If you’re a fan of personal development, have needed motivation to take action upon your goals and turned to self-help literature, videos, seminars and the words of wisdom of the gurus in the niche, you know about Tony Robbins.

He’s not just a best-selling author, a successful entrepreneur, millionaire, motivational speaker and personal finance and life coach. He’s also a philanthropist who feeds 4 million people every year and provides water for 100 000 people in India daily fighting waterborne diseases.

He’s dedicated his life to one mission – to help people awaken the giant within (that’s also the name of one of his bestsellers, together with Unleash The Power Within, MONEY: Master The Game and Unlimited Power).

He’s all about self-improvement, personal excellence, taking charge of your time, life and money and getting 1% better every day. He makes things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen.

His whole life is a proof of that – he had a difficult childhood. He’s from a poor family, his father left them early on, the mother turned to alcohol and eventually kicked him out of the house with a knife, although he was the one taking care of his siblings.

Without going to college, he began his career as a self-help author, speaker and coach, after attending a few seminars of Jim Rohn, and then promoting them. That’s when he took the decision to start empowering people and helping them be their best self.

Here are some of the things you can learn from his teachings and what the Tony Robbins events are all about:

1. “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”

Everything begins by finding your ultimate purpose in life and letting it guide you on the way. You need specific goals for that.

According to Tony, goals are dreams with a deadline. And he’s got a unique and simple approach to goal setting that he shares in almost all his books and seminars.

There are 4 goal areas he includes: Personal development goals, Career/business/economic goals, Toys/adventure goals, Contribution goals.

For each, you should brainstorm ideas for 5 minutes (that’s where you’ll just write everything that comes to mind, without considering failure or other obstacles), give a timeframe to each goal, choose one of them and write down why it matters to you so bad.

2. “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”

Every decision you take today will have a bigger effect on your tomorrow than you imagine.

So it appears that life is a series of decisions. If taken consciously and with a long-term vision in mind, you will reach greatness.

He also says this: “Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any and every part of your life in an instant.”

If you need more inspiration, here are some more of the best Tony Robbins quotes.

3. “It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute… that gives meaning to our lives.”

All Tony Robbins events are organized with this in mind. He’s about giving without expecting anything in return. But it just happens so that life gives him twice back, because of the good he’s doing, the empowerment he’s giving, the value he’s creating and the lives he’s saving.

He believes that we must find our purpose, and one of our missions is to help others, to go beyond ourselves, to give what we can, even when we think we have nothing.

Tony has been giving all his life, that’s why he’s richer than anyone you know and wakes up with a smile every day. He’s concerned about other people’s destiny and doesn’t stop until he reaches out to more individuals and gives them something.

4. “We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish.”

Potential. There’s so much of it in each of us. But we rarely believe that.

If we just let go of the past, stop comparing ourselves to others or listening to conventional wisdom, we’ll see how powerful we are, will create a bigger vision, will start aiming higher.

Most of us just need someone like Tony Robbins to empower us by reminding us of the giant within. Then, we can take action and make the first step.

What about you? Have you attended any Tony Robbins events? Do you believe his teachings and books can change people’s lives? Let us know by commenting below!

Photo Credit: Scott Beale / Laughing Squid