Hello September! Time for back to school in the majority of our households. Now that I am a grandmother, my preparation at this time of year is much different but I still enjoy shopping with my grand-girls and nephews. It’s an exciting time filled with a few pangs of fear and a renewed hope for what lies ahead.
Unfortunately for some of us, along life’s way the idea of showing up for learning loses its luster. Once we no longer had to show up that was just fine with us. But for others, the ones that have achieved the highest levels of success, scholastic learning was just the beginning. It formed the foundation of life-long learning habits that continued well past a formal classroom. That is the group we should all ascribe to be a part of because if we are not continuously learning and growing, nothing else in our lives will be able to grow.
Consider that part of the reason we lose interest is because once we move into our careers and begin creating our body of work, our learning shifts to encompass the knowledge and skills we need for that part of our lives. Any other form of learning takes on a less important profile and is not given priority. The truth is that the “other learning” is what can make us renew our love of learning. That is why when it comes to life strategies, personal skill building is an integral part of what we need to integrate into our lives.
Let’s take a look at just some of the reasons why:
- When we learn a new skill we increase our self-confidence and as a result, enhance our self-image. We remind ourselves that we can learn and there is healthy pride with those accomplishments. Even the smallest things can feel very daunting and create a nice wave of satisfaction once conquered. It could be learning another language, a cooking class, learning to play the guitar, gardening, finally mastering how to use your smart phone or any one of hundreds if not thousands of ideas and options.
- Another reason we should love continuously acquiring new skills is because it also continuously expands our network and circle of people we know. When we live our lives restricted to the same routines and never introduce new activities, we may also find that we don’t introduce new people outside of our business routines. Just remember that your very first BFF’s you most likely met in a classroom.
- Adding new dimensions to yourself also makes you more interesting to other people and will also sensitize you to the interests of others. Your conversations can change and be about what is going on interesting in people’s lives vs. just their work. Imagine starting a conversation at a networking event focused on “what are you learning right now” and then talking about a pottery class. The human connection will happen faster and with greater ease because it’s about our human lives.
- Beyond your own life, another added benefit is the effect on the audience watching you learn, namely your own children or grandchildren, even friends and neighbors. You will be a positive role model for others in their own learning and personal development. You will also begin to realize that learning itself is a gift. My favorite gifts that I have given to my daughter are the classes she has taken to expand her own world. Do you have someone on your list that has everything? Try asking them what they would like to learn and gift them with lessons in that area. You will be astounded at their response.
- Stepping outside of professional development and adding personal skills is a great mini-holiday. When taking a class, we focus there. We are much more fully engaged when in learning mode. That mental break allows us to go back into the rest of the day with a restored sense of balance and self. When I face a blank screen and no words want to magically appear, a class will quite often be just the antidote that restores my creative flow.
- A less considered value that comes from personal skill building is how it prepares us in life for what happens in the future. Our intuitive natures often guide us to what we will need to know even before we need to know it. I’ve seen this happen a number of times for myself and others where a class later pays dividends we never expected to see happen from that experience.
Those are just six reasons. There many more. What would you add to the list?
Here’s a challenge for you in this month where we celebrate going back to learning: Create your own learning log. Create a list of 10 things would you like to either learn to do or develop a deeper mastery. These should not be related to your profession. These are personal skills that take you outside of that realm. Then choose one and enroll in a class, buy a book or find instructional videos and get started. Your first venture can be far more memorable with someone else so if you can, a personal instructor or group is ideal. Commit to that one extension of your skills. Once you do, you will find that you’ll be thinking of things faster than you ever imagined.
To live today like we want tomorrow to be, we must learn today what we want to know tomorrow.
Starting there is a great place to begin. Here’s to the possibilities you will discover on your learning adventure.
Live well!