We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are. Max Depree The Power of Lifelong Learning The difference between "who you are now and the person you really want to be" lies in two simple things: your level of knowledge and the application of that knowledge. Life has changed a lot over the past 100 years and all evidence points to even higher rates of acceleration in the future. Most research states mankind’s total knowledge is doubling every 18 months to 3 years. During a presentation by David Chalk of Dave Chalk Computer Life, he projected that by 2020, mankind’s knowledge will double every 30 days. Hey -- that’s a big bunch of information. It’s obvious that very few people reading this ezine article will be able to or will even want to keep up. If you tried to take in all this new information, you could quite easily explode. But on the other hand, going into denial and not continuing to learn is a recipe for disaster. Many jobs that my children, ages 6 and 7, may do in their lifetime, are not yet invented. The same holds true for many of you reading this. What to do about this challenge? Be 100% committed to lifelong learning. Learning does not and should not stop until the day you depart from this planet. Research says that individuals who retire with no purpose die within a few years. They have little reason to keep going, stay sharp, or remain inspired. (Purpose after Retirement will be addressed in a future ezine article.) How can you ensure you are Living on Purpose? Expanded knowledge allows expanded options and increased success ratios. We can no longer take our learning for granted or by accident. It needs intention -- a plan, direction, and focus. This Week’s Action Steps 1.Make a personal commitment to Lifelong Learning. Would you like to go to a doctor who had not upgraded his or her knowledge in the past 10 years? 2.Learning for learning’s sake is no longer viable; you need to be strategic with your time and your learning. 3.Take the time to identify the knowledge areas that are important and critical to your future success and purpose. Action: create four columns on a page. From the left, title three columns Must Learn, Should Learn, and Would Like to Learn, respectively. Now fill in the columns. 4.The title for the fourth column is Required Knowledge Accessed from an Expert, such as an accountant or lawyer. Identify and start sourcing your team of experts to meet your specific objectives. Henry Ford was brilliant in accessing others’ knowledge to achieve his purpose, while being knowledgeable enough to know where his team was going. 5.This is a very important step! Determine the easiest and fastest way you learn. Set up your learning strategy and process to match the learning method that works best for you. As more and more adults move back into continuous learning channels, it is clear many have forgotten or never did determine a "best process" learning mode. That’s why many universities and educational institutions use resources to establish their preferences for learning practices and methods -- which are as important as the learning itself. To sustain your interest and accelerate your learning, you must be clear about your preferred Learning Style. If you aren’t, your progress will be much slower or you might quit all together. I can speak from personal experience; I almost failed high school because of the structured and controlled learning environment. Today I have my Masters Degree; I have designed and written more than 40 one-day curricula and published more than 100 articles. What changed? I discovered I am an independent learner who wants to set my own pace. I have no patience for methodical, linear, and tightly structured processes so I seek out non-traditional learning. I learn fairly fast in an experiential mode. I prefer to access learning that is self-paced or involves an expert that will immediately show me, not teach me, the way something should be done. You should acquire knowledge via the method that serves you best. 6.Document your Learning Plan. Now that you are clear about what you want to learn (Step 3), from whom you should be learning (Step 4), and you have confirmed your best Learning Style and Strategy (from Step 5), it’s time to outline your development plan. Prioritize your learning, identify possible approaches, and setup a timeline so you know when you would like to acquire the knowledge. Keep a simple priority list with your what, who and preferred Learning Style. If you don’t have all your items prioritized, that’s fine; at least you have opened your consciousness to be aware of the content of the learning opportunities that are crossing your path everyday -- which you may be ignoring. 7.Purposefully look for and identify all the possible sources of knowledge you can acquire and integrate, to meet the objectives of your learning plan. 8.Just Do It! Lists without action are just lists. Please keep in mind that long-term, this learning should be serving you and your purpose. What do you want to know? How will you use the information? How will it benefit you? And by the way, if all the learning you’ve listed is work-related, go back and add a treat for you personally, such as music, art, voice or golf lessons. Enjoy the journey. You only get to take it once. Until next time keep Living on Purpose,
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