YOU MUST KEEP LEARNING!

Did you think that, when you left school, that is when the learning stops, too? I find it very sad that many entrepreneurs have stopped investing in themselves and in their learning.

The beauty of technology these days is that there are so many ways we CAN continue to learn and grow and develop – and for F.R.E.E. I have an appetite for growth and wanted to share some of my favorite ways to stay current.

TELESEMINARS

There are an abundance of teleseminars being offered these days – on so many different topics. And, for the most part, they are F.R.E.E. The challenge is to be very disciplined when it comes to taking the time to participate in these events – my advice is to ensure that the topics/speakers are aligned to your business goals and objectives. Stay focused.

READING BOOKS

This is my second favourite way to learn. While I have not yet invested in a Kindle, I can always be found with a book in hand (and highlighter, and post-it notes, etc.). I love to read and I love to read auto-biographies, in particular. I also love to meet the authors, every chance I get because I have a curiosity around who created the book that I am currently enjoying. I used to hang on to all my favourite books but now I have developed the habit of passing them on to young entrepreneurs (complete with all my notes!) and let them benefit from this method of continuous learning. You could do that, too. Books can be expensive so it’s fun to share.

TELEVISION

By now, the daily Oprah Show has ended (:( ) – I learned a lot from the Oprah interviews over the past 25 years. For now, I continue to learn from interviews on the Biography Channel, on Inside the Actor’s Studio, and other such stations. I love to learn from people who have succeeded.

While I have actually discontinued many of my subscriptions because the pile by my favorite chair was getting out of hand, I do have some favorites that I make time to get through – Success magazine, Chatelaine magazine (which I read when I’m at the hair-dresser each month) – Photo: me and Rona Maynard, former Editor of Chatelaine magazine last month – I’m so excited to share that I have been nominated as Chatelaine magazine ‘Woman of the Year for 2011’! I scan magazine covers frequently when I am looking for ‘catching’ article titles, or topics for my next radio show and so on. No need to re-invent the wheel – keep an eye out for what people are buying and reading.

PODCASTS/AUDIOS

Once again, there are so many incredible interviews available, on a variety of topics, that, as an entrepreneur, you should be accessing this information on a regular basis. Much like exercise, sleep, etc. – I schedule time into my calendar to ‘tune in’ on a regular basis so that I keep abreast of what’s happening in the business world. TED talks are fabulous because they are brief, to the point and relevant.

Because I travel so much, it’s easy for me to sit back on a plane or train, and tune OUT the world and tune IN to my ‘travelling university’. My habit is to take 3 key points from each ‘vehicle’ and create an action plan for implementation of the great things I have learned. Learning without implementation is a waste of time.

This is how I stay current, interesting AND interested and am able to grow my business steadily and profitably. What about you?