The World Turns Upside Down
Thoughts on continuous learning
My Childhood is Gone
Blockbuster Video and Toys “R” Us are gone, so my children won’t be able to experience either of them. They won’t be able to search a store devoted to toys or movies. Those stores aren’t around anymore because the world has changed. Technology has changed, consumer trends have changed, and competition has changed. They chose not to keep up or weren’t able to. Now they’re gone.
This reminds me that if you don’t keep up with the times and don’t look out for what’s coming up, the world will leave you behind.
Everything Changes
Very few things stay the same. The world turns upside down frequently. How do we keep up?
I’m in a constant state of learning. I regularly am reminded of how much I don’t know. That fuels me to learn more. I also am aware that I’ll never learn everything. This means I’ll always learn more but always fall short of the goal of knowing everything. Thus, the journey and process of learning is the goal.
What do I learn about?
Whatever is out there. I read books, listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and webinars, and attend conferences whenever possible. Opportunities are endless, and I do my best to grab hold of everything I can access. More specifically, I learn about topics related to the intersection of business, technology, and data. Personal finance is a non-work-related area of interest.
My learning starts from a place of experience deficiency. When working in just one company, industry, or area, you only know what's around you. I’ve lived in Michigan my entire life. Michigan's businesses differ from those in New York City, Silicon Valley, and the southern United States. Because of this, I need access to new information I can’t get through experience. The data industry is constantly changing. My career has spanned almost two decades. I’ve seen many things come and go.
Learning gives you access to a different language of the industry in which you currently work or want to work. You learn the terms that are in style. You also know what people are not talking about. This keeps you up to date on new concepts. When someone asks you about a topic, you at least have an idea of what it is.
It’s also interesting because my language changes as I learn more. When you see me write a post, it’s usually a blend of my thoughts and things I’ve learned throughout my career. I apply what I have learned by sharing it and adding my style.
The Long and Winding Road
This takes time. I have spent thousands of hours over the years consuming content and learning. What is the biggest thing I’ve learned? We’re all not that much different. Companies of all sizes have the same problems. In a world of 3 billion people, I’ve found that humans create the same issues regardless of their structure. What does this help me with? It allows me to be more confident and not feel that what I think and feel is foreign.
Also, I’ve learned that it’s all about the business. Despite all the fancy new tricks, new technology, and changing nature, it’s all about helping the company sell its products and services while controlling costs to stay in business over the long term.
How do you have time?
The truth is that most of it is after work hours. That’s when I’m free of distractions and have focus time. The challenge with constant learning is how to turn it off. I’ve found that learning is my leisure time. As I’m dropping my kids off at school and taking extracurricular activities, I find the time to listen to a podcast. I’m an early bird and wake up pretty early. So, before I start my work day, I read an article or post about a topic that interests me. The time is there; you must find the opportunities in your daily schedule. If it’s important enough, you’ll figure it out.
I’m fully aware that I’m smarter than I was a year ago and not as smart as I will be a year from now. The journey continues to chase after who I will be a year from now.