Four Keys to Learning New Things No Matter Your Age

We all know the importance of learning the rules, but it’s about learning how to break these rules, especially when it comes to the confines imposed upon us in terms of learning. When we are trying to educate ourselves, whether it’s in life, business, or anything in between, the ability to self educate is invaluable. When we are trying to develop the ultimate goals for self-learning and self-development, it’s important to recognize a few fundamental tenets. What are these?

It’s Not About Being Born With the Tools

Whether you are trying to be a better leader or you are figuring out your way in the world, if you think you need to have a predetermined skill set, this is not going to get you far. You can consult any HBS admissions consultant or educational organization worth their salt, and they will tell you that it’s not about having the knowledge already embedded, but about learning the skills and applying yourself. If you have the abilities to learn and to develop, you can apply this to anything. You are not born with the tools, you merely accrue them over time.

Having an Understanding of How You Learn Best

Everybody has their own specific way of learning and part of the problem with the traditional education system is that they will only teach in one style. If you found yourself struggling in school, it’s not that you were not clever, but it’s about the fact that you didn’t learn in a style suitable to you. We all learn in different ways, whether it’s through visual means, auditory, or combination methods, and when we understand how we are able to learn best, this gives us a world of opportunities.

Figuring Out Your Weaknesses

In order to make the most of any education, you have got to figure out where you fall flat. It could be to do with your learning style, but it could also be to do with your lack of ability to retain information. But the fact is that we have to get over this predisposed idea that our brains are only able to store so much. This is where neuroplasticity comes into play. Your brain is a very malleable piece of equipment, just demands more work as you get older.

You can learn how to improve your brain processes through different practices, and this could be learning an instrument or a language, but it’s about making sure that you challenge your brain. Much like when we build that physical muscle, the only way that it is stimulated to grow is by giving it a challenge beyond its abilities. When you have those days that everything seems really hard, push it a little bit further, and it will make a massive difference.

Confidence!

This is why so many athletes and champions believe they can do something because they have been telling themselves they can. Having that confidence will make a significant alteration to how you think about things. Arguably, this is the key to developing your education appropriately. Getting into a morning routine where you are telling yourself you can achieve whatever you want is going to have a positive impact, not just on your learning, but on your life.