The Right Things
David Freund

This week, I was listening to a podcast and heard the statement: “Continue learning more things about the right things.”

Those words struck me on that particular day. Perhaps it was because I’ve felt a little stuck in my learning lately. I’ve had so many things going on in my life that, sadly, intentional learning has taken a backseat. I noticed it during my daily reflections, which led me to ask myself how I could get things back on track.

What I love about this quote is that it allows us to fine-tune our learning. It’s not necessarily about adding more to our plate, but about being more intentional about what’s already on our plate. So, what are the right things? As I thought about that question, I went back to the six core values I identified at the beginning of 2026: Faith, Marriage, Family, Growth, Health, and Community — in that order.

Since we all have a finite number of hours each day, it makes sense we would focus our learning on things that align with our core values. Though as I looked at my list, I noticed something interesting: Growth comes in at number four. Yet growth is actually woven through all six areas. I need to be learning and growing in my faith, my marriage, my family relationships, my personal development, my health, and my community.

That’s the beauty of learning and growth: it’s layered. What I learn today builds upon what I learned yesterday, and what I learn tomorrow will stack on top of what I learn today. That means my capacity to grow and learn is greater today than at any other time in my life. The challenge is still making the time.

I’ve committed to one hour each day for intentional learning. That hour might include reading, listening to podcasts or audiobooks, watching educational content, or simply having meaningful conversations with people who can teach me something. As I pondered my dilemma, I realized something I hadn’t considered before: I can leverage my learning time by focusing on subjects that add value to several of my core values at the same time.

For example, learning more about relationships, communication, and attitude can strengthen each of my six core values. Better communication can strengthen my marriage and family. A better attitude can influence my health, growth, and community involvement. Stronger relationships can deepen my faith and improve the way I interact with virtually everyone around me. Suddenly, one hour of learning can have an impact far beyond that single hour.

Of course, learning alone isn’t enough.

The key is applying what I learn each day in the appropriate areas of my life. Knowledge that never moves into action has limited value. Growth happens when what we learn begins changing how we think, how we behave, and how we interact with others.

Discovering the “right things” isn’t necessarily a quick process. It requires us to slow down, reflect, and ask ourselves some important questions. What matters most to me? Where do I need to grow? What am I learning simply because it’s interesting, and what am I learning because it can actually help me become the person I want to become?

As we enter the final months of 2026, maybe the question isn’t, “How can I learn more?”

Maybe the better question is: “What are the right things I need to learn more about?”

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