Daily self-education is one of the Rich Habits of self-made millionaires. Self-education through reading, listening to audiobooks, listening to podcasts or watching videos such as TEDx talks causes you to grow in knowledge. The more knowledgable you become, the more valuable you become to those you serve. The more valuable you become, the more money you make. Below are some strategies I uncovered in my Rich Habits study that will help you maximize your learning time:
First Hour of the Day
The first hour of the day is the optimal time to engage in self-education. Your brain is just emerging from its alpha stage (sleep stage conducive to learning), is well rested and your willpower is at its highest. During this first hour devote 15 – 20 minutes of technical reading. Technical reading is any reading that is related to your what you do for a living. It is the hardest type of reading. Do your technical reading first. After completing your technical reading, devote another 15 – 20 minutes to any reading material that excites you. This could be inspirational reading or reading related to some hobby or passion.
Document What You Learn
Keep a Fact Binder broken up into a few key categories:
- Job-Related
- Passion/Hobby-Related
- Current Events
- Science
- History
- Health
- Successful People
- New Words
You should customize your categories to suit your interests. When you learn anything new, write it down in your Fact Binder.
Review What You’ve Learned
Repetition is the key to long-term memory consolidation. Spend 15 – 20 minutes each day reviewing your Fact Binder.
Blog What You’ve Learned
The process of writing down what you’ve learned helps transfer that new knowledge to long-term memory.
Communicate New Knowledge
Sharing new information with others improves your understanding of that new information. When you have to communicate something you know, just like a teacher does, it elevates your grasp of the subject matter. You really have to know your topic in order to effectively communicate what you know to others.
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