In the past month, I’ve come across the two pieces of advice that practically convey the same message, to me at least.
Don’t just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents.
Epictetus
Wisdom does not come from experience. It comes from reflecting on experience.
An excerpt from an episode of ReThinking with Adam Grant
I’ve had an O’Reilly subscription since 2016, and fortunately for me, I enjoy a lifetime discount of 50% off (unless I cancel). Over the years, this subscription has allowed me to dive into countless books and courses on the O’Reilly platform. Sometimes, I’ve delved into these resources cover-to-cover, while other times I’ve focused only on the information that’s most relevant to my work.
What’s important is that I’ve actively applied what I’ve learned in my professional life. This has had a positive impact on my career, helping me grow as a developer, follower, and leader. However, there’s a crucial aspect I’ve neglected: writing down what I’ve learned. The irony is that I genuinely enjoy writing.
In my previous job, I thoroughly enjoyed writing, whether it was documenting my knowledge in architecture decision records, creating documentation, or crafting how-to guides. I cannot count in my hand how many times I’ve thanked my past self for writing the information I needed when I needed it most.
Recently, I was asked by a recruiter about what I did during my break. It struck me that it would have been great to show a trail of blog entries documenting my learning experiences and achievements during that time.
So, this is a reminder to myself to write more. The post doesn’t have to be long, it can be very short. I just need to get the ball rolling.