If you’re not learning, you’re dying. Supposedly, Albert Einstein said that. And it sounds true. If it is true, how can you never stop learning?
I recently read an article, and one of the lines simply stated that learning doesn’t stop. And it really hit me hard.
Not only are we always learning, but I also want to learn more. The more I learn, the better my life is. But many days I don’t actively try learning anything. I just take what life throws at me.
So, I put together a few ways to help me learn continuously. I hope they help you too.
Read Something Every Day
Do you know there are different ways to learn? You learn by seeing things, hearing things, touching things, doing things, and reading things. You can even learn by smelling things.
One of the best ways to learn is hands on experience. If you want to learn how to build a model, working with someone who knows how side-by-side is a good experience.
But the best way for me to learn something new is by reading. That’s why my goal is to read something every day.
How do you learn best?
If you learn best by watching something, watch a how to video on YouTube every day. If you like to listen, get a subscription to an audiobook service.
It doesn’t matter how you learn best. And it’s a good idea to learn multiple ways. The important thing is to consciously learn something new every day.
Don’t make the mistake of only learning what life forces you to learn. Be proactive and develop a learning plan.
Make a Need to Learn List
What’s the best way to be proactive with learning? It starts with a need to learn list.
Set aside some time today to develop a list of what you want to learn. Keep your learning list with you so you can add new things when you think of them.
Here’s an example of part of my need to learn list.
- How to make a logo for a business card
- How to cook fried eggs without breaking the yolk
- Which phone company has the best pay as you go smartphone plan
- How to run ads on Google
As you create your list, you’re going to see that you need to learn different things in different ways. I can learn how to run ads on Google by reading information online. But the best way to learn how to make a logo for a business card is probably watching a video of someone doing it.
Hang Out with Smarter People
Here’s a secret that forces you to learn new things. If you want to learn new things, spend as much time as you can with people smarter than you.
I know it can be intimidating or even irritating at times, to hang out with smarter people. But hanging out with smart people introduces you to new ideas and new ways to do things.
If you’re learning something challenging, if you can work with an expert it shortens your learning curve.
Why would someone smarter than you want to spend time with you? Take a minute and think this through. I bet you already spend time with some people smarter than you as well as some people who aren’t as smart as you.
Why do you spend time with people who aren’t as smart as you?
Stop worrying about being accepted. You have something to offer in almost every situation.
Here’s an example:
I met a guy who’s a genius. I’m a pretty smart guy, but this guy put me to shame in many areas. But he wanted to know how to throw a football. He read how to do it and watched videos, but he couldn’t make it work.
I spent around a half hour throwing a football with him. We started with the proper grip and stood 10 feet apart. I’m not great at throwing a football, but with someone who never threw one in their life, I’m an expert. By the time we finished, he could throw a decent spiral most of the time.
Conclusion
Not only do you never stop learning, but you should consciously work on learning every day. Knowledge helps you in many areas of life.
Make it your goal to learn new things every day. Create a list of things you want to learn. Determine how you learn best and do more of that. Find people who know stuff and hang out with them.
