn't take that much extra time each day to improve your life.
Becoming the best in your field…
Earl Nightingale many years ago said that all it takes is to read one hour in your field everyday. One hour of study per day will put you at the top of your field in three years. Within five years, he predicted, you could be a national authority. Within seven years, a world leader.
Sometimes, it only takes small adjustments (distinctions) in your actions to push you over the edge to be the very best. The difference between passing and failing is often very minor. Resolve to be the best and to be at the top.
Reading an hour a day, you could read a book a week or 50 books a year. You could easily become in the top 1% of income earners. The best in the field are the ones that earn the most.
And reading and learning is fun!
As with anything, knowledge when applied is power. So take notes, think about what you read, talk about it with others and then apply it in your life and practice.
The world needs you.
Your partner in peace,
Kristina Haymes
p.s. the Success System is just about done, we are just waiting on the merchant account so you can buy it over the internet. When everything is finally ready, (hopefully, later this week), I will let you know. If you want to get a $100 off coupon, shoot me an email at kristina@kristinahaymes.com and I will let you know when the system is ready and send you the coupon code.
Committed to your success!
Posted in Practice Building Advice, Successful Mediators Showcased
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