How Do You Keep Up?

And now, a confession: My name is Christine, and I'm an information addict. I subscribe to about six magazines, and I sometimes read two books at a time. And when the latest issue of one of my magazines lands in my mailbox, I unplug the phone, shush my husband and devour it cover to cover.

On Tuesday night, two of my favorites came in at once: Real Simple and Newsweek. I plunked myself down on my couch and ripped through the first one to get empowering helpful hints and the second to catch up on the (sad) state of the world.

In reading in Real Simple about how to pick the best sheets, cook with leftover condiments and deal with doctor issues, I ran across a throwaway factoid that has stayed with me: By the time he finishes his career, a full 50 percent of what a physician learns in med school has been proven wrong.

So how do doctors keep up with the latest and greatest medical developments? By reading, attending conferences and networking -- like the rest of us.

As for me, as a writer and editor, my voracious appetite for words also is a way of keeping up with my craft. I'm not just pulling ideas and knowledge out of books and magazines -- I'm poring over the writing style, checking out the quality of the copy editing and examining how the writer crafted his work. Good readers make good writers, after all.

I'm sure you do a lot of reading, too -- you're reading this blog, after all, and you're hopefully reading Monster Career Advice on a regular basis. What else do you do to stay on top of your game in your industry and job?

For more on staying smart and sharp, check out these resources:

• "Competitive Intelligence for Your Career"
• "Keeping Up with the Blogosphere"
• "We Are All Self-Employed"

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