Perhaps, the biggest reason for most business failures is that a lot of us are smitten with the idea of not getting more education. And I think that it’s safe to blame that kind of mentality on what we’ve seen ad nauseam. I know you’ve probably stumbled upon that post about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs dropping out of college to found their respective businesses several times in your life.
I believe those kinds of posts can be seen as inspirational and empowering. Yet, some entrepreneurs tend to see it in a different context. Such posts influenced them to take the same course and directly chase their business goals instead of getting more education.
Now, I am not saying that only those with a college degree can succeed in their goals of becoming a successful entrepreneur. But more often than not, we take such famous examples way out of context, thus resulting in us completely disregarding the need for education.
However, one thing people overlook from these examples is the fact that Bill Gates and Steve Jobs continued learning outside the confines of their universities. So even if they dropped out of college, the education never stopped for them. They found that learning is not limited to the four walls of the classroom and it can be anywhere you want it to be so long as you have a love for it. And I believe that the most successful people are generally those who have an eternal love of learning.
The brain is a muscle that needs training and exercise.
We often think of exercise in the context of going to the gym, lifting weights, and running on treadmills. These are things we do to lose weight or to gain muscle mass. But if we consider the brain as a muscle, isn’t reading books a form of exercise as well? Just like lifting weight to prevent our arms from getting saggy, we read books to keep our brains healthy and functional.
Contrary to popular belief, did you know that the brain continues to grow even after adolescence? According to a recent study, the brain continues to produce new brain cells associated with learning throughout its life. But of course, its development still depends on how much effort you put to train it.
Even if you are not inspired enough to train your brain, think about how much it will cost you if you stop learning. All your problems related to your business (and even the ones not related) will continue to persist if you do not train your mind well enough to approach them. And through learning, you will be able to find new creative solutions to combat these problems.
Warren Buffet, a billionaire investor, once said, “There’s one investment that supersedes all others: Invest in yourself. “Nobody can take away what you’ve got in yourself, and everybody has potential they haven’t used yet.”
As I tried to reread it for the third time, it finally hit me. All your material possessions — money, jewelry, and cars — can either be stolen or broken. But one thing no one can ever break or steal away from you is your knowledge. And when you invest in growing your knowledge, you are also investing in yourself and your business.
Think about it. When you want to learn a new hobby or improve your academic skills, you are doing it for your sake; you are doing it to improve yourself. And we all know that self-improvement makes you a more well-rounded person. It connects you with other people. Moreover, it builds up the confidence that you need to succeed in whatever you want in life.
Aside from the fact that the world is ever-changing, I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed the rapid changes brought upon by the pandemic. And I’m also pretty sure that social distancing is not the only change that could impact your business.
Surely, new competitors and advances in technology will affect your business one way or another. Sooner or later, your current status quo will upraise.
The scary thing is that it will happen again and again — because the world is ever-changing and so is the working industry.
Whether you’re new to the world of entrepreneurship, you know what role adaptability plays in your business. By constantly educating yourself, it will be much easier for you to adapt to changes whenever needed. Those who know how to adapt are the ones who will be successful in their niche.
While the pandemic is forcing you to change, it’s not the only reason why you should. Learning — and the mindset you develop — will help you find more proactive ways to deal with your business. Moreover, it will help you discover new ways to improve your services and operation to deal better with the changes.
Of course, learning should majorly focus on your lifelong goals. This will help you run your business better. Generally speaking, you should focus on learning about things that will directly impact your growth, like new time management skills and how to attract more desirable clients.
But other than that, you are also free to learn new skills that have nothing to do with your niche. For instance, you can do exercises that help develop your mindset, so you will be ready to face the challenges that the future holds.
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