We’d like to talk to you about something deeply personal. Something we’re incredibly passionate about. Something that nearly all of us know is important, but often overlook.
We’d like to talk to you about learning.
Around five or six we send our kids to school. We tell them to learn. We treat it like it’s their job. Somewhere between 18 and 25, the majority of these young folks are thrown from academia into the workforce.
Some may claim those formative years were designed to prepare us adults for our jobs in the 9-to-5 world. They’re right. But, the world is constantly changing. Industries are expanding and evolving. If we expect to be forerunners in our given fields, we have to commit ourselves to continually learning.
The biggest mistake we could make is thinking we know all there is to know. This causes our skills to become dull.
We must keep sharpening the saw.
Unfortunately, finding time to learn can be tough. Every company and business professional has to find what works for them, but we think the folks at thoughtbot are onto something.
They have instituted a “sustainable pace” work philosophy. At their company, this means they work four days a week for clients and commit one day a week to “investment time.” Investment time is time spent investing in their own personal growth, the community or the company.
At RWL Design, it’s not always one day a week dedicated to learning, but we regularly take time and courses to sharpen the saw. We also plan a few multi-day stretches each year to dig deep into a new process.
We recommend finding weekly newsletters about the subjects you pursue. They are great sources that provide regular content to explore. We then use those newsletters to make a reading list that we can browse in the mornings, nights, and weekends. An easy place to start is to take one lunch break a week (yes, those are important, too) and read about something in your field.
How are you sharpening the saw?
