Financial freedom is a process that takes time, effort, and continuous learning and improvement. Of course, there is a fine line between consuming information and procrastinating, however continuously learning and then taking action on what you have learned is the basis in which progress is made. Note that the most important aspect of any consumed information is taking action on that information directly after. To reach peak levels of performance, it is important to always be directly using the information you consume right after consuming it otherwise your brain will put it on the backburner. The best way to improve any skill is to take action on it, make mistakes, analyze what you could have done better, and keep building on this process.
Always seek to improve
The best way I have learned to use the art of continued education is to take action, see where my faults are, use books and videos to fill in the gaps, and repeat this process over and over again. Another big part of continuously learning is to ask people who you wish to gain knowledge from questions and use their knowledge to improve your own. Talking to people is a big way to continuously learn. Books and videos are amazing and should be consumed, however, being able to talk to someone knowledgeable and get direct feedback on the spot in regard to any questions you have is second to none. I can’t even begin to recall the number of times I’ve had complete perspective shifting conversations with people who are more knowledgeable on a specific subject than myself. Combining all these avenues of learning with directly taking action in a 2:1 ratio in favor of action in my opinion is the best way to ensure you’re going out and making the mistakes necessary to go back to the drawing board and improve every single day.
Learning vs. procrastination
How many of you readers are consumers of content so much so that it’s hard to recall the last time you have actually taken action on what you’ve been learning? To those of you who answered me to this question don’t worry, you’re in the majority. I myself for some time was a member of this majority, and finding a balance between learning and action taking is something I am still actively trying to perfect. However, I do understand that in order to learn and absorb anything, action must be taken. At a point not so long ago, I was beginning to confuse learning and procrastination. The entirety of my day was made up of consuming content so much so that I never left myself any real time to take action on what I had learned. A lot of people get extremely comfortable consuming content and learning in lieu of taking action. This leads to inaction and the overconsumption of content by people who convince themselves that they need to know everything possible before it is appropriate to take action. A tough pill to swallow is the fact that you can’t and won’t be able to learn everything from a book or video. Content consumption in conjunction with imperfect action is the best solution to constant learning and evolution of mindset. It took me a very long time to realize this and implement it into my life. Although my balance is not perfect yet, I am working diligently to find the best hybrid in which I feel as though I am learning and taking enough action to constantly improve.
Always improve mindset
The best thing I personally think there is to evolve and develop is mindset. So many of us put too much time into learning specific skills with books and content consumption. However, the best use of content consumption for me has been improving and growing my mindset. Reading books that alter your perspective is something that will add value to your entire life. I’ve found that a lot of what I find in books about certain topics that involve skills and processes can and should be learned by simply just taking action and learning from people more experienced than you, however mindset differs. Improving mindset and perspective during your content consumption hours allows you to add value to those you spend time with by sparking conversation about meaningful and deep thoughts and topics. I know for myself personally, the book Who Not How shifted my mindset and perspective completely on how I approach my own life and goals. After trying to do everything myself for almost 2 years, I came across this book and since then everything has changed for me. I now look at problems and if I know I would hate doing it or I am not the best person to solve it, my first question is no longer “How can I do this?”, but rather “Who can do this for me?”. This simple mindset shift has changed the way I approach my daily life completely and is the perfect example of how consuming mindset specific content is the gateway to taking meaningful and persistent action. I encourage you to do the same by constantly trying to add new and interesting frameworks to your mindset in combination with constant action. This is the formula for growth and improvement that will lead to major success!