Laura Woythe

Why it’s time to change our mindset about learning

Learning. Breathing for the mind.

Depending on your experiences in school, you might love or hate learning. Learning can be frustrating when 

  • You are learning the wrong things. For me, it was always history. I just don’t have the curiosity to learn all about a country’s history. Obviously, there are key events that everybody should know about. And there is something probably for everyone in the past that we want to be mindful of not repeating in the future.
  • You cannot apply the knowledge you learned. Whether in school, university lessons or workshops, there are specific requirements for passing that involve memorizing content. The moment we cannot apply what we learned, we will quickly forget, making learning a complete waste of time.

It’s time to change our mindset about our old-fashioned learning concept. I want to talk about a different kind of learning. I want to talk about learning that brings you forward in life. Lessons that, with practice, make you happier and more successful. That kind of information might seem obvious, but you need somebody to write a great book about it or outline it in a podcast to make sense of it. 

This kind of learning requires 

  • An open mind. Or Talking in Dr. Carol Dweck’s words, a growth mindset. This implies that we are not stuck in the genes and traits we have developed, but we can constantly improve and outdo ourselves. Not to compete with others, but to compete against you to become the best version of yourself. If you believe in a fixed mindset, you most likely will not bother to work on yourself because ‚you are the way you are ‘. 
  • A curious personality. I think an open mind and curiosity go hand in hand. Most of the time, if we are ‚curious’ we are more open and receptive to new information.
  • A hunger for learning all the life hacks out there. Let’s be honest. Life is hard, and it’s hard for everybody. Even successful people had to start somewhere and become that someone. So why not gather the knowledge from the people out there that have been where we are now?

Become a long life learner

Learning is in here to stay for the long run. Doesn’t it feel liberating that we are imperfect and can always learn something new? This is the new mindset of learning. The beauty of learning comes when we can actually sense the results. In my case, I can tolerate certain situations much better. I have learned to be self-sufficient and not depend on other people’s praise or approval. I am comfortable with myself in ways that I couldn’t even imagine one could feel.

Recently I am thinking about a podcast episode of ‚on purpose’ hosted by Jay Shetty (if you haven’t listened, I highly recommend that you check it) where he interviewed Bob Proctor. One of his most important messages was ‚Read the same thing over and over and over again. Reading is cheating your way out if you don’t understand it’. Bob Proctor is a lifelong learner that reminds us that it is never too late to start learning. I haven’t read his book ‚you were born rich ‘yet, but It’s definitely on my reading list after listening to his wisdom on the podcast. 

So get your nerdy self out of there and start learning. Change your mindset of learning. Be ready to feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. Start identifying yourself as a brave person. Because facing the unknown and being uncomfortable is brave. And maybe eventually, you become addicted to it in ways your 14-year-old self could have never imagined. 

Can learning bring you actual happiness?

Photo by Edu Lauton on Unsplash

A big yes. There is no shame in watching trash TV (who doesn’t?), taking the time out to do nothing and just enjoying the little things of our daily routine. But try to incorporate little challenges every now and then. Maybe download the TED app and click on the first video that catches your attention. Maybe go to the self-help section of the book store and scroll through the titles. Maybe start listening to a podcast episode to see if you can relate to its content. 

Learning is fitness for your mind. And we all know how healthy fitness is.

Resources:

Laura – Self Healthiness

LATEST ARTICLES