So many books, so little time. Are you feeling overwhelmed with too many opportunities for ongoing education? Learning how to determine what’s valuable and what’s not for our business advancement takes skills many of us have not acquired. We are not only bombarded by the latest book we have to read, or the newest business or personal growth seminar we have to attend, but we now have a plethora of electronic information to deal with. Websites, e-zines, and e-mails barrage our computer screen on a daily basis. Teleclasses, e-courses, and eBooks are offered from every electronic portal.
What’s a busy entrepreneur to do? If you’re like me, an entrepreneur involved in the personal growth industry, it seems pursuing an ongoing education comes with the territory. We all love to learn and there’s a wealth of great information and knowledge for us to absorb, but learning how to select what’s best is part of developing positive work habits. You need to put limits on your education time and balance it with the rest of your activities.
Are you using ongoing education as a form of procrastination? Many people wait to start their new business until they read one more book, or take one more course, or consider one more opportunity. Know yourself, your goals, and your skills, then just plunge in and make a choice. After all, education is an ongoing process we use to increase and improve our knowledge and skills, as well as to learn from our mistakes. So if you choose the “wrong” business, learn your lessons and move on. Or if you make mistakes as you’re learning your new business, learn from your mistakes, make the necessary adjustments, and move on.
What do Robert Allen, Mark Victor Hansen, and Donald Trump all have in common? They’ve all declared bankruptcy at least once. Big mistake, you think? Can’t get much bigger? Yet, they all learned from their mistakes, bounced back, and become bigger than ever. And the bonus was, they now teach people how not to do what they did, and how to do it right! They all have highly successful educational enterprises-yes even “the Donald” has Trump University!
So how do you make the best selections for your ongoing education in the light of all the choices available? When you’re clear about your SMART goals, you’ll naturally make SMART choices about which educational opportunities fit with those goals-which books, which courses, which teachers will help you reach those goals. Learning new ideas and skills are exciting-just make sure you apply them to your business and life. Keep up your ongoing education and turn your mistakes into learning opportunities. Life is one long classroom.
With all the knowledge you have, you might want to give back. Learn how to help others achieve their goals and you will achieve yours.