As children we learn rapidly. It's astounding to see toddlers taking it all in, learning words and new skills almost every moment. This learning continues on a deeper level as children grow into teens and then young adults. As adults we continue to learn, although usually not as rapidly. We don't really have a choice. If you are working in a place that adopts new software, you have to use it to get your job done. If you are alive in this brave new world it means you now have to have a whole new skill set just to use a phone or TV. Learning is something humans are hard wired to do, but not all humans enjoy the process. Learning is usually hard. It involves humility and frustration as you grapple with the new things or concepts in your world that simply weren't there before. Usually learning occurs out of need. My father-in-law who is 85 just learned to use Facebook because he was missing out on photos and videos of his new great-granddaughter. Most of us have experienced a workplace requirement to learn something that has kicked our butt. For 2014 I challenge you to learn something just for the sheer joy of learning. Experience the humility, the failure, the exhilaration, frustration and ultimately triumph of mastering a new skill or new level of understanding.
I have been fortunate in my adult life to have learned many new and exciting things. At age 30 I became a certified lifeguard and then a SCUBA diver. A few years later I took a couple of immersion courses in Spanish and now have some skills in that language. I my 40s I learned to write a book and had two published. Eager to harness more media, I learned how to produce and edit videos. Along the way I have enjoyed learning to make homemade pasta, candy and how to grow herbs on a windowsill. Perhaps my most exciting learning happened the year I turned 50 when I enrolled in a Physics course. This subject was not readily available to me when I was younger and it always fascinated me. So when my school district offered a program that would allow me to learn and teach Physics, I jumped at the chance. For the first time in my life I failed several tests. Physics challenged my brain in new ways that I could not have predicted. But it was surprisingly calming. During a very difficult time in my life, this new type of brain engagement allowed me to focus, to find a sort of anchor for my thoughts. I now enjoy reading about the topic just for fun and relaxation. Sounds weird, doesn't it? But when I think back to other times when I have experienced intense learning, it had the same result. Calm focus. The human brain is amazing. It reorganizes itself to find new pathways whenever necessary. During this time of reorganizing, the noise of the world seems to move aside. If you want to interrupt anxiety and worry, learn something new. If you want to maintain your memory into old age, learn something new. If you just want to have fun and experience being human, learn something new.
What will you learn next year?
I have been fortunate in my adult life to have learned many new and exciting things. At age 30 I became a certified lifeguard and then a SCUBA diver. A few years later I took a couple of immersion courses in Spanish and now have some skills in that language. I my 40s I learned to write a book and had two published. Eager to harness more media, I learned how to produce and edit videos. Along the way I have enjoyed learning to make homemade pasta, candy and how to grow herbs on a windowsill. Perhaps my most exciting learning happened the year I turned 50 when I enrolled in a Physics course. This subject was not readily available to me when I was younger and it always fascinated me. So when my school district offered a program that would allow me to learn and teach Physics, I jumped at the chance. For the first time in my life I failed several tests. Physics challenged my brain in new ways that I could not have predicted. But it was surprisingly calming. During a very difficult time in my life, this new type of brain engagement allowed me to focus, to find a sort of anchor for my thoughts. I now enjoy reading about the topic just for fun and relaxation. Sounds weird, doesn't it? But when I think back to other times when I have experienced intense learning, it had the same result. Calm focus. The human brain is amazing. It reorganizes itself to find new pathways whenever necessary. During this time of reorganizing, the noise of the world seems to move aside. If you want to interrupt anxiety and worry, learn something new. If you want to maintain your memory into old age, learn something new. If you just want to have fun and experience being human, learn something new.
What will you learn next year?
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