For those of you who are new to the ‘Change Your Life Series’ then fear not – there is still time to make a huge difference. Here’s what you have missed out on:
Part 1 – Exercise
Part 2 – Eating Healthily
Part 3 – Get Smart & Learn
You will be pleased to hear that this week’s challenge doesn’t involve exercise or eating; although in order to ‘change your life’ for the long term, then you need to maintain what you learned in parts 1 and 2.
Today we are going to talk about learning. The value of education is soon forgotten after graduating high school, college, or university. Most of us simply lose the passion / willingness / motivation to learn..
Make a list of books that you want to read. Ensure this is comprised of a good mix of fiction and non-fiction. Include politics, science, history, philosophy, geography and religion. Learn a lot about religion and cultural differences. It will shape how you interact with and understand others. Forget your favourite authors and try new ones – read genres that you would never normally consider; read Sci-fi, Crime and Romance. You Don’t Know, What You Don’t Know. Reading articles online just doesn’t cut it. Buy a kindle and download books – many of the classics can be obtained free of charge. Just because books are free, it does not mean they are not worth reading. Instead of watching TV one night a week, download a video editing program and start directing movies. If you get bored, try photos, then music by taking classical guitar lessons, then web design.. Give everything you possibly can a shot. It doesn’t matter if you are not the next Spielberg or you end up hating it – you will become a more interesting person. Go on a research adventure! Think about a topic that interests you and start searching. Wikipedia is a great place to start. Write a paper on it, write a blog post, write some personal notes. You can be that person who always has something interesting to say! Go on a YouTube adventure… check out what people in Vietnam have for breakfast, the crazy traffic in India, the beaches in Thailand, life in the Antarctic or the adventures people are having in South American jungles. Visit the seven wonders of the world virtually. We all have access to the worlds largest database of videos, pictures, music and information – something generations could only dream about just a few years ago. In reality, we have so much data, we often don’t know where to start and maybe don’t start at all! Looking for inspiration? Watch TED talks – if the 12 year old American kid can design award winning mobile applications, then what is stopping you? Read the news and subscribe to RSS feeds. It takes only a few minutes and empowers you with knowledge. We have the ability to decide what information we want and have it INSTANTLY!
We all have the ability to get smart, but we are reluctant to learn. We are becoming dependent on technology. Why learn a new language when we can translate it on Google? Why learn directions when we have a device in our pockets that can easily get us there? Why speak to people to ask for restaurant recommendations when we can read hundreds of reviews online? While technology is making things easier, it is also making us lazier. Instead, you can make a stand – use the power of the internet and the modern, connected world to your advantage.
I like to read self help books. They can be about personal finance or just on topics such as time management. Anything to make me a more well rounded person.
Sean @ One Smart Dollar recently posted..Miser for a Month – Week Two
I also like self-help books but prefer to call them self-development! 😛 Recently I have been reading $100 Startup – it is fantastic and would highly recommend!
savvyscot recently posted..Change Your Life Series – Step 3 Knowledge
I want to learn more practical skills. I just learned to maintain my motorcycle, paint a house and a bit of programming for my blog. I want to learn about construction, plumbing, take cooking a step further, and any skill that makes me more independent.
Pauline recently posted..Friday recap, multitasking and a fairy blogmother!
I also love ‘hands on’ type skills. You have a great to-do list there Pauline 🙂 – Plumbing sounds like a very challenging goal
savvyscot recently posted..Change Your Life Series – Step 3 Knowledge
Interesting quote… I definitely believe in education and want to educate myself through life (until the day I die) Although I’m not sure if it is life itself, but does make me think.
Jason Clayton | frugal habits recently posted..Frugal Habits of the Rich and Famous
Hi Jason – thanks for stopping by! Glad you like the quote… it wasn’t something I had ever heard before! Glad you are a believer in life-long education. I believe it leads to living longer and an all-round better experience 🙂
Great quote. Life long learning is essential, in my opinion that is. Learning is part of what makes life so interesting, plus it helps you flex your noggin’. I always find that reading about things that are new to me or things that I don’t know much about makes me more well-rounded. I totally agree with not reading things on line either. There’s not much better than picking up a good book and getting lost in it.
John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted..Frugal Friday: Posts That Ruled This Week, the BCS Edition #2
John – Glad you like it. I must admit, I recently bought myself a Kindle and it is almost the same as reading a standard book. I can certainly get lost in it 🙂
I´m sure it´s learning a new language and some basic understand about financial matters, like how to get out of debt and make money online on unusual ways. By the way, at first sight your website seems to me very cool.
Thanks Fred! I also want to learn a new language 🙂
One thing I just read sticks in my mind and that is we all have the ability to be smart but we rely on technology. It’s amazing how we can look back of us who had to use an encyclopedia to do research or hit the library. Now you just click the mouse and everything is in your face. No effort required. What happened to a little elbow grease? What will this generation and the next bring to the table? Great post. MR.CBB
Canadian Budget Binder recently posted..Surviving A Lower Income On Maternity Leave In Canada
Hello! Thanks for your kind comments MR CBB – I am glad you share my view… Technology is both helping us and destroying us simultaneously.. We have a duty to ensure our kids and subsequent generations don’t become 100% reliant on it! What would happen if there was a massive power cut or hackers permanently took down the internet for a few weeks? Personally I think it would be an amazing revelation!
it to me until I was 40 before I realised it sexy to be smart. So I figure after 40 years of lifelong learning I must be pretty darned sexy LOL.
Learning is my touchstone. Even though I joke that I “colour in” for a living (mind map), I see every day the results of people who learn to combine working and learning together successfully.
BTW I’ve now taught myself to use voice recognition software. What you think?
[email protected] recently posted..Day of Rest LOL
Your mind maps are absolutely incredible Elaine! I remember watching a video on the power of mind maps about 15 years ago… it fascinated me! Still, to this day, I use mind maps to remind me of the core messages of conferences, training courses etc! Are you using Dragon?
Yup!!! I am still trying to convince it to recognise the Scottish accent. There have been some howlers LOL.
I am determined to crack it this time as I have had so many requests for a book on how to help teenagers fall back in love with learning again.
What I can figure out is how I became the expert! 🙂
[email protected] recently posted..OMG I am actually doing it
Funny you mentioned reading classics. I am on a Classic kick, but not because they are just free. Since I was forced to Classics at a younger age, I never really appreciated them. Now that I am adult, I have learned to appreciate them.
Hey Seth- I have a similar story. I was forced to read classics at school for highers and hated them. Now I read them through choice! What are your favourites? It really is a nice added bonus that they are free though! 🙂
It is an added bonus they are free. My all time favorite is the Great Gatsby. Currently, I am reading Dracula. I tried to read Faulker, but I couldn’t get through 1. Another favorite is To Kill a Mockingbird. I am almost done with Dracula, what do you recommend?
I haven’t read Dracula or Faulker. To kill a mockingbird is great! I like Gulliver’s Travels and Three Men in a boat! Read them?
Here is a point for you to consider!
Perhaps the reason that these books are called “classics” and are still in print is that the are really, really great stories.
Just putting that out there LOL
[email protected] recently posted..OMG I am actually doing it
Savvy! Learn a language is up there! Over the last year I have noticed that I have become obsessed with learning everything I can get my hand on. Right now I am on the classics. Mark Twain is the man.
Stephen S. recently posted..Wednesday’s Weekly Photo: The Colosseum
Stephen! Glad you are keen to learn another language! What is your favourite Twain book?