If you're spending free time reading novels or listening to music, you're missing a major key to personal and business success. People who achieve high levels of abundance generally read two or three inspirational books every week. They aren't parked in front of the TV all night.

With today's technology you have many choices of how to best receive personal growth information. There is no longer an excuse for not having time to be educated.

Look at this partial list of delivery methods for getting professional development information to you:

-Read online or listen to PDFs online-software can read text to you!

-Listen to audio or watch streaming video online

-Download audio or video to your iPod

-Download print, audio or video to your cell phone or PDA

-Print out a PDF to take with you in a folder

-Read a print book

-Listen to CDs or watch DVDs-in your car, on a plane, on your TV or computer

You're probably thinking, "I barely have time to complete all my tasks now. How could I add anything else?" But, we all have the same 24 hours each day.

Since you can't add hours, it's up to you to decide how to spend the ones you have. The advent of the iPod makes it easier to access professional development tools. Now you can listen discreetly while standing in line or waiting for an appointment. iPods aren't just for kids. They're important tools for business success and personal growth.

To create the life of your dreams, you must make new choices about how to spend your time. If it were possible to achieve your personal development goals by doing what you're doing now, you would already have everything you want.

I'm sure you've heard the adage that you can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it. It's the same with any personal growth change you want to make in your life. You can't create a new life with the old habits that produced the life you have now.

Just as when you were a child and books magically took you to places you'd never been, inspirational books will guide you to become the person you want to be and will help build the business success of which you dream.

Every multi-millionaire I've met had many personal growth obstacles to overcome in their lives. Not one of them was born into a life of ease. They dealt with circumstances ranging from total poverty, abandonment as a child, abuse, depression, life-threatening illness, divorce, business loss and bankruptcy.

This reality shatters all the excuses you've been using throughout your life for why you can't succeed. For many, inspirational educational tools were the beginning of their road to personal and business success. These professional development tools will start you on the road to your dreams, too.

Let me give you some examples of abundant people who are big readers. Robert Allen, real-estate guru and author of best-selling books including my favorite, Multiple Streams of Income, reads several books at once by leaving them in various rooms throughout his home so a book is always available.

Cynthia Brian, co-author of the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul and author of Be the Star You Are, finds it easy to read several books a week because she carries a book everywhere and spends at least two hours nightly reading instead of watching TV.

David Anderson of Famous Dave's really raises the bar. He's a self-proclaimed night owl, sleeping an average of five hours. He not only reads two or three books a week, but 20-30 magazines a month! He reads continually for personal development and to stay current on business trends.

You say you want more from life, but will you move outside your comfort zone to make it happen? Maybe reading a book every week seems unfeasible. Commit to reading one book this month, or in the next two weeks. When you find it's not so difficult, up your quota.

The key to effective use of inspirational books, audios and videos is that you implement what you learn. Put your new knowledge into practice; don't just read, listen or watch for the sake of spending time doing it.