I’ll be honest. I’ve always enjoyed a good course. Not so much when I was at school, but that’s another story. However, as an adult I’ve attended many. Some were excellent. Others less so. Crucially, they’ve all given me something to think about. And that to me is what matters. I hate that feeling of being stuck, of knowing what I know and that’s it. If curiosity killed the cat, I must have already lost more than a few lives. And when times are hard and money short, it can feel selfish, even excessive, to pursue more, when raises that question. Is life-long learning a luxury that we can abandon, or is it an essential which we ignore at our peril?
Firstly, within all this, is our inbuilt desire for more. And life-long learning helps meet that need. It’s something advertisers and marketers know only too well. Unsurprisingly, they ruthlessly promote the next best thing, knowing that this is what we are all drawn to. Secondly, if we sit still, safe in our comfort zone, with the same routines, we eventually end up having a sense of being stuck. Like something is missing. Finally, that pursuit of more, particularly when it comes to learning and understanding, can help provide that all important “me time”.
Even when we know this, we can be reluctant to expand our horizons. Sometimes, it’s because we think that we have to go big. Occasionally, we’re not sure how. Alternatively, we may fear failure. Curiously, some fear success because if you succeed, who do you become?
And then there are the big two. Time and money. We just never seem to have enough time, so overwhelming and busy are our days. And money is tight. Life is expensive, and recently very expensive. Who can afford the luxury of life-long learning?
So, where are you in all of this? Are you routinely indulging yourself with new knowledge and skills? Or, are you holding back, lacking time or money or both? Maybe you are in that rut and don’t even know it.
It took me a long time to realise just how important it is to continue learning. Forget about going big. Do something. Anything. Big or small. Remember that the most successful steps are those which are small and habitual. If it makes you think, good. If you feel stretched or challenged, good. Provided that you’re getting an emotional response from what you’re doing, you are on the right track.
If you know what to do, do it now. If you’re not sure, book an initial consultation here, and then take the next step. You know that you can do it, and you know that it makes sense, don’t you?
