Read Biographies of Successful People
Read biographies of people you admire to learn how they handled setbacks and made decisions. Their experiences may offer ideas you can try in your own circumstances.
THE IDEA
5. Read Biographies of Successful People
Read about people you admire a couple of times each week. Biographies and accounts of their lives can offer perspective when you feel discouraged.
Look for the decisions they made, the habits they developed, and how they responded to setbacks. Consider which lessons apply to your circumstances rather than assuming that copying a mindset will produce the same results.
When to use it
When you feel discouraged about your progress, read a biography to regain motivation and perspective.
When starting a new venture, study the early struggles of famous entrepreneurs to prepare for challenges.
When experiencing self-doubt, recall stories of successful people who also faced failure before reaching their goals.
When setting long-term goals, use biographies to identify patterns of success and emulate them.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Reading Steve Jobs' Biography
Reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs can inspire you to think differently and persevere through failures, as you realize he faced many setbacks before achieving success.
Study of Oprah Winfrey's Early Life
Learning about Oprah Winfrey's challenging childhood and how she overcame adversity can offer perspective on setbacks and persistence.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How does reading about successful people change your view of your own potential?
What specific traits or habits from a biography can you apply to your own life this week?
What response to a setback in a biography could you try in a current challenge?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Thinking in Systems and Mental Models Think Like a Super Thinker (Dawson, Marcus P)