WHY LEARNING IS A HABIT FOR PROFESSIONALS
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| Photo credit: Unsplash |
From this post, we will get to understand why the professionals keep getting better and what they do not stop learning.
When does learning stop? It never stops.
Learning never ends. If you want to continue being great at what you do, learning is a continuous process.
In Nigeria, at a certain time, people ask the question “Are you a learner?” The question was meant to be derogatory. It was meant to refer to a person who is a novice. But I beg to differ.
When asked “Are you a learner?” answer in the affirmative, “I am a learner”.
The most influential men and women who do exploits in their field are learners. They never stop learning.
You’ve heard that readers are leaders right? Leaders read because they need to know.
As a professional, how do you start your day?
A new day is like an open blank book waiting for you to fill.
At the end of the day when you get back to bed, what will your story for the day be? What did you learn?
Ask yourself, what have I learnt today? What am I learning at the moment?
If you develop the habit of asking the above questions, you will become a better learner. You will start your day believing there is something to learn.
As a lawyer, I learn every day. New things come up that requires me to apply both old and new knowledge.
I learn from books. I learn from people. I learn in the courtroom. I learn from people better than me. I learn from my friends (that’s why its good to surround yourself with quality friends). I learn from any new interesting information that pops up around me.
As a professional, each new day is a day to refresh yourself. We make new decisions every day, and sometimes we make mistakes. Each mistake you make is an opportunity to learn.
Like I mentioned above, leaders are readers.
If you want to lead in your professional life, you must continue to learn. You must acquire new knowledge.
You must be ahead in knowledge in your field to be top of your game.
Acquiring new knowledge doesn’t mean the old is gone. You learn and relearn.
Old knowledge is not totally gone, but it helps new knowledge have a basis for better understanding.
We have the ability to learn and relearn. What distinguishes geniuses from others is their ability to take old knowledge and transform it. The new material gives a new perspective.
Knowledge is like habits. Old habits can be replaced by new ones.
Old habits don’t necessarily have to be erased, they are only replaced with new habits that are more beneficial to who you are now.
Acquiring new knowledge is all about developing new habits.
If you want to learn how to dance, you learn by developing a new habit of dancing.
If you want to be a good teacher, it is simply by developing habits of good teachers.
Just like every other skill, reading and gathering knowledge is a skill. If you want to acquire new knowledge, you have to develop new study habits.
Reading always is a habit. Habits are those things we find difficult to stop.
Reading to acquire knowledge, once habitual, you naturally become someone who is quite knowledgeable. Nothing will take you by surprise.
If you don’t know at the moment, it is a signal to you that you need to know now.
By the way, one of the signs you are a fast learner is your ability to acknowledge you don’t know.
To be a professional who is leading in your field, the best way to acquire new knowledge and new skills is to develop the habit of willingness to learn.
Conclusion
Some people find it hard to buy books, go for a seminar, or attend a conference to acquire new knowledge.
If you think knowledge is expensive, try ignorance.
Knowledge is good but it is not enough to gather knowledge without taking action.
If you compound the whole knowledge in the world it will make no difference if no result is seen in your work.
When you are faced with a challenging situation, you don’t respond with intelligence, you respond with habits.
