When we’re in the education system, we’re conditioned to learn. Our minds are like sponges, and we soak up all the information we’re given readily and easily. Some people are better at retaining information than others, but as education and learning are all we know during those early years, it’s also all we do.
When we try to learn a new skill in adulthood, we often find it more difficult to take things on board. The majority of our days are taken up by work and responsibilities, and so we don’t have the same amount of time to digest new ideas and new concepts. We’re also out of the habit of learning. Learning is itself a skill, and if we haven’t practiced that skill for a while, it’s harder to make it happen. This is why the famous phrase ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ exists – people believe that as we age, we just can’t learn new skills anymore.
This isn’t true. It’s entirely possible to teach an old dog new tricks, and it’s also possible to teach an older human new skills! You just have to make a few adjustments to the way you go about it, and make sure you prepare your brain for the task of taking aboard fresh information for the first time. Here’s our advice on how to go about it.
Only Use The Methods That Work For You
Are you the type of person who prefers to read a book, or to watch the movie version of the book? Do you remember conversations you’ve had in person better than things you’ve read in the newspaper? This is important because it defines what kind of learner you are. Think back to your school days. How did information truly embed itself into your brain? Did you absorb more from a textbook, or did it work better when a teacher stood up and explained the concept to you?
You don’t have to stick with just one type of learning in the 21st century. If textbooks work for you, then, by all means, buy textbooks. If they don’t, consider an audiobook, or search YouTube for tutorial videos. Only engage with the mediums that appeal to you, and disregard the ones that don’t. You might even find an app to assist you if you go looking for one!
Practice, Practice, Practice
We know we’re trotting out an old cliche here, but practice makes perfect. Nobody ever got on a bike for the first time and rode it perfectly. Nobody’s ever picked up a guitar without ever playing one before and immediately made beautiful music. Millions of people all over the world have half-learned skills but given up before they gave themselves the chance to improve. You might even be a failed musician yourself!
There are no shortcuts, and sometimes it will feel like you’re getting nowhere. If you give up, you never will. Take a page out of the book of mobiles slots players. While there may be no guaranteed way of making money from mobile slots, the people who win regularly win because they stick at it. There will be times when a mobile slots game seems to be taking your money and giving you nothing, but if you stick with it for long enough on website such as RoseSlots.com, eventually a win will come as if it arrived from nowhere. The same is true of learning. That foreign language may seem nonsensical the first 100 times you try to read it, but suddenly on the 101st try, it translates.
Take Inspiration From The Greats
We all know Benjamin Franklin as one of the greatest figures in American history, and yet he came from nothing. Franklin received almost no formal education, and yet he was able to teach himself to read. Great leaders and visionaries today, like Elon Musk, have cited Franklin as being a great inspiration to them. We all need someone to inspire us, and so you need to find your own.
Think of someone you admire and find out how they got from where they started to where they are now. Your admiration for them is likely to intensify as a result, and their ability to strive for success will inspire you to do the same. All the world’s great masters were unskilled at some point in their lives – they just worked on the skill they’re now known for until they became exceptional. There’s nothing stopping you from doing the same.
Have A Schedule
One of the reasons schools work so well when it comes to teaching is that they have a clear and consistent schedule. You get up at a certain time, get to school at a certain time, and start learning at a certain time. Your body gets used to the routine and eventually comes to expect it. Your mind automatically fine-tunes itself to be at its most alert and receptive at the exact time you need it to be.
This is why grabbing the occasional hour here and there isn’t a great approach. Your mind simply won’t be prepared for it if you take it by surprise. Trying to learn while you’re tired or sleepy doesn’t work at all – even if you can keep your eyes open, the information you take on board won’t be retained. If you’re serious about learning, make yourself a learning schedule, and stick to it. You’ll be surprised just how much faster you make progress.
Join A Study Group
You might be the only person you know trying to learn a new skill right now, but you’re definitely not the only person in the world trying to learn that skill. There may be people in your town or city doing the exact same thing as you, at the exact same time as you. Even if there aren’t any fellow beginners nearby, you can find them through the internet.
Whether it’s in person or over the web, find and get involved in groups of people who are all starting their journey of trying to learn whatever it is you’re also trying to learn. It’s invaluable to have someone to share struggles, ideas, and stories of success with. Before you know it, they’ll have become your support network.
Be active, be positive, and be determined. There’s no such thing as a new skill you can’t learn, so if you want to do it, get out there and do it!
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