Self Learning

It's amazing how fast technology is changing. I am in the process of re-building the RentQuick.com website from scratch. It seems that everything I used to be good at is now obsolete. Therefore, I must learn a whole new bunch of stuff.

Specifically, I am referring to cascading style sheets. If you haven't done anything with them, then you are going to be amazed at what you can do. Not only can you layer the images on the page and control the overall look and feel of the site with one little file, you can also put things exactly where you want them without those pesky tables.

So I have spent the last few weeks learning and implementing all kinds of new stuff for the website. I am still testing it, but thought it would make for an interesting discussion: self learning.

Over the years since finishing my MBA, I have found that I spend a great deal of time learning things to perform a specific task. Whether it is the ins and outs of stormwater detention facilites or it is the latest design tools, I have been forced to learn without the aid of a classroom or an instructor.

In fact, most of what I consider to be important knowledge has come from learning on the job. This has been such an important tool for me, that I assumed everyone did the same. However, in my interviews with others I found the opposite to be true.

Obviously, people learn differently. Some excel in the the classroom environment. Some do better by trial and error while others prefer to learn through books. I learn best through a mixture of trial and error and reading.

The great thing about learning is that it is limitless. The problem with being limited to learning in a classroom environment is that you are so dependant on finding a class that teaches what you need to know and taking the time to attend.

Of all the tools I have in being the do-all entreprenuer, self-learning is the most powerful.