Learn, Implement and Stay Competitive

I recently read a great piece by Brian Tracy (author of Eat that Frog! about procrastination and worth your time) about creating your own security. The gist is that there is no inherent security in the work or business world so you'd better create some of your own. Tracy says "knowledge in your field is probably doubling every five years. That means your knowledge must double every five years just for you to stay even." Wow. That is intimidating.Self-development can seem like fluffy, new-age hype. It isn't. You must keep learning and growing to stay on top of your business, your family, your faith. We don't flourish in a vacuum. You must gain the knowledge but also the skills and discipline to utilize and implement that knowledge. Learning and reading keep our minds sharp. Building new skills makes us more marketable.Never before in history have the words "knowledge is power" been more accurate. Creative and innovative knowledge counts as much as traditional learning so maybe fly-fishing and fly-tying don't seem to apply to business, learning a skill that uses your body instead of your brain can make you more creative. Creativity solves problems. Solving problems is all your customer needs!If you don't have a continuous learning plan in place, build one. Decide on a new skill that you will learn this year and/or an old one you will shore up. Stay on top of technological, business and your specific industry trends. Stay interesting and active to build your own personal security. by Steven Schlagel