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ummer holidays and vacation trips are here, but that doesn't mean you should slow down. Use just a little bit of time this month focusing on these two themes: attitude and personal development. Let me show you how.

For starters, focus on strengthening your attitude. Get in the right mindset. Times are tough, and your clients might be sharing the burden of their stress with you. It's very important that you keep a positive attitude, so I want to share three books that had significant impact on my career. First, when I was a brand new agent, I knew nothing about nothing. When I read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, my whole mindset changed. I really learned that my brain is like a supercomputer. That book really confirmed for me that you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it. Second, you've probably heard me mention Joe Jordan before who has been a mentor of mine for a very long time. If you're doubting this business, or you've fallen out of love with this business, his book Living a Life of Significance will put this business back in your heart. Third, Own Your Success by Ben Newman is a powerful book because he works with professional athletes who have to really be mentally tough. If you don't like reading, try this instead. Put this message on your phone's lock screen, the desktop of your computer, or print it out and hang it by your desk: "Keep a positive attitude. If it's to be, it's up to ME!" It's not up to your company, your manager, or congress. It's up to you, so look at those words each week as a reminder.

With the right attitude, focus on personal development next. This is the "slow season" for many of you, which means you have more time on your hands. Use that time to "sharpen your blade." Learn, study, and train. Study the products you sell. Read the brochures, policies, and prospectuses. Know the fees, features, and performance. Then, know your competitors' products! You'd be surprised how many advisors out there don't know those details. Also, develop a library of disinterested, third-party references. You and your company have a conflict of interest the moment you sit down with a client. If they buy, you get paid; if they don't buy, you don't get paid. Use books, articles, and whitepapers to overcome this obstacle. Here's a short list you could use:

-The Power of Zero by David McKnight. His message will become more powerful every day because this country is in serious trouble with the trillions of dollars of debt.

-Man on a Mission: How to Succeed, Serve, and Make a Difference in Your Financial Services Career by Marv Feldman, who is the son of Ben Feldman, perhaps the best life insurance salesman in world history.

-Retirement Alpha: How Mortality Credits Improve Retirement Outcomes, which is my compilation of PHD research and WHY annuities and life insurance are so important.

-Retirement Income Masters: Secrets of the Pros, which is my book that includes the stories and strategies of 14 top producers.

I encourage you to focus on attitude and personal development with these tips. However, we all wake up to a blank calendar, and if we don't put items on there, our day wastes away. Take action today. Join me for a free webinar where I'll dive deeper into attitude and personal development, but I'll also show you how increasing your activity this quarter could put you ahead of your competition by hundreds of prospects. Choose a date and time to join me at TomHegna.com/howtothrive and put it on your calendar.

I can't wait to see you there!

-Tom Hegna