There are many layers to make continual learning an integral part of your life. First, decide whether there’s value in doing so!
Somewhere down the line though it becomes a logistical question. You’re busy and have a million other priorities, so how do you infuse learning into your everyday? I’ve found two things you can do.
1. Find Your Sources
At a simpler level, here are some specific things you can do today:
- Listen to Podcasts in your downtime. Driving, running, cooking, cleaning…even in the shower.
- Watch less TV.
- Read, including fiction, which can boost your mind’s creative capacity. Regular newsletters and blogs count too. Hacker Newsletter, AVC and Bloomberg’s Daily are some of my go-tos.
2. Change Your Perspective
At a deeper level, you’ll need to leave your immediate circle and build new habits. Unsurprisingly you’ll also see these changes can have the biggest affect:
- Travel. As Trevor Noah comedically states in his latest stand up, Afraid of the Dark, “See another place. Discover a different point of view. Traveling is the antidote to ignorance.” I couldn’t agree more.
- Spend time outside of your bubble. Try to get as many perspectives as possible by expanding the variety of sources of your news and learning. Diversity wins in the end.
- Ask questions to your friends and colleagues to see their perspective. What do they know more about than you do, which they can teach you? What do they know less about than you do, which you can teach them (by the way, teaching is a great way to improve your own learning by forcing you to simplify & clearly articulate an idea – that’s one of the reasons I blog).
- Become more humble, which in turn increases your self awareness and openness to new ideas.
It’s worked for me, although following my own advice I’d love to learn what’s worked for you!