I Will Never Stop Learning

I came to this realisation the other day: I’ve spent 21 of my 30 years on this planet learning. And the first 3 years of my life don’t even really count because I was too busy either admiring the fish laid out at the supermarket every week or counting the ones lucky to be alive and swimming in any aquarium or pond I walked by and telling my parents about them because, well, how could you not be interested in fish?

So even after 21 years of education and counting fish, here’s why I still jump at any chance to learn:

Making connections that turn into friendships: I met some of the nicest, coolest and most helpful people through the courses and seminars I’ve done. Check out my Digital Dudette series to learn about some of the amazing people I connected with. You never know when later in life you might need some advice, a connection, or simply want to catch up. The best part is you’ll always have a common memory and remember when and how you met.

Building skills to pay the bills: Yes, I made a lame 90’s reference. Let’s move on. We live in a very competitive world and that’s a fact. Gone are the days when a Master’s degree (unless you’re a doctor, engineer or lawyer – some things never change) was enough to set you apart from the crowd and make you an attractive hire. Having a unique set of skills is what will set you apart and most likely land you a job you actually want and like. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would know how to build a website, interpret analytics and data, manage digital marketing campaigns, or use Photoshop and actually enjoy all of it. But these are all skills I learned in addition to my university degrees through web design classes, certifications in Google AdWords and Google Analytics, YouTube tutorials and stalking my graphic designer colleague (I’m serious) and they have played a bigger role than my degrees in helping me get a job I like. There’s a big difference in doing a job you’re good at and a job you enjoy; I think it’s important to recognise the difference for yourself.

Boosting self-confidence: Forcing yourself out of your comfort zone to learn something new will improve your self-confidence and help you overcome any professional or personal fears. I still remember the first time I worked with Google Analytics and thought “So much data and I don’t get any of it! This isn’t for me. I will never last in digital marketing”. But with a little guidance, asking a lot of questions and accepting that it’s totally ok to be clueless, I’m at the other side of the fear tunnel, confident and happy that I stuck it through. And, once you master a new concept or skill, it’s a great way to boost your resume.

Busting FOMO stress: I think apart from the usual stresses we feel at work and / or at home, there’s a new kind of stress we encounter in today’s always-on, always-connected lifestyle. Every second of every day there’s someone posting or sharing something you wish you could be doing and it’s stressful when you can’t. So I found that if I focus my ‘FOMO stressy’ energy on myself instead of the ‘Like’ button on someone else’s photos I feel way better. I joined Zumba classes and diligently went every week for a few years and just recently switched to Strength Training + Muay Thai a few times a week and I love it because that one hour class is all about me: my stress is busted and I have no FOMO because I am totally engaged in something that is not a Facebook or Instagram feed.

Learning doesn’t always have to be related to work: So here’s a valuable resource I think a lot of us don’t take seriously when we think about learning: YouTube. It’s an amazing, free, 24/7 online visual tool you can access anywhere, anytime to learn literally anything. I have always wanted to be good at applying makeup so I started watching YouTube tutorials after a friend recommended some to me and after many, many failed attempts of looking like a raccoon / Joker from Batman, I mastered some basic techniques, learned about products and I did it all of it for free. (This obviously does not include the crazed Sephora shopping sprees that followed). Makeup has nothing to do with my professional life; it’s just a personal interest of mine that I enjoy learning more about.

The key takeaway here is never give up an opportunity to learn because lots of awesome things can result from it 🙂

I’m very interested to hear your thoughts, please share your comments and experiences below.