Lifelong Education

lori for blog 1.30.16 At the end of this year my 10-year old daughter will graduate from elementary school. The school has a formal ceremony and people make it a big deal. I struggle with the significance because in the US you have no choice but to continue beyond fifth grade. We’re celebrating an accomplishment that every single child has to fulfill. When fall comes, sixth grade will start and she will continue her learning.
In my mind, graduation from high school or college is a real accomplishment because not everyone does it. For many people it marks the end of learning. I would argue that graduation from your highest level of education can mean the end of formal classroom training, but we must always continue to learn. The question is, do you subscribe to the concept of lifelong education?

Life-long education certainly makes you a more interesting person. The more interesting you are, the more people want to be around you. This ability to attract others serves you in life. Whether you are dating, meeting new friends, or networking in business, people are drawn to you if you are interesting. There is no doubt that you will be more successful in life as a result.

Being a life-long student begins with identifying your passions. Once you do, you can then pursue them through education. If you identify your interest in astronomy or economics as a passion, you don’t have to enroll in a course, you could simply subscribe to a magazine or have a news aggregation site (like Flipboard) collect information for you. You could read books, watch videos, attend seminars, or simply seek out people from whom you can learn.

Become a student of your business. You are spending the majority of your waking hours working, hopefully you take interest in your industry. As a student of your business, you will continue to grow in your career. You will have better insight. That insight will lead others to value your opinion. As this happens you will grow and ultimately become more successful.

Become a student of interpersonal relationships. The better you are at peacefully coexisting with others, especially those closest to you, the happier you will be. As a student of interpersonal relationships, not only are you more apt to develop connections with the right people for you, but once you are in those relationships, you will have the knowledge and tools to foster them.

Become a student of success. The more you know about what makes people successful (especially in your field) the higher the probability that you will follow those ideals and become successful yourself.

Time is our most precious resource. None of us has as much free time as we would like. The question becomes, how do you spend that time? Are you in front of the TV or online watching mindless videos or are you contributing to your lifelong education by spending that time pursuing your interests? There’s nothing wrong with engaging in some mindless activity once in a while but are you taking the time you need to fuel your lifelong education? Send me your thoughts at [email protected]