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As you set out to learn finance, you may feel alone in your endeavor, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Interacting with people who have similar goals and backgrounds can stimulate interesting conversations, open your eyes to new perspectives, and offer support in the form of community. For example, Paul Accornero, an international commercial director, took the online course Leading with Finance and found a community of fellow learners. “I enjoyed the fact that the course platform lets you interact with fellow students to share and learn from each other,” Accornero says. Whether you take a course with a community feature built in, or you need to track down contacts online, finding a network of other financial professionals can be invaluable.

To root your understanding of financial principles in reality, strive to connect the material back to real-world examples whenever possible. Whether these are instances from your own life or case studies of other businesses, real-world examples can make nebulous concepts more tangible and meaningful to your goals.

Once you’ve chosen a method that works for you, set aside a specific time each day or week to learn about finance. Scheduling this time can help make learning new skills part of your routine. Every time you sit down to complete your coursework, finish your reading, or engage in financial conversations, you can feel proud knowing that you’re consciously dedicating time to your growth.

There are multiple ways you can learn about finance, including online courses, in-person classes, reading financial publications, self-teaching from finance books, and joining a network of financial professionals. Choosing the method that’s right for you involves weighing multiple factors, such as your: Learning style: Everyone learns differently. You may be a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. Studies show that when multiple senses are engaged in the learning process, you’re more likely to remember the information. Finding a course that allows you to hear the information, see it presented visually, and engage in interactive exercises can allow you to incorporate all three learning styles. Budget: Everyone’s budgets for personal and professional growth look different. Your budget might restrict you to free resources, or maybe it allows for a paid course. If you’re considering one of these options, check to see if your company provides tuition assistance. Remember that learning a...

Consider the tangible ways financial literacy can help you. Ask yourself, “What will learning about finance help me gain in my personal life and career?” Perhaps it can enable you to be a stronger job candidate, get promoted at work, or contribute to financial discussions that impact your team. It can also equip you to understand the relationship between current events and your personal finances. Whatever your reason for building your financial literacy, write it down and reference it throughout your learning process. Use it as a motivator when you need encouragement.