Learning has the most value when the information or skills we gain get implemented into our lives. That might mean performing different tasks than before or doing jobs differently, but it also can mean that we think and make decisions differently than we otherwise would have.

Learning expands our perspective of the world and gives us broader understanding of ourselves. And what we know can influence whom we allow into our lives and how our interactions go, too.

Ask yourself this short set of questions to make sure your learning always has purpose:

• What does this learning connect with for me? Is it relevant to my past, what I presently am doing, or what I might do in the future?
• Who can I share this information or skill with?
• Who can support or supplement the learning?
• Is there a way to determine the influence of the learning, (e.g., a metric, observable change)?
• What goals will the learning help me reach?
• Am I genuinely interested in this, and if so, why?
• With this list in your mind, the only job now is to go pick a topic.