By Peter Clemens

“Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can – there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.”  ~ Sarah Caldwell

If you’re reading this article, I’m sure you readily accept the importance of continual learning. However, because modern life can be so busy you may find it challenging to find time to devote solely to learning, whether it be sitting down to read a book or attending an evening class. In this article I will give you 5 ways even the busiest of people -those who are always on the go – can find time to learn.

1. Audiobooks

I’m a huge fan of audiobooks. By listening to audiobooks in the car to and from work I have doubled, maybe even tripled, my “reading” rate. I also enjoy listening to audiobooks in the evening as they allow me to rest my eyes after a day of looking at a computer screen. Finally, I have found that I’m more of an auditory than a visual learner, meaning I retain more information from listening to, rather than reading, books.

Recommended: Audible Audiobooks (currently Audible has a special offer which allows you to download a free audiobook from their library of 60,000+ audiobooks).

2. Podcasts

If you’re unfamiliar with Podcasts, they are simply pre-recorded digital files (usually audio or video) that are available for download for playback on a computer or MP3 player. When I first became interested in personal development back in 2007 I would load up my iPod with podcasts by Steve Pavlina and Robin Sharma and listen to them on the train ride to work – it was a great way to fire myself up for the day ahead! These days there are many, many podcasts available. The best place to look is in iTunes (iTunes Store -> Podcasts).

Recommended: TED and Oprah’s Spirit Channel (links open in iTunes).

3. E-books

E-books can obviously be read on your computer, or you may like to print them off to take with you. Alternatively, you may decide to get an e-book reader such as the Kindle. While I haven’t got a Kindle (as previously mentioned I listen to audiobooks), I have a number of friends who are big fans of these little devices. Unlike a laptop or iPhone, the screen is not illuminated so there’s no glare, no eyestrain and no battery consumption. Also, if you live in the US the Kindle is always online (indoors, outdoors, far away from the nearest Wi-Fi hot spot) as Amazon pays the bill for continual wireless connection in the hope that you will spontaneously buy e-books.

Recommended: Kindle (Latest Generation) and The Definitive List of Free Personal Development E-Books.

4. Books

I know, I know…. this is an obvious one. My one big suggestion here is to join the local library. I find that when I go to the library I borrow a number of books that are of interest, but that I probably wouldn’t buy. I don’t end up reading all the books I have borrowed, but that’s ok as I haven’t wasted any money and the ones I do read have allowed me to read more broadly and outside my comfort zone.

Recommended: my recently updated recommended books list.

5. People

“A single conversation with a wise man is better than ten years of study” ~ Chinese Proverb

Three of the methods in this article focus on how modern technology can help us learn on the go. But perhaps the best way to learn is from other people, whether it be friends, family, work colleagues or complete strangers. It may involve a conversation, or you may simply observe them doing something.

Recommended: Chris Guillebeau’s recent blog post Conversations is a wonderful account of the many interesting people we may come across in our lives.

* * *

What are your favorite ways to learn on the go? Please share your suggestions and experiences in the comments below.

By Peter Clemens

If you are in search of need inspiration, but are on a limited budget (namely $0), this post is for you. Recently I have been roaming the personal development blogosphere is search of free personal development ebooks; the following list is the result of my efforts.

Please note: many of these ebooks require you to subscribe to regular updates or a newsletter to receive the ebook (you can always unsubscribe, right?). If you offer a free personal development ebook that is not on this list please contact me and I’ll add it.

Free Personal Development Ebooks

101 Things To Do Before You Die – Celestine Chua, The Personal Excellence Blog

101 Tips for Living a Simple, Healthy, Organized Life – Christine Simiriglia from Organize More, Stress Less

114 Ways to Celebrate Life – Marelisa Fábrega, Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online

30 Things You Need to Know Now – Alex Blackwell, The Bridgemaker

4 Steps to Create the Life You Desire – Ellie Walsh, Living the Law of Attraction

5 Secrets to Attracting Everything You Want – Lorraine Cohen, Powerfull Living

5 Simple Keys to Rock Your 20s – Jenny Ferry, Crest of Your Life

5 Simple Steps to an Awesome Life – Vlad Dolezal, An Amazing Mind

50 Ways to a Positive Consciousness – Nicholas Powiull, Conscious Flex

84 Tips on Overcoming Procrastination – Alex Fayle, Someday Syndrome

A Year of Change – Peter Clemens, The Change Blog (that’s me!)

Career Satisfaction From Within – Chris Edgar, Purpose Power Coaching

Clear Negative Energy – Andrea Hess, Empowered Soul

Clutter 101: The Definitive Guide To De-Cluttering Your Life – James Mallinson, Organize IT

Change How You Communicate – Leona Dawson, Transformative Living

Curly’s Law – Seamus Anthony, Rebel Zen

Enduring the Road to Success – Eric Hamm, Motivate Thyself

Enlightening Stress Relief – The Daily Minder, The Daily Mind

Enlightenment in a PDF – Ivan Campuzano, Ivan Campuzano . com

Flying By The Seat Of My Soul – Tess Marshall, The Bold Life

How to Get a Girlfriend – Alex Shalman, Alex Shalman . com

How To Be A Dean’s Lister – Celestine Chua, The Personal Excellence Blog

How to Become a Billionaire – Nathalie Lussier, Billionaire Woman

How To Deal With Disappointment – Celestine Chua, The Personal Excellence Blog

How to Make Friends – Glen Allsopp, PluginID

How to Manifest What You Want – Evelyn Lim, Attraction Mind Map

How To Move On From Relationships – Celestine Chua, The Personal Excellence Blog

How To Overcome Procrastination – Celestine Chua, The Personal Excellence Blog

How to Practice the Art of Life Balance – Stacey Hoffer Weckstein, Create a Balance

How To Successfully Achieve Any Goal – Celestine Chua, The Personal Excellence Blog

Learn This (numerous ebooks) – Mike King, Learn This

Life Changers – ManageTrainLearn

Manage, Click, Learn! 2010 – ManageTrainLearn

Most Inspiring Quotes of All Time (Over 300+ Quotes) – Celestine Chua, The Personal Excellence Blog

Opening Doors: A Mini Guide to Blissful Guide to Blissful Living – Laurel Vespi, Stone Circle Coaching

Overcome Anything – Mary Jaksch, Goodlife Zen

Quit Your Day Job – Ali Hale, Aliventures

Shoots of Growth – ManageTrainLearn

Slow Down Fast: A Revolutionary How-To Guide For Being Productive, Efficient, and Effective – David Bohl, Slown Down Fast

The 7 Timeless Habits of Happiness – Henrik Edberg, The Positivity Blog

The 77 Traits of Highly Successful People – Mark Foo

The Beautiful Calm Meditation Ebook – Ananga, Living By Design

The Essential Guide to Personal Excellence – Celestine Chua, The Personal Excellence Blog

The Genius Within YOU – Steve Martile, Freedom Education

The Inspiration Manifesto – Tanner Maluchnik

The Meaning of Life: Discover Your Real Purpose – Celestine Chua, The Personal Excellence Blog

The Quote Effect – Davina Haisell, Shades of Crimson

The Woman’s Relationship Bible – Hayden Tompkins, Through The Illusion

The Zen of Blogging – Hunter Nuttall, Hunter Nuttall . com

Thinkonomics – Rev. Ike, Science of Living Online

Thriving On Less – Simplifying In A Tough Economy – Leo Babauta, Zen Habits

Why We’re Failing the 4-Hour Workweek (or, Reflections of a Pro Blogger) – Hunter Nuttall, Hunter Nuttall . com

Work Happy The Google Way – Karl Staib, Work Happy Now!

Note: this list is a work-in progress! If you offer a free personal development ebook that is not on this list email me at peter [at] thechangeblog.com and I’ll add it.

About the writer: this list was compiled by Peter Clemens (follow him on Twitter).

By Peter Clemens

“This is an invitation to dream”

So begins Reclaim Your Dreams, the new e-book by Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind. The word  “dreamer” has negative connotations in some circles, but I (like Jonathan) believe it is the dreamers of this world that are truly happy and most powerful (assuming you are dreaming with your eyes open).

One of the great things about Jonathan’s e-book is it lives up to its subtitle, “An Uncommon Guide to Living on Your Own Terms”. After all, it’s not often you hear someone tell you to stop listening, stop caring and quit (these are properly explained in the book). I found it refreshing to read a different approach to personal development, and I’m sure you will too.

Now, you may not agree with all of Jonathan’s suggestions. In fact, it will probably be a good thing if you don’t as it will mean you are thinking for yourself (Jonathan’s first step to reclaiming your dreams is to “take ownership of your mind”). The other thing worth mentioning is that Jonathan does not pretend to have all the answers for you. He recognizes that each of us have our own unique path to forge, and his aim to to share what has learned in the hope it may work for you too.

“I don’t want to tell you what to do. That would completely go against everything I’ve found to work in my life: listening to my own heart. What I will do is show you how to forge a new relationship between head and heart, between the practical and frivolous. That’s when you dreams start taking root in the world.”

I also appreciate Jonathan’s use of the word “reclaim” in the book’s title, Reclaim Your Dreams. As I wrote in one of my most popular articles, Learning to Dream…. Again, each of us were dreamers as young children . Yet as we grew up, many of us forgot or discarded our dreams in favor of security and/ or acceptance by society. The following video “When I Grow Up” illustrates this perfectly:

As you should be able to tell, I thoroughly enjoyed Reclaim Your Dreams and would highly recommend to anyone who is feeling “stuck”. If you would like to grab yourself a copy, it is selling for $19.95 until February 13 (after that, the price goes up to $24.95).

Click here to purchase Reclaim Your Dreams.

If you would like to “try before you buy”, you can click here to download a sample chapter.

• A Year of Change – by Peter Clemens

The e-book includes my best articles from my first year of blogging both on this blog and Pick The Brain. Apart from the work that went into the articles originally, I have spent quite a bit of time putting the e-book together – so I really hope you enjoy it!

My #1 goal for this e-book is to share my story with as many people as possible, so if you enjoy it please consider linking to it from your blog, sharing it on Twitter, emailing it to your friends, etc…..

Finally, I would love to hear your thoughts on the e-book, either in the comments below or via email to peter [at] thechangeblog.com .

By Peter Clemens

“Make the Impossible Possible”. Ok, I admit that when I first saw this book’s title nothing about it made it stand out from the plethora of personal development books available in a typical bookshop. Make no mistake, though, this is a very special book about a man who has lived, and continues to live, an extraordinary life.

Over the past 30 years, Bill Strickland has helped change the lives of thousands of people through the creation of Manchester Bidwell, a jobs training centre and community arts program located in Pittsburgh. The centre works with corporations, community leaders, and schools to help give disadvantaged kids and adults the opportunities and tools they need to envision and build a better future:

“We greet them all with the same basic recipe for success: high standards, stiff challenges, a chance to develop unexplored talents, and a message that many of them haven’t heard before – that no matter how difficult the circumstances of their lives may be, no matter how many bad assumptions they’ve made about their chances in life, no matter how well they’ve been taught to rein in their dreams and narrow their aspirations, they have the right, and the potential, to expect to live rich and satisfying lives”

The centre has been remarkably successful, and its unique approach to tackling poverty has seen it draw support from figures as diverse as Hillary Clinton to prominent conservative Rick Santorum. Over time the centre has grown to include a diverse range of programs, including culinary arts, pharmacology, horticultural technology, ceramics, photography, and painting. The centre is based on Bill’s belief that the way to unlock an individual’s potential is to place them in a nurturing environment and expose them to the kind of stimulating and empowering creative experiences that feed the human spirit.

Making the Impossible Possible

One of the main reasons I love this book is that, like a good work of fiction, its story continues to unfold until the very last page. There is a point in the book, approximately two thirds of the way through, where Bill writes about his dream as a child of becoming an airline pilot. And guess what? Yes, while he was in the midst of building this amazing centre Bill trained to become a commercial airline pilot. How did a young black man, who lived in a rough neighbourhood of Pittsburgh and had very little money, manage to get the 200 hours flight experience needed to make his dream come true? Well, he purchased an airplane and then leased it back to a flying school of course! The flight school maintained the plane, and the money from the lease paid back his loan. As Bill says,

“Good sense would have told me that my dream was impossible, and when the mind accepts impossibility, the game is over. But that’s the power of genuine passion – it ignores the impossible and gives you the drive you need to do whatever you have to do to make a dream come true, no matter how extreme, or unlikely, or absurd those actions might seem.”

Bill truly is a man who, through what seems to be a bottomless reserve of commitment, perseverance, creativity, and hope, has proved that the impossible truly is possible.

Find Out More

If you would like to learn more about Bill Strickland, I encourage you to visit his site here. Also, the following is a short video that will give you a better understanding of the Manchester Bidwell:

Competition:

I have 5 copies of Make the Impossible Possible to give away courtesy of the book’s publisher, Doubleday. If you would like to win a copy, leave a comment describing something which you once considered impossible that turned out to be possible. I will announce the winners this weekend in my Personal Stories of Change Blog Carnival. If you would like to purchase or learn more about the book, here is the Amazon page.

At 18, Patrick Mathieu was told by the top heart surgeons in Canada that he would not live past 30. This news turned out to be the greatest gift he ever received.

In his book What’s Your Expiry Date?, Patrick shares his inspiring story of how at an early age he was forced to confront the fact that he would die. You see, Patrick was born with a “bad” heart that has confounded cardiologists since his birth. The death sentence Patrick was given at 18 proved to be a wake up call that forever changed the way he would approach life.

This book is packed full with insightful messages. The following are a few of my favorites:

Come to Terms With Your Own Death

I will die. So will you.

Western society seems to have a problem acknowledging death. Industries are devoted to convincing us that we are immortal. For example, there is an endless assortment of cosmetics that promise to reverse the aging process.

In Mexico, the people are well known for celebrating a holiday called The Day of the Dead. According to Wikipedia, “the traditional mood for this holiday is bright with emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the dead.” I bring this up only because it shows that death is a fact of life that can be feared and ignored, or it can be accepted and even embraced.

In his book, Patrick encourages the reader to comes to terms with their death as soon as possible. He writes, “if we don’t acknowledge death, we run the risk of moving through life always assuming that there will be enough time.”

Embrace the Present

How would being told you will die change your perspective on life?

As would be expected, Patrick initially struggled with the news. What he found, though, was that by embracing his mortality he could live a life of excitement and power. He made a solemn vow that he would not take each day for granted. Patrick writes, “many people spend so much time thinking about the future, they forget that the only way to get there is through a series of todays.”

Live with Purpose and Mindful Awareness

Many people only wake up to the important things in life after a traumatic experience such as a car crash or a heart attack.

In his book, Patrick is determined to wake the reader up to the important things in life, without the need for the pain associated with traumatic experiences. Some readers may be uncomfortable with Patrick’s piercing honesty, but personally I found it refreshing.

Perhaps worse than a traumatic experience would be coming to the end of your life and realizing that you had lived a life lacking in purpose and/ or based on fear. I agree with Patrick that the best way to avoid this potential regret is to live a life filled with purpose and mindful awareness.

Final Thoughts

Upon reading a book in which one of the central messages is “you will die”, you might expect to be left feeling depressed. However, the effect of What’s Your Expiry Date?, was quite the opposite for me. I felt inspired, I felt powerful, I felt full of life.

The book doesn’t take long to read, but packed within its pages is a powerful message and some wonderful insights. In this sense, the book reminded somewhat of Paul Coelho’s The Alchemist (which is one of my favorite books).

Apart from buying What’s Your Expiry Date?, you learn more about Patrick’s story by visiting his blog The Power of Mortality.

Further Watching:

Patrick’s story of facing his own mortality reminded me of a similar story told by Steve Jobs. I’m sure many of my readers have seen the following video, but if you haven’t it is a must watch.