I’ve frequently said that one of my greatest strengths is that I’m pretty much average in almost every way. Almost. There are a couple of things I do that most people simply don’t do. They could, they just don’t. That’s why I can often exceed the expectations of others despite my being average.

One of those things is that I’m up hours before other people. I am also fortunate to be able to read quickly while retaining most of what I read. I write almost as quick as I read, a blog post like this takes maybe 15 minutes to write. Those things combine to help me do the one thing that has helped me succeed more than any other, they help me to always always always be learning. I give myself time, very early in the day, that other people choose to not give themselves. I use much of that time to learn. 

By 6:00am I’ve read two or 3 newspapers, perhaps listened to a podcast, watched a TedTalk or read a magazine or two. I’ll look at what the overseas stock markets are doing so I’ll know whether or not it’s a good idea to peek at my 401k that day or not. Plus it’s in that timeframe that I write this blog two days a week and make my Principles of Leadership Videos for Twitter. 

All this before most people are even thinking about getting themselves out of bed. That allows me to accomplish more than my average cohorts even if I’m below average the rest of the day. 

So I don’t cut people much slack when they tell me they don’t have time to do this or that. I know for a fact that what they are lacking is not time, it’s priorities. 

Most people quit learning at 18 or 22. They may pick up some extra skills on the job, they may learn some stuff through osmosis but the vast vast majority of people stop their formal education the last day they walk out of school. 

You cannot reach your full potential without constantly learning. Knowledge compounds over time. The more you learn the more you will learn in the future. The more you learn the better your choices will be. Better choices lead to better outcomes and far fewer negative consequences. 

Better outcomes and fewer negative consequences lead to higher incomes and lower expenses. Success boils down to what you know and how you use what you know. 

It makes little difference how far you got in school, you can and should still be learning. You need to fire up those study habits from whatever grade you finished and start studying again. Make time to study. Make time to learn. Make time to earn. Make time to succeed…in every area of your life. 

I run into a whole lot of people who are smarter than me. But they don’t know as much as I do. I see many people who have the potential to far surpass any of my accomplishments but I know they are very unlikely to. They are comfortable with what they know. They may not know it all but they are very confident that they know enough. 

Truth be told not knowing something causes very few problems when compared to “knowing” something that just isn’t so. Consistent learners are always challenging what they “know” to see if it is in fact accurate. 

People who keep learning keep rising. Average people who keep learning and using what they learn will consistently outperform above average people who have stopped learning. 

Somebody much smarter than me, I don’t recall who but there’s this thing called Google where you can look it up, once said, “if you’re willing to learn no one can stop you. If you’re not willing to learn no one can help you.” 

I’ve already learned some stuff today but it’s still early, I’m sure I’ll be learning more before the day is done. Will you join me? Not only today but tomorrow and the next day too. You’ll be surprised how much you still have to learn once you commit yourself to learning everyday. But other people will be even more surprised and that’s what makes learning so much fun. 

Want more of LeadToday? I’m changing things up on my Twitter feed for subscribers. I have started publishing two videos each week focusing on an element of Authentic Leadership. I’ll post these videos each Tuesday and Thursday morning. They will be about 10 minutes long so we can get into the topic in a more meaningful way. The investment for subscribers in still only $5 a month. That’s for at least 80 MINUTES of quality video content on leadership a month. 

If you’re interested in taking a look head on over to my Twitter profile page. If you’re not a follower yet just hit the follow button. It will change to a subscribe button and once you hit that you’re on your way. You can cancel at any time you’ve decided you have nothing left to learn about leading the people who you count on for your success. 🙂

Here’s the link to my Twitter… https://twitter.com/leadtoday