As an entrepreneur, learning is a regular part of your day. Whether you have been in business for six months or 20 years, there is always something new to learn.
With your busy schedule, it’s true. It can be challenging to find time to learn and absorb all the necessary information. Included here are ideas of how to learn twice as much in half the time.
Start with Questions
For example, maybe you want to increase your financial literacy. Let’s say your business is growing and you want to stay up to date on good methodologies and build better systems. The best practice would be to add continuous learning.
An easy way to start this process is to architect and frame a few questions first. Be intentional. Think about why you want to learn the topic and what it will accomplish. Try utilizing the following questions:
- Will I need outside help?
- Who do I need to know?
- What resources will I need?
- What are the best-proven models?
- Why do I want to expand this knowledge?
- Do I need to hire in this area or outsource?
- What is my awareness of the current state or situation?
In many cases, traditional learning typically ends with questions. For example, maybe in the past, you’d been tasked with a call to action or homework to read a bunch of material and then test your comprehension through a series of questions. Remember those dreaded exams?
Instead, try beginning with the end in mind and start with questions. Starting it this way is much more intentional and provides a structured framework from which to build. It also enables more effective learning. It empowers you to focus more on the questions you need to answer and purge what is not important. In turn, this saves you time.
Learning Context
Before you start diving into random reading or financial literacy books, it’s essential to begin with a strong foundation. In this example, a strong foundation would be familiarizing yourself with common financial terms, account types, and business models as they relate to you.
Why is this so vital? When you open to chapter one of a financial self-help book and have no idea what half the words mean. You are going to spend more time googling definitions than reading the book. Think of this concept as an upside-down pyramid. To hold up the pyramid the base must be iron-clad.
Teach Yourself
Most seasoned learners say that teaching is the best way to learn something new. A fast way to learn is to teach a topic as soon as you learn it. Let’s go back to our financial literacy example. After you read a chapter of a book or talk with an expert, you will likely have notes and comments. Compile these together and record yourself explaining them. And, if you’re really intentional about your time, why not turn that into live teaching on Facebook, YouTube, Clubhouse, or a masterclass course or program? That’s working smart.
Learning this way may feel uncomfortable at first. But, when you transcribe your words out loud, you are also giving your brain another chance to process the information. Try playing your recordings while you are driving, relaxing at home, or winding down for bed. If by chance, you forget a concept, your recordings will be there for reference.
As a business owner, we know you have a busy schedule. Why not apply these tools, keep learning new things in a fraction of the time, and make money while learning? Are you looking for more ways to become a better entrepreneur and business leader? We’re here to help! Contact us today to explore your next most effective action.