Before you developed your current Circle of Competence, you likely had a different one. One’s “Circle of Competence” is the area of the world in which they have enough experiences and knowledge to give them an edge.
Understanding your own Circle of Competence allows for identifying in which areas you hold knowledge, and which require more evaluation before making a decision. Many factors lead you to your Circle of Competence: your family, birthplace, education, personal interests, hurdles, opportunities, environment. Additionally, circumstantial events promote a pivot or strong effort to stay the current course.
As an adult, your Circle of Competence can be further developed by your own intentional choices. Ask yourself these questions. Should I stay or should I go? Is it best to allocate resources (time, energy, money) to getting better at what I’m already doing? Or Is it time to develop a new skill set? While it may be difficult to determine a return on investment, and ultimately is a leap of faith or risk, taking time to review and consider may be the best first step.
In 2015, 16.1 million adults went back to school either part-time or full-time. That number is projected to increase to 18.5 million by 2024 according to the National Center for Education Statistics. While the data does not show the focus of study–be it continuing education or refocusing in new areas of study–it does show that effort towards either goal is important, and possibly necessary.
Given contemporary social circumstances, our metaphorical tree is bearing minimal fruit. Many people, businesses, and industries are needing to make difficult decisions on next steps. An investment in sharing and learning may be one of the best choices you can make moving forward.
