​Yes, education is the catalyst that will hone and sharpen our talents, skills, and abilities and cause them to blossom Joseph B. Wirthlin

​Some of us when we were growing up, we knew that one of the key ways to change our lives was through going to school, doing well, taking a course that we love and finally being financially stable. This has worked for some people and for others, it is still work in progress. We have also seen and read of people who did not do well academically or rather did not care much about academics but have ended up doing well in their respective fields. Therefore, one does not have to follow the conventional route of academics to eventually do well in what they love, but it is good to note that you cannot be good at something if you are not continuously learning and improving yourself.

​So, given the importance of learning and skill sharpening, what are the various ways that one can do this?

1. ​Formal academics and professional certification: This involves furthering your education through a set process. Also looking for courses along your line of expertise and taking the courses;
2. ​Conferences, Webinars and Talks: There are many meetings whose subject matter could be something useful to us. Attending those meetings helps see and understand different perspectives of what we know and at the same time help meet new people who have something to teach us;
3. ​Self-learning through books, listening to podcasts or reading blogs: Once one has identified what they want to learn,  it is important that they seek out the best way and places to get that information. Key is to ensure that after you have learnt and understood, take a view and let that be what you go by;
4. ​Teaching: There is no better way to check your understanding of a subject matter than to teach. This is because of how much you have to read and prepare. Additionally, the people you are teaching have different perspectives of the same issue that can give you a different angle to the matter;
5. ​Working with a professional: People are gifted differently and it is therefore important to identify the help that we need and look at the people good in the field and seek them out;
6. ​Attend paid short-term courses: Many times, we know what we want to learn about, but lack the discipline and the methodology to do it. Part of the solution is always to pay for courses that help bridge that gap.

​We need to decide what we need to do and one of the ways to do that is by deciding our next life steps. If for example you want to grow or start a business then look for trainings related to that. Understand the resource requirement and always ensure that you look at this not only with the money out of pocket but also on the returns that you shall eventually get from the course. Assess the amount of time required and the amount of time available to you, you never want to enroll in something that you cannot fully focus on. Understanding the various providers and their differentiation is key as this helps you to choose the one with the highest risk adjusted return.

​Like anything else in the world, the courage to start is key and we should choose one path and take it. If it does not yield desired results, then we change course along the way.

​If you are looking for someone to work the journey on matters of investments speak to us and join our upcoming Personal Wealth Creation Masterclass starting this November.