Picking Up Skills
If you follow me on Twitter ( @pjschnyder) you might see me retweet certain things with the very short comment, “Learn!”
It tends to be that simple because I’m trying to preserve as much of the original tweet as possible and it might have been long. It is also concise and exactly the recommendation I seek to give. Always learn. Always be open to learning. And don’t wait to learn, do it now. Be a sponge. Don’t tell the world it’s too hard – take the time you need to absorb even if it’s more of a struggle than it seems to be for other people. And yes, it might earn you the same nickname as mine: Font of Random Information
There are those who set things aside to learn another day, when they’ve reached a point in whatever path they’re traveling. “I’ll learn it then,” they say or, “That’s something I won’t need until I reach that milestone.” Or sometimes they wail, “How was I supposed to know?”
See, my problem with that is once you reach the key time when you need those skills, you’re wasting time on a learning curve struggling to acquire them in a rush. It might get so hectic, panic sets in or for some, I’ve seen despair. If those people are lucky, someone is around with the knowledge or skills to save them. Less lucky and more expensive, there’s always paying someone to do it if they can afford it. Overall though, Murphy’s Law comes into effect and a savior is either not available or not affordable.
I dislike finding myself up a yucky creek without an oar.
I’ve picked up a lot of skill sets in my time and I’m continually looking to improve the ones I have and pick up new ones. Even if I don’t need those skills now, you never know when they’ll come in handy. And so I take classes, pick up reference books, and research on the internet. I attend panels and workshops at conventions because even if I’m presenting there’s other people there I could learn from and expand my knowledge. I’m out there, a sponge, actively absorbing whatever I can when I can and tucking it away for when I might need it.
So please don’t tell me I “just know all the things.” Please don’t tell me, “It just comes easier to you.” And please don’t give me dirty looks when I send you LMGTFY links the third or fourth or fifth time you ask me stuff. Because that’s how I learned and teaching you to fish is feeding you for a lifetime. We are all busy, we are all challenged in our lives, and we are all struggling. I don’t have more time than you. In fact, I have less than most are willing to believe.
It’s not about the time you have, it’s about using it.
