The world we live in is fast paced and constantly changing, so much so that if you don't keep
up pace and grow yourself with the changes around you, you are going to be left behind!
I am not trying to scare people when saying that, but just want to state the facts that
as the world changes, jobs change and the required skills to stay in work and in demand
needs you to adapt to the environment around you.
In this video, I will be going through an idea called the 5 hour rule that will help
you continue your personal growth and ensure that you are not the one that suffers these
consequences.
So, what is the...
5 Hour Rule
The 5 hour rule is actually extremely simple, which is each week you should dedicate 5 hours
to learn and grow yourself.
In the typical working week, this means one hour a day, not exactly a huge ask.
It is an idea that helped Ben Franklin go from a teenager without great prospects to
someone who has gone down as one of history's most influential figures...And it all stems
from his willingness learn and grow!
So what did Ben Franklin do to help his incredible growth through his life?
Well, first and foremost he would wake up early each day to read and write, usually
time he dedicated to learning!
However, he wouldn't just casually read his books, rather he would set himself personal
growth goals to try and push himself to proactively grow and improve in particular fields and
in specific skills.
He would equally engage with like minded people, joining and setting up clubs for people who
had an interest in the subjects he was studying.
While a lot of his learning was theoretical, he would then follow through and back this
up with practical experiments to test out his ideas, giving him tangible evidence and
experience of what works or what doesn't.
And at the end of each day he would spend time reflecting on what he learnt and completed
that day.
All in all, Ben Franklin wasn't just an avid reader or keen learner, but he actively sought
to put into practice what he learnt and actually use it productively, which is critical in
personal growth.
So, now that we understand more about the 5 Hour Rule and have seen it being applied
by Ben Franklin, let's look at how you can...
Apply The 5 Hour Rule
To begin, when applying the 5 Hour Rule you want to set yourself clear goals as to what
you want to learn and understand why you must learn it.
Note I didn't say you "should" learn it, as to help you maintain the motivation and drive
to keep it up as a regular habit, it must be something you identify as needing in your
life.
From here, you want to schedule in time into your daily routine to dedicate time to learning.
Now if possible, I recommend doing as Ben Franklin did and scheduling it in the morning
as you will often be at your freshest and most likely to follow through.
While some people have a preference to do it later in the day, for many it can be hard
to maintain discipline as they feel tired from the day's activities.
Once time has been scheduled in and you begin active learning, it is useful to find groups
where you can engage with others in the subject.
This can serve as natural motivation as you have others with a shared interest engaging
with you, but equally you can get new and interesting perspectives on the subject.
If you can go a step further, seek out experts in the field who you can learn and absorb
knowledge from, which will significantly help to speed up your growth process.
You also want to apply what you learn in your daily life, which will give you experience
and clear results as to what works effectively and what does not.
After all, you can be knowledgeable, but without application it's wasted!
Finally, you want to spend time reflecting on your progress, where you see what is working
and what isn't.
If you find something isn't working as you would like, plan and adjust to try and make
improvements.
After all, the process isn't fixed, and you need to do what is best for you!
Now, it's all good and well going through the process, but...
What Should You Learn?
For me, I look to understand and identify what skill is directly relevant to my career.
So as someone who works in IT, this means understanding and learning the latest technology,
both in house at my employer and in the industry at large and focusing in growing in these
areas.
However, it doesn't have to be limited to just your career and I suggest to broaden
your horizons at times to learn new skills in other fields, which may still be relevant
in your job, but helps expand your perspective.
For example, I don't just learn about what directly influences my job, but I learn about
the sector I work in as a whole to understand how to most effectively work within this industry
and the people I will engaging with on a daily basis.
I can't just be limited to understanding technology, as for example I recently had to gain significant
knowledge about how GDPR in Europe works to ensure the software we develop meets legal
requirement and I can confidently advise customers on best practice.
Sometimes, this might even be learning to move from one job with specific skills to
another.
Finally, you want to learn general skills that can be used in both your professional
and personal life.
These include improving your communication skills, confidence or understanding techniques
to most effectively use your time.
In essence, the subjects we cover on this channel.
On that note, please leave a like if you enjoyed this share and check out the video on screen
now for more useful tips!