Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at
twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning
stays young. The greatest thing in life is to
keep your mind young. – Henry Ford
Learning is a part of life. There’s always something we’ve never encountered. Do you remember the first time you had to set the clock in your car? Do you remember what it was like to get your first computer or iPad? We’ve all laughed about the trouble associated with programming a DVD (or VHS) recorder.
So, since learning is such an integral part of life, how can we become more efficient learners? It all begins with an understanding of how adults learn.
Learning is motivated by cognitive dissonance. That’s just our way of identifying gap between what we know and what we need to know. If there isn’t a gap, learning won’t take place. So, the first step to learning something new is to identify the gap.
Learning is facilitated by linking existing knowledge to new knowledge. If you are going to learn another language, the teacher is going to start with your understanding of your native language and then teach words in the new language. If you don’t begin at the baseline, learning won’t happen.
Learning is validated through life experiences. You really haven’t learned anything until you put it to use. You can store away all the information you want. Until you actually put it to use, it doesn’t mean anything.
Learning to live your why requires you to identify the gap between your current life and the life you want to live. Getting there will be a journey that begins where you are and makes steady progress toward the goal. Your life experiences will validate the fact that you are living your why.
Real learning is transformational. If you aren’t being transformed, you aren’t really learning. Think about it!
What is something new you’d like to learn? How can the steps above help you make progress toward this goal?
