Whenever I think back to the day I heard his name for the first time, I smile. I thought it was just the name of a new trending guru — and I was obviously wrong. Now, it surprises me how his teachings have become a turning point in my life. One day I was talking about personal development with some friends, and they mentioned the name of one of the most inspirational and influential figures of the last few decades, Jim Rohn. I had never heard about him. Out of curiosity, I started to watch and listen to his speeches on YouTube. It became an addiction. Anything he said was something I could immediately relate to and apply to my life. And it all worked, every single time.
Jim Rohn
Jim Rohn was an American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker who sadly died in 2009. He focused on the fundamentals of human behavior that most affect personal and business performance. He taught people that success is not about luck or a natural gift you were born with, but is the result of choice. Many consider him one of the most inspirational men at the turn of the millennium. I consider him to be the father of personal development. There are some quotes by Jim Rohn that changed the course of my life, and which I believe will transform yours too — and for the better.
“Discipline Is the Bridge Between Goals and Accomplishment”
Self-discipline is undoubtedly one of the most important predictors of success. Yet, many struggle with it — including me. Mastering this skill is hard, but it’s essential to reach our goals. Setting a clear, achievable goal is the first essential step to success, but it’s not enough, unfortunately. Discipline is usually what determines whether we will reach a goal or not. Similarly, being disciplined without a clear goal in mind can be detrimental as well to our personal development. Both things are essential and complement each other. Also, self-discipline often means doing what you don’t want to do in pursuit of what you want. Not everyone is willing to do what they don’t feel like doing, and this is why it’s one of the traits successful people have in common. This is one of the most powerful quotes by Jim Rohn, and if applied, it can transform your life forever.
How to apply this quote, in a nutshell:
Have clear goals, choose them wisely, and take massive action towards them. There will be days you will feel more motivated, and everything will be easier. Some days will be more difficult instead, and it’s on those days that you will need to focus on your goals and practice self-discipline more. Recommended read: How to Be Successful: 10 Habits of Highly Effective People
“You Are the Average of the Five People You Spend the Most Time With”
I don’t know about you, but for me this one of the best Jim Rohn quotes. See, our relationships shape the quality of our life. And I believe there are basically two different kinds of people: those who lift us up and those who don’t. Some people continuously contribute to our personal growth, while some others simply don’t. The right choice between these two types of people may appear obvious. Yet, many seem to repeatedly choose those who bring them down. This decision is essential for the quality of our life, and it surprises me to see how many people underestimate its importance. You can be the strongest and most independent person in the world, but those you spend most of your time with, influence your life path more than you can imagine, in the long term. They have an impact in one way or another. By carefully choosing who we allow in, we can literally rewrite the script of our life. We can transform our life.
How you can apply this, in a nutshell:
Always surround yourself with positive people who care about you and are willing to contribute to your personal growth. Learn to spot toxic behaviors and don’t tolerate them. Recommended read: How to Be Charming: The 7 Habits of Truly Charming People
“Take Care of Your Body. It’s the Only Place You Have to Live”
Two years ago I wrote this Jim Rohn’s quote on a post-it and stuck it on my fridge. I see it every day. Believe it or not, repeatedly seeing these words has a huge positive impact on how I treat myself. I truly believe in the connection between mind and body, as much as I believe in the importance of self-care. Making your health your first priority is part of your personal development. In fact, it’s its foundation. We all have busy lives and we often struggle to eat healthily, meditate, or exercise every day. It’s normal. But it’s vital to be consistent, as much as we can. Consistently loving and taking care of yourself gives you the fuel you need to be at your best — or almost — every day. And it will transform your life. Loving yourself means making your mental and physical wellness your priority. It means making an effort to take care of yourself emotionally and physically, as you would do with your kids or elderly loved ones. And if you think this is selfish, you’re wrong. Let me explain why. When you fly on an airplane, during the safety demonstration, the flight attendant instructs you to put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others. If you don’t do it, you will lose consciousness and won’t be able to help others put their mask on. If you apply this concept to your life, you will notice it works the same way. Because if you’re there for others but ignore your own needs, you might end up not helping anybody. In fact, you might end up doing more harm than good.
How to apply this quote, in a nutshell:
Make your health your first priority. Without a healthy body, you’re going nowhere. If you want to be there for your loved ones, take care of yourself first, then you’ll be ready to be their rock. Recommended read: How to Look Younger and Feel Incredibly Confident
“If You Don’t Design Your Own Life Plan, Chances Are You’ll Fall Into Someone Else’s Plan. And Guess What They Have Planned for You? Not Much”
This is one of my favorite quotes by Jim Rohn. It opened my eyes when I realized I had settled for a life I didn’t really want. It was the life someone else had designed for me. This quote helped me understand that giving up on my dreams to pursue a pre-established life path, could be my ruin in the long term. Most importantly, it was already preventing me from being truly happy. My generation grew up with the idea that to be successful, you have to study, graduate with maximum grades, and then secure a good, safe job. Possibly in a large company. Then, you should get married by the age of 25 and raise a family. In other words, the idea is that the only possible way to become wealthy is corporate life. And the only possible way to thrive as a woman is by raising a family and successfully balance your personal life and your career — without complaining. I grew up believing in that idea, myself. Until the day I understood what was right for me.
What you really want is what is right for you
Many will disagree with me, but unfortunately following a pre-established path is what average people do. It’s not what successful people do. The corporate life can be great and rewarding — if it’s what really drives you. Being married to the person you love and having kids are the most beautiful things you can experience in life — if it’s what you truly want. However, what if all these things are not something you long for? What if they are not what you want for now? If you’re like me, you’ve probably always had in the back of your mind the thought that you have the potential to achieve more, by doing what you love, from wherever you want. If you want more than being part of a pre-established plan — of someone else — think about how you can build a successful life plan for yourself. Forge your own path with your own rules — instead of working for someone else’s success. If you do it, you will transform your life.
How to apply this quote, in a nutshell:
Your own plan and what you truly want is what matters. You don’t want to follow a path you didn’t really want to take and then regret all your choices by your 90th birthday. Recommended read: How to Be More Confident: 9 Simple Habits That Make the Difference
Final Thoughts on these four Jim Rohn quotes
These quotes transformed me, and I’m sure they can be a life changer for you too. In particular, what I’ve learned is that:
Self-discipline is the best soft skill you can learn to be successful, and if you want to master it, you need to practice it consistently, every single day.The people we surround ourselves with have an impact on who we are more than we think.Making our health our top priority is essential if we want to live a good life.Your own plan and what you truly want is what matters.
These Jim Rohn quotes remind us that life is too short to procrastinate and postpone our dreams, while hanging out with the wrong people, neglecting our health and falling in someone else’s plan. At the end of the day, our life plan should be our number one priority. Photo by Erriko Boccia on Unsplash Get access to exclusive self-improvement and relationships content, subscribe to my free newsletter here.
