Always Learning
- mikedisko
- Nov 26, 2024
- 2 min read
Recently my 7 year old son asked me, “Daddy, how come you are always learning something new, but most adults don’t do that?”
He is fascinated by the fact that I am carrying around a business vocabulary book, just like he has a vocabulary book for school.
Good question. The unfortunate answer is that most adults aren’t interested in learning. Most of us stop learning new information when we graduate from school. In fact, statistically the majority of people read at a 6th grade level- because we have a tendency to stop learning at “good enough”.
However, if you are interested in feeling satisfied, successful, or happy in your life, life-long learning is essential.
There are many reasons to always be learning something new. Here are 3 big ones:
1. Constantly learning something new gives you an implicit goal, satisfying Earl Nightingale’s definition of success.
2. By always being open to learning new information you will quickly become part of a minority of adults that will give you an advantage both professionally and socially.
3. You will retain cognitive function longer. Learning new information “flexes the brain” by creating new neuropathways. If you are continually building new pathways, the kind of neural pruning that creates cognitive decline can be delayed, reduced, and maybe even reversed.
So, pick up a book! It doesn’t matter what it is, read something. Download it on audible or use Libby for access to library audio books. I have been listening to books every day on my commute. That gives me an hour a day that I’m listening to a book.
If you read books about your line of work, you will soon be in the top 5% in your field. If you read books about other interests or hobbies, you will be flexing your neural network and your memory, problem solving, and vocabulary will improve.
If you aren’t sure where to start, think about things you were interested in as a kid that you haven’t ever pursued. I’m sure there is something there. Before we begin to get jaded as teens, our interests are generally all over the place. I have rekindled my interest in Astro-physics, and though all the books I’m reading are about business and personal development, the articles I read are mostly astronomy and Astro-physics. Have you seen the new photos of Jupiter? They are AMAZING.
Talk soon!
-Michael
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