Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Tag: continuous learning

  • What is the last thing you learned?

    What is the last thing you learned?

    I can’t remember the last thing I learned. I learn a lot of trivial things because I’m always learning.

    Learning is more than taking a course or reading a book. Sometimes it’s as simple as paying attention. When you go out, take note of things because you never know when you need them. Like when you shop, you notice what the store stocks, even if it isn’t something you buy. Later, when you have an in-town visitor, you can easily tell them where to find that specialty tea, or recommend a restaurant or store without hesitation. That tiny observation suddenly becomes useful knowledge.

    I’ve also realized how much I learn from everyday scrolling. YouTube or Instagram can be surprisingly educational, even if you’re doom scrolling. Maybe you come across interesting facts about space, history, or even the origin of a slang expression in English. 

    The same thing happens when watching a movie. When the movie ends, satisfy your curiosity and look up random things. How accurate was the movie? Was that character really that mean? Should you watch Part 2?  Do those animals really exist? You can spend hours going down a rabbit hole in your research. 

    Even weird, random facts count. Learning how to store your food properly in your fridge or pantry might save money and reduce waste. That’s practical intelligence.

    Learn a little at a time, then in the long run, you learn a lot. Knowledge compounds. Stay curious. Pay attention. Small lessons today become surprising wisdom tomorrow.

    Daily writing prompt
    What is the last thing you learned?
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  • Challenge: Improve Your Vocabulary

    Challenge: Improve Your Vocabulary

    Do you find yourself occasionally Google searching a word because you couldn’t remember whether it could be used the way that you’re thinking?

    You might have heard that constant learning keeps you young. Learning new vocabulary or refreshing yourself on the use of some old ones is always great for exercising your brain.

    What are some ways to learn new vocabulary to keep your mind sharp?

    One way is to subscribe to journals or blogs related to your profession or topics that you have an interest in. Often you’ll run into new concepts or terminology. If the meaning of the word is not in the article, you can search for it online. Or you can bookmark industry-specific dictionaries that will give you the meaning of a word in the context of the industry. For example, this dictionary defines legal terms.

    If you’re keen to expand your vocabulary, this site explains the meaning of commonly confused words and how to use the words correctly. For example, this article defines the meaning of effectiveness versus efficacy versus efficiency. Even if you know the meaning of words such as ocean, sea, and coast, you may be interested in the specific distinctions in how they are used, according to cartographers and hydrographers.

    Knowledge can be very empowering, even if you are expanding your knowledge one word at a time.

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  • Skills Insight of the Day #8 Investments

    Skills Insight of the Day #8 Investments

    Where do you find the best investment advice? Everyone wants to increase their income, their savings, or their assets… especially if they still worry about their finances. If you look online, there is no shortage of investment experts. Ultimately, the advisor you want to listen to is the one who best understands your situation. But who should that mentor or expert be?

    There are so many social media posts advising you to set aside 20 percent of your income for savings. They also say that rich people put the majority of their wealth in investments, assets, and savings, and only a small portion in expenses. However, they aren’t telling you the real investment secret.

    When you’re making six figures, you’re able to afford a basic cost of living. In most cases, you can have a decent place to live, food to eat, and money to spare after paying for basic necessities. True, if you’re buying a mansion and a supercar a week, you might be living hand to mouth, but let’s say that you’re wealthy and not living above your means.

    For most people, however, setting aside a good chunk of their income for savings or investments is difficult or just not possible. They don’t make enough to pay for housing, food, and a basic living. Or, they do make enough but there isn’t much left to set aside for a rainy day.

    When you look at the numbers this way, it makes sense that the rich can afford to set aside a large portion of their wealth to build investments and assets – buy real estate, shares, stocks, etc. It also makes sense that there are people who don’t set aside much money for investments or assets. They spend money on liabilities (items that lose them money and debts) because they are barely surviving.

    For those who can’t afford to set aside 20 percent or more of their income for investments and assets, start with building your skills. You can pay for courses or take them for free. You can also learn skills from a mentor.

    A lot of education is available online through online courses or YouTube videos, or you can borrow books from the library. When your skills can command you a higher paying salary, you will be in a higher income bracket. When you have that higher income, then you can start following that investment advice that you keep hearing about and grow your wealth even more.

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