If I may mention here, he is one of my icons.
At Infospectrum, the company I work for, Tushar Joshi is known as a software guru. An MCP, RHCP as well as an SCJP, he is the one to send an SOS whenever there is some help needed, especially in Java. But there is more to him. He is a prolific writer, a very good poet and not to forget, a doting father of two smart girls. With na amazing net presence, he is usually the first one to embrace an upcoming wave, be it a development platform like NetBeans or a social networking revolution like twitter.
You always learn something new in every conversation with Tushar.
Be it a chemical engineer like Dr Mashelkar, or a software geek like Tushar; what really makes these people tick? During his interview for Pulse, the official newsletter of Infospectrum, Tushar disclosed, “I am a perennial student, I just want to keep learning something new!”
Each one of us would like to be a continuous learner; but how does one actually do it?
Brooding over this a couple of months ago, I have devised a process to try and walk on the same path; and so far, it’s working fine for me. The idea is fairly simple: Learn something new every week.
Where Do I begin?
The best place to start is your workplace.
Being in software industry, I started with exploring the blogs on technical writing during my free time. Within a week, I had bookmarked a number of blogs that were highly informative, as well as inspirational. Some of the resources, such as Tom Johnson’s blog or the EServer Technical Communication Library are so vast that it would easily take a month or two just to get through all the content. Next, I installed MS-Visio 2007, even though the previous version 2003 had served sufficient well.
Find out the best tools, reach out to the best people in your field. Try a few new ways doing your work. If doing things the way you have always done has earned you bread and butter, learn something new that makes you capable of earning cheese and honey!
Where Do I regulalry find new stuff to learn?
The fundamental idea is to almost force oneself to try and explore new areas. It can be picking up a new book to read or visiting a new destination. It can be trying out a new genre of music or tasting a new cuisine. It can even be making a new friend. For the first few months, focus on quantity. As you progress, not only will you learn to separate chaff from the grain, you will also develop the knack of hitting the right direction in the first place.
Surround yourself with people who are curious and enthusiastic. Avoid gossip-mongers; they sap your energy. Read stuff that’s mentally engaging, not just the one that you can swallow without exerting your grey cells.
Sometimes, your work environment itself sets you on a steep learning curve. I was shifted to a new project two weeks ago, and have been fully engaged in trying to get familiar with the new tools, processes and of course, new people.
But... Will I be able to cope with it all?
Try it, and you will be amazed how far you can stretch yourself. We grossly underestimate the learning and retaining capacity of our brain, especially in case of young individuals. If you learn something on your own, in a field that you enjoy and that too at your own leisure, chances are high that you aren't likely to forget it in a hurry!
Okay! So I learn… What next?
As Swami Vivekananda said, “Salvation of society is more important than attainment of Nirvana of an individual”. We may not have such lofty visions, but one can always try and give back to the world in his or her own capacity. If you have learnt a new language, teach it to people who are interested, if you have learnt a new tool, share it with people to whom it might be useful. Write a blog. Tell people about the latest book you are currently reading.
The more you share, the more you will learn. As Sohirobanath Ambiye, a saint from Sawantwadi, puts it beautifully...
"अंतरीचा ज्ञानदिवा मालवू नको रे!"
Let the light of knowledge always burn within you.
