Learning - Never Stop
Learning adds so much to our life. We innately never stop learning however active learning can bring us new skills and experience as well as feelings of contentment and self-worth. A guide to learning below.
What is learning?
Learning is the process of taking in and retaining information in order to build our knowledge or skills. We learn through many means including visual, aural, verbal and physical information.
Our mind never stops learning. Our senses are constantly taking in new information that our mind is constantly learning from. Learning enriches our life and sets up us up for success.
Keep stimulating your mind to allow it to thrive.
27 Reasons Why We Should Learn
There are many reason to keep learning. Learning builds us as a person and leads us to a contented and peaceful life. Learning;
- Builds our self-confidence & self-esteem
- Keeps our mind active
- Provides us with new skills
- Broadens our horizons
- Increases brain power and memory
- Brings self satisfaction, contentment, pride and happiness when we achieve a learning goal
- Makes us a more complete person
- Enhances our career opportunities
- Allows us to impart our knowledge to others
- Boosts our confidence
- Can reduce stress and worry where our mind is concentrating on new things
- Lowers depression
- Allows us to be sociable – learning can be a social event where meet others, often of similar personality and interests dependent on what we are studying
- Broadens our knowledge of where we come from and who we are
- Opens new doors, new opportunities and spark new ideas
- Can help us to be prepared for the unexpected
- Have fun and enjoy learning new things
- We can become a leader or a master in a certain field
- Sets an examples for our children and the younger generation
- Helps us to become a better communicator
- Allows us to be young again and revisit our passions
- Can help stave off dementia
- Can make our day to day life easier and more enjoyable with the new skills that we have learnt
- Can help to change our minds and our perspectives
- Enables us to grow our income
- Allows us to be creative and invent new things
- Helps us achieve our goals and our dreams
50 Learning Opportunities
Learning opportunities are as wide ranging as your imagination. Some random basic ideas here with some further articles/sites to stimulate the mind below.
Academic Subjects
- Learn a new language (or if you don’t have the time – new phrases in new languages)
- Look into a subject that interests you, find a free course and get a qualification (see free courses in further exploration below)
- Attend local events or lectures – A quick web search can provide many local learning opportunities
- Learn coding. Start with simple code such as HTML & CSS which can be immediately rewarding and allow you to build your own website
Broaden Your Skills
- Learn to cook – broaden your culinary skills
- Learn some new jokes and put together a stand up comedy routine
- Learn photoshop or photo altering software
- Write a speech and perform it to friends / family – learn how to public speak
- Learn how to write the perfect CV / Resume
Great Outdoors Learning
- Learn to map read
- Learn more about your local area, the history behind it and go explore
- Learn how to make a fire
- Learn how to build a den/forrest shelter
- Read about and go berry and fruit picking
- Learn about local wildlife and go animal spotting
Useful Skills
- Learn home repairs / DIY
- Learn how to fix your car or bike
- Learn how to change a tyre
- Get out a pad and pencil and draw – see what happens
- Take up knitting or sewing
- Learn first aid and/or CPR
- Learn gardening and outdoor design
Money Matters
- Figure out where all of your money is going
- Learn how to be good with money – create a budget and manage your finances
- Learn how to invest
- Learn how to save
Sports & Hobbies
- Learn a new hobby or take up an old hobby
- Learn sign language
- Take up martial arts
- Learn to sail
- Learn a new sport
- Learn general fitness – Get fit and healthy
- Learn Yoga
- Learn Photography
- Take up water sports
Fun Learnings
- Learn how to sing
- Learn to dance (or just do it)
- Learn to juggle
- Learn how to broadcast yourself
- Take up a musical instrument
- Learn Aromatherapy
Train Your Mind
- Learn how to be self confident
- Learn meditation and mindfulness
- Learn self awareness
- Learn breathing techniques
- Learn how to properly relax
- Learn how to influence others
Other Learning Opportunities
- Get involved with new experiences (try here)
- Read non fiction books
- Learn at work – See what development opportunities are available to you at your occupation
Further Exploration - Articles & Media
Courses: Learn a Language for Free
Learn a language completely free at Duolingo. The have a huge selection with over 35 languages to choose from.
Courses: Free Alison Courses
Alison.com provides free online courses in multiple areas from Humanities to IT. Study, take exams and get certified in a new subject
Book: Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
Offering advice for learners of all ages, Make it Stick is a discusses the science of learning with examples and guides from teachers and students alike
***This is one of the few affiliate links on Peaceful Soul***
Courses: Learn to Code for Free
Free coding classes are available in many websites. Codeacademy provides free lessons across a number of coding languages from HTML to Cobra
Video: The first 20 hours -- how to learn anything
A Tedx talk from John Kaufman showing how we can be reasonably good at anything with 20 hours of learning (skip to 9:20 for the actual method)
Article: 4 Reasons You Should Never Stop Learning
A short article by Inc Magazine detailing 4 reasons why you should never stop learning
Article: Learn Something New: 101 New Skills to Learn Starting Today
Developgoodhabits.com brings you 101 new skills that you can learn
Article: 10 Definitions of Learning
A slightly different article about learning from Connie Malamed of the eLearning Coach looking at the various definitions of learning. An interesting read.
Article: Learn for mental wellbeing
The NHS looks at how learning not only improves our skills but is also good for our mental wellbeing
Article: 10 Reasons to Learn Something New Everyday
The Goodlife Centre provide 10 reasons why we should learn every day from enhancing quality of life to having fun
Courses: Open University
The Open University (UK) offers (paid) university standard under and post graduate courses to fit around your life and available time
Website: Education & Learning
The UK Government's website for education and learning covering everything from where to find courses to university admissions
Article: Skills You Need Logo
Skills You Need look at what learning is and the key principle of how to learn well
Article: 4 Types of Learning Styles: How to Accommodate a Diverse Group of Students
An article from Rasmussen college providing information on 4 different types of learning; Visual, Audio, Kinesthetic & Reading/Writing
Website: US Department of Education
The US Department of Education website covering US educational topics including press releases, news about scholarships & grants and college accreditation
Article: What is Learning?
The Berkeley Center for Teaching & Learning looks at the what learning is including that it is an active process and that it builds upon prior knowledge
Forum: What is the best site to learn online courses?
Quora thread with over 100 answers providing sites to learn online
Where to Go Next on Peaceful Soul
New Experiences
New experiences change our perception of life and help shape the person we want to become. How they help and 101 new experiences here
Fun
What is life without fun. Why we should have more fun and fun things to do here.
Occupation
We spend a third of our life at work so we should enjoy what we do. Find out how our occupation affects us and how we can be happier at work here