Being in the gym at this time of year has gotten me thinking about the many parallels between fitness and education, as well as the striking differences in how these services are delivered and consumed. I’ve started wondering whether the fitness industry might be showing us the path that education will take in the not-so-distant future.

As both a committed exerciser and a lifelong learner, I can see obvious similarities between these two types of self-improvement/self-maintenance. Yet, for all the similarities between lifelong learning and lifelong personal fitness, the differences between these two pursuits remain stark. The educational experiences of most people more closely resemble the military’s Basic Training than they do the modern fitness industry. What would happen if the education industry were to adopt the attitudes and techniques that have come to characterize the fitness industry?

Let’s face it. Not everyone is capable of succeeding in a self-directed business education. I have worked with many other self-directed learners (some of whom you can meet by joining our Facebook group). I have seen a number of people experience great success with self-directed business education, from gaining confidence at work, to scoring promotions, to launching businesses. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen a lot of people who start out with great intentions fail to see it through.

In my years of studying business and working with self-directed learners, I have noticed some common characteristics, behaviors, and ways of thinking that define those people who do succeed with self-directed learning.