Learning according to various sources is «the cumulative acquisition of skills and knowledge, many times coming from experiences.» The most important part of being a successful entrepreneur is to keep learning out of pleasure not out of obligation.

Eliminate the phrase «waste of time» from your vocabulary
A popular saying says that «with time and patience science is acquired.» And what better time to apply patience than the one you spend in the car, on public transport, or in the Uber on the way to your next meeting (bike and skates not included)? Now imagine spending every minute of that tour reading a book or listening to an audiobook. In the two and a half hours a day (on average) that I spend going from one place to another, I have read dozens of books and listened to as many. Meter? Read. Car? Listens. Do you get dizzy in the Uber when reading? Listens. Don’t you like to read on your cell phone? Bookstores still exist. Are the books that interest you heavy? We have Kindle.

The form and object you choose to absorb the information depend on the situation or your personal taste. What is a fact is that there are more options than excuses to take advantage of your daily routine and learn something new every day. I prefer Kindle because I have access to my entire library, in a very light device and the ideal size, all day, at all hours, and no matter where I am. For audiobooks, I would say the best option is Audible. The monthly subscription, which is not expensive, gives you permanent access to the entire collection, which sometimes seems infinite, of books and genres.

Use the infinity of tools available on the Internet
As individuals, we are very fortunate to live in a time when all knowledge is at our fingertips. Literally. As entrepreneurs, we couldn’t be in a better time and place than today. In the same way that there are audiobooks for learning languages, there are also sites and organizations dedicated to teaching online classes for all kinds of specialties. From the United States to Singapore, and from Harvard to Tel Aviv University, there are hundreds of institutions and dozens of countries that have online courses open to anyone who wants to take them.

Invest time in topics and activities that do contribute to your development
Learning languages is a very fun way to exercise the brain as a muscle. But sometimes there comes a point where we have to decide if spending three hours a week in French is more important than preparing the topics for the next meeting, going to the gym, or even resting. Unless your company requires, at the time, that you speak French constantly, sometimes the answer is no. And although this example is about languages, it applies to any other activity. It is important to manage your time effectively.

At the same time, make sure that the activities that you consider priorities are, otherwise, you are missing the opportunity to develop yourself in topics and areas that require immediate attention. Sleeping early is often more important than the daily Netflix and chill time, or call your best friend can wait compared to finishing the book you’ve been reading for two weeks. Set aside an hour a day to focus only on your personal and professional development. Setting goals for how much to advance, how many pages to read, or how quickly to finish a course will help you be the best supervisor in your day-to-day life.