It’s back-to-school season and kids all over the country are returning to the classroom.
I can vividly remember my own childhood back-to-school experiences at the end of each summer. I felt both dread (I hated leaving behind the freedom and fun of outdoor summer activities) and excitement (new school clothes, new supplies, and new things to learn).
I’ve always have a passion for learning. Although my school days are long behind me, I continue to study and learn on an ongoing basis and strongly believe in the idea of lifelong learning.
It used to be that learning was simply something that one did as a child and young adult in preparation for going out into the adult world and getting a stable job or career. After that, the main focus of one’s activity shifted from learning mode to working mode. From that point on, learning or training became an occasional (and minor) activity in one’s adult life.
But times have changed…dramatically.
Our rapidly changing world and the tremendous flow of information these days demand more of us. We need more knowledge and skills in order for to adapt to and function in our complex modern world. Scientific studies have also shown that learning helps us stay alert, robust and vibrant throughout our adult life.
There are many benefits to lifelong learning, not the least of which is that it prevents us from stagnating. When we stop learning, we stop growing. Our knowledge atrophies, our skills become obsolete and our attitudes calcify.
Lifelong learning expert Nancy Merz Nordstrom discusses this and other benefits in her article "Top 10 Benefits of Lifelong Learning."
Engaging in lifelong learning may seem intimidating to some, but it’s easier than ever before. Modern technology and the Internet have spawned countless new ways for us to learn and study an ever expanding universe of information and knowledge. Besides traditional books and course work, there are distance learning programs, online learning environments, self-study programs, audio books, documentaries on TV, video learning programs on DVD, portable digital readers, workshops, seminars, pre-recorded lessons on MP3 audio players, downloadable ebooks, teleclasses…just to name a few.
With all the information available in different formats today, it’s easier than ever before to make lifelong learning a part of our daily lives. In his blog post “15 Steps to Cultivate Lifelong Learning”, Scott H. Young offers some great tips on how to do that.
So, what would you like to learn? What new skills would you like to acquire? What fascinating topics would you like to learn more about?
I encourage you to dig in. Lifelong learning is an investment in yourself...one with an unbeatable ROI!
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