Successful people are lifelong learners. They never stop developing, learning new skills, and investing on themselves. They do not limit themselves with what they know. They are committed to growth and learning is vital in achieving this goal. American author Tony D’ Angelo says “Develop a passion for learning. If you do you will never cease to grow.”
Benefits of continuous learning
Learning is only effective if it leads to transformation. The skills learned and knowledge gained go to waste when not immediately applied. This application helps us achieve our fullest potential in work and life. We feel energized and empowered. Learning gives us a sense of pride and achievement.
We also become aware of how we use our time. Instead of wasting precious time looking down on our phones, we would rather read books, listen to podcasts, attend webinars, joining retreats and conferences. New friendships and connections are formed widening our network.
I mentioned that the greatest investment we could ever have is ourselves. We need time for personal growth. When you do something for the first time, you are challenging yourself to achieve what you perceived as unattainable. When we let go of our fear and jump, what a celebration it would be when we accomplish the task!
We discover something about ourselves, a hidden talent or a potential skill we are really good at. I have a friend who is a doctor by profession and after years of practice realized her lost passion for writing. Slowly, she developed herself by attending writing workshops in the city and attending webinars. She just kept on writing. She keeps a blog and accepts writing/editing jobs regularly. She also encouraged me to start my own blog.
I was also inspired by friends and speaker Richard Branson to embark on this new journey. I am going to use my entrepreneurial experience and wellness advocacy as my platform. The personal experiences and various learnings I gathered over the years to improve myself will be shared in the blog. The blog also helps me keep me track of my personal growth.
What skills have I learned?
I mentioned earlier that I do attend various trainings and conventions that would suit my need. Because I have decided to blog and promote my business online, I attended a Digital Marketing course and Sean Si’s SEO Workshop. I have met a lot of new people who have encouraged me to pursue this new path.
In the last quarter of 2016, I was privileged to learn from the experts in the Image Consulting industry in Singapore. I am proud to be under the mentorship of AICI and continuously being trained in Image Consultancy and Landmark as a Life Coach. This has opened new doors for me with regards to my professional development and I am so excited about my future as an Image Consultant.
For my personal and spiritual growth, Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) has helped me grow in my faith and knowledge of the Bible. It has given me a different perspective in life and the future. As I grow deeper, I have taken steps in discipling others by equipping myself through the annual leadership conference at CCF and the Global Discipleship Congress every three years.
As a wellness advocate, I am interested in learning more about health care and cancer prevention. I joined other symposiums by medical professionals including Dr. Samuel Dizon’s talk on “Perfect Health Requires Perfect Circulation.”
I am not really a reader. I do not like reading books. But when I decided to invest in myself, I began appreciating books more. I am starting to love reading now. I usually have a book with me wherever I go. My current reads are books on wellness, style, finance and relationships.
I do hope I have encouraged you to start looking at learning as an ongoing process. We learn something new everyday. Whether we get inspiration from a colleague, be motivated in a conference or encourage by a friend, we all learn one way or the other. Never let your age, financial capability and educational background stop you from learning.
Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Share with me your learning journey.