I am blessed to have 5 children. The other day my son and I were discussing school. As many kids I suppose, he was wondering why he needed to go (you may remember having this conversation with your parents at some time?). My response was “Someday you will wish you could be in school still!”
I really do feel this way actually now that I’m older. I’ve fallen in love not with school per se but with learning. Can you relate? The ability to learn is one of the richest gifts you and I have been given.
Of course, to an 11 year old like my son it may not seem so great when it’s being ‘forced’ upon him. Yet when you want it, there’s not much like it.
The Price of Wisdom
There is a cost. For your team, your marriage, your brand, your career, just you as a person: you have to be given to it. This will minimally cost you time. Perhaps money. It probably will involve seeking out the best venues or people from whom you can learn.
To this day I look back about 10 years ago when we (Waves Media) went to a 1 day seminar held by StillMotion in Boston MA. The price was only $250 per person but I was at first hesitant about going. What we gained was so worth it in the end though. The knowledge and awareness gained there left us with a new paradigm about filmmaking. And the idea that a ‘world’ of opportunity in creativity and meaning in our work lay before us. It was kind of amazing the result that came out of that over the next few years both in value, monetary growth, personnel growth, and purpose in what we did. And that was just 1 day!
Are you finding yourself in a ‘mire’ of just trying to make it? Does it feel like it’s all just ‘getting old’? When was the last time you went to a meaningful conference? Or spoke with a mentor or coach of sorts? Is there regular reflection, assessment, and basic learning in your life personally or professionally? Maybe it’s time to start again. And REFRESH!
Ideas to Apply
In closing here are a few great things and options we can look into that may help:
- Find relevant courses for your situation and goals. Services like LinkedIn Learning have so much available
- Tackle at least 1 book a month that you will read. This could be an audiobook or paper version, whatever suits you best. Then do a mini report on that book with application ideas. If you want to grow in something like business find a list of recommended books like this one.
- Find a mentor or coaching. Organizations like Gazelles or individual coaching services can serve in our growth immensely.
- Find peer groups or networks of other people in your line of work you feel are really going for a ‘win-win’ and not just trying to sell you something. As a Christian, I have thoroughly loved a group I’ve gotten involved with that is definitely worth checking out known as “Heaven in Business“