Hi there,
Hope you are safe and well.
Today I want to talk about learning.
You know how e-education is booming these days. And I am sure you are taking some online courses to upgrade yourself. And that’s great.
The problem with the knowledge market right now is its accessibility.
I bought 3 new courses on Udemy and they cost me $45CA.
The sale is over and all the courses on Udemy seem to return to their original price but we all know that this is not going to last forever. We will see discounts again.
Everyone these days can learn online and this creates even higher competition.
It brings us all to the question:
“How do I stand out from the crowd?”
Collecting online certificates is the least that we can do but even that is already not enough.
There are two aspects to learning - conceptual understanding and hands-on practice and while online learning can give your the former, the knowledge in itself has no value if we do not put it into practice.
Real skills come through work. And there is no shortcut to acquiring them.
Certificates are nice to have. They communicate that you are keen on learning. And that is good.
An ability to educate and most importantly re-educate yourself is the most important skill in the new economy.
Block the time for learning and protect it religiously.
Approach your profession through deliberate practice.
“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
However, keep in mind that the future of work is project-oriented.
The level and the complexity of the projects you have brought to realization will showcase your skills and knowledge.
Think of what kind of tangible piece of work you can realize.
I write and this is how I hone my communication skills.
I create content and this is how I learn leadership and public speaking.
And still, I am constantly looking for some other side-projects that we’ll help me to expand my career capital (acquire rare and valuable skills).
That’s my jazz.
What is yours?
What are your top skills and where can you start applying them immediately?
Here are some ideas for the next week:
Check out some volunteering opportunities online, see if you can find a project you can work on.
Finish an online course and create something cool using your newly acquired knowledge.
Brainstorm on paper what kind of projects you could possibly create.
Network online and find a collaborator. This community exists to bring like-minded people together. We might be self-isolating but human connection is not canceled. Reach out.
Forget about your own problems and spend 1 hour mentoring someone who is in a worse position/earlier level of development than you.
I know it is tough out there but I won’t get tired to repeat.
Keep creating a narrative for yourself.
Adversity can be perceived as a source of misery.
But it can also be seen as a source of your strength.
Flip the tables.
Focus on making yourself a better human being.
“Nothing external to you has a power over you.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Be a master of your mind.
I’ll see you in the next one.
Take care.
Wow !!!! I am short of words for how motivating this small read felt !!! Thank you for creating something so simple yet so effective 👏