EXTENSION EDUCATION

OR you can choose the easy way, learning from mentors who have already overcome any challenge you might encounter and already discovered the solution. The right mentor is eager to share those answers with you and set you on a smoother, easier road to knowledge.The best continuing education is immediate and applicable. Going back to college is not the way to change your life's work. Your best bet is to seek the fast-track education route to business success. You want a nontraditional program designed specifically to deliver the information you need in a form you can use immediately.

All teachers and training programs are not created equal. Learning shouldn't have to be an uphill struggle. Commit to finding the wildly successful teachers and targeted training programs that can make the process fast and easy for you.

4. Be Willing to Learn from Anyone and Everyone.

Never fall into the trap of educational snobbery – "Oh, I have my MBA, JD, PhD, etc., etc. – I couldn't possibly learn from a secretary."

I'm open to learning from anyone. Four times a year, 20+ Institute staff members (www.LegalNurse.com) of all levels plus outside consultants gather around our big conference table for a focused, all-day brainstorming session. We work hard on a number of strategically selected topics, and we include frequent breaks for eating and exercise to keep the day interesting and fun. These brainstorm sessions have contributed tremendously to the phenomenal growth of my business.

• Not all CEOs agree with my egalitarian take on learning. When I recommended company-wide brainstorming to a CEO group I belonged to, all they saw was the cost of shutting down their businesses for the day. They didn't understand that an idea from a $12-per-hour employee could launch a new division, service or product, adding tremendous value to the company for years to come.
• You'll find mentors in many guises, from business associates to family members, friends and colleagues. Although I've been in my business for more than two decades, I still learn every day – not only from recognized experts, but especially from my students and staff members, outside consultants and vendors, favorite writers and speakers, and other CEOs.
• Learning possibilities aren't limited to "learned" teachers or a classroom setting. Stay open to learning everywhere you go, from everyone you know.

5. Make Sure You Learn the Right Stuff.

• We ask college students, "What's your major?" Life is a college of its own, and we all learn every day. The important question to ask yourself is: "Am I learning the things that will make a difference in my life or things that won't enhance it at all?" For example, are you mastering techniques for expanding your professional skill set or absorbing the intimate details of the characters on a TV sitcom?

Successful people do not major in minor things. Massively successful people focus on learning the right things. Do you want to learn about the life of a movie star or about a topic that will make you the star of your own life?