Did your parents encourage you to learn something new every day? They may have said this to you and you might have just blown them off. I recently said it when I was speaking to a group at a conference. Thinking about this tried and true advice prompted me to write this blog post. I want to encourage you to learn something every day and this it applies to you no matter how old you are.
It’s very easy to learn today. There are so many books out there, no one could read them all in their lifetime. If you don’t like to read, there are podcast and videos you can watch. You can find one on any topic you can think of. If you think you don’t have enough time for it, there are articles and videos you can read or watch in less than five minutes. Even with so much access to information, you may be wondering why should you bother to learn more than you already learned in school or when learning how to do your job. These five reasons could get you thinking differently.
Learn about new things and places.
Today we live in a society made up of many diverse backgrounds. There are different religions, ethnic groups, races, and gender. We come from different places across the globe. There are even differences based upon the city and neighborhood you grew up in. By learning about the differences, we can better communicate with one another. Our work environments will be more productive, and we can expand who we do business with.
Stay current in your career field.
Change is happening rapidly in every industry with each new technological advancement. What you learned in college five years ago, may not be the same information being taught today. In order to stay up to date with your career field, you will want to learn what is happening or trending. You will be able to keep your company in the forefront and plan for potential challenges.
Awaken Your Creativity.
Learning new things can help you come up with new ideas. It’s almost as if you opened a door and walked through the looking glass or the door to Narnia. Your mind can become refreshed and you can begin to see things in a whole new light. You will find yourself contributing more at work and wanting to share the knowledge you have gained.
It beats boredom.
When you think of learning something new, people most often think about what you can read or watch. How about learning how to play an instrument, begin studying karate or yoga? You can start a new hobby like painting, knitting, hiking or even fishing. You can take tours of historical buildings or visit museums in your local area. Find something you are really interested in and learn all about it. You should never find yourself saying, “I’m bored.”
“Knowledge is power.”
Have you heard this saying? This quote is attributed as to first being said by Sir Francis Bacon, an English philosopher, and writer who lived during the 17th century. Knowledge is key to achieving great success in life. Therefore, the more knowledge one gains, they are said to be more powerful. It’s important to understand knowledge is much more than textbooks and school studies. Knowledge is also gained through life experiences which includes our successes and failures. As we learn new things, we gain more and more knowledge which empowers us to achieve great things in life.
There is a vast amount of information out there for us, so we can learn something new every day. In doing so, we can expand our world and achieve great success in life. I encourage you to give it a try and see the difference it makes in your life. Remember, it all about success on YOUR own terms.
Carolyn R. Owens has over 25 years of proven experience and serves as a Career Strategist, Executive and Leadership Coach. She is the President of Infinity Coaching, Inc. where she can help you up-level your skills, so you can up-level your income, career, business or life. Infinity Coaching, Inc. provides one-on-one and group coaching, organizational training, personality assessments, and a signature program, the Infinity Coaching Inner Circle. Carolyn is certified to give both The Energy Leadership Index Assessment and Myers Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. You can find out more about both assessments and other products and services at https://infinitycoaching.net.
