#Continuous #Learning: A way of life, not a buzzword!

Blogs and articles alike are filled with making everyone aware about ‘#Continuous #learning’ as a new trend that’s a secret sauce for success. But no, it’s neither a new trend nor a buzzword. Remember your grandmom asking you to teach her how to make calls from a bar phone? Yes, upskilling as we call it began generations ago! It has always been a way to progress, to keep up with the trends and an ultimate recipe for success.

Compare yourself to a primitive man. What’s the difference? The ability to learn new things, create new things and drive innovation. Imagine yourself striking stones to light a fire. We couldn’t be doing that forever… someone had to invent matchsticks and then lighters. Today we have thousands of kitchen tools and equipments, and the primitive man kept cooking his raw meat in a flame. And, here we can’t imagine our lives without stoves and microwaves. If it wasn’t for skilling, upgrading and keeping up with the trends of the future, we’d probably be living a primitive life in 21st century!

Primitive man takes us to the ‘Science of evolution’ or ‘Darwinism’ whose main theory is the supposed deterministic struggle for existence – or an individual’s ability to compete and survive. Interestingly, Darwin regarded evolution as survival of the fitter and not survival of the fittest, simply because the “struggle for existence” is relative and not absolute. Which means that the winners within an ecosystem could become losers with a change of circumstances! Now, think of all those book keepers who refused to learn accounting software when technology became dominant in their field of expertise – their job roles vanished and they weren’t left with a choice except to upskill and become relevant as per the trends.

If Darwin was here in the 21st century, and saw the speed and intensity of change that impacts individuals, societies, businesses and countries with each passing moment. He’d surely be an advocate for continuous learning. Darwin acknowledged that forces affecting survival differ with every individual, and hence the best way to deal with those forces is to continuously evolve, adapt and embrace change – for both the primitive and the modern man!

The Drive: ‘X-Factor’

The motivation behind a learner to continue learning is the real driver in the journey of skilling. And, we must not confuse ‘Continuous Learning’ with learning skills that just help us ladder up in our job roles at the workplace. The true objective of continuous learning is achieved when we are ready to explore beyond our comfort zones, our current roles, our educational backgrounds and our societal or gendered expectations whilst making the efforts and necessary actions to achieve something that we aren’t yet prepared for!

Because, preparing ourselves for something that we are ambitious and passionate about is the real ‘X factor’ when taking the road to upskilling!

You’ve to be ready to learn, un-learn and re-learn in every phase of your life. What if Dhirubhai Ambani had never left his job as a gas-station attendant at an oil company in Yemen to become the first Indian entrepreneur to feature his company on the Forbes 500 list? What if Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam had never left the job of distributing newspapers to support family to become a scientist at DRDO? What if Narayan Murthy, the father of Indian IT industry, had given up after his first business venture Softronics failed in just 18 months? What if M.S. Dhoni had continued his job as a Railways Ticket Examiner? Certainly, we would’ve missed those helicopter shots and 2011 world cup moments!

So, what is it that makes you stand apart? Something that can change your career trajectory? Something that acts as a catalyst between your dreams and your reality? – AN ATTITUDE OF LIFELONG LEARNING!

The Never Ending Journey: #Continuous #Learning

Learning is a never-ending process, and is the only factor that pushes you to move ahead. What if flying cars are made available in our country in say, 5 years? Wouldn’t you want to learn to drive them – or fly them? When you decide to explore more, discover more and dive deep into newer trends of the future, it is when you develop a lifelong learning mindset – be it in your personal or professional life. What you must remember whilst at it, is that learning doesn’t end with a degree or a good job… it just continues to happen!

These days when hiring, companies look for people with the right attitude rather than people with just a degree. Now, what is the right attitude? How do we make use of it to get our dream job? Right attitude is nothing but your willingness to learn, an adaptable mindset and solid professional skills! A strong foundation in tech and Digital literacy is a bonus that can place you an edge above fellow competitors. Together, all these skills make you an employable human being who is capable of any job role. 

That said, it’s not only about learning technical skills – more complex 4IR skills are also in high demand – skills such as complex problem-solving, negotiation skills, project management and critical thinking. These are skills that cannot yet be replicated by an intelligent machine. Future-proofing your career with these skills will not only save you from falling prey to automation, but will also help you to stay relevant.

But where are the 14 years of schooling, 3 years of graduation and 2 years of master’s in this platter of skills? Do they go completely unnoticed? NO! These years help you to build a mindset that encourages you to learn further. Parents can just teach their kids to walk, if they want to be a marathon runner, a sprinter or something else, it’s totally up to the kid! Similarly, how you make use of that knowledge is up to you. But, sticking just to the years of institutional education can’t make you win the race.

The Ultimate Destination: Keep Trending!

Upskilling is key! What if no woman learnt to drive? Or what if no man learnt to cook? You’d say it’s 21st century, you got to have essential life skills! What if you encounter someone who doesn’t know how to use a smartphone, or say a computer? Your reaction would be same. Digital literacy, tech skills, professional skills and a learning attitude are skills that can make you thrive in the digital era, but before you understand this, it’s crucial to understand the role that a continuous learning attitude plays in one’s personal and professional life. More than that, knowing why you need to learn them is super essential.

The answer is simple: Keeping up with the trends!!

Co-authored by Sonali Bangia and Yudhishther Yadav