The concept of life-long learning is espoused often and by many (including me). It’s a fact that in a fast changing world it is important to keep learning, but in a fast paced world it is also hard to find time. What are some REAL WORLD ideas that anyone can use to keep learning and growing?
Read … given how few people actually do read, even the act of reading will put you ahead of the curve!.
Get a Mentor … find someone (or some people) who would be willing to spend a little time helping you to grow professionally.
Set aside time for further education … one course a year, a semester etc. Do something you can stick to.
Keep all of the training materials from any course you take. Re-visit them six months later and you will very likely learn something new, that was lost on you the first time around.
Borrow training materials from co-workers.
Find blogs related to your field and follow them … set aside time each week to do this.
Get involved in your industry association.
Get involved in charity work … you can learn a lot from the other volunteers.
Get your company to support your training plans.
Create an action plan based on the above … do what works for YOU!