Listening to what other people are saying directly to you or what they’re presenting in a meeting is probably one of the most important skills to master. But, it’s what they’re not saying that could be even more important to your success.

Simply stated, body language is how you can gauge how people are reacting to you. If they’re saying they are on board with your proposal, but they’re tense and not looking you in the eye, then your direct report is probably NOT on board.

The next time you’re in a meeting, don’t just focus on the nodding heads. Look at the body language of those you’re talking to in order to get the real story. If you see something out of line, probe deeper by asking if folks are “really” with you or not.

What do you love to do during your free time? Why not schedule it in into your schedule more often?

I love to read and during my day off today, I spent an hour reading this morning. I’m reading a great book about CEOs and the best advice they have to give you and me.

Not only did I enjoy the reading time, but I also have some great ideas to implement Monday morning.

So that’s me and what I like to do. How about you? Why not schedule your favorite thing right now as a reoccurring calendar entry to make sure you have a little “me time” every week?

What would happen to your side project if you really committed yourself 100 percent to it?

By “side project” I mean anything from your internet business, your job or your goal to lose weight. I know these things might not sound like side projects but they are if you’re not getting the results you’ve been dreaming of.

If you really want something, you have to really want it badly. You have to want to achieve it so badly that you’ll do anything and everything to achieve your goals.

Every success story you know of is rooted in hard work and commitment to an end goal that grabs hold of the person pursuing that goal and won’t let them go until they’ve tasted victory.

How about you? Take a moment to examine your efforts to date – have you put in the deliberate practice/hours? Are you focused against one goal or are you scattered?

How bad do you really want it? If the answer is anything close to “so bad it hurts” or “it’s my destiny” then it’s time to buckle down, get serious and stop playing around. Your destiny awaits.

Today I visited my parents for an early Mother’s Day for my mom. After stuffing our faces with great food, we were prodded to take home the leftovers. Yes, it’s tough being me. But I did one more thing before I left. I went into the attic and quickly went through our bookshelves to find a few books to bring home.

The phrase “feed your mind” popped into my head because the focus of the past few hours had been on feeding our stomachs. In fact, feeding our minds is often neglected to our detriment.

The high-fliers and experts in your industry invest valuable time in learning more about their industry.  Do you?

Reading blogs half-assed or popping over to Twitter doesn’t count. If you want to feed your mind so it grows and your income grows along with it, you have to make the time commitment to feed your mind regularly.

By the way, feeding your mind doesn’t have to cost a thing. Library books are free and so are books you bought decades ago but never read (okay technically free).

Net Takeaway: If you don’t regularly read, make it a point to read at least 15 minutes a day. Even the busiest of people can commit to this schedule…especially when the payoff is so huge.