Today’s entry isn’t about exercise or sport. Instead, it’s a short message from me challenging you to invest in yourself by acquiring more knowledge. Take advantage of what an amazing time it is to be alive. Within seconds, you can look up and learn about any subject you’d like. Times have certainly changed from when I was a child. The closest thing we had to Google was scrolling through an old Encyclopedia at the local library.
Seek, Acquire, Apply
Unfortunately, despite the abundance of information that’s available, few take the initiative to actively seek, acquire, and apply it. It’s much easier to relax and become a slave to your comfort zone. I urge you to avoid falling into that trap. Break free from your comfort zone and challenge yourself to learn and apply new skills.
View this post on Instagram
Balance
Ironically, while modern technology makes it easier to learn, it also makes it easier to do nothing. Life is much more convenient than it used to be. With just a phone and a couch, you can lie down all day while shopping, checking email, browsing social media, and binging Netflix. No one will come along and stop you. It’s up to you.
And I don’t say this to suggest that you should feel guilty if you aren’t working around the clock. That’s not the message I hope to convey. There’s nothing wrong with kicking your feet up to relax. It shouldn’t be the only thing you do however.
There must be balance.
Initiative
We all have the capacity to learn. Each of us demonstrated that ability as children. The fact that you can read this entry is all the proof you need. Yet, possessing the capacity to learn means very little if you don’t continue to apply it.
As Jim Rohn once said, “Those who will not read are no better off than those who cannot read.”
So, what do you need?
Initiative.
One of most surefire ways to increase your value is by taking the initiative to better yourself through learning.
Small Steps
I know as well as anyone that life is hectic. We’re all busy. That’s not an excuse to postpone self-betterment though. In the past, I’ve said that something beats nothing when it comes to exercise. The same can be said about learning. You don’t need to reorganize your entire day to set aside time to read and learn. Even an extra 10 minutes a day will accumulate significantly as the weeks and months pass.
Final Thoughts
When I shared the video above to Instagram, I knew it wouldn’t be overly popular. Most people aren’t on social media so they can hear someone like me tell them to log off and go learn. It is a message that more people need to hear though, so I’ll gladly speak about it even if it gets just one person to change their outlook.
With that said, I’ll keep this entry brief. Challenge yourself to learn a new skill and repeat the process throughout your life. There is no end point when it comes to learning, just as there isn’t when it comes to increasing your own value.
The tools are available to us all. Will you use them?
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“Knowledge has a beginning but no end.” – Geeta Iyengar
Very wise words.. the challenge in the 80’s, 90’s and even 00’s used to be finding information, now the challenge is filtering it out.
An interesting and beneficial change to make for 2020 no doubt…Happy New Year in advance!
Happy new year, and great post as always. Reminds me of a quote i read a while ago.
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Hi Ross.
Been a fan of yours for approx half of my life now (now 30).
I wish I walked the walk like you. Now starting to pick myself up from over a decade of slacking. Not just physically but just with life in general.
Rereading infinite intensity last weekend made me feel the same way I did as a teenager. Hopeful and motivated to train properly, and engage life. Been reading your old blog posts…Posts like this are gold.
I’ve now got two small children so want to impart the best lessons I can..
Many thanks for the inspiration.
Luke