Continuous Learning
April 24, 2008
by Brian Tracy: Excerpt From: "Financial Success"
Throughout the developed world, we have moved from an era of manpower to an era
of mind power. We have moved from the use of physical muscles to the use of
mental muscles. Today the chief sources of value in our society are knowledge
and the ability to apply that knowledge in a timely fashion. In the information
age, knowledge is king, and those people who develop the ability to continuously
acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and
to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite
future.
When you learn and practice the techniques for rapid learning, when you join the
learning revolution, you will learn how to unlock the incredible powers of your
mind. You will learn how to become smarter—faster than ever before. You will
learn how to become a master of your fate rather than a victim of circumstances.
You will learn how to take complete control of your present and future destiny
so that you can accomplish and achieve anything you want in life.
Knowledge is doubling every two to three years in almost every occupation and
profession, including yours. This means that your knowledge must double every
two to three years for you to just stay even. People who are not aggressively
and continuously upgrading their knowledge and skills are not staying in the
same place. They are falling behind. You see this demonstrated all over the
place with massive lay-offs, declining wages, and growing insecurity in the
workforce. You see it in the increasing bewilderment and despair on the part of
people who are being displaced from low-skill jobs which have either moved
overseas or disappeared altogether. We are in the midst of a societal revolution
where unionized industrial workers are becoming a smaller and smaller percentage
of our workforce each year.
As recently as the 50s and 60s it was common to believe that you finished your
schooling, got a job with a large company and stayed with that company for the
rest of your life. This was based on the old paradigm of learning. In this old
paradigm, life was divided into three parts. First were your "learning" years,
during which you got your education, however extensive or limited. Then came
your "earning" years. This was the period of time during which you worked for a
living. After that came your "yearning" years. This was the period of retirement
which would be paid for by Social Security, savings, and pensions.
Today, with workforce requirements changing so rapidly, you must continually be
asking yourself, "What is my next job going to be?" You must also be asking
yourself, on a regular basis, "What is my next career going to be?"
Imagine for a moment that your entire company or industry vanished overnight and
you had to start all over again in an entirely new business doing an entirely
different job. What would it be? And don't think this question is speculative or
that it applies to someone else. It is a question that you will probably have to
deal with, perhaps far sooner than you expect. In thinking about your new job
and your new career, here is the most important question of all: "What do I have
to be absolutely, positively excellent at doing, in order to earn an excellent
living in my new job and my new career?"
The answer to almost every question and the solution to almost every problem in
the world of work is to learn and practice something new and different. When you
learn how to use the incredible power of your brain to absorb and apply new
ideas and information, you will be able to lead the field and rise to the top of
any profession or occupation.
Here's another question for you: What is your most valuable asset? In terms of
cash flow, what is the most valuable thing you have? Well, unless you are very
rich, or have a family trust account, your most valuable asset is your "earning
ability." It is your ability to earn money. It is your ability to apply your
knowledge and skill in a timely fashion to get results for which others will
pay.
All your education, knowledge, experience, reading, training, and work has
contributed toward building up your earning ability. According to the research,
the so-called "rich" in America, and in other countries, are almost invariably
people who started from common beginnings, often with great disadvantages, and
then overcame those circumstances by investing an enormous amount of time and
effort on developing their earning ability. And you can do the same thing,
starting today, or at any time.
Management consultant Peter Drucker says that the truly educated person today is
a person who has learned how to learn continuously throughout life. Tom Peters
says that continuous learning may be the only real source of sustainable
competitive advantage for individuals and corporations. And Peter Senge, who
wrote The Fifth Dimension, says that only learning organizations, those
organizations that are capable of taking in new information, adapting it, and
using it faster than their competitors, will survive in the fast-changing,
competitive world of tomorrow.
The more you know, the better you will be at solving problems and getting
results for which people will pay you. The more you know, the more freedom and
opportunity you have. And the more you learn and the faster you learn it, the
more rapidly you move upward and onward in your career and in every other area
of your life.
Between where you are and where you want to go, there is almost always a gap,
and in almost every case you will find that you can bridge this gap with
knowledge and skills. In order to get from where you are to your goals, you have
to learn and practice something new and different. You have to learn new skills
and abilities. You have to learn new attitudes and methods. You have to learn
new techniques and practices. If you want to be a better parent, you must learn
and practice better parenting skills. If you want to be a better spouse, you
must study and practice relationship skills. If you want to earn more money, you
have to determine what it is that people will pay more money for, and then get
busy learning and practicing those behaviors.
Specific knowledge and specific skills will become obsolete with the passing of
time, but learning how to learn is a permanent skill that you can use all the
days of your life. The people who join the learning revolution, and who learn
how to learn faster, like those people who first learned how to operate
computers, or learned how to become excellent in their fields, will be able to
earn more in one or two years of work than the average person earns in perhaps
five or ten years.
By joining the learning revolution, you will enhance every area of your life.
You will be able to help your spouse and your children unlock and realize more
of their individual potentials. You will be a better friend in helping your
friends use more of their abilities. And you will be a better manager,
developing the skills that will enable you to get far more out of yourself and
other people than ever before.
"Learn Faster. Read Faster. Remember More."
Increase your memory and brainpower in ways you never thought possible. Image thinking quicker and working smarter. Since you have learned these techniques you are now ahead of the curve. Finally, you are reaching your full potential at your professional and personal
life.
It used to be hard for me to remember names or past conversations. Now I can remember information 400 percent faster than the past, giving me the edge to succeed.
Accelerated Learning Techniques
Practice and patience is all it takes to increase
your learning and improve your memory. We are all geniuses as long as we
teach ourselves the right way to maintain information.
My proven sessions during this 6 disc CD workshop will help you accelerate
your learning to it's maximum potential. Also, it comes with an easy to
follow workbook. Accelerated Learning Techniques
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About the author: Brian Tracy is a leader in the field of human development. He is a millionaire, entrepreneur, businessman, author, and motivational speaker. He is also Chairman and CEO of www.BrianTracy.com
. He is the best-selling author of more than 17 books and over 300 audio and video learning programs.
Copyright © Brian Tracy International. All Rights Reserved.
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