Life Learner
Life Learner: When we think that we know everything, we begin to close ourselves off to learning something new. However, when we believe that we don’t know everything, we open ourselves up to more learning. Current knowledge is based on conscious & unconscious learning. By taking an active role in learning all aspects of any one topic, we expand our knowledge. Practice listening to your mind-chatter to learn if you instinctively shut down different points of view or if you seek to understand different points of view. By shifting our thinking to the latter, our openness to learn will grow which in turn will strengthen the mindset of being a life learner.
Know What You Know: “I’m always right until I learn something new.” Our current knowledge is based on all our combined life experiences. The only way to learn more is to be open to new life experiences. This includes: 1) Listening to different points of view, 2) Seeking gaps in our learning skills (e.g., prejudices, ‘opinion vs facts’), and 3) Being sensitive to what stops us in seeking new knowledge (e.g., fear, disappointment, failure). If you are planning to be smarter next year or even tomorrow, then, knowing your knowledge deficits is the first step to learning more.
Learner Checklist: Adopting a growth-mindset is the core of being a life learner. This mindset includes: 1) Curiosity: explore old & new topics, ideas & concepts, 2) Self-motivation: set goals, seek resources, actively learn & develop skills, 3) Adaptability: embrace change, adapt to new situations/technologies, be flexible & resilient, 4) Critical Thinking: use data & different points of view to make decisions, 5) Reflection: routine reflection of experiences, learnings & areas of improvement, 6) Persistence: goal focused & not failure focused, 7) Seek Feedback: learn from others, 8) Embrace Diversity: seek out multiple perspectives, 9) Continuous Self-Improvement: seek & practice cycles of improvement, 10) Purpose: align defined learnings to your goals.
Everyday Learner: What are you learning, today? Don’t leave your learning up to chance. Before you go to bed, decide what you will learn, tomorrow. Like school, you need to have a curriculum. Let your life’s purpose, your interests or your perceived problems be the subjects of your own personal life-curriculum. Whether it’s health, happiness, skills, talents, relationships, finances, spirituality, work or something else, let your priorities drive your daily learning topics.
Learn With Others: Share your learnings & let others share their learnings with you. 1) Social interaction, collaboration, exchange of ideas, group discussions, peer feedback & group projects foster deeper understanding & retention, 2) Diverse Perspectives: different points of view, experiences & shared insights help to broaden understanding & challenges assumptions which stimulates critical thinking, 3) Accountability: hold each other accountable for completing short & long-term goals, 4) Social Support: encouragement, support & commitment, 5) Team Skill Development: interpersonal, communication, teamwork, leadership & conflict resolution. Surround yourself with people who have a growth mindset & you will grow, too.
The Learning ‘Challenge’: Believing that you don’t know something will help you to learn more. Study what has worked for others & study their challenges & failures, too. Once you give up learning about your challenges, your challenges win. If your challenges win you have two options. 1) Congratulate your ‘challenge’ for defeating you & never bring up the topic, again, or 2) Ask your ‘challenge’ for a rematch. If you choose a rematch, make sure that you study, read & learn about the topic more intensely than before. Make sure that you use a different approach than before. And just know, if you don’t select one of these two options, you will only be wishing for your ‘challenge’ to go away.