In this knowledge economy, the more you know
, the more valuable you can be. And the technology at our fingertips offers access to extraordinary educational resources.
But with only 1440 minutes in a day, and work and personal tasks vying for attention, how do you squeeze in valuable e-learning?
I’ll give you my 5 best tips for fitting e-learning into your schedule—but first let’s look at the why.
Why E-learning Can Benefit You and Those Around You
New knowledge can help you advance in your job or company, or expand your skills for professional growth.
The key is figuring out your purpose. When you know what success looks like, you can search for e-learning that supports your goals.
The clearer you are on where you are going, the more energy you will have to make sacrifices and overcome obstacles on the way there. The more chance you have to stick with the daily rituals to quiet the noise and focus on changes you want to make.
No matter if e-learning is part of your job or your dream career (or both), you have to prioritize your energy for it and then schedule it.
Like so many valuable behaviors, e-learning doesn’t just happen.
Making E-Learning a Ritual
Watching videos, listening to podcasts, taking an online course—whatever you are into, here are some ways to build a consistent ritual of e-learning.
1. Make it part of an existing habit. If you start your day with coffee and email, begin earlier and include a 10-minute e-learning session. Or download it on a phone or iPad so you can engage while exercising.
2. Make it convenient. Use bookmarks and apps to increase your access to the materials that you want to cover. The training has to be easy to deploy or it won’t happen.
3. Build your anticipation. Small frequent bursts of learning eventually lead to big outcomes, so stick with it. Envision completing your online training and how great that will feel. Stay open to discovering new opportunities. Allow yourself to think broadly about what is possible.
4. Form a discussion group or find a partner. At work or not, recruit one or two like-minded people to meet with regularly. Maybe Friday afternoons? Recap what you learned that week and how it affected or might influence the work you do and the life you want to live.
5. Build a schedule/timeline for completing the content. If you are tackling 30 videos, for instance, build out your start and end date, with SMART goal setting. If six weeks is realistic, schedule your e-learning as protected time in your schedule. First thing in the morning? End of day? If we don’t protect that time, someone will grab it or we will give it away, sometimes without thinking.
Your Game Changer Takeaway
Technology gives us an extraordinary opportunity to make ourselves smarter and better at what we do and equip us for our goals. Use my 5 tips to building your ritual of e-learning. As you push yourself to gain new knowledge a few bytes at a time, you position yourself for greater advancement than you may even realize is possible. Over time, small building blocks like this add up to big outcomes!
The Molly Fletcher Company inspires leaders, teams and organizations to kick-start growth. A keynote speaker and author, Molly draws on her decades of experiences working as a sports agent. Her company’s Game Changer Negotiation Training workshops teach business people the framework for successful negotiating, so that you can close more deals while building stronger relationships. Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter and subscribe to the Game Changers with Molly Fletcher podcast on iTunes.