This blog has three major focuses: how to learn, how to be more mindful, and longevity. I think most of us know that learning is important, but it’s hard to build a habit of lifelong learning as an adult.
This post answers several questions:
- What is lifelong learning?
- Why is learning important?
- What does learning look like on this blog?
So without further ado, let’s dive in
Table of Contents
- The Problem:
- The Solution:
- What is lifelong learning?
- Why is learning important?
- What does learning look like on this blog?
- Conclusion
The Problem:
- Learning can be a lot of work
- Most of us are pretty busy and fitting one more thing into our schedules can feel like a lot
- There are perceptions that learning has to be an official thing
- Many of us are afraid of failure or judgment
- Learning means getting out of our comfort zones
- A lot of us are tired or unmotivated
The Solution:
Fortunately, there is a single solution to the above challenges: we need to redefine what it means to learn.
I’ve been working in official educational environments– like classrooms– for a few years now, and let me tell you, I spend a lot of my time helping students redefine what it means to learn.
But by reframing how we view learning and how we pursue it, we enjoy the process more and have a much easier time maintaining positive learning habits going into our thirties and beyond.
So let’s reframe.
What is lifelong learning?
The phrase, “lifelong learning” gets thrown around a lot as a buzzword, but what actually is it? Obviously, it’s about continuing to learn throughout our entire lives, but there’s actually a bit more to it than that.
Not only is it about pursuing knowledge and skills throughout your life, it’s about learning that is driven by personal or professional interests. In other words, it’s about learning what YOU want to learn, not what you think you should be learning.
For example, making yourself learn piano when you really want to learn ballroom dance, is not a sustainable way to pursue lifelong learning because it isn’t driven by your personal interests or needs.
Lifelong learning has some key elements to it:
- First, it’s ongoing. This means you aren’t stuck just learning in school or college.
- Second, it’s voluntary. This means that your learning is also self-directed and pursued based on curiosity.
- Third, it’s flexible and unforced. This means learning can happen in many settings such as online, in workshops, reading, in personal projects, and through your interactions with others. It also means that you do your best not to judge yourself for your interests or progress. Lifelong learning isn’t about racing to some final exam, it’s about positive, sustained growth and mental activity.
- Fourth, it’s generally multidisciplinary. This means that learners often explore a range of topics, crossing traditional boundaries and discovering new areas of interest.
Why is learning important?
Learning in general, and lifelong learning in particular, has a lot of benefits. It allows you to stay relevant in your job market. It helps you grow as a person. It keeps your mind healthy with intellectual stimulation and improved problem-solving skills. And it enhances your social connections.
In short, learning is a way to continuously adapt and thrive in a complex world, and it has the added benefit of keeping you young.
You can read more about longevity here.
In fact, lifelong learning is so important that the United Nations considers it central to its development agenda and an important focus of UNESCO’s work. The UN considers learning and education to be a basic human right and prioritizes lifelong learning as a necessary aspect of improving life for all peoples around the world. In other words, it isn’t just about individuals. Lifelong learning is about society as well.
Learning in a healthy, happy way enables adaptability, employability, personal growth and fulfillment, and general health and well-being. Learning helps us to understand ourselves and others, which in turn helps us to be more empathetic and happy. It’s part of a positive feedback loop.
What does learning look like on this blog?
Learning on this blog is closely linked to mindfulness. It is about learning in a way that is fun and judgment free. It turns out, the more stressed you are when you learn, the less you retain. This is why cramming for an exam results in all of the information flying out of your brain during or after the exam. When it comes to learning, stress and judgment are the enemy.
So basically, at ASIS, we encourage you to learn what you want, when you want. And to give yourself credit for the learning you do. Any experience or new endeavor that adds to how you see the world counts as learning. A major aspect of this are the following three steps: preparation, execution, reflection.
When we prepare for a new experience, it signals to our brain that we need to not be on auto-pilot.
When we mindfully execute the new experience, we take in more details and remember more over all. Actually doing the thing is a lot more beneficial than solely thinking about the thing. Think of it kind of like input vs output. We remember a movie a lot better if we ask questions, think about possible outcomes, and actively engage with it, than if we just sit and watch with our brains switched off.
Finally, we reflect. This means we discuss or write or do further output after the activity or experience is over.
These three steps help us keep our minds active no matter the subject matter. And remember, you should learn what YOU want to learn. That means if you love movies, you learn about movies. If you love woodworking, you learn about woodworking.
Life is too short to get wound up about how other people will perceive your learning interests and goals. Any judgment from others is a them problem, though it’s still a big hurtle to overcome. A great way of dealing with this concern is to share your learning hobbies and goals first with people that you KNOW will be supportive and not judgmental.
It’s true that learning is work, but by focusing on things that bring you joy or motivation and by surrounding yourself with supportive people, you can enjoy all of the benefits of lifelong learning with none of the stress of formal education.
Conclusion
Many of us face a lot of barriers to being lifelong learners. It’s easier just to shut down sometimes. Learning means making mistakes and it’s hard for competent adults to lean into that part of the process. But getting outside of our comfort zones in a way that is positive has huge benefits.
When we accept ourselves and our interests and pursue what we find intriguing, we live longer, healthier, happier lives.
What’s your favorite way to learn something new? What do you want to learn next? Let me know in the comments!