Google University

They say that “knowledge is power”, and I would tend to agree. Where you obtain that knowledge is of secondary importance. Many people are hung up on college degrees, and while I am not going to argue the benefits of such I would not suggest that a degree is any type of guarantee of success. In fact, it is not even a guarantee of a practical education.

The best education for today’s world is, in my opinion, needs based. I need to know something to make me more effective in any area of life, and so I pursue that education in a self-directed manner. Such learning is always more powerful and relevant because it tends to be immediately applied.

I have a degree in management from Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California. I worked hard for that degree, and I paid for it out of my own pocket. I am glad I did so. But I also recognize that most of what I know in business today came through my own learning and my own experience, not what I learned in my business classes. Moreover, in the past twenty years I can think of maybe three times where anyone even asked me if I had a college degree. It’s not the degree itself that makes a difference, but rather the application of the knowledge you have inside.

To my mind, the Internet is the great equalizer when it comes to obtaining knowledge. Unfortunately, it is also a trap for wasting time. Discipline in using the Internet could bring about incredible learning opportunities, and at zero financial cost.

Learning is one of the most profound positive energy activities there is. It keeps you fresh and focused. It expands the mind. It offers perspective. It makes you better at what you want to do.

What can you learn strategically today? Figure out – and you might just change someone’s world!