The learning years are usually thought of as happening during kindergarten through 12th grade when we graduate from high school. Then if one goes on to college, they are in the higher learning years. But if we are wise, we will never stop learning until the day that we die. I’m going to go over some ways that adults can continue to learn every day.
Pursue New Interests
Think about some things that you’ve always wanted to do, and then learn how to do it. Let me give you some examples. Have you always wanted to learn to crochet but never took the time to learn? Or how about learning about yoga or an oil painting? Now is the time to pursue those interests. The hardest step is usually committing to learning it. Nowadays, with Youtube, you should be able to find a teacher to educate you on just about anything and everything that you’ve ever wanted to learn.
Read
From about kindergarten to fourth grade, the focus is on learning to read. Then the focus switches to reading to learn. Once you can read, which I’m pretty sure you can since you are reading this article, a world of topics are waiting for you to explore. Try reading a new book, whether it be a hard copy or online. There are also blogs and newsletters that you could subscribe to. It doesn’t matter so much what you read so that you are learning by reading something.
Google It
If something is on my mind that I wish I knew more about, I go to Google. It costs nothing extra if you have internet access and you can find a world of information on just about anything. Just type in the name of something that you want to know more about and wait for sites to pop up on that topic. You can also search Google Images to look at things that you are interested in.
Ask Siri or Alexa
If you have a smartphone, you can ask it just about anything. I have an iPhone, so I enjoy asking Siri questions throughout the day as they come up. It’s like having a personal professor assigned to me. Many households have started adopting Alexa, Amazon’s lifelike creation into their homes. Alexa lets you ask questions, time things, turn lights off and on around the house, and more. Now you don’t have to think about where you know a famous actor from when you are watching TV; you can just ask Alexa.
Join A Facebook Group
If you have an interest in a topic, chances are good there is a group already set up for that topic on Facebook. And if there isn’t a group online, don’t be afraid to start one yourself. There are groups for just about everything and anything ranging from pets to construction to dinner recipes. Simply search groups on Facebook and then ask to join that group. Most moderators will approve your request the same day.
Complete A Puzzle
Try adding some puzzles to your daily routine. You may want to try a jigsaw puzzle, riddles, brain teasers, or math puzzles. Anything that requires you to work through a mental problem will help your brain. Puzzles are also one of the best boredom fighters for many people.
Learn To Play A New Instrument
Have you always admired watching people play instruments and wished you could learn to play a new instrument? Now is as good a time as any to start to pursue that interest. If you don’t know what you’d like to learn, take a trip to your local music store and peruse the instruments that they may have for sale. Talk to an employee to get ideas. Find out if they have any classes available or search youtube to look for an instructor of your choice.
Pursue A New Exercise
Even if you workout every day, you may benefit from learning about a new form of exercise. Some ideas are Tai Chi, Yoga, or riding a unicycle. Even if it seems to hard and you feel intimidated to start, remember that everyone including experts started as a novice. Buy a beginner DVD, sign up for a new class at a gym, or find an internet class to join. Don’t forget Facebook exercise groups.
Learn A New Basic Skill
Think about some basic skills that you may not know about such as changing a flat tire or changing the oil on your vehicle, and then commit to learning how to do it. You may have some experienced teachers all around you that would love to help you learn how to learn a new skill. Think of asking a father, mother, aunt, uncle, grandparent, friend and the list goes on if they would show you how to do something that they are good at.
Learn A Life-Saving Skill
There are skills that we’d all be better off if more people knew how to do. Think about learning CPR or First Aid. Not only will you be challenging yourself, but you may also even save a life someday. Local YMCAs usually teach these classes that can often get you certified on that same day. Some other more advanced skills like lifesaving will take more than a day.
Get Crafty
There is a wide range of crafts out there just waiting for you to learn. Here is a short list of some ideas of things to make:
- Bath Salts
- Essential Oils
- Knitting
- Crochet
- Lotions
- Candles
- Homemade soaps
- Weaving
Register For A College Class
Whether or not you are a college graduate or have never stepped on campus before, you can still sign up for a college class. You will not only meet new people and expand your knowledge base, but you may find out that you want to learn even more about a specific area. You will never know until you try. Registering is often the hardest step to overcome.
Final Thoughts
From the moment a baby enters the world, he or she starts to learn. As that baby grows into an adult, the learning continues. As long as you are still breathing, education should never end. I recently got to interview a 97-year-old woman and got to ask her some of her secrets about living life. She told me that she keeps active and never stops learning. To stop is to “stagnate,” as she puts it. There are so many opportunities every day to keep you learning. Take advantage of some of the opportunities that I mentioned in this article, and you can become a lifelong learner that lives life abundantly with no stagnation.
