Find out how to become a better you
Learning is a part of life, and refining your skills and knowledge can help you improve yourself and your performance in your job. Founder of Careercake.com, Aimee Bateman, tells us why it’s important to never stop learning and to keep improving the way you do things.
Do you learn something new every day? If the answer is no, then why not? You should try to learn something new or different each day and take that ideology with you throughout your lifetime. Entrepreneur and founder of Dell Inc, Michael Dell, says: “Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people…or find a different room.”
By speaking to people and engaging in different conversations or debates you can learn a lot, not only about the topic, but also about yourself. The ‘room’ mentioned here doesn’t have to be a physical room, you could find these people online or in books and use it as way to expand your knowledge.
Whether you are an entrepreneur or work for an organisation, by being open to learning something every day, you can get a new perspective on things or perhaps help yourself become better at planning and organising. You could simply expand what you know.
The point is that what you put in will impact what comes out. For example, by speaking to others within the workplace, you can find new ways of doing things – which could be anything from being more efficient and cutting down on wasted time, to being more persuasive or asserting more authority. Perhaps you could find solutions to problems that will not only help you but also others around the office? In turn, this will help you to feel more valuable.
Lifelong learning can help keep your brain healthy, as Henry Ford said: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning, stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”
How can you become a lifelong learner?
Learning can help you get through the everyday mundane tasks, whilst enabling you to develop and improve the skills you initially brought to your workplace. Looking at how you can improve now, without getting too caught up in planning for the future, you’ll be able to give yourself a good foundation to build from.
Read, listen and watch what others are doing – not in a way that distracts you from your job, but as a way to grow your skills base. Make sure you ask those around you questions, and read books around topics in your specific field or industry.
Use a notepad and pen to write down what you learn. Jotting down thoughts and ideas of things to look for can help expand your knowledge and these notes may come in useful later on .
And don’t stop with yourself – teach someone else in return. By mentoring or coaching others in your career, you will often learn things from the questions they ask. You could see things in a new light, and ultimately expand your horizons.
Other references:
https://www.wamda.com/2013/05/10-ways-to-be-a-lifelong-learner-and-make-it-count-at-your-job
