When I stopped playing rugby nineteen years ago, I went straight into business. About three years after that I had coffee with a friend and we were chatting about my playing days and what our days looked like. How many hours we spent training and how many times we repeated things in a week. We practiced the basic skill like passing every single practice so that it became a bit robotic. After I told him how much we practiced he asked a profound question that had a significant impact on my life. “So, what have you done in the last three years to upskill yourself?” It hit me like a freight train, and I realised I had wasted three years that I could have spent learning.
PUTTING THE UP BACK IN UPSKILL
I have done courses on a regular basis since then and I have made sure that I don’t miss an opportunity to learn. The latest course I have entered is a photographic course and my plan is to do that as a hobby in the years to come.
Continuous learning is a lifelong journey and it is about seeking knowledge, developing skills and expanding perspectives. The world is rapidly changing around us and we have kept up with the times and stayed relevant. Learning new things will ignite a sense of curiosity, creativity and personal fulfillment which in turn will lead to a greater sense of purpose and achievement. Continuous learners are more likely to come up with new ideas, develop innovative solutions and adapt to complex challenges. In a world where AI is changing things daily it becomes imperative that we upskill on business issues, relationship challenges and geo-political factors and any other factors they weigh in on our lives.
THE BIG 5-0
As I approach fifty, I am even more eager to learn new things and to explore some of my life long dreams. My constant drive is that I want to be a better business owner, a better husband, a better father and a better friend, a better community member and better son to my father who turns 80 in June. So, my question to you is what are you doing to upskill and learn?
Trying to be a bit better in everything we do daily is the key. Continuous learning is a journey of self-discovery, exploration and transformation that will empower us as individuals to reach our full potential. As we get older, we start to think that we know everything and then we form strong opinions about all aspects of our lives. read an amazing quote the other day.
“Hold strong opinions loosely.”
As we learn more and develop ourselves in all areas, this quote becomes more and more relevant. If you are opinionated and believe you are always right then this quote is for you. May we all be tolerant, gracious and may we all hold our strong opinions loosely. Your morals and ethics however must be held very tightly!
GET IN TOUCH
If you would like to get in touch with me about my key note presentation, Debunking Motivation, please send an email to corne@cornekrige.com. Visit my website to review my speaker sheet for more info. I also share my story on my social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.