As fast and furious streams of information pour from everywhere, average attention spans are consistently diminishing, and silence is unheard of, true learning is a rarity in today’s culture.
The idea of learning is a polarizing topic; some bemoan the technological advances and societal shifts, while others embrace every change and scorn the past.
Per usual, both extremes are misguided and there is a balance of thoughtfully considering the effect our lifestyle has on us, as well as the benefits of the lifestyle we’ve chosen.
Technology is not only used by us, it also uses or shapes us. Just as a shovel is used to shape what we see, like the hole that we can dig more easily because of the shovel, it also shapes us – by making us sore, using and growing our muscles, or potentially leaving blisters.
Shovels are just like any other technology and the way we are shaped is usually not as commonly considered as the way it shapes what we see.
How Does All This Make Me A Better Person?
We’re getting to that. One of the greatest challenges in the information age is true learning. It’s hard to be disciplined, focus, and consistently invest in learning.
The one daily activity that will make you a better person is learning with a purpose.
Build A Learning Block Into Every Day
It’s simple, set aside a small amount of time every day dedicated to learning with a purpose. If you want to be the best in an industry, then you need to have a comprehensive understanding of the competitive landscape. Block off twenty minutes in your calendar, set it to repeat every day, and consume the best and most relevant industry news.
Many people will recommend signing up for educational courses or enrolling in classes. I don’t have a problem with either approach, but I think that simply starting by setting up your RSS reader (Feedly is an awesome free option), setting up Twitter lists, or joining relevant LinkedIn Groups will provide plenty of material to help you stay on top of the industry and improve your understanding of the big picture.
How You Do It Matters, But Doing It Is Critical
Find out how other people learn, figure out how to best structure your time, and tweak your learning block over time. Remember that building the habit of learning is critical. It doesn’t matter how you structure that time if you never build the habit.
Do you have any tips for developing the learning habit or suggestions for how to structure your learning block? Share them in the comments section below and let’s keep improving!
Final Step: Apply Your Learning
Don’t stop with head knowledge – apply what you’re learning. Create killer content and share your knowledge.
If you’re in an industry that doesn’t seem exciting, this awesome guide to killer content creation in boring industries is for you.