Pursuing greater knowledge for personal or professional reasons is important for personal growth. Regardless of your profession, continuous learning throughout your life will only open more doors. Life-long learning improves your self-esteem, social inclusion, employment opportunities, and will help you reach your full potential. Learning is not confined to schooling, but should be ongoing throughout our life. How can you become a life-long learning? Here are a few tips that can help:
Never stop reading
Read the newspaper, books, articles, etc. on whatever topics interest you. Stay current within your profession by reading about recent trends and research in your industry. Know what’s going on in the world by reading the newspaper or other articles, so you can converse with others and know what is going on around you.
Always ask questions
If you are unsure why something works the way it works, ask why. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be curious. There are so many great resources to information at our fingertips, which can make it easy to find answers. Learning requires active participation like asking questions.
Schedule time to learn daily
We are all busy, schedule at least 10 minutes per day for self-study. When the time is scheduled, you are more likely to take the time to do it. Invest this time for yourself to learn more about something you are passionate about. Establish specific learning goals and treat yourself when you achieve a goal.
Teach what you are learning
One of the best ways to really engrain what you are learning is to teach others about a subject you are learning. While preparing to teach, you will dive more deeply into this topic. Even if you aren’t in the teaching profession, teach a close friend or relative to really skyrocket your learning.
Try new things
Get out of your comfort zone and try new things often. Broaden your horizons through new experiences. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or travel to exotic places to try new things. Attend an art class in town, go to a new restaurant, go to a play, etc. What is something new that you would like to try doing this month? Write it down and make it a priority to do it this month.
Make life-long learning a priority in your life. Don’t keep telling yourself “one day, I will do…”. Do it today! What tips do you have in becoming a life-long learner? Comment below to share with us.