Read a Book a Week

Read a Book a Week – Off The Shelf

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One of my less than normal habits consists not only of the number of books I read, but also the manner in which I read them.  At any given time, I could be reading between 8-10 books, each at a different stage of completion.  I rarely read just one book at a time.  So to sooth my latest obsession I’ve started reading Manias, Panics, and Crashes by Charles Kindelberger.  I expect the same type of lessons learned from reading Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay.  Remember that the good times never last as long as you would wish and when times are bad things do eventually get better.

Different perhaps, but better.

I changed the theme of my blog and hope you like it.  The new appearance is clean and easier to read than the last theme.  Of course, I reserve the right to revert.

Lifelong Learning

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I was thinking the other day about reading a book a week and the value of lifelong learning.  Never make the mistake that learning stops when school stops.  Be a lifelong learner.  Understand that stuff changes all the time and there is always more to learn on your path to success.    Try the following strategy:

Teach yourself what they don’t teach you in school.  Sounds simple doesn’t it?  Well, it’s not really that simple.  Lifelong learning is not simple because school may not teach you a lot of useful information for your chosen line of work.  If you’re a recent entry to the world of work, you probably figured that out already.  The problem is not just what doesn’t get taught.  It’s deciding what to teach yourself to become the best you can be on your chosen path.

There are a lot of people who go through their lives trying to figure out why they’re here and what they’re here to do.  I personally know some boomers who are still trying to figure what they want to be when they grow up.  Imagine yourself at 60 trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up!  Don’t let this happen to you.  Take one simple action.  Make a decision.

The decision you make may not be the “right” decision but at least you have made a decision.  Indecisiveness will doom even the most well intentioned.  Make up your mind.  What you settle upon may not be the grand purpose for your existence but at least it’s a start.  And if whatever you choose turns out to be not what you expected or wanted, then try something else.  As people age we limit ourselves to what is possible.  Try something you’ve never done before.  Maybe, just maybe, you’ll surprise yourself and begin the journey that is yours alone.

It helps to have an uncommon curiosity about everything to be a good underwriter. Arguably this is true across many different professions.  You have to want to learn before you truly learn.  I spent some time this past week adding more links to my sidebar.  I wanted a kind of underwriting friendly mini-portal.  Click through and continue your lifelong learning.  If you have any suggestions for a good website, email me or comment and I’ll add a link.