Never Stop Learning

We have all heard that continual learning is important to your mental and even physical well-being.  We all know the excuses for not learning (and trust me, I use them myself): finding time is tough, life is busy, it’s boring, I don’t know how to start.  The list goes on and on.

These excuses really should not relate to learning (use them for those chores you really hate, like cleaning that junk drawer or filing your taxes).

Remember:

• You don’t need to commit a huge block of time to learning; customize your learning to fit your schedule.
• Learning can be a full class, a fun fact or just a necessary skill.
• Learning doesn’t have to be productive or useful. It can be fun and silly. 
• Stretch your mind as often as you can.

Over the years, I have implemented some things to help me learn new things every day.  And, all of these are free. Learning does not need to be a financial investment, just a time investment. 

• Find free webinars, lunch-n-learns or instructional videos. 
• Most trainers or professionals offer free learning. Sign up for those. Try and find a few each month. Keep them on your calendar no matter what meeting or social commitments come up (meetings and events get canceled or end early and you can jump on to the learning opportunity).  
• For instance, I sign up for about four webinars or lunch-n-learns a month. I can usually attend half of these. I always find at least one golden gem to take away from the webinar so I consider that a true “win” for my learning goal. Sometimes the webinar is also a great refresher of skills I have let slip.
• There are great online classes that cover a few weeks. Many of these are free now, due to Covid19. I am taking a friend-recommended, self-paced, ten week coursera class on “The Science of Well-Being”.  It takes about one hour a week.  I don’t do all the related learning or tasks, but I do listen to the lecture and usually take the quiz. I have gotten a lot out of the first three weeks.
• Embrace TedTalks. 
• If a week has no webinars that interest me, I try to find a TedTalk. Most of these are shorter options, but always include a gem or refresher.
• And… I totally love instructables.  What a great way to learn making a mushroom house out of cardboard or creating a unicycle clock.
• Sign up for a newsletter or blog that is different from what you normally read.  
• Currently, I receive The Hustle. It has varied articles on business, technology and sometimes just fun things. I try and read this a few times a week. These are quick learning opportunities, normally just a few minutes. If I read an article that really interests me, I might do a wiki search or see what more information I can find out about the topic. 
• In the past, I have read different sections of Google News (science, space, health, etc).
• I also follow the unusual facebook or LinkedIn posting if I realize I don’t know anything about the post’s topic. Some of these contain fun facts I never knew.
• Watch interesting TV shows that are related to learning. 
• National Geographic, History  and similar channels have great shows. On Netflix, I have enjoyed 100 Humans and BrainGames. I also enjoy a good gardening, diy or home remodeling show.
• Listen to someone tell a story about something they have learned.  I am always amazed at how much I have learned listening to my family and friends.  
• Along this same vein, share the things you learned with people you know would find it interesting.
• Final bit of advice… document your learning experiences.
• I keep a quick list of the major things I learn.  If I complete a longer class or a very informative webinar, I add it to my list of self-learning.  Reviewing this list occasionally not only makes me feel better about my learning accomplishments, but reminds me of other things I wanted to learn, which re-excites me about new learning.

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