“Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.”
Jim Rohn
I am a great advocate of using ‘spare mind time’ to educate yourself. By this, I mean times when you are doing something relatively ‘mindless’ – walking the dog, or commuting – when you can simultaneously listen to educational audio books. This one change can have the single biggest impact on your life.
It is so easy to download audio books onto an iPod, smartphone, mp3 player or any device that works for you – and they can hold a library’s worth of audio books. You can use this medium to drive your education forward, to reach your goals.
Think of your own ‘mindless’ time. Time when you can switch off or daydream. Time that you could use more productively. Driving in the car? While on the train or plane? Training in the gym? Spare mind time can present itself while you’re doing chores around the house or brushing your teeth!
Make sure you’re only listening to audio books when you’re not already using your brain. Not while reading emails or preparing for meetings. Don’t multi task with jobs that require too much concentration to enjoy or absorb what you’re hearing.
Before you use this time to educate yourself, decide what it is that you need to learn. What will inspire you to be better at what you do? Who is your hero? Have they written an autobiography that can give you an insight into their mindset for success? Whether you choose business books, leadership manuals, self-help, personal development books, factual books in your field, or learn another language or specialist subject – you will benefit greatly, and so will your business.
Look at the benefits of learning from audio books – and what they can open up to you.
1. You will build skills – enhance your existing talents, and develop new skills.
2. Builds up your expertise – Self-help guru Brian Tracy says that the way to be an expert in your field is to read 100 books on your chosen subject., and by continuing this for 5 years you’ll become an international expert. With the Internet, that time reduces to 2-3 years.
3. Improves your creativity – by exposing yourself to new ideas and information, you will come up with more creative ideas.
4. Builds your confidence and self-esteem – Being better informed; more knowledgeable in a range of subjects, and more of an expert. This builds higher self esteem, enabling you to speak with confidence and authority.
5. You can learn anywhere – Audio devices are portable. So, you can learn almost anywhere – train, car, park, bathroom.
6. You can learn in your own time and at your own pace – Where formal learning requires lessons with time slots, books have no time commitments. You can learn at your own pace.
7. Reduces or obliterates mistakes – Greater knowledge makes you less likely to make mistakes.
8. New solutions – Books can help you address your weaknesses and solve your problems.
9. Listening to audio books stimulates your thinking. It’s an active mental process – you use your brain.
10. Gives you an insight into other cultures, people and places expand your horizons. If you’re trading with different people, this insight is invaluable.
11. It can change your life, or make your life more meaningful – self-development or business books can revolutionise your thinking. They can help you change your life and free you of old thought patterns that hold you back. You can find a new purpose in life.
12. You’ll be able to command more money – As your expertise increases, you become a member of a smaller group of more qualified people. By being part of an elite few with more knowledge, your income will increase. Supply and demand means that you can charge more for your expertise.
We live in a knowledge economy, in which information is becoming the new currency. Use learning to fill in your skills gaps and get you where you want be, faster. There are many people available to learn from.
Take in all that wonderful knowledge during time that you otherwise don’t use to its fullest potential.
- Identify your ‘spare mind time’
- What skills do you lack?
- Find audio-delivered knowledge to fill those gaps!
Accelerate your progress and achieve your goals and outcomes much faster.
If the above topic, or indeed any of my blogs are of interest to you, then contact me and let’s talk! Drop me an email at getintouch@marcwinn.com.
Buy Me a Coffee
Did you love this article? If so please consider buying me a coffee.
Take The 50 Coffee Adventure
A Fun, Light and Easy Way to Build Connections
Or search your local Amazon store for "The 50 Coffee Adventure".
You could definitely see your enthusiasm within the article you
write. The arena hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to
say how they believe. At all times go after your
heart.