5 Great Ways to Learn

Follow this acronym for "LEARN" to help you learn how to learn:

L:	Look for levels beneath the surface. The best way to reach the deepest level of understanding of any subject matter is to gather as much information as you can. Multiply your resources. Read books, listen to audio tapes, research the Internet, study biographies of people who have previously attained success in this particular field, and find mentors who can help. The more varied your sources of information, the more levels you'll uncover about the subject. You pick up one idea from one source, and that helps you understand the information from another source, which gives you an idea of how to apply what you've learned, which makes you want to learn even more. As you utilize these valuable resources, they will build upon each other to give you a better answer.
E:	Explore new skills and hobbies. Don't shy away because you say, "I could never do that." If you just give yourself a chance, you'll be surprised at the things you can learn to do—and learn to do well. The more organizations you join, the more people you meet, the more risks you take, the more your horizons open up, and the more you learn about yourself and the world in which we live.
A:	Act. There are two courses of action: step by step, and diving in. Both are valid. If a project is large and seemingly overwhelming, then the best way to do it is to break it down into individual steps, learn how to do one step at a time, and then put the project all together at the end. As a fortune cookie once pronounced, "By the mile it's a trial, by the yard it's hard, but by the inch it's a cinch." On the other hand, there are times when diving into a project, even if you're not 100 percent prepared, makes more sense. Sometimes problems loom large in front of us. We delay taking action because we want to understand the problem thoroughly and know that we have analyzed every possible solution. By that time, however, the problem has totally engulfed us. That's when it's time to get a "gun" and just point and fire, adjust and fire, adjust and fire. It's as if Godzilla was about to destroy your town. It's a big, clear target and you've got to take him down. Your best bet is to start firing and keep firing until you come up with a better solution—constant learning, constant action. Both are equal, both are necessary. We learn from our actions, we act from our learning. One without the other suffers. Both together provide invincible truth.
R:	Repetition. In order to perfect a skill, we must practice. We must repeat an action over and over until it becomes second nature. The more we practice, the deeper the skill becomes embedded in us. When that happens, it becomes the foundation on which to build other skills. Michael Caine once said, "It's only when a man isn't thinking what he's doing that he's doing what he's thinking." Once you get to the point where you can take an action without thinking, you're ready to learn the next step.
N:	Neutral state. The philosopher Francis Bacon once said, "If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties." The only way to learn is with an open mind, from a neutral point of view. Listen to what other people have to say—but don't assume that what they tell you is the only way. Keep an open mind. Don't let stereotypes or preconceived notions stop you from letting new information in. Look at all sides of a topic before you make up your mind. Don't assume one person is right before you've heard what others have to say.

Two quarreling men came to a judge. The first man told his story. The judge said, "That's right." His adversary, upset at the opinion said, "You haven't heard my side of the story." He told his side and the judge said, "That's right." A third person said, "How can they both be right?" The judge thought about it and said, "That's right."

—Ellen J. Langer,
The Power of Mindful Learning

I Dare You...

Try these next four strategies for becoming a perpetual student of life:

1. The next time you're studying something, go all out. Push yourself. When you feel like stopping, go another hour. Do some more research. Find someone who knows about this subject. Prepare more than you've ever prepared before, and see what kind of results you get.

2. Every day, do one thing that involves risk, and study what you learn from making this effort. Step out of your comfort zone. Try a new hobby or interest that will bring value to your life. You don't have to jump out of a plane or go bungee jumping. Risk and effort are relative terms. It can be risky to make a phone call that might end in rejection. For some people, it may take a major effort to cook a healthy meal and get out and exercise. However you define it, set yourself a task that is beyond your usual boundaries, then accomplish it and use what you learn to take the next risk.

3. Look for things that amaze you, excite you, interest you, and intrigue you. These are things that will motivate you to learn more about them. Don't worry about how what you're learning will fit into the rest of your life. Serendipity abounds. You never know when something you learn, just because it brings you pleasure, will be just the thing you need to know.

4. Go back to school. Sometimes it is difficult to put yourself back in the role of student, but the truth is you are never too old to learn. In fact, research has shown that although some mental processes may take longer as we get older, they don't necessarily diminish. The best way to ensure that you stay at the top of your game as you age is to stay mentally active by reading, doing crossword puzzles and word games, traveling, and learning. Take classes and pursue new challenges. If you want to keep your brain in good shape, you have to exercise it. In other words, use it or lose it.

Learning is how we elevate ourselves toward success. Understanding gives us strength and courage. It gives us the confidence we need to take action. Education is everywhere, in everything we do. Many people think that when school is over, so is the necessity to learn. Most people see graduation, when they have a commencement exercise, as the end of education. But the word commencement actually means the beginning. The end of our years of schooling is really the beginning of learning.

Through the understanding and knowledge we gain over the years, interpretations of new information become magnified. In other words, every new thing we learn stands on the shoulders of everything else we've learned before. The quest for knowledge is part of being human. We want to know how things work, why things happen, what we can do to change things. Knowledge by itself, however, is useless. It's what we do with it that counts. It's up to each one of us to put it to the best possible use.

Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow.

—John Wooden,
writer