Ah, the exhilaration of a new job or project. I’m a few weeks into my latest work adventure and having a blast. I’ve had the privilege this week of attending meetings with the country’s experts in my new field. Folks who have had years if not decades of learning and experience and like a sponge I’ve attempted to absorb as much of knowledge as possible.

While I can’t expect to be as knowledgeable as my new colleagues any time soon, I do understand the importance of getting up to speed as quickly as possible. I wish there was a quick trick I could share that would help ease any anxiety some of you may feel about learning a new position. However, there is good advice out there if you are willing to put in the time and effort. Most of it is common sense and somewhat timeless. Take this article, 14 Ways to Acquire Knowledge: A Timeless Guide from 1936, that highlights a gem of a book, You Can Do Anything! By James T. Mangan. The book is described as:

              An enthusiastic and exclamation-heavy pep-manual for the art of living.

The book contains a section titled 14 Ways to Acquire Knowledge. It doesn’t offer any new ideas, but a good reminder of what it takes to really learn and become an expert. The advice includes:

1. Practice
2. Ask
3. Desire
4. Get It From Yourself
5. Walk Around It (Look at all angles)
6. Experiment
7. Teach
8. Read
9. Write
10. Listen
11. Observe
12. Put In Order
13. Define
14. Reason

Check out the article for a more detailed description. You may be surprised by how this simple advice could be a great help at any stage in your career. And remember, all of us have had the experience of not knowing what we are doing – and isn’t it great!