You Can Never Earn Beyond What You Learn: Why Systemizing Learning into Your Daily Routine is a Game-Changer

Let's start with a truth bomb:?you can never earn beyond what you learn. Yeah, I said it. Your income, influence, and impact are capped by how much you’re willing to grow your brain. But here's the thing, it's not about cramming your head full of random trivia (although knowing how to win a pub quiz might impress your mates). It’s about?intentional, systematic learning—the kind that not only grows your knowledge but transforms how you operate daily. Embracing audio learning has ben truly transformation in my career and portfolio in the last 10 years, and it’s reflected in the financial freedom I’ve created.

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So, how do we make learning part of our everyday rituals? Here’s how you can level up—without burning out.

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Learning Styles: Know Yourself or Stagnate

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First up, everyone learns differently. Some of us are visual, others need to hear things, and some of us—like my wife—need to learn by actually doing stuff. My style used to be predominantly visual/kinaesthetic with low auditory retention. But the brain is trainable and by leaning into audio, I’ve developed that style to match the others with transformational results.

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If you're trying to absorb information in a way that doesn't work for you, you're fighting a losing battle. Find out what resonates best with you. Not sure? Experiment! Try podcasts, YouTube tutorials, interactive webinars, or good old fashioned books.

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And hey,?don’t force-feed yourself. If PowerPoints and dense research papers send you into a coma, leave them behind and grab a podcast. Learning should be fun… as long as you make it your style.

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Best Times to Learn: When Are You Most Awake?

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Let’s get real—many of us don’t retain much after 3 p.m. when the afternoon slump hits, right? So, when’s the best time to learn? If you’re an early bird, prime your brain with some quality content first thing. That’s what I do – I feel bereft without my morning dose. If you're a night owl, the evening might be your sweet spot. Studies have shown these are the best times to anchor knowledge

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The secret is to catch yourself when you're most alert and dialed in.

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And for those of you thinking “I don’t have time to learn,” that’s b@ll@cks and brings me to my next point…

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Learn While You Do Other Stuff (Yes, Multitaskers, I See You)

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You're already doing some form of mindless activity every day, like commuting, exercising, or folding laundry. These are?prime?opportunities to squeeze in some learning. Ever tried listening to an audiobook on leadership while running? Or playing an educational podcast while working out or even in the chip shop queue? You’ll be amazed how much your brain can soak up when your body is on autopilot. I’m somewhat of an obsessive to extract the maximum value out of every minute of my time and take advantage of all of these moments to learn stuff on the move: walking the dog; in the sauna; in the shower; whilst getting dressed; whilst exercising; walking/driving; whilst waiting for tardy people or in queues; on planes/trains/underground – I’ve always got my airpods on me.

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Go Narrow, Go Deep: No More Shiny Objects

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It’s tempting to become a jack of all trades. But being a generalist only gets you so far. The real value? Going?narrow and deep. Pick a few key areas, immerse yourself in them, and become the go-to expert. Whether that’s learning everything about drone technology or mastering the fine art of persuasive writing, going deep pays off more than shallow knowledge on many things. I’m currently back into the latest on digital marketing and brand building as it’s an area of rapid and constant change.

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Refresher Training: It’s Not Just for Pilots

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Even if you’ve learned something, that doesn’t mean you can check it off the list forever.?Skills degrade over time.?So, just like pilots need recurrent training, so do the rest of us mere mortals. Schedule regular refreshers for the important stuff. It’s not about how much you know—it’s about how much you remember?when it counts. My annual calendar contains reminders to brush up on key leadership principles – I particularly like the book ‘Multipliers’ by Liz Wiseman

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Share What You Learn: Be the Yoda of Your Network

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When you learn something new, don’t hoard it like Gollum with his precious ring. Sharing knowledge isn’t just good karma—it reinforces your learning. The best way to absorb a concept is to teach it to someone else. Whether it’s mentoring a colleague, leading a webinar, or just posting insights (just like this!),?sharing strengthens understanding for both sides. Audio books and podcasts make it particularly ease to share and my team regularly get bombarded….

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Model Learning: Lead by Example

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If you're a leader, your team is watching you. Set the tone by being a visible, vocal learner.?Model the behavior?you want to see. Don’t just talk about learning—actively do it, then share your process. When your team sees you constantly evolving, they’ll want to follow suit. Within my company www.coptrz.com we track monthly learning hours as a KPI and I endeavour to lead by example – I typically rack up ~50 hours per month and ready around 60 books a year.

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Become a Mentor: Learn While Teaching

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Speaking of sharing, becoming a mentor is one of the smartest moves you can make. Not only do you get to pass on your hard-earned wisdom, but you'll learn more from your mentees than you ever expected. Their fresh perspectives will challenge your thinking and sharpen your skills. Plus, helping others is good for the soul—and for business. Mentorship is the gift that keeps on giving – to both sides and I LOVE it.

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It’s Never Too Late to Start Learning

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You know what I find amazing? People in their 70s learning to code. There is literally no age limit on growth. Whether you’re a grizzled industry vet’ or just starting out, don’t buy into the myth that learning has an expiry date. The only thing that expires is?your ability to evolve if you stop trying.

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Avoid the Learning Overwhelm: Be Intentional

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The internet has infinite content on everything. Want to learn astrophysics while baking sourdough? There’s a course for that. But here’s the catch:?you can’t learn everything. So be super selective about what you commit your time to. Prioritize the skills that will actually move the needle in your career or life. Be intentional, not a sponge soaking up everything indiscriminately. I like to create a learning plan for each quarter, aligned to the overall goals I have within my portfolio.

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Play to Your Strengths—or Fix the Gaps?

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There's an ongoing debate: should you focus on enhancing your strengths, or use learning to shore up your weaknesses? My take??Do both—but lean into your strengths. When you’re already good at something, extra learning makes you?unstoppable. But don’t forget to patch up critical weak spots that might be holding you back. It’s all about balance.

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Mix It Up: Different Media for Different Moods

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Let’s talk media: You can’t always be glued to a screen or a book. Keep things fresh by mixing in different formats—podcasts for commutes, videos for visuals, articles for quick hits, and audiobooks for deeper dives. Use the devices and platforms that make sense for your day. Variety not only keeps things interesting, but it also helps embed knowledge deeper in your brain. For subjects of real gravitas with more complex concepts to assimilate, I find complimenting audio with reading and annotating a physical book works best. I then retain the book with all my notes and document tabs marking the key concepts as a reference text.

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The Bottom Line: Learning Is the Best Investment You Can Make In Yourself If you want to grow your income, your business, your influence—whatever it is—you’ve got to grow your mind first. Build learning into your daily routine. And remember, it’s not about?when?you start—it’s about?never stopping.

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Hashtags: #ContinuousLearning #LeadershipDevelopment #Mentorship #GrowthMindset #LearningCulture #ProfessionalDevelopment