| As all business owners discover, running a | | | | accomplished and miss the lessons they could |
| business is mostly on-the-job training. Knowing | | | | learn. It's far more effective to decide to find the |
| that information exists that can answer almost | | | | best teachers you can and devour their lessons. |
| any question is an enormous confidence builder- | | | | * Learn to edit. Editing is the process of sifting |
| but that fact is frequently overlooked. While the | | | | through large amounts of material and taking out |
| helpless loser goes around whining, "But I don't | | | | the bad, the so-so, the mediocre, the |
| know how to do that," the successful among us | | | | unimportant, and leaving in the best. Learning to |
| are busy seeking information that will show them | | | | edit is also learning to discriminate, to prioritize, to |
| how. Then they get busy putting what they've | | | | evaluate. As an Informed Source, your audience |
| uncovered to work for them. | | | | depends on you to deliver only that information |
| This fascination with information is also necessary | | | | which is pertinent. Incidentally, being a good editor |
| for entrepreneurial success. "In times of change," | | | | doesn't just apply to information: it's also a |
| wrote Eric Hoffer, "learners inherit the earth, while | | | | necessary skill for living your best life...or posting |
| the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to | | | | on Twitter. |
| deal with a world that no longer exists." | | | | * Be generous in sharing. Robert Allen earned his |
| Whatever your business is about, one of the best | | | | first fortune investing in real estate. He built a |
| ways to ensure success is to make a | | | | second empire sharing his successful system |
| commitment to becoming an Informed Source. | | | | through seminars and books. Even if you have no |
| Here are some ways to do just that. | | | | interest in packaging information yourself, there |
| * Make learning a priority and schedule time for it. | | | | are many ways to share what you know. For |
| While just running a business can be a profound | | | | instance, one of the most popular guests on |
| learning experience, we need other points of | | | | Minnesota Public Radio was Geek Squad founder |
| view, other bits of information in order to grow | | | | Robert Stephens who frequently shared |
| to our fullest potential. Make time for acquiring | | | | information on getting the most from your |
| that knowledge by regular reading, attending | | | | computer. That visibility (plus some fabulously |
| seminars, meeting with other self-bossers who | | | | creative marketing) made him stand out from the |
| are farther down the road. | | | | crowd. |
| * Learn from the best. Jim Rohn is vocal in urging | | | | * Put it to work. "Knowledge is power is only half |
| his audiences to seek learning from the best | | | | a truth," said Andrew Carnegie, "for knowledge is |
| sources they can find. He says, "There are three | | | | only potential power. It may become a power |
| ways one can go about learning from others: 1. | | | | only when it is organized and expressed in terms |
| Through published literature such as books and | | | | of definite action." Yes, it's fun to know things just |
| audio or video tapes. 2. By listening to the wisdom | | | | for the sake of knowing them, but the truly |
| and folly of others. 3. Through observations of | | | | brilliant users of information are always looking for |
| winners and losers. So become a good observer. " | | | | ways to adapt what they've learned to their own |
| The barriers that keep many people from learning | | | | situations. Doing your homework gives you |
| from the best sources is that they either can't | | | | confidence, but only if you use what you've |
| discern good from not so good or they start | | | | learned. |
| comparing themselves to those who are more | | | | |