"The real voyage of discovery
consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes." - Marcel
Proust
"I don't think much of a man
who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." - Abraham Lincoln
"I have never let my schooling
interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
Assuming the public school system
hasn't crushed your soul, learning is a great activity.
It expands your viewpoint. It gives
you new knowledge you can use to improve your life. Even if you discount the
worldly benefits, the act of learning can be a source of enjoyment.
But in a busy world, it can often be
hard to fit in time to learn anything that isn't essential. The only things
learned are those that need to be. Everything beyond that is considered
frivolous. Even those who do appreciate the practice of lifelong learning can
find it difficult to make the effort.
Here are some tips for installing
the habit of lifelong learning:
(1) Always have a Book
It doesn't matter if it takes you a
year or a week to read a book. Always strive to have a book that you are
reading through, and take it with you so you can read it when you have time.
Just by shaving off a few minutes in-between activities in my day I can read
about a book per week. That's at least fifty each year.
(2) Keep a "To-Learn" List
We all have to-do lists. These are
the tasks we need to accomplish. Try to also have a "to-learn" list.
On it you can write ideas for new areas of study. Maybe you would like to take
up a new language, learn a skill or read the collective works of Shakespeare.
Whatever motivates you, write it down.
(3) Get More Intellectual Friends
Start spending more time with people
who think. Not just people who are smart, but people who actually invest much
of their time in learning new skills. Their habits will rub off on you. Even
better, they will probably share some of their knowledge with you.
(4) Guided Thinking
Albert Einstein once said, "Any
man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits
of thinking." Simply studying the wisdom of others isn't enough; you have
to think through ideas yourself. Spend time journaling, meditating or
contemplating over ideas you have learned.
(5) Put it Into Practice
Skill based learning is useless if it
isn't applied. Reading a book on C++ isn't the same thing as writing a program.
Studying painting isn't the same as picking up a brush. If your knowledge can
be applied, put it into practice.
Scott Young is a university student who writes
about productivity, habits and self-improvement. http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/
