The 7 Most Effective Time Management Tips: Becoming a Lifelong Learner

Tip #4: Becoming a Lifelong Learner

Just like my previous post on time management that showed a relationship between gratitude and productivity, this one may, at first, seem a bit vague but lifelong learning and time management share a close connection. I will just explain how in a bit.

Imagine this: when you commit to lifelong learning, you keep yourself updated with the newest technology and know all about the latest strategies and information to do your jobs in the best of the best ways. You know the most reliable and efficient ways to do things....That's it! You have learnt one of the best time management tips!

The newest ways to do things are often the simplest and less time-consuming. This helps save you time to do your chores. A great, time management skill, right!

For example, with writing, if you use the latest version of Word, it'll autocorrect your spellings or pinpoint your mistakes with a red underline, saving you time to edit your draft later. You can use the latest tools like Copyscape and Grammarly to check for plagiarism and grammar. Very handy!

Learning is Investing in Yourself

Learning new things everyday fills you up with energy, boosts your spirit and motivates you to do the best at work. That's why big companies invest in their employees trainings from time to time.

When you start educating yourself by either going back to school or starting a formal training, you are actually spending time and money on yourself. But, this is a time well wasted! You have invested in yourself. Benjamin Franklin says learning new things is “an investment in knowledge that pays the best interest”.

Understand the importance and value of learning new things, and it will be easy to learn even the most difficult and complicated of all things. You will automatically be inclined towards it, and find time for it, even on your busiest days. No more going about complaining 'I would love to learn more but just don't find the time to...'

With the advancement in technology every second, it has become more important than ever to keep yourself in line with the demands of the modern world. If you are a hard worker and have ample experience but have failed to advance your knowledge and skills according to the demands of the modern world, your career is very likely to come at a standstill very soon.

Just because you did not pursue lifelong learning, companies won't hire you, for you are unaware of the modern techniques or ways used in your field. The same happened to my own father. He was a brilliant accountant enjoying a great post and salary in his company with over 30 years of experience in his field. But, when everything was computerised, he still was still using a pen and paper.

When his company closed and he sought new jobs, none of them would hire him for his lack of knowledge in the field of IT. Those who offered him the jobs were either very small low-budget companies or the jobs offered to him were for very junior roles. His experience, degree and knowledge in the field held no value anymore, and even worse- his juniors became his seniors.

 It was all very sad and a very difficult time for him and all of us in the family, but we all learnt our lesson then- NEVER STOP LEARNING!

Conclusion

Keep learning new things everyday by either reading a book daily, enrolling yourself in a course or going back to school....Whatever your method is, the process of learning should not stop. There is no such thing as 'being too old to learn' either. Learning does not, and should not stop with age.

While the advancement in technology is what we need to keep up with to increase productivity and improve our time management skills, ironically, some of these technological advances distract us, and waste out time the most. We need to keep a fine line between the kind of technologies that benefit us and those that are nothing but a sheer waste of time. 

Today you've just discovered how to manage time by becoming a life long learner. In my next blog about The 7 Most Effective Time Management Tips, I'll reveal another useful skill to save time.

Until next time, do not stop learning and keep writing!