Mike Abasov

Out of all the things, I’ve written on this blog and the ones I was too lazy to write, here’s one that will probably get into the TOP3.

Always analyze and evaluate your experiences.

When I came to work at HootSuite for a one-week-long internship, I had not idea if I would stay longer or no, but I wanted to make the most out of it. So I set a goal to write down “5 things I’ve leared today” for every day of that week.

It wasn’t hard, but it made me think and evaluate everything I was doing and look for more valuable information around. After 2 weeks, I had a nice list of 50 things HootSuite had taught me.

As you may know, it’s been 9 months and I still work at the “owly company.” I don’t take daily notes anymore, but I still think about my experiences there from time to time.

Return On Investment

So the interesting thing I’ve come to realize recently is that this simple practice can be applied to anything, especially to school, and it can be extremely beneficial.

It shows you your ROI of learning. It adds value to even the most boring course and justifies spending time on it, and it makes you love the interesting courses 10 times more!

For example, I’m extremely bored with Finance, as my motivation has nothing to do with banknotes, stocks or, thanks god, treasury bills. But if I think about what the course actually taught me, I can easily find important knowledge I can use in my life.

Try This Today

Think about 5-10 things you’ve learned in any course this semester. Sit and write them down. Don’t think about all this in boring terms (“I’ve learned how to calculate present value”). Instead, think about this in a fun and meaningful way: “I’ve learned how to pitch my startup idea to an investor.”

Also, write down everything that you personally consider important, and not just the stuff teachers care about. It doesn’t have to be on the final exam to have value for you.

Now that you know how many cool things 4 months of suffering have taught you, feel free to pat yourself on the back :-).

In the future, continue using this practice and keep relating what you learn to what you do. You’ll end up being way more satisfied with yourself than ever before.