Why It’s Important To Keep Learning New Skills, Even if You Become Super Wealthy
Written by
Gina Hagler
Edited by
Cory Dudak
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It’s generally understood that the process is to gain experience and then build a career. While the end goal isn’t necessarily to be extremely wealthy, the more income you can make will typically play in your favor.
That being said, once you’ve reached a point of financial comfort — even becoming rich — there is still value in continuing to learn skills.
Growth and the Professional World
We can always grow more. Just because you’ve mastered the skills you need at your current level doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from building yourself in other areas. For one, life can be unpredictable. A sudden setback like a serious injury or employee layoff could disrupt the career that you’ve become accustomed to. Perhaps you find that you need to work toward a higher level of management to make enough money for your bills. Worse, maybe you end up being forced to seek a job in a different industry.
In this case, you’re likely to choose a field similar to the one you were in — which supports the idea of fostering skills in adjacent areas before this occurs. After all, something like the tech world is constantly adapting, and people are inherently on their toes. Job market competition can be intimidating, and such is compounded by you being disrupted by an event you weren’t expecting. You’ll allow yourself to feel more confident by keeping your skills relevant.
A Change of Heart
It could also be that you have a change of heart and decide you want to pursue an ambition based on what you enjoy rather than what makes you the most money. In that way, you’ll also be looking to build new skills. And you’ll grant yourself a smoother process if you’ve already started learning those new skills.
Switching fields might require a new degree or certification — these endeavors take time and you can appreciate how you’re better prepared than you might have been had you remained complacent.
Your Personal Life
Continuing to learn new skills is also beneficial to other people, like your children. As they grow up, they can find themselves branching off into different fields. As a parent, you naturally want to guide them, which will be an easier undertaking if you’ve previously familiarized yourself with important skills.
Whether it’s communication and interpersonal skills or personal finance and decision-making, there’s always something valuable that you or someone close to you can benefit from. In this sense, continuing to learn skills is a practical and forward-thinking strategy that helps you in both your professional life and your personal one. Bettering yourself can, in turn, better them.
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