The answer to the question posed by the title of this piece is simple. It’s the execution that so many people struggle with. The short answer is that there’s a direct correlation between people who continue to push and advance themselves personally, and the magnitude of success they see in their professional lives.

Simply put, the more you learn and know, the more value you can create, either in terms of striking out on your own and starting your own business, or for your boss at whatever company employs you.

While the self-satisfaction of “knowing stuff” matters, even if you look at it through a purely economic lens, it just makes sense to devote your life to continuous learning and improvement. The real question, though, is exactly how do you go about doing that?

It’s both easier and more difficult than you might imagine. What it ultimately comes down to is the fact that you’re going to have to teach yourself to be a self-starter, because let’s face it, nobody’s going to make you learn and grow. You’re an adult. That’s your decision to make, and yours alone. Unless you master the fine art of becoming self-motivated, you’re going to struggle to stick with it.

Here’s something fun to consider. The average American spends a staggering 23 hours a week playing around on social media. Imagine if you cut that time in half, and devoted just 10-12 hours a week to learning something new. To expanding first your mind, and then to putting the new things you’re learning to good, practical use?

This is one of the easiest ways of breaking out of the confines of the current shape of your life, and given how many free educational opportunities there are on the internet, anyone, regardless of their current circumstance, can take advantage of this. Even if you don’t have an internet connection at home, almost all county libraries offer free computer use and internet access.

The bottom line is, if you’re reading these words, then you already have everything you need to improve your current situation through devoting yourself to lifelong learning. From here, all it takes is the will to start!