This is why you should view your personal development as a “practice-based philosophy.” The very nature of the subject “personal development” requires that you are capable of putting your values, beliefs, and ideas into action. Action is the primary requirement. Without action, you’re in a place of personal stagnation.

Have you ever heard of a “keyboard jockey?” A keyboard jockey is an individual who spends more time typing on their computers about how to do something than actually practicing it in the real world. It’s a term that first became popular in the Pick-Up Artist (PUA) community.

Whether or not you agree with PUAs, they were right on this one. They understood that in order to learn something, or get better at it, you need to go out into the “field” and practice it.

Michael Jordan didn’t become a professional basketball player by reading books about basketball. Gary Vaynerchuk didn’t become a Wine expert by reading books about wine. And Style didn’t become a Pick-Up Artist by reading books about seduction.

Nothing can replace practice and personal experience.

So what happens when we don’t practice and just theorize?

Paralysis by Analysis

In effect, we begin to think about a situation so much that we actually inhibit ourselves from ever taking action. We get an idea for a new business, then the very next day we think of 2 or 3 other possibilities. Eventually, our list keeps piling up, but we never follow through on any of them.

Paralysis by analysis is especially prevalent in today’s world because we have so many damn choices. There are so many different foods to eat, girls to date, careers to choose, places to see, music to listen to, etc. Sometimes there are so many possibilities that we don’t know where to start. So we just do nothing. We become so overwhelmed by the amount of choices we have that we’d rather not make a decision. Perhaps it’s because the “opportunity cost” of missing out on all those decisions is too much for us to bare.

The more we ruminate on our options, the more likely we are to suffer paralysis by analysis. This is one very obvious way that too much theorizing can greatly inhibit our personal development.

Goals become more clear and vivid when we begin working toward them.

Often we don’t really know what we want (let alone how to get it) until we get a taste of it. This is why experimenting with new experiences can be so beneficial. Sure, we may have some rough moments along the way, but that will just give us an even better idea on what we want and don’t want out of life.

Sometimes it’s better to let the bad things happen rather than keep theorizing and worrying about them inside your head. You may find:

• It wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be.
• You gain experience and learn from it in a way you never could just by thinking about it.
• You build resilience – “what doesn’t kill you often makes you stronger.”
• You develop a deeper understanding of your preferences and values.

Now, I’m not saying we should act recklessly without any sense of caution, but I do think that often the things we worry about are more harmless than we make them out to be.

Beliefs Should Be Practical and Flexible.

Sure, it may be fun to think about all these unknowns, and it may even make us more critical thinkers, but if these questions begin taking up too much energy and time, then it is probably best to re-focus on more practical matters. Focus on the ideas that bring you results and ignore abstract matters which are often inconsequential.

I recall the earlier years of my conscious pursuit for personal development. I began to become really infatuated with Buddhism, eastern philosophy, enlightenment, and seeking an “absolute truth” about the nature of reality and consciousness.

I would go to my universities libraries and take out books on all kinds of stuff, not excluding astral projections, the afterlife, paranormal activity, philosophy of mind, etc. It was a long and tiresome journey, and nothing very fruitful came out of it. I eventually had to abandon the pursuit, accepting the fact that there are some things I don’t know and can’t know, and those things aren’t worth obsessing over.

Since then it feels as though a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Being able to accept that you “don’t know and can’t know” everything is one of the most liberating feelings in the world.

It’s also the best reason to keep your beliefs flexible. It would be pretty presumptuous to think you can discover (and settle) for a few beliefs and principles and live your whole life in accordance to them. The universe is way too complex and humans are all too fallible for us to base all of our decision-making on a few static principles.

That’s not to say we should abandon all principles and values, only that it is important not to be bounded by them when they no longer apply. That is the big idea behind being ground in practicality vs. being grounded in theory.

You may make it a general principle “not to kill others,” but if you find yourself in a situation where someone was attacking you, then you may be willing to kill them in self-defense. In the same way, there are situations I may not even be able to imagine where I may need to compromise, adjust, or abandon certain values depending on the circumstances.

I want to finish by saying I believe choosing practice over theory also opens us up to more possibilities and more freedoms. Being completely fixed on our principles makes us stubborn and narrow-minded. But giving ourselves the flexibility and freedom to adapt to our surroundings allows us to navigate throughout life much more effectively.

Imagine a tree in wind:

The more hard and rigid it stands, the more likely it will break when met with wind or resistance.

The more flexible it is, the more it will bend with the wind or resistance, not break, and persist another day.

The same is true for our beliefs. When we remain firm and stubborn, we are more likely to fight resistance and hurt ourselves. But when we allow ourselves the freedom to be flexible, we can more easily bend (or adapt) to the resistance.

Moral of the story: Don’t cling to superficial beliefs, but practicality – swallow your ego and do what works.

Questions: (answer in the comment section below!)

• Have you ever been so fixated on your beliefs that it later back-fired on you?
• Describe a time when you had to compromise your beliefs in order to be more practical?

I have a nasty (yet often rewarding) habit of finding ways to critique nearly everything. Sometimes it really irritates people. They think I’m trying to show off or I’m being pedantic, but I just like progress. One time while critiquing a friend’s opinion he replied, “Steve, you can poke a hole in anything.” I don’t think he meant it as a compliment, but I took it as one anyway.

While it’s not always appropriate to show criticism, sometimes it can spark very healthy discussion. That’s usually my goal. I don’t aim to piss people off, but some people will always find a way to take disagreements personally.

On the other hand, I encourage disagreements. I see them as an expression of our diversity as a species. We all have different viewpoints, different knowledge, and different values, so not only is disagreement inevitable, but it helps us to better understand others, as well as better understand ourselves. Being able to tolerate these differences is a huge mark of maturity and intelligence.

That’s why I encourage readers of this blog to feel free to disagree with me. I know I’m not perfect and I know others have different values than me, so I always appreciate it when people share their thoughts in the comment section or on my Facebook and Twitter. It helps me learn new things and see from alternative viewpoints.

As the quote on the top of this page suggests, being able to disagree is a part of your right to freedom of speech and thought. It’s what makes democracies and free societies work. If we all conformed to the norm, nothing could be improved. We would all just settle for the status quo. But upstanding individuals like Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, and Thomas Jefferson didn’t settle for the status quo. They exercised their freedom to disagree even when they were the underdogs. And much of the social progress we take for granted today is a result of that kind of bravery; the kind of bravery that doesn’t succumb to social norms or tradition, but pushes the envelope and later emerges into a new standard of living.

I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes I even get suspicious when someone is always in full agreement with me. I guess I find it hard to believe. They may be just trying to please me, but I’d rather they let their personalities shine through more. We shouldn’t be ashamed to hide our differences, as often they are a sign that both parties have something to learn from each other.

So I’m going to keep this message real short: you have your own mind, with your own thoughts, and your own beliefs and values. Use it! Be willing to express it and also be willing to let others express their beliefs. If you find yourself struggling with taking criticism or others disagreeing with you, try some of these tips on how to take criticism.

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Think back ten or twenty years from now, you were probably a different person then. Your body was different, your thoughts were different, and your actions were different. Did you consciously make that change? Maybe for some things, but overall you probably weren’t even aware of how much you were changing. Only in retrospect do we fully realize how different we’ve become.

People don’t usually need to read about “personal development” to make a change in their life. It just happens – like a cicada leaving its shell or a butterfly leaving its cocoon. We all go through our own process of metamorphosis. Change is the natural state of affairs and the only thing that is truly certain. As Heraclitus once said, “You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you.” (Tweet this quote). This quote perfectly illustrates our world as in a constant state of flux.

The fact that everything is always changing is actually somewhat of a double-edged sword. On one hand, when we feel depressed or angry or frustrated, we know it’s not going to last. On the other hand, when we feel happy or blissful or secure, we also know that it too is not going to last.

It is just like the story of King Solomon’s ring, a ring which has the “magical” ability to make a sad person happy or a happy person sad. What is so special about the ring? Nothing, except that it has the words “This too shall pass” engraved in it. Why would these words make a sad person happy or a happy person sad? Because it tells us that nothing is permanent.

Humans, as intelligent as we think we are, believe that we can resist this change or even transcend it. We like to think of ourselves as everlasting, and we often find ourselves reinforcing this belief whenever we say things like “This is just who I am” or “This is how I have always been.”

Of course, any amount of inquiry into these statements tells us that they just aren’t so. How can you possible compare you, as a fetus still in the womb, to you, now with a family and a 40-hour-a-week job? They aren’t the same you!

A world of constant change doesn’t need to cause chaos or displeasure in one’s life. It is only when we cling to a particular mental state or belief (or even a physical possession) that we fight tooth-and-nail not to lose it. But by letting go of our need to cling, we can embrace change and maximize our personal evolution.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Stop thinking of yourself as a fixed entity.
• Accept that you are a different person today than you once were.
• Accept that you will be a different person in the future than you are today.

With these ideas in mind you no longer have to fight change, and it begins to come more effortlessly. Sure, you will still have values, beliefs, intentions and goals, but they too will always be changing – and that is okay!

We exhaust so much effort in trying to maintain our identity or ego without understanding that its nature is to change, grow, and expand. The tighter we hold on to our identity, the more we restrict it from reaching its potential.

Exercise: Watch The Weather Change

Take 20-30 minutes out of your day, go outside, and watch how the weather changes. Notice clouds passing by, changes in sunlight, an oncoming storm, the sky changing color, stars shifting, or whatever happens to be changing in that particular moment. Make a mental note of all the things you witness.

The point of this exercise is to be more mindful of just how dynamic our world really is (and in return how dynamic we really are). Even something as simple as the weather (which we commonly think of as in the “background” of our world) is in a constant state of flux. At the very least, this is a great metaphor for the unconscious changes that take place in our own personal development. At best, it is a real-life example of just how dynamic the cosmic order is.

For a bigger effect, do this during sunrise or sunset.

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This balance needs to be practiced and experimented with during all stages of entrepreneurship: whether you are first formulating an idea, or filling in the details of your plan, or taking that plan to action, or improving your organization years down the line.

Coming up with a business idea is always the first step, and it can also be one of the biggest and most difficult. One problem is you can never know when a good idea might pop into your head. It could come during an intense group brainstorm, or while you are alone in the shower, or from a video game, or just some everyday conversation.

It’s important to always keep your eyes open and not discount anything as a potential source for inspiration.

Part of coming up with a good business idea is to let your imagination run wild, and the other part is trying to frame that idea in practical terms. Often these two things can act as opposing forces, but they are not mutually exclusive. When you find an idea comprised of both you should write it down as a potential match.

These are the types of questions you will want to consider while brainstorming:

- What are my interests, skills, and desires?

- How much time and motivation do I have?

- How much money do I have saved?

- Will I need a business loan for what I want to do? Can I get one?

- What are possible barriers of entry? Legalities?

- Will there be a market for what I want to sell?

- Will I need others to help me with the project?

Good business ideas don’t come without some creativity, and they also don’t come without a rigorous process of trial and error. When you think of a specific idea, you will want to ask questions like the ones above, as well as any relevant follow-ups. Think of yourself as a scientist, in which you keep testing the validity of your hypothesis until you have found something that stands strongly from multiple viewpoints.

When it comes to the important stuff – don’t ever guess, do research – especially if it is a factor that could make-or-break your project. Sure, you might have that “Eureka!” moment, where you think you have discovered some genius idea, but until you do the research you can’t know for sure whether you have truly found a gem or you are simply raising your hopes for nothing.

I’ve always encouraged my readers to be both creative and rational, but it is up to each person to find an appropriate balance (no matter what it is they are trying to achieve). It should go without saying but, by the end of the day, I can’t think for you. I can only think for myself and find what seems to work and what doesn’t. At best I can point to these strategies and encourage you to test them.

From what I have found, many creative strategies include stepping into different roles and looking at things from different angles. One role might be called “The Dreamer” or “The Artist,” and the other might be “The Realist” or “The Judge.” Consciously or not, you will need to practice each of these roles before coming up with an idea that can be successfully put to action.

As an entrepreneur and organizer, your role must be to combine different visions into one coherent whole. You have to look short-term, long-term, narrow, and wide, and then find a sweet spot where all the elements come together and work. When first coming up with an idea, nothing about your plans will be perfect or detailed, but you should at least have these things in the back of your mind. You are a visionary now.

Before we start, there are some career options today that absolutely require graduate studies. If you want to become a doctor, psychiatrist, lawyer, dentist, or physicist (among other similar jobs), your only route is to immerse yourself in the college life, submit into a graduate program, and eventually get some kind of masters degree or Ph.D. With our current social institutions, there are no other ways to get these jobs without formal education at a higher learning facility. Before deciding not to go to college, make sure you have chosen a career path that doesn’t mandate it.

As the economic recession continues to prolong, many of those in the workforce, both employed and unemployed, are wondering if now is a good time to further their education in order to get a hedge in the job market. But spending another 2 years in the classroom may not be the best use of time, money, and labor which you could otherwise be spending learning on your own, networking with others, and starting your own productive endeavors. Today these alternative options are more available to us than ever before.

An article written last year in The Chronicle warned that graduate college may not be the best path to build careers in the humanities and arts. A lot of the information and advice can also be applied to businessmen, entrepreneurs, and other career choices that require more creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, which cannot always be fostered in an environment designed for standardized education. While most graduate programs integrate independent work and hands-on training, much of this can also be replicated in the work force through internships, entry-level jobs that have upward mobility, and our own self-directed studies – often achieved at a fraction of the price.

One major benefit of self-learning over formal education is that individuals can adapt a curriculum that fits their specific interests, and modify this curriculum as their studies progress. Here are some resources I have found particularly useful over the past year:

1) iTunes University (this is a direct link to the plug-in): This resource has literally thousands of video and audio lectures from over 100+ universities all over the world, including ivy leagues like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn State, and Cornell. They also have material for grades K-12 as well as “Beyond Campus” curriculum from other educational institutions. This is a truly indispensable resource for anyone who loves learning and never wants to stop. The biggest problem is that there are too many interesting lectures, and not enough time.

2) YouTube: Despite a lot of the nonsense and trash that gets posted by amateurs, there is also a lot of quality content here (if you are willing to search for it). OpenCulture.com has a great article called “70 Signs of Intelligent Life at YouTube” which has a large list of informative YouTube channels including videos from TED.com, Fora.tv, Google Talks, BigThink.com, National Geographic, New Scientist, among others. YouTube also has some full-length documentaries you can stream, and it’s a great place to search for interviews if you discover a new scholar, artist, businessman, or philosopher who you want to learn more about.

3) Wikipedia: Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia on the web. This is one of the first places I go whenever I hear of a new theory or concept. It is a resource best used to build breadth in a field or topic you don’t know anything about. One caveat, however, is to make sure that you follow-up on your sources at Wikipedia to see if they are valid, or to learn more about the subject. This is important because anyone can edit Wikipedia and insert wrong information. Although, studies have shown that Wikipedia has proven to be just as accurate (or have just as many errors per submission) as other reputable encyclopedias like Britannica. While college professors are often known for discouraging its use, Wikipedia is a valid resource.

4) News and blogs: I’ve found that having a diverse array of news sources and blogs is also a great way to stay informed about current events, politics, economics, science, health, business, etc. Over the past two months I have created three different feeds (NewsRoundup, PsychNews, and Libertarian Minds) to help stay up-to-date on my favorite websites. I like to wake up every morning and browse through the latest headlines, opening up new tabs on my browser, and then reading through the articles in between sips of coffee. This is a good way to build breadth, get introduced to new things that I wouldn’t otherwise know about, and just keep my mind sharp. As I discover new sites that I enjoy I add them to the feed.

5) Forums and social bookmarking: One not-yet-mentioned component of learning is being able to discuss these ideas with others and get new perspectives. Ever since I first discovered the internet I have been a part of one forum or another. These provided me with an avenue to talk about interests that I don’t usually share with friends or family. Social bookmarking sites are a way for users to post interesting links from all over the web and then discuss (or argue) about them. I currently spend a lot of my time using Reddit.com, but there are also other sites like Digg, Newsvine and Delicious. Don’t underestimate the utility of these sites. Knowledge without communication is just a bunch of ideas sitting in your head with nowhere to go. Being able to articulate what you have learned is a great step toward more effectively putting that knowledge to action.

Conclusion

The best part about all of these is that they are absolutely free. While some ideas you may find more useful than others, together I bet you can put together a very comprehensive educational program specifically designed to meet your goals.

My main point here is that there are alternatives to the blueprint provided to us by modern education. College and graduate school can seem like logical and safe-bets, but they also come with costs and limitations. Of course you won’t have a degree to show after listening to 30 lectures on iTunes, but you will have knowledge that you can hopefully apply to the real world (and often that is more important).