Step 2: Be open to change and new learning
How many new things does a 5 year old child learn in a day? How enthusiastically does she embrace the world of possibility, the desire to learn and improve? How easily does she give up? Why is it that, as grown-ups we forget the 5 year old mindset and close our minds to new learning?
New learning opportunities are everywhere and in this digital world there’s simply no excuse to avoid new learning.
Here are my top five ways to learn more (and hence be able to run a better business):
- Resist the urge to ‘hang out’ on your phone. Unless you’re reading something that will teach you something new.
- Enrol in courses / workshops either online or in person. Choose topics that are going to help you in business. Equally valuable are podcasts you can listen to when stuck in traffic. Face to face workshops and seminars are ideal too.
- Read more. Both recreational and business books. Spend at least 30 minutes reading each night. It will help you sleep better too.
- Keep a journal of your learnings. You’ll be able to revisit them later. You don’t know something until you can teach it to someone else.
- Turn off your TV. Spend that time reading or listening to podcasts instead.
So, what is it that you need to learn more about? Is it leadership, business management, sales skills, or simply how to write better? What will be the best way to gain this knowledge? Write this down in your workbook. Set yourself some targets, perhaps it’s reading for 30 minutes per day. Go home and share your target with someone else and keep a record of how you’re going. Start today!
