It was interesting today that I overheard a young sales exec who’s just starting to learn the ropes talking with her boss. Having shown a keenness to gain more proficiency in sales, I listened as she asked whether she could do a sales course.

Intuitively, the product of a successful linear education sees the step before ‘doing’ as ‘being taught’.

She asked for my advice on courses. I said, ‘if you want to learn something, Google it. Then do it.’

That’s it.

The thing is, more new information will be generated worldwide this year than in the previous 5,000 years. Right now the amount of new technical information is doubling every two years. This means half of what students learn in their first year will be outdated by their third.

Now more than ever it’s important not to use linear education as a magic (and perpetually disappointing, of course) crutch to prop you up when you’re faced with doing. Infinite sources of learning are instantly available to anyone with an internet connection. Free tools of discovery are everyday.

The journey of discovery off your own bat is as valuable and unexpectedly revealing as the output you desired when you started searching.

Never underestimate the effectiveness of a Google education. The ability to learn what you should listen to versus the abundance of crap you should cast aside is the new recital.