How Often Do You Learn Something New?

Knowledge is power....we either develop our own, or, we continue to pay for it, over and over again.  Often people do not recognize how much they are capable of, and how often they give their power away.  We hire people to do for us, what we are fully capable of doing ourselves.   We go to the perceived "experts" for advice & services because we have not learned things for ourselves.    While this is fine in certain circumstances, often people just don't recognize they are fully capable of learning something that can very fulfilling for them.

It's a powerful distinction....we rely on the knowledge of others when we don't have it ourselves.  If one is not willing to learn, they will always give that power away to others.  This apples to business and to our personal lives.  It's important to understand all your options, or you end up settling or giving your power to someone else.  This causes a lack of confidence and a feeling you are not capable.

How capable do you see yourself in your business life and personal life?  The more capable you see yourself, the more things you will take on, the more you will learn, the more confidence you will gain, and the more you will feel like you are actually participating in the journey of your own life.  Let's look at some examples in different aspects of life:

In relation to business, do you know how to market your business?  A small company that doesn't have the budget to do any marketing will not grow at the pace their competitors do.  If they decide to pay someone to do their marketing, marketing itself will seem like some huge unknown they cannot gain any control over.  They will continue to spend and will have to rely on outside contractors to do their marketing.  However, they could choose to learn about social media, and start building a very loyal following of clients by giving value through their social media posts.  This will do more for building loyalty and positive word of mouth to expand their client base than any amount of money they spend on traditional marketing.  It is empowering to put yourself out there on social media and provide value, and it builds credibility, which you could never build by simply paying for marketing services over and over again.

In our personal lives, we are currently planning all the wedding decor for our daughters wedding.  When they were first engaged, we did some research with vendors to determine costs.  To rent some of the supplies we need, is pretty much the same cost as buying our own, however, some of the price points for companies to come in and do the physical work of the decor is about 10 times the amount we can do it for ourselves (things like table cloths, ceiling draping, etc.)  To us, it is a labor of love to do it ourselves and not at all difficult.  We have educated ourselves by watching youtube videos, going to wedding shows, etc.  We are growing most of the flowers which again is a labor of  love....we were planting summer flowers anyway, why not plant what we could use for the wedding.  We are also talking with the reps at garden centers about what is in season, and what works well together.  We have some amazing friends that are pitching in and giving their time to help.  We are gathering pieces to use as decor and putting everything together piece by piece.  Again, you can pay an "expert" to do these things, or you can learn and do most of it yourself....which is more satisfying and really brings the family together to share a meaningful experience on a common goal.

This brings up gardening, and our health.  Yes, gardening is work, but what a great way to find self satisfaction in what you produce!  Whether it is flowers or a vegetable garden, the sense of satisfaction of producing something either beautiful, or delicious is a wonderful feeling.  Today as people are becoming more conscious of buying fresh local foods, what better way than growing it yourself and knowing for yourself, there were no pesticides used.  We can get frustrated about gmo's, pesticides, etc., that are present in so much food we buy from the grocery store, and feel like we are the victim with no solution, or, we can learn what type of soil to use, what type of light the plants like, how often to water, etc., and have the self satisfaction that we can grow our food without these health concerns.

Don't underestimate what knowledge does for your life.  When you have a passion for learning new things, there is no limit on the positive effects it will have on your life.  Learning something new in one area will always spill over and provide benefits in other areas.  For example, when you learn something new for your work, it can give you the confidence to apply the knowledge to something in your personal life.

Successful people are life long learners.  it doesn't stop after traditional education. Today there are so many ways to learn via the internet.  Stores also provide classes on DIY projects.  There are podcasts, blogs, videos, the list is endless. The self satisfaction one gains through learning and applying the knowledge is a wonderful feeling.  It builds self esteem and confidence, and allows you to do things you may not have realized you are fully capable of!

As published on:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-often-do-you-learn-something-new-debbie-ruston?trk=prof-post

Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset. Was this article of value to you? Feel free to share it on your social networks and with your contacts, join in the discussion below, and FOLLOW her on the top right corner of this page.

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