In the last blog I talked about the important of a commitment to training. When I talk about training I am generally referring to the physical aspects of skills, tactics and fitness. This week we will discuss the importance of making a personal commitment to the quest for knowledge. As a trainer I have had many mentors over the years. One thing they all possessed was a powerful desire to learn as much as they could about as many things as they could that were relevant to their job as a trainer as well as to the job for which they were preparing people. That meant learning about skills, tactics, fitness, anatomy, physiology, sociology, psychology, communication, adult learning theory, sales, history, marketing, leadership, management, design, the law, the criminal mind, crime trends, and any other topic that MAY be relevant in some way. Over the years I have learned the importance seeking knowledge from both inside and outside of the law enforcement community.
W.I.N. 2 Insights into Training and Leading Warriors
- The research suggests that the average person spends an hour a day in their vehicle (or on public transportation) commuting. Take that hour to listen to educational and motivational material. An hour a day six days a week converts to 312 hours of learning a year. Over a 25 year career that is 7800 hours of learning.
- Find an hour a day to read. That hour a day of reading is 364 hours of learning a year. Over that same 25 year career that is another 9100 hours of learning.
- Combine the two and you have created 16,900 hours of learning over a 25 year career. Add the 800 hours you created from training 10 minutes a day and you have 17,700 hours of learning in that 25 year career. If you attend conferences and other training courses regularly you will have experienced over 20,000 hours of learning over 25 years. That will help you to be at the top of your field through your career, set a great example for others, and put you in a great position when you retire and move on to your next career or the next phase of your life.
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