Let's face it, we all want to be effective in some way or another. We want to make a positive impact on those around us, succeed at the the things we attempt to do, and basically, live life to the fullest. If you don't, you're probably one of those people who plays computer games all day and complains about everyone else... which means that we're probably not friends... let me know when you are ready to put down the remote and then we can talk.

I have come to the belief that it's just plain silly to sit around and do nothing with the talents and abilities God has blessed us with. It would be like receiving a million dollars from some distance relative that I didn't know about and then doing absolutely nothing with it for the rest of my life (...hmmm, wonder where I got THAT analogy from?...). It's crazy! Invest it, give it to someone in need, send your kids to a great school, take your friends on vacation - Just do SOMETHING good with it!

Obviously, I am a bit passionate about this subject, and I would only assume that you are too, otherwise you would not have taken the time to read past the third sentence where I offended all video-game-players.

So, now that I know we are interested in the same thing, I'd like to share with you the one big secret for maximizing your effectiveness that I have discovered. It's simplicity may surprise you, and it may even disappoint you - I hope not, but in a society that is always wanting quick fixes and get-rich-quick plans, disappointment usually follows.

Last night I went with my good friend, Jordan, to a business seminar up in Denver. I had heard about it through a business contact here in town and since it was free, decided that we had nothing to lose. The three hour seminar was conducted by a man named Brad Sugars who is 35 years old and became a millionaire at age 25. He is now approaching the billionaire mark because of the multiple businesses he has started but is best known for his company, Action Coach.

I was skeptical at first about this kind of thing for one specific reason: It was free.

Whenever something is free, there is almost always a sales pitch attached which can usually be very annoying. And there was a sales pitch - he wanted us to buy his books or sign up with one of his coaches. But there was no pressure involved. He simply believed in the products he was trying to sell and still provided a lot of practical information on how to grow your business and essentially, your profits - 29 ways, in fact.

All 29 things were applicable to my business strategies and were things that I wanted to go home and start improving or implementing right away. But there was one specific thing that stood out above all the rest. One of his mentors told him a long time ago that if he wanted to "out earn" he would have to "out learn."

After that bit of advice, Brad said that he made a commitment to read one book every single week. He believes that one of the big secrets to becoming successful and effective (in business and sometimes life in general) is to learn everything you can about that particular subject.

I think he's right.

I refer to this as the "Sponge Concept." When you want to become an expert in a certain field, you have to be a sponge. Soak up all of the information you can and then take that information and start applying it. But never stop learning - NEVER.

• If you want to improve your personal finances, start reading more personal finance blogs (I'm not the only one on the web, you know).

• If you want to learn how to invest your money more effectively in the stock market, read some books about Warren Buffet.

Whatever it is that you want to maximize your ability to be effective in, start reading and start learning.

Be a sponge. It's really not a secret.