Do you know what separates a great accountant from a good one?
It’s not IQ.
It’s not degrees.
It’s the attitude to keep learning every single day.
The world is changing faster than ever; accounting standards, Excel tools, automation, and communication, everything keeps evolving.
But the sad truth is, many accountants stop learning the moment they get a job.
In this article, I’ll share why lifelong learning is your real career advantage,
and how you can build your own Learning Triangle to keep growing with confidence.
Let’s begin.
👋 Welcome to The Accountant Show
Hello everyone, this is your friend Divyesh Dave, welcoming you to another episode of The Accountant Show, the podcast and learning hub for accountants and finance professionals who want to grow with clarity, confidence, and modern skills.
If you haven’t yet joined our community, visit YESDD.co/VIP,
you’ll find the link on my LinkedIn profile, too.
🧾 My Journey from Occasional Learning to Lifelong Learning
After completing my graduation, I thought I’d learn everything from my job.
I believed experience alone would make me grow.
But after a few years, I noticed something was missing.
Even though I was working hard, my growth wasn’t matching my effort.
I would learn for a few weeks, then stop for months.
Then again, start for a few days, and pause again.
That inconsistency kept me stuck.
Then one day, I realized something simple but powerful,
every time I stopped learning, my motivation dropped.
And every time I picked up something new, like Excel dashboards, IFRS updates, or communication training,
my energy came back.
That’s when it hit me:
“Learning is not a phase. It’s a lifestyle.”
As Carol Dweck says in her book Mindset,
“Becoming is better than being.”
Learning isn’t about perfection.
It’s about improving, just a little, every day.
💡 Why Lifelong Learning Matters for Accountants
The accounting and finance world doesn’t stand still, especially now in the era of AI and automation.
Every year brings new tools, new reporting requirements, and new expectations from management.
If you stop learning, you stop progressing.
Lifelong learning gives you three major advantages:
1️⃣ Relevance
You stay updated with industry trends and remain valuable in your organization.
2️⃣ Confidence
When your knowledge grows, you handle challenges, new systems, and leadership demands with ease.
3️⃣ Freedom
You never stay dependent on one company, one boss, or one skill. You can adapt anywhere.
As James Clear explains in Atomic Habits:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.”
A consistent learning system, even just 20 minutes a day, builds your long-term confidence and momentum.
🔺 The Learning Triangle
Let me share a simple system I personally use,
I call it My Learning Triangle.
It’s a lifelong learning structure built on three pillars:
1. Accounting
This includes your foundation, accounting, finance, IFRS, US GAAP, costing, and compliance.
These are your professional identity. Keep sharpening them.
2. Communication
Your ability to present ideas, write clearly, speak confidently, and handle meetings.
Even if you’re great at accounting, if you can’t communicate it, you’ll always stay behind.
(Recording this podcast is also part of my communication learning!)
3. Excel & Technology
This covers Excel formulas, automation, dashboards, Power BI, and MS Office tools,
even AI tools like ChatGPT for finance.
Technology is our power tool, it helps us save time and present data clearly.
When you combine Accounting + Communication + Excel, you become unstoppable.
You can also create your own version of this triangle.
Choose 3–5 key areas that match your profile, and rotate between them to keep learning fresh and interesting.
🧠 How to Make Lifelong Learning a Habit
So how can you make learning a regular part of your life?
Here’s what works for me:
🔹 1. Weekly Study Hour
I block one hour every weekend for focused learning, no phone, no emails.
One hour for each topic in my triangle. Three hours a week of quality learning.
🔹 2. Micro Learning
I watch one short video on Excel, IFRS, or communication during my travel or short breaks.
I take quick notes in Notion or my phone.
This makes learning effortless and consistent.
🔹 3. Practical Learning
I apply at least one new idea in my job every week.
It could be a new template, a shortcut, or a reporting technique.
Small actions create visible progress.
🔹 4. Community Learning
I stay active on LinkedIn and inside The Accountant Hub, sharing what I learn and learning from peers.
Every comment or discussion brings new ideas.
When you share, you learn twice.
And remember:
You don’t need to learn everything at once.
As my mentor Siddharth Rajsekar says, “Less is more.”
It’s better to learn one thing deeply and apply it,
than to learn ten things quickly and forget them.
Learning is not about speed — it’s about consistency.
🌱 The Magic of 1% Daily Growth
In my community, I always remind everyone,
“Keep learning, keep growing 1% every day.”
Because if you improve by just 1% every day,
you’ll be over 37 times better in one year.
That’s the power of compound learning, slow, steady, and unstoppable.
Even this podcast you’re reading right now
is part of my own learning system.
I learn, I apply, and I share.
🧭 The Lifelong Learning Formula
To summarize:
✅ Lifelong learning keeps you relevant, confident, and free.
✅ Build your own Learning Triangle, with Accounting, Communication, and Excel.
✅ Learn small but consistently, weekly focus + daily micro learning.
✅ Apply what you learn.
✅ Remember: Less is more. Consistency is everything.
Don’t aim to be the smartest accountant in the room; aim to be the one who never stops learning.
💬 Your Turn
If this article inspired you, share it with one friend who loves learning.
And tell me in the comments below:
👉 “I AM A LIFELONG LEARNER 💪”
You can also join our VIP LinkedIn community of 1,000+ accountants and finance professionals for weekly learning, career guidance, and resources:
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where I share weekly insights to help you grow with confidence and clarity.
Until next time,
Keep learning, keep growing, and be 1% better every day.
Your friend
Divyesh Dave,
The Accountant Hub
