3 Lessons I Learned as an Education Addict
I’m not ashamed to say it and I don’t wear it as a badge of honor; but, I and many of you are an education and content whore. I collect educational content in various mediums; from books and magazines to digital courses and YouTube playlists.
How It Started
Ever since I was young and saw my second oldest brother go off to a boarding school on a partial scholarship and financial aid, I thought he was the smartest person I knew; other than Mr. Wizard. He would come back home for Thanksgiving or Christmas and show me the kind of homework he had and would encourage me to work at getting better grades… I was failing some of my classes and got held back a year because I didn’t apply myself and was lazy and uninspired.
My life and my determination to be as smart as Mr. Wizard started to manifest when I got to visit my brother at the boarding school and see what life could be like as an academic. At that moment I decided I wanted to go to that same school. When we got back home I started to work just a little harder and over time I was afforded the same opportunity as my brother. I attended the school from grade 5 through grade 8, but the school actually taught one grade level above, so technically, I graduated from 9th grade.
I then went back home to attend high school instead of applying for a secondary boarding school. I spoke with a guidance counselor and somehow finagled my way into the 11th grade and finished high school in just 2 years with a few classes during the summer to complete all of the required credits while working a part-time job.
FOMO, Preparation, or Addiction?
Since then, I’ve been learning whatever I thought would make me smarter and more interesting. My problem was that I was all over the place and was starting to collect textbooks, workbooks, and computer-based training CDs. My collection of educational material was growing and I’ve purged a lot and gained a lot. Right now, I currently have 1030 titles in my Audible account with about 80% being some kind of educational book; I’m currently listening to Endure by Cameron Hanes. At home, I have over a hundred books that talk about mindset, psychology, marketing, real estate, and even martial arts and fieldcraft. Online, I have two Udemy accounts with courses on guitar and piano, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), finance, mobile application, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and blockchain development. And, my Amazon account has hundreds of books waiting for me to purchase them.
This could all be an internal fear I have about not being smart enough; not measuring up to the standards of society; or the fear of missing out on conversations about self-improvement, psychology, business, etc. It could also be that I am in preparation mode; preparation for what? I don’t know. The apocalypse?
In reality, I have an addiction. This is definitely a thing; people get addicted to consuming a massive amount of information. This addiction can be rewarding and it can be detrimental for some if not managed properly. I go through phases, where I will read or listen to a bunch of books for a while, and then I will take a break and apply whatever I learned to my life; writing an article or book, teaching, or building an app or business. Many of these projects were short-lived as I would pick up another book or course and do it all over again.
Lessons Learned From My Addiction
We are in the information age and people are inundated with information, ads, news, social media, etc. 24 hours a day. A lot of people have information overload when wanting to get into a new skill or career. So much so, that they get into what’s called analysis paralysis. They feel like they don’t know enough to get started and continue to consume more information.
Over the last 20 years or so, I’ve learned some things that have helped me to manage my need to consume more. These lessons have helped me to slow down, save money, avoid information overload and analysis paralysis, and act smarter about what to do next.
#1 — Does It Help Me Right Now?
This is probably the biggest lesson I have learned. I continue to apply this question to that shiny object syndrome. Sure, there are tons of topics and skills I’d love to learn about; mycology (study of mushrooms), sales strategies, close-up magic; but, it all comes down to this one question. Does it help me right now? Is it something I can apply to my current health and fitness, my relationships with my wife, my son, family, and friends; or my job? Oftentimes, the answer is a begrudgingly; no. I’m sure I can find a way to fit this new subject into my life somehow, but unfortunately for me; I have to be strict.
This question also brings up the saying, “knowledge is useless without action.” If I can’t apply the knowledge from a new subject or skill to what I’m currently working on, then I have to move on. It has no use for me other than something cool to talk about or show off.
#2 — Do I Have The Resources?
This one is more of a management type of lesson. This often applies to ideas I have for a business, but I’ve been applying it to the education side of things. These questions will give me more insight into where I’m at.
- What are the financials?
- Do I have the time to invest?
- Do I know someone that can do it for me?
Money, or the financials, is not necessarily an issue if I’m resourceful enough; I can oftentimes find the materials I need for free online, or I can borrow a book from a friend or library. But, if I’m thinking of a business; then this question is more about paying for services, marketing, etc. It’s also going to answer the potential ROI over time. A new skill can increase my value to a company as a software engineer if that skill is in demand and of use to me.
Time is often the one that answers the overarching question of resources. More often, this is the first question and I answer no to having the time. I have a lot of other activities going on that I know I’m not going to invest in unless the financials stand out. And, if the financials are looking pretty good then I find the time, shift things around, and make time with “mobile university”… can I learn what I need to in audio format as I drive to and from work?
Hard Working Poor People And A $30 Million Dollar Lesson
The last part of resources is people. Smart people will hire or recruit the help of smarter people that have the level of mastery needed for success. If there’s something that I want to learn, do I know someone or can I find someone that has that knowledge that can help or teach me in about an hour? If this is for a business, then is this person interested in partnering? There are loads of YouTubers that have already done all the work and have simplified the subject into a 20–40 minute video… and, it’s free.
#3 — Have I Learned Enough From One Source?
This one question has helped me to gain mastery over certain subjects. It’s something that I learned a long time ago, and that’s to have a conversation with the book. I will read a book over and over to gain new insight; one of them is The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho (the link below is not an affiliate link).
I read and listen to this book at least twice a year. Each time, I reinforce a lesson I’ve learned or I pick up something new. This isn’t the only book I have and continue to read each year; books from Napoleon Hill, Andy Andrews, Jack Donovan, Robert Greene, and Ryan Holiday are just a handful of others. This is exactly what religious people do when reading the bible. They don’t just read it once, they continue to read it and find answers to questions they have in life.
The biggest thing I do, and in my son’s opinion the most heinous crime I can commit; is to mark up my books. I underline, write in the margins, dog-ear pages, and highlight parts of the books that stand out to me, make me think, or that I have questions about. This is how I have a conversation with the author; my mentors. Who says you need to pay thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars to a mentor when I can pay $20 for a book they wrote, even posthumously; and continue to learn from them.
In martial arts, when someone has become a black belt and mastered their art, they will go back to wearing a white belt and start over. They go back to the basics and can and will defeat other black belts while using white belt skills.
Final Words
In the end, if you’re anything like me; you have hundreds of partially read beat-up books, a slew of audiobooks, and online courses; you’ll want to slow your pace of consumption with the questions I listed above.
- Does it help me right now?
- Do I have the resources (money, time, people)?
- Have I learned enough from one source?
These questions have helped me to save money, time, and energy, and keep me focused on what is and will make me successful as a person, husband, father, software engineer, and real estate professional.
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned in your self-improvement and business journey when it comes to education?