Last weekend, I had the opportunity to do a 2-day workshop for the leaders of our organization. During our Q&A session, I was asked about what habit has helped me create the results that I have.
The question was quite a surprise. It took me a few seconds to come up with an answer.
I thought about all the skills I have built over the years.
I thought about all the daily routines in my personal life as well as in my business.
Obviously there were so many changes over the years, both good and bad. So right away, I couldn’t pinpoint a single item that could have made the biggest impact.
Then the answer came to me.
I am a LEARNER by heart. I am always CURIOUS on how things work.
I am excited to figure things out. I geek out whenever I learn something new. It gives me a glimpse on how the world works. The moment of discovery is always fascinating. That’s why I can be perfectly fine being alone with my own thoughts.
The habit of CONTINUOUSLY LEARNING has created the biggest impact in my life.
Sometimes that means simply keeping quiet. Paying attention to what other people say and do, observing and learning at the same time.
Reading books. Attending seminars. Going through online courses. Doing things. Failing. Adjusting. Giving it another try. Succeeding. Repeating.
So why should you invest time in continuously learning?
It’s because your income can only grow to the extent that you do.
If you want your income to stop growing, you simply stop learning anything new.
Sometimes, you also need to update what you know.
What you used to know no longer work. You get frustrated, not realizing that it is you who need to change.
The most dangerous idea is in thinking you already know everything.
In my years of mentoring individuals in building their businesses, one things always comes up.
They often get frustrated for not getting the results they desire inspite of attending all the trainings. The thing is, you dont get better by training, you get better by actually applying the training. You get better by doing and failing. You get better by getting feedback and correcting.
Unfortunately, not acting is only half the equation. When you stop looking for answers because you think you already know everything, a new problem you didn’t expect will blindside you.
The danger is not found in the things you already know. It is in those things you don’t know.
Remember this. You don’t know what you don’t know.
Until someone points it out to you, you will be held back without realizing it. That’s why a mentor is crucial to recognizing your blind spots. But no one can help you if you already decided that you don’t need any help to begin with.
It starts slowly. You miss a day or two of training. Then a week, which turns into a month. Suddenly what used to be familiar seems vaguely what you used to know. Then one day it struck you. You already lost it. You don’t know how to get back.
You stoppped going to seminars. You stopped listening from your mentors. You stopped reading books. You stopped thinking for ways to improve.
When you look back what replaced all this? It’s the “busy-ness” that you think you have. It’s in those times you endlessly scrolled on newsfeeds of your Facebook and Instagram. It’s in the countless hours you spent watching videos upon videos on Youtube. It’s never ending.
That’s why it’s important to push yourself out of bed and get up. It’s important to show up even when you don’t feel like it. It’s in those moments of decisions your destiny is shaped.
One step at a time. That’s what my mentor always say.
Progress doesn’t have to be big. It just needs to be progress
So be patient when you are still far away from where you want to be.
Celebrate every milestone however tiny you think it might be.
There are 100+ books in my library, most of which I bought after graduating. But I bought only one book at a time. I didn’t read them all at once. I just let my curiousity lead me to which book I should read next, one book at a time.
I have attended seminars of Francis Kong, Anthony Pangilinan, Bo Sanchez and many more. Looking back it seems so many, but I just attended one at a time. I didn’t even plan to attend so many. I simply enjoyed learning from other people and let them lead me to a wonderful place of continuous learning.
In my business I have had the opportunity to extend the same, as I get asked to share my experiences by being a speaker to schools and events. In turn, I also learn from doing the things I am most afraid of. I get to learn from the audience and of myself even more.
Speaking of seminars, last night’s event with Mr. Francis Kong was a blast! I met a few readers from this blog during the event. It turned out they were also a fan of Sir Francis. Here’s something I learned last night. Sir Francis shared the difference of a businessman and an entrepreneur.
A businessman…
– is up to make a profit
– is self-reliant
– is competitive
– prefers strict conformance
– prefers a singular approach to decision making
– an opportunity satisfier with minimal risk
– most pre-occupied with profit factor
– profit oriented
An entrepreneur, on the other hand…
– is up to satisfy a need
– relies on network
– is collaborative
– prefers empowerment
– prefers team-oriented decision making
– an opportunity finder
– driven by strong motivation to excel
– looks for long term profit
– service oriented
I am not an expert in word semantics but I feel the point is made very clear. If you are not going to adapt to the changes in the business landscape, soon you will be out of business.
Today, there’s a great risk for businesses to fail if they are not able to adapt quickly. When that happens, a lot of people are going to lose their jobs.
That’s why it’s important to keep on learning. Changes are happening faster and faster. Today, your job can suddenly become obsolete. You can get replaced by robots or A.I. In the Philippines, a lot of BPO employees are at risk of being replaced by A.I. Think of Alexa, the “smart” assistant you always wanted to have.
With great risk comes great opportunity. Whenever a disruption happens in the marketplace, there is also an opportunity to serve in a new way. Today, anyone with a mobile phone can be in business in just a few seconds. You can see the rise of “influencers.” They are the masters of creating a following in social media, Youtubers and Instagram influencers.
So why should you keep on learning?
I don’t know about you but I think it is the only way to live. If you stop learning, you start dying.
You need to be ready for the changes that are up ahead. Continuously learning gives you the advantage to see the opportunities. It helps you see prepare. It helps you position yourself for the future to succeed!
P.S. This Saturday, I will be attending the Truly Rich Club’ Wealth Conference 2019 (WealthCon). If you are going, I’d like to meet you. See you there! 🙂
P.P.S. If you’d like to join the next Francis Kong seminar titled “Developing Entrepreneurial Mindset” on Aug 6, you can simply hit reply to this email or message me on my Facebook Page so I can send you the details.