My continuous learning practices and gains

Today, I’m seeing a lot of great photos of parents taking their kids to their first day of school. It makes me silently hope that the kids aren’t the only ones eager to learn and grow. Sure, learning might be less structured and on a more flexible schedule for adults, but continuous learning is crucial for everyone’s growth and success. The cool thing about being grown up is that we get to choose what and how we learn. Of course, not choosing to learn is also a choice.

I use a variety of methods, from the almost effortless to the more time- and resource-consuming ones:

• Carefully selected podcasts and audiobooks have nearly replaced radio in my car (the downside? I’m totally out of the loop on the latest chart-topping songs).
• Paper books (usually a few at a time) are my go-to for unwinding after a busy day at work.
• While most conferences have become more about performance than content, you can still find a few that are genuinely valuable—and you get to meet new people too.
• Diving deep into topics with an experienced and trusted discussion group helps me see things from different perspectives.
• Targeted academic studies at quality institutions are the most resource-intensive, but they’re also the most rewarding investment in yourself. I try to attend at least one such module every year.

Doing all this, of course, requires time, money, and discipline, but the return on investment is invaluable - new ideas, new skills, and new relationships. If I were to list last year’s top gains, these would definitely make the cut:

• Growth is a constant, sometimes painful, tradeoff. You have to let go of things that matter today to make room for something even more important in the future. (A great example of this in business is Marc Randolph’s book “That Will Never Work.”)
• Circumstances matter. Whether it’s differences in wealth, knowledge, social positioning, or company hierarchy, understanding where people are coming from is key to anticipating their reactions. (An eye-opening exercise I did at Harvard, “SIMSOC: Simulated Society,” is something I highly recommend for large groups.)
• Creativity is a skill that can - and should - be developed, and it’s directly corelates to persistently you exercise it. This skill is incredibly useful for solving complex business problems when there’s no obvious solution. I love this quote by Albert Einstein: “Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought.” (Thanks to Stanford's Professor Christian Wheeler!)
• Stress is directly related to the weight I decide to place on my circumstances. I’ve learned to remind myself constantly that my “problems” seem like problems only because I don’t have real problems. (Inspired by Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” and Nietzsche’s quote: “He who has a Why to live can bear almost any How.”)
• Keep your eyes on the goal, but measure progress by how far you’ve already come. This principle has helped me stay motivated without that constant feeling of “not enough.” I still need to practice this mindset more, but I’m getting there. (More on this in Dan Sullivan’s book “The Gap and the Gain.”)

There have been many more insights and ideas throughout the year, but I’ve also learned to focus on a few and resist the greed to learn everything. At some point, too many topics just dilutes your focus and energy. To truly digest a new idea or piece of knowledge, you need to let it “marinate” and revisit it later to experience new flavors.

Defining your scope of learning (even in a general way) can also help curb that greed. Leave something for the future - or never. The goal is to become better, not perfect.

When you find that “gem” of knowledge, share it with others. It helps you frame your insight in a more practical way, simplify it, and crystallize it. You can even pretend you’re doing it for others - that’s okay ??.

Lastly, let your brain rest. Continuous learning doesn’t mean constant learning. Think of your brain like a muscle. No muscle grows quickly if you overwork it. For me, rest might be listening to a basketball podcast, reading sci-fi books, or playing puzzle games. It helps me fall asleep, too.

Let’s use this symbolic day to rethink our learning practices and keep growing.