Learning
Top tips for learning
Chose an interesting subject
Gone are the days of school when learning, or rather being taught, was obligatory and when there were some subjects you loved and some you really disliked. Now you get to choose. When you pick something for which you have genuine interest and passion you’re much more likely to absorb and retain the learning. And the enjoyment factor will boost motivation to continue deeper into the subject.
Gain practical experience
Confucius said “What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand.” The practical effort of doing connects what the mind has learned with how the body will apply it and so generates a much stronger connection with the learning. If you’re learning a sport, perform the activity on a regular basis. If it’s a new language, practice speaking with another person. Surround yourself with immersive experiences.
Use it or lose it
The "use-it-or-lose-it" phenomenon involves a brain process known as "pruning” in which certain pathways in the brain are maintained (through applying the learning), while others are eliminated (if you learn it once then never re-visit). If you want the new information you just learned to stay put, keep practicing and rehearsing it.
Create a rich sensory experience
Focus on learning in more than one way. Instead of just listening to a podcast, which involves auditory learning, find a way to rehearse the information both verbally and visually. This might involve describing what you learned to a friend, taking notes or drawing a mind map or visual representation. By learning in more than one way, you further cement the knowledge in your mind.
Share what you’ve learned
Start by translating the information into your own words. This process alone helps solidify new knowledge in your brain. Next, find some way to share what you’ve learned. The act of repeating the information to someone else helps to establish the knowledge more firmly in your mind. You could discuss with a friend, write a blog post, or participate in a group discussion.
Give yourself a break
It’s OK to forget a few things along the way. If you find yourself struggling to recall some titbit of information, research suggests that you are better offer simply looking up the correct answer. One study found that the longer you spend trying to remember the answer, the more likely you will be to forget the answer again in the future. Why? Because these attempts to recall previously learned information actually results in learning the "error state" instead of the correct response.
Approach with a beginners mind
“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few” Shunryu Suzuki, Zen priest. Be curious to learning. Allow yourself to be humble, to not know everything, to get things wrong. Open yourself up to new information and ways of being.
Article: School of Life
Experiential Learning from Albert Both
Quotes on Learning