Exercising your brain daily is a great way to maintain your mental health, explore your passions, and stay curious about the world around you in your senior years. It may have been a while since you were a student in a classroom, but lifelong learners can get their education in all kinds of places. Make a plan for how to be a lifelong learner, and you’ll never run out of things to discover.
Lifelong learning 101
One of the most valuable skills a person can have is knowing how to be a lifelong learner. Approaching life with a sense of curiosity can make it more exciting and more fun, too. It’s also a great way to keep yourself connected to the world, and it can significantly benefit your intelligence and mental health. There are even links between being a lifelong learner and avoiding age-related cognitive issues like dementia. The benefits of lifelong learning are clear, so how can you make it a part of your life?
What is a Lifelong Learner?
What does it mean to be a lifelong learner? To define it, a lifelong learner is a person who continues to seek knowledge about the world after they have completed their formal education. Lifelong learning can take place in many different ways, both inside and outside of the classroom:
- Formal learning from a teacher or professor in a classroom setting
- Active learning and skill-sharing with peers
- Workplace training or professional skill improvement
- Seeking information by visiting cultural sites like libraries or museums
- Studying areas of interest in a self-directed way
- Learning as a result of life experiences and reflection
Essentially, lifelong learning is a concept that means that we are never done learning about the world. People of all ages can continue to seek knowledge and improve their skills and abilities. If you’re a lifelong learner, there’s no subject you can’t explore — the world is your oyster!
Developing a Lifelong Learning Mindset
To be a lifelong learner, it’s crucial to develop a mindset that allows you to keep learning:
- You can start your journey by cultivating a sense of curiosity. What do you want to know? How can you learn about it?
- Let your interests guide the things you learn about. For example, if you’re an avid reader, you might want to dive into a particular genre or author. Or if you enjoy a walk around a garden, botany might be an interesting field of study. Be open to the possibilities!
- Learning new things can occasionally be difficult, but it pays off with improved knowledge and skills. Stay positive when you’re learning new things, and remain open to new ideas and perspectives, even when they challenge you.
- Create a structure for yourself so you can stay motivated and see your progress. Set learning goals for yourself, and keep yourself accountable. Keep a list of books or other informational resources you can use to improve your knowledge base.
- Try new and different ways to learn about the things that interest you. There are all kinds of free resources for classes and books on the internet. Or, if you prefer to do your research in person, a variety of free resources are available at your public library.
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Now that you know how to be a lifelong learner, a world of possibilities awaits you. What can you start learning about today?
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