Many of the most successful people, like Bill Gates and Elon Musk, have an interesting habit. They spend time every day learning something new.
Are you trying to keep your brain sharp? Or do you want to get ahead in your career? Lifelong learning – setting time aside to learn something new every day – can help, especially if you choose to learn specific skills that contrast with what you already know or do for a living.
Learning opposing skills and integrating them with what you already know has a fancy name –”Integrative Complexity”. Think of it as becoming a more complex person by integrating new knowledge. Many of us avoid learning skills in areas that are outside our comfort zone. But these are the skills that can challenge you to expand your mind and capabilities, both in your personal life and at work, more than just learning more about something you already know. Continually learning new ideas and skills throughout your life keeps your brain sharp too! Your brain actually forms new connections between its neurons (nerve cells) as you learn.
Some examples…
As a pharmacist I had to study a large amount of scientific information. For over twenty years, I have done formal reviews of pharmacy education programs. This was much more professional education than was required, but I enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity for exposure to the newest ideas and information. After I sold my business, I had a chance to improve my second language, French, by working in an area where French was spoken. I’d always wanted to speak the language better! Although it was very different from learning about my scientific profession, I enjoyed my new skill so much I decided to work on a third language, Spanish. I found a free app called Duolingo, that sends me reminders every day. Now I just need to find someone in my area of Canada to help me practice speaking Spanish!
At the same time, I decided to write down “everything I’d learned about hormones” into a book. I wanted to record the information I’d learned about how hormones work, what happens when they get out of balance, and what can be done to rebalance them again in a format where others might find useful. I quickly realized that writing a book is a lot different than writing articles, as I’d been doing for pharmacy journals for over ten years. So, I decided to study writing techniques and skills…all about words, grammar, and how to get ideas across effectively in written form. This blog is one way I’ve been practicing my new skills. I’ve learned a great deal about the craft of writing in the past two years, and will continue to learn for years to come, I expect!
What if you don’t have the time?
Integrative Complexity, learning and integrating skills of diverse types and reading/learning daily, is a common trait of highly successful people like Barak Obama. We might think these busy people would have difficulty finding the time to read an hour a day. However, they regard learning as an activity important enough to justify the necessary time.
How can you create time for learning? One way is by reducing time spent on TV and social media. Another is to “multi-task” by listening to learn as you do another activity like driving or household chores. Most books are available in audio form now, and audio lectures, courses and educational podcasts abound on the internet, many at no or low cost.
Where to start?
A simple internet search can find information sources that interest you. Udemy is a website I came across with courses on many topics, and I found some excellent writing courses there. Digital Photography School’s website is where I indulge my passion for photography, reading tips and short articles each week. This educational blog format is particularly useful for those who just want a new ideas on their chosen topic on a regular basis. I also signed up for a wonderful free online photography course, A Year With My Camera, in January that’s taught me many new skills. They send a weekly email with information, techniques and exercises to practice what was discussed.
Choose a learning goal…
But, learning is most effective when we have a goal that we work toward, rather than just learning random facts and ideas. Putting what you’ve learned to use right away (as I’ve been doing with my writing skills in this blog) helps you to remember and integrate information, too. Experimenting with activities that use your new knowledge can also help you to learn quickly what else you need to learn to improve your new skills further.
So, take a minute to think about what you’d like to learn, or what you’ve always avoided doing because you feel uncomfortable about trying it. Research sources of information (YouTube.com is great for this) and wade in! Your brain and your career will more interesting and no doubt you’ll gain a sense of satisfaction and pride from your new skills…
Happy learning… and let me know if I can help (especially if one of your goals is to learn to be healthier!).
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