Successful people, motivational speakers, the accomplished, the rich, and the famous. All of them extol the value of learning and how it propels you to achieve your goals and dreams. So here 3 winning ways you can continue learning for a better life.
Why learning is important
Your learning should not stop in formal education. For self-growth, it is important to take it upon yourself to continue feeding your brain with new information. This will ultimately benefit you in both your personal and professional life.
Continuous learning will broaden your knowledge, skills, and abilities. A requirement for performance and achievement of your goals and dreams.
In addition, continuous learning will allow you to reach new heights. It enables you to expand your horizons and your comfort zone to attain your full potential.
Finally, the habit of learning allows you to become flexible with the ever-changing world. Your vast knowledge will prepare you to face and adapt to the inevitable changes that come with life.
3 Winning ways to keep learning
Learning has never been easier or more convenient in this day and age. We can now choose from a plethora of vast knowledge that is just waiting to be tapped thanks to the internet.
So, to paraphrase Jim Rohn, we should take advantage of this technological advantage and “learn all we can with the time we have.”
That being said, here are 3 ways to keep learning and staying relevant in this day and age.
Read
Reading is the most practical and convenient way to continue learning.
The very act of reading is an exercise for your brain. And each book you read promises important information that will be useful. Such as learning a new word, gaining a new perspective, or gaining a better understanding of yourself, your behavior, or the world around you.
Additionally, reading does not only feed your mind. It serves the total package of reducing your stress and promoting overall wellbeing.
Finally, reading improves your concentration, encourages deep thinking, and connects new information to an existing knowledge base.
How to get the most out of reading
To get the most out of your reading, here are some ways you can use for better learning and retention of information.
- Get involved with what you are reading. That is, by pausing when you read something interesting or something that challenges your beliefs or ideas. Take a few moments to contemplate. You can highlight or take notes, as well as jot down any questions you have about what you just read.
- Understand that reading is not a race. It’s not about counting how many books you read in a year. It is more about learning new things. Of gaining knowledge from what you read. So forget about speed reading and instead read at a comfortable pace for you. The rate at which you enjoy the process of reading and learning something from what you read.
- And on that note, you can also try to read aloud for better understanding.
- It’s okay to read books over and over. You cannot retain a whole chunk of information from one-time reading.
- Read books that you enjoy. Especially if you are just starting with the habit of reading. And once you get the hang of it, read also about topics that are from the left-field for you or that you’re not particularly interested in.
Again, to quote Jim Rohn, “be a student, not a follower. “
So, read as much as you can and learn as much as you can. Then sift through all of this information to find the ones you can use and apply to improve yourself.
Learn from personal experience
Another way you can learn is from personal experience. Truly, there is no better teacher than experience, and what better teacher than your own, right?
When you look closely at your life and your experiences, nuggets of information and learning can emerge. This leads to greater understanding and self-improvement, which leads to success.
So it is important that you develop the habit of reflection.
Develop the habit of looking back through your day and noting your actions. Take note of what went wrong, what went well, your actions or reactions, how you felt, and so on.
Then think about how you could have handled the situation better. What could have been a far better strategy?
Reflecting on your day enables you to consider these lessons. You can then adapt and apply what you’ve learned in your personal and professional life.
With this habit, you can use your experience to lay the groundwork for future change and better opportunities.
What you learn from your personal experiences will have a significant positive impact on your life.
Learn from other people’s experience
Other people’s experiences are another valuable source of learning. That is, if they are doing well, you can emulate them; if they are not, avoid what they are doing like the plague.
So, how are you going to accomplish this? Certainly, you can follow tip #1 in this article and read about famous people’s autobiographies. Their life experiences are a treasure trove of learning that you can then apply to your life.
Another way you can learn from other people is to take an interest in them. Give your full attention to what they are talking about. See things from their point of view. Ask questions about their experiences, and the lessons they learned. So that you can also learn through them.
Improve your own conversational abilities so that your interactions with others do not feel like an interrogation. Understand that you must also give back. Share some of your experiences, but keep in mind that the discussion should be about them, not about you.
Lastly, listen closely. Aside from the fact that listening is an important part of communication skills. Because it fosters trust and establishes interest in the other person. Listening is also important so that you can fully understand and learn.
Conclusion
To conclude, learning is a valuable habit that we should implement in our lives in order to improve. Learning keeps us on our toes to stay relevant, it enhances our skills, knowledge, and abilities to better our personal and professional lives.
Learning is a continuous process and it does not stop in school. And the 3 winning ways that we keep learning are as follows:
- Reading,
- reflecting on personal experiences, and
- learning from the experiences of others.
Truly, the only way we could have a meaningful life is to keep learning.
Please share your thoughts or ideas about 5 Winning Ways To Live Below Your Means in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:
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Outside reference/s:
The importance of lifelong reading and learning
How to Get the Most out of Your Reading