EPISODE 009 | APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY

I was thinking the other day, how so often we come across incredible information that might make a difference to our lives and our businesses, that great feeling of what might be possible for us to achieve when we discover a brilliant and valuable resource. We are excited to implement the ideas and put them to use and then …

… something distracts us, and the idea begins to fade into the background and can often be soon forgotten amidst the whirlwind of our busy schedules, leaving these opportunities unexplored and uncapitalised.

Now imagine this - what if there WAS a method that helped us to capture all those ideas easily and strategically, to help us make use of them and put them into action?

Wouldn't that be amazing?

Well, that's precisely what we're exploring today.

INTRODUCTION

In a recent journal post, I talked about the essential skills behind every successful entrepreneur, and the very, very first one is simply the skill and willingness to learn. Every day presents an opportunity for growth and knowledge. Whether it's learning from someone we are speaking to, a podcast, a book, a publication, a journal post … new and valuable information always surrounds us, and usually we know quite quickly if something will be valuable or not, and when we find something of value, something that we know will make a difference, we learn and we evolve and this helps us work towards achieving our goals, whether personal or for our business goals. But all too often, in the busiest of our day-to-day, we come across a brilliant resource and we mean to go back to it, but inevitably it gets forgotten as we move onto something else.

If you often come across potentially helpful information, and with a busy life, you have struggled to make use of them, this episode is for you.

Oh, and if you would like to read the journal post on essential skills behind every entrepreneur, I’ll leave a link in the show notes for you to access at the end of this episode.

During this quick episode, I’m laying out a clear step-by-step process to help you fully engage with and extract the maximum value from helpful resources, and I’ve also created a visual guide if you are more of a visual learner, again I’ll leave details within the show notes for you to be able to access this.

As a brief overview of what I will be sharing, it comes down to incorporating learning into your weekly routine consciously and actively and helping us to make ourselves accountable.

FIRST STEP

The first step is surprisingly simple, and it makes a massive difference. Dedicate one to two hours each week for focused learning. Mark this time in your calendar as you would any important appointment or business meeting. Ideally you set the same time each week, which helps to make it become a natural habit, and you’re therefore much more likely to maintain it. Even during your busiest weeks, you are creating room to expand your knowledge and grow.

There are so many different elements within our businesses – particularly technology, and marketing - they move at an extraordinary pace, often they can make our business lives much simpler and opportunities far greater, but for this to happen, we have to keep up with this pace, and that requires continuous learning.

As with anything new, implementing these learning steps might come with its challenges. At first, maintaining consistency may be difficult. However, you can improve this by setting reminders for your dedicated learning time or, better yet, making it a non-negotiable appointment in your calendar. If an overwhelming number of resources have you unsure of where to start, try prioritising based on their relevance to your current business needs or interests.

And I know only too well, keeping focused, especially in our always-connected world, with all the distractions around us - emails, social media etc. etc., it can be a real struggle. Consider switching off or pausing your all notifications, setting your phone to 'do not disturb', or using productivity tools like Pomodoro timers during your learning hours. Overcoming these challenges will help you hugely, and with each hurdle cleared, you're cultivating discipline and resilience that will serve you well in your learning and growth.

SECOND STEP

The second step, when you come across an intriguing resource, immediately add it to your learning schedule. Add the link or any relevant details, so you won't forget or lose track of it. If you're like me, you might find that a brilliant idea can quickly fade if not captured. This method serves as a safeguard against that.

For example, let's say you come across a fascinating podcast covering a brilliant new marketing idea as you are preparing to meet a client. The concept intrigues you, but you don't have time to listen to it right then. Instead of letting the valuable resource slip away, you can add this podcast to your learning schedule simply using a tool such as Google Calendar or a project management app like Asana or Trello, marking it for your dedicated learning time. You've now captured the idea and tied it to the resource, ready for you to explore in detail during your dedicated learning time.

Every successful entrepreneur knows that continuous learning is an important foundation to your success. But learning is just the first step. What truly matters is how we implement and make use of that new knowledge. This is where your dedicated learning time becomes a powerful tool for your innovation and growth.

The best time for this kind of learning completely depends on you and your schedule. Choose a day and time that works best for you, a time when you know you can focus the most and gain the most from the time spent.

THIRD STEP

Moving onto the third step, looking at the most effective ways that we learn. We all have different learning styles. Some of us are auditory learners who absorb information best through listening. If that’s you, podcasts, audiobooks, or taking part in discussions with friends and peers can be a brilliantly effective way to learn. If you're a visual learner, reading articles or books, watching educational videos, or viewing infographics might be more helpful.

On the other hand, kinesthetic learners learn best by doing. If that's you, consider engaging in in-person or live online workshops, or even creating your own material to make best use of the information. Whatever your learning style, seek out resources and methods that complement it. This approach ensures that you extract maximum value from your dedicated learning time and gain deep and enduring knowledge.

One way to truly benefit from your learning time is through active engagement. Passive reading or listening often isn't enough for deep understanding and retention of the information. Try taking notes as you read or listen, not just mechanically. Question the material, engage with it critically. Write down your thoughts, questions, doubts, and revelations. Is there something you disagree with? Write it down. Did a point spark a brilliant idea relevant to you? Write it down.

The goal here is to interact with the content, not just consume it. Moreover, try sharing or teaching the newly learned concept to someone else. When you explain something to someone, your own understanding of the concept becomes clearer and deeper. It solidifies your learning and enhances retention. This step of teaching might just make the difference between you forgetting what you learned by the next week or it becoming a part of your long-term knowledge.

FOURTH STEP

The fourth step is translating and making use of this learned knowledge.

After a learning session, review your notes and think about how you can apply the new ideas or techniques to your business or personal growth. Come up with an action plan to implement them. This is different than simply making notes, it’s a step further and helps you to see exactly how you can action and implement your learning. You might then discuss these insights with a business partner, a mentor, your team, or a supportive friend or someone in your family.

By transforming knowledge into actionable steps, you not only cement the learning but also accelerate the growth of your business. Reflect on how the new knowledge fits into your overall business strategy.

For instance, as I mentioned earlier, if a podcast on a new marketing strategy sparked an idea, develop an action plan to test this strategy in your business. Is it a new way of connecting with your customers? Consider implementing it in your next marketing campaign.

This process of translating learning into actionable steps ensures you're continually innovating and growing, and helps you to be flexible and nimble, traits which are hugely important.

DOWNLOADABLE GUIDE

To help you further, I've created a visual guide which covers all the steps mentioned. It’s a great visual tool that will help you beyond this episode. It’s completely free and I hope it further brings this concept to life for you. Complete the below form and you will receive the downloadable guide via email: