by Debra Arko, Featured Contributor
ARE YOU A lifetime learner? Many people often refer to themselves in this manner. If you’re already on the bandwagon of keeping your brain active, by the end of this article I will have motivated you to rethink how you exercise your brain. You’ll also add more to your business prosperity.
Mental decay is the new buzzword as boomers begin to enter the time of life where mental acuity slows down. Top earners are learners. Historical research shows people like Henry Ford and Napoleon Hill, used these processes daily until they died. Neither man had mental decline similar to others their age at death. Today people living into their mid-eighties often have horrid diseases like dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Becoming a great learner can mean a life rich of memories and happiness. It will increase your ability to be a top earner. There is no age too young or old too start.
These five things successful learners do will increase your knowledge and open doors if you dedicate yourself daily to learning. Smart business owners and top earners know the value of implementation of these five steps.
1. Imagine The Outcome
Educating yourself about something needs to have a purpose unless you have a lot of time on your hands. When you spend time with a ro
mance novel for instance, the only reason is entertainment. There is no personal growth or professional outcome.
If you were learning how to create a mobile app, envisioning the outcome of your application is vital to starting your strategy. First, form a clear mental picture of what you want to accomplish. If you’re doing a product launch, you’ll want to have certain things in place before launch day, like your shopping cart, customer service, and auto-responder.
Imagine the problem you solve. If your mobile app is for weight loss and tied to your local gym, it solves the problem of your clients having to log details in a notebook. What things would they want to track and better yet what else should they be reviewing.
2. Think Of Text As A Starting Point
Start with the written word. Whether you read a book or a kindle, text is the best place to start. Highlight concepts and ideas then move on to experiential learning through experience.
Become part of a Learner’s Group where you share practical experiences when applying the concepts. A book is a starting point. Put the ideas and skills to work. The Information lives in the book you bring it to life in your world through your actions.
One client shared with me that when she returns to the books it’s now enjoyable. You’ll have a similar experience.
3. Learn In Your Learning Language
What is your brains preferred method of gathering information? Are you best when you see the information drawn out on paper or a work board? Do you do better when listening to material through audios? Some people learn best through touch or tactile learning. In truth most people absorb more when two or more senses our engaged such as visual and audio for instance.
Kindle recently came out with a system where you can purchase the audio book on some titles letting you use both. It keeps track of where you left off in your reading or listening.
When you know how you learn best, your study time lessens. This allows you to move forward in to what I refer to as the ‘doing phase’. Here is where many people fall into analysis paralysis. Successful business leaders do something quite different.
They see an opportunity to learn what not to do. They put on a mindset of fearless learning. You can too.
4. Make Failure Fun
Wrapping your mind around the idea that there is no such thing as failure is tough for some people. You have to commit to have fun stretching yourself and adopt a belief that you often fail willingly as you learn how things work and how they don’t.
5. Make Accountability Exhilarating
Working with someone that holds you accountable cannot only propel you forward it will add a sense of accomplishment to your work ethic. Sometimes we feel too rigid with a deadline while properly designed outcomes are rewarding and bring success for those involved in the project.
Who can hold you accountable? Look for an online business manager who provides professional coaching too. This will keep you on track and your business. It also can save you money over having two people fill one set of shoes. Successful learners look for what will enhance their life and their business. They own the motto; leaders are readers whether it’s a large company or a small business.
