Uh oh, more homework. But essential if you want to get more clients and better clients, increase your income, and build a more successful career. 

Here’s the thing. Your practice is a reflection of the decisions you make, and those are based on what you know, what you believe, and what you do. 

Yep, it’s all about you. 

Here’s the other thing. If your practice isn’t growing, it’s because you’re not growing. 

Ouch. 

Maybe it’s because you’re so busy doing client work you haven’t had time to do “inner work”. 

Find the time. Your future depends on it. 

Yes, you can get help. Your staff, outsourcing, ai, partners, consultants. But ultimately, it all comes down to you. 

Because it’s your practice, your reputation, your future. 

And while you can get help, you can’t outsource your life. 

What’s your homework? Reading books and taking courses and talking to people who have achieved what you want to achieve. Brainstorming ideas, deciding which ones to work on, then working on them. 

Not really that difficult. But necessary. 

Because if you want your practice to grow, you have to grow. 

I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s important and worth mentioning again. I thought about the subject recently when I realized I wasn’t reading enough books. 

I buy them. But don’t always read them. And I feel bad about that because I know I’m missing out. 

Articles are fine. So are videos and podcasts and courses. Good information is good information. But there’s something special about books. 

Books have room to provide the “why” behind the “how,” elaborate on the arguments and counter-arguments, tell us the background and history, and provide more examples and stories to illustrate the author’s points and make those points relatable and memorable. 

That’s why. 

One good book can change your worldview, persuade you to change your habits, and inspire you to do things you might never have considered possible. 

They can also take you on adventures to faraway places like nothing you can see on a screen.

Yes, books take a long time to read. Which is why we don’t read as many. But maybe that’s the point. Maybe we wouldn’t feel the need to read as many articles and blog posts or watch as many videos if read more books. 

Most of those articles say pretty much the same thing, don’t they? One good book can give us new ideas, because the authors of those books have spent a lot of time thinking and researching and interviewing other people who have spent a lot of time doing the same.

But that’s a good book and sadly, so many books don’t qualify.

So, we read reviews and talk to people who have read other books on the subject and point us towards the best options.

And we take speed-reading courses and learn how to get through more books and find the ones that are good enough to be read again. 

Most formal learning occurs through reading, watching videos, listening to presentations and interviews, and taking courses. Learned knowledge is the most common way we acquire information, but it’s just one way we learn. 

We also learn by doing activities—trying out the information, practicing the skills—and we often learn more because we’re using more of our senses and getting feedback about our activities.

You can learn how to how to improve your closing arguments by reading books, but you learn more by practicing the skills and techniques in those books. 

Taking notes on what we read or hear is also activity knowledge. As we process the information we’ve seen or heard, and record our thoughts or questions about that information, we internalize our learned knowledge, give it context, and make it more likely we will remember it. 

But there’s a third way we learn—by modeling others. 

You can learn how to get more referrals by reading blogs and books and getting ideas and tips. Then, you might rehearse what to say, say it, and thus get better at it. You’ll get better still by observing someone who is good at talking about referrals with their clients or colleagues, because you can watch their body language, observe their timing, and see how they handle questions and objections. You can also ask them questions and ask them to observe you and provide feedback. 

Finally, there is “teaching” knowledge. We learn the most by teaching others what we know and do. Want to learn how to get better at negotiating? Prepare a presentation on that subject or teach a CLE class. 

Learned knowledge, activity knowledge, modeling knowledge, and teaching knowledge. 4 ways to learn new information and improve your skills. 

Learn how to get more referrals from your clients