Most of us have taken at least one walk down the aisles of Toys
“R” Us. There’s no better place than a toy store to observe
these truths: Learning is fun. Learning is kid stuff.
Kids are smart enough to reject anything they don’t like, yet
many of the most popular toys are dedicated to teaching them
something new. Note the tremendous success of the LeapFrog®
toys. They teach reading, writing and more, and kids love them.
No matter your age, abilities or income level, you can always be
a learner. People who continue to grow and learn are happy -
like kids. Here are eight great ways to keep that childlike grin
on your face while you learn:
1. Fire Up Your Desire to Learn with Fun
At its best, learning is a form of entertainment. Next time you
walk down the toy aisle, notice how many ways the educational
toys make learning fun. They use music, color, pictures and
physical interaction. How much more interesting is that than
sitting for an hour listening to an important but dull lecture?
No wonder the really great educational toys are so popular.
Studying a topic that interests you shouldn’t require a double
espresso to keep you from falling asleep. If that’s happening,
you might have the wrong instructor. Who needs that? Seek out
trainers who know how to deliver a message with punch. Not only
will you enjoy it more, you’ll want to learn and you’ll retain
more of the information.
In my training seminars and conferences, I strive to provide a
one-of-a-kind learning experience. I educate with entertainment
- music, games, contests and humor. It’s all connected to the
topic I’m presenting, and the students’ brains just soak it up.
In the process, their careers are reignited, and so is mine.
Education should be entertaining. Commit to having fun while you
learn.
2. Keep the Flame of Learning Alive with Variety
Advanced learning is essential. So is brushing your teeth. But
just because learning is essential to your career, doesn’t mean
it has to be as monotonous as brushing your teeth.
Every day of my life I have fun reading at least one book and
often have several open at one time. A few minutes of study on
each book keeps my interest stimulated, I retain the material
better and I often find myself synthesizing information from the
various sources. I also listen to audio programs while driving.
Not only is this a fun way to learn and improve myself, it also
keeps me calmer and more relaxed in traffic. I tried watching
videos, but that seemed to excite the other drivers.
No matter what the subject, you can find a variety of
interesting ways to further your knowledge and expertise. Open a
book. Listen to an audio presentation. Watch an educational
video. Start a study group with other lifetime students.
The same principle applies to the teachers and mentors you learn
from. Choose those who have something interesting to say and an
interesting way of saying it. Don’t hesitate to have more than
one mentor with different experience and teaching styles for
different subjects. While one-on-one personalized mentoring is
ideal, you’ll find a world of varied and specific information
presented by excellent speakers on audio and video. The varied
approaches will enable you to better absorb each subject from
the most appropriate teacher and will keep you stimulated and
eager to learn.
Learning shouldn’t lull you to sleep. Commit to learning from a
variety of teachers and choose the learning modes that keep you
excited about learning every day.
3. Seek Out Teachers from the Trenches Who Make Learning Fast
and Easy
In all my years of education, I’ve discovered that there are
basically two ways to learn:
You can choose the hard way, figuring things out on your own by
trial and error and making lots of mistakes. You’ll do some of
this anyway, but it’s a slow path to success.
OR you can choose the easy way, learning from mentors who have
already overcome any challenge you might encounter and already
discovered the solution. The right mentor is eager to share
those answers with you and set you on a smoother, easier road to
knowledge.The best continuing education is immediate and
applicable. Going back to college is not the way to change your
life’s work. Your best bet is to seek the fast-track education
route to business success. You want a nontraditional program
designed specifically to deliver the information you need in a
form you can use immediately.
All teachers and training programs are not created equal.
Learning shouldn’t have to be an uphill struggle. Commit to
finding the wildly successful teachers and targeted training
programs that can make the process fast and easy for you.
4. Be Willing to Learn from Anyone and Everyone
Never fall into the trap of educational snobbery - “Oh, I have
my MBA, JD, PhD, etc., etc. - I couldn’t possibly learn from a
secretary.”
I’m open to learning from anyone. Four times a year, 20+
Institute staff members (www.LegalNurse.com) of all levels plus
outside consultants gather around our big conference table for a
focused, all-day brainstorming session. We work hard on a number
of strategically selected topics, and we include frequent breaks
for eating and exercise to keep the day interesting and fun.
These brainstorm sessions have contributed tremendously to the
phenomenal growth of my business.
Not all CEOs agree with my egalitarian take on learning. When I
recommended company-wide brainstorming to a CEO group I belonged
to, all they saw was the cost of shutting down their businesses
for the day. They didn’t understand that an idea from a
$12-per-hour employee could launch a new division, service or
product, adding tremendous value to the company for years to
come.
You’ll find mentors in many guises, from business associates to
family members, friends and colleagues. Although I’ve been in my
business for more than two decades, I still learn every day -
not only from recognized experts, but especially from my
students and staff members, outside consultants and vendors,
favorite writers and speakers, and other CEOs.
Learning possibilities aren’t limited to “learned” teachers or a
classroom setting. Stay open to learning everywhere you go, from
everyone you know.
5. Make Sure You Learn the Right Stuff
We ask college students, “What’s your major?” Life is a college
of its own, and we all learn every day. The important question
to ask yourself is: “Am I learning the things that will make a
difference in my life or things that won’t enhance it at all?”
For example, are you mastering techniques for expanding your
professional skill set or absorbing the intimate details of the
characters on a TV sitcom?
Successful people do not major in minor things. Massively
successful people focus on learning the right things. Do you
want to learn about the life of a movie star or about a topic
that will make you the star of your own life?
To be excellent at learning, laser in on the topics you need to
succeed. Where you focus is where you get results. If you want
big results, focus on Big Things.
6. Make the Most of Every Learning Opportunity - Even Those
Disguised as SNAFUs
Life is a learning smorgasbord. Try to learn from every
experience, good or bad. Even in a crisis, you can always glean
something positive.
I happened to be in New York City in August 2003 and experienced
the blackout firsthand. I looked around me and studied others
who survived this negative situation in different ways, from
children to adults, from doctors to lawyers to hotdog vendors.
Through my observations, I learned this lesson, “Don’t let a
communication blackout come between you and your clients.” I
then wrote an article about this business world application of a
SNAFU, and made sure I applied this lesson to my own business.
Life is full of lessons, both large and small. A bad experience
is only bad if you don’t learn from it. Commit to learning from
each experience, even the “negative” ones.
7. Carve Out the Time for Learning
If continued education still sounds daunting, remember that you
don’t need hours a day as you did in college. Commit to reading
30 minutes a day on a topic you find interesting and intriguing.
Commit to listen to an audio program while driving or to watch
an educational video while exercising.
You’ll also find appropriate classes and other informational
material online and even on educational television. Just don’t
get sucked into wasting irreplaceable time on the junk that
prevails on these media. Subscribe to electronic newsletters
that feed your learning in a focused way.
Like any journey, a lifetime of fun and learning starts with the
smallest step. Commit to finding the time for learning wherever
and whenever you can.
8. Make Learning a Lifetime Priority for Growth and Fun
In today’s information age, believing you can launch or grow a
successfulbusiness or career without continuing education is a
guarantee of failure. Successful people respect the complexity
of their professions. They become students for life.
Researchers say most of us have learned 80% of everything we
know by the time we’re eight years old, when we’re still
enthralled by every new discovery. How sad is that? I don’t know
about you, but I like to think I’m a lot smarter now than when I
was eight.
Rekindle that childhood enthusiasm. Pick up a book today. Turn
off the TV and tune in to an inspirational speaker. This is the
best New Year’s resolution you can make for yourself.
Learning really is kid stuff. Commit to enjoying it. Start
today. Be a child again.