How to learn something new everyday
How to learn something new everyday? It sounds like an impossible task, right? In reality, it's not that hard, but you need to make learning a habit, just like flossing your teeth or brushing your hair in the morning. In order to learn something new every day and keep yourself on track, start with these 10 ways to learn something new every day.
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| How to learn something new everyday |
1) Write down your goal
Make it clear and actionable. A vague goal, like learning something new every day, is easy to lose sight of. Instead, make your goal very specific, such as learning how to program with Python. This way, you can measure your progress toward reaching that goal. Furthermore, a precise goal like learning how to program with Python also helps focus your learning efforts—you know exactly what skills you're learning so you don't waste time on other topics or try to learn too many things at once. As an added bonus, writing down your goals makes them more real. In fact, just writing down anything important (your grocery list, for example) can help you achieve those goals. Writing down your goals increases accountability and will keep you on track because there's no going back if you've written it down!
2) Wake up an hour earlier
The earlier you wake up, and at a specific time every day, the more your body associates waking with being awake and alert, says Robert Oexman, author of The Power of Waking Up. Not only will you start feeling more alert—or at least stop feeling groggy in traffic—but by getting up at a set time each morning (as opposed to whenever you feel like it), your body's internal clock will get better and better at knowing when it needs to start paying attention. How many extra hours will that earn you? One or two? Or maybe one hundred or two hundred in a year? The best part is: It's free! So set that alarm clock tonight, okay? You'll thank us tomorrow.
3) Take care of your brain
Next tip for how to learn something new everyday is taking care of your brain-
It's your most important asset. And it's very good at protecting itself from any activity that may be detrimental—whether it's mentally or physically challenging—or just plain boring. But when you learn something new and exciting, your brain produces a slew of chemicals (including dopamine and norepinephrine) that make learning feel good, says David Rock, author of Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long. The trick is finding something that turns you on—you can get better at any skill if you can find joy in its practice. If a new sport looks fun but doesn't excite you? You won't stick with it. But maybe an online class will work because you enjoy learning online. Or maybe there's an aspect of writing fiction that intrigues you enough to want to try your hand at creating a novel. Just figure out what gets you jazzed about doing something new and interesting, then go do it!
4) Read before going to bed
It's never too late to start reading every day. In fact, some studies have found that if you are struggling with a certain concept or subject in school, reading about it for 30 minutes before bed can help you grasp it more easily in class. Plus, just like working out and getting enough sleep is essential for your physical health, reading can be an essential part of your mental health. It not only helps keep your brain sharp but also helps you relax at night and prevent stress-related problems like insomnia and high blood pressure. If you want to learn something new every day, there's no better way than by spending time learning each night. After all, what else are you going to do? Scroll through Facebook? Watch another episode of Netflix? How much more productive would those hours be spent reading a book on any subject that interests you? The goal here isn't necessarily to get through entire books—you don't need to read War and Peace—but anything counts as long as it challenges your mind. Make sure you pick up a variety of topics so that over time, you build up expertise in several different areas. A good place to start: check out our list of 101 Books You Need To Read Before You Die. And don't forget: There's nothing wrong with curling up with a good book instead of watching TV!
5) Ditch multitasking
Multitasking is a skill that many of us have been told we need, but it's actually an illusion. When we believe we are multitasking, we are actually just switching between tasks. Think about it: doing three things at once means you have to perform each task at 33 percent capacity (or 50 percent if you're a heavy multi-tasker). To learn something new every day, commit yourself to work on one thing until it's complete before moving on to something else. It'll make you more productive and help prevent you from missing details as they pop up. The time invested now will pay off in big ways later. For example, if you can focus solely on writing your business plan for 15 minutes without distraction, you'll be able to devote less time when crunching numbers or putting together your marketing strategy later.
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| How to learn something new everyday |
6) Create a learning plan
One of the easiest ways to learn something new every day is by creating a learning plan. You can do it in an Excel spreadsheet, on a dry erase board, or in an app like Evernote. It should be simple and straightforward, with small goals that will make you feel accomplished throughout your day. For example: Learn two words in Spanish each day. Or Finish three chapters of The Social Network. Or Study for 20 minutes at lunch. Try one thing from this list every day for 30 days, and your month will be full of education and personal growth. In fact, try adding some variety into your daily routine. Take up a different hobby each week—try cooking! Do yoga! Learn how to knit! Don't just try one thing—try ten things. Then choose which ones are best suited for you, and focus on those. You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish when you're dedicated to improving yourself. Here's another idea: Make time for something new in your life every single day. Start by setting aside 15 minutes of time where you don't have any distractions—no phone calls, no internet, no TV—and dedicate that time solely to learning about what interests you most right now.
7) Prepare for bad days
Having bad days is normal and usually not a sign that you're about to burn out. Knowing how your brain and bodywork can help you prepare for those bad days. Don't berate yourself for having them; instead, think of it as a normal part of being human. When they do come around, embrace them with a reminder that they won't last forever and then get back on track. If something stressful comes up while you're feeling down in the dumps, don't add more stress by worrying about it—just address it later when you feel better. Finally, don't try to fight through it: Taking time off is okay!
8) Use social media to learn from others
Social media is a great place to learn, especially if you can find an engaged community of people who share your interests. There are also plenty of online classes and tutorials available, as well as ways to learn from other experts through virtual panels and Q&A sessions. One bonus: learning through social media tends to be more social than traditional educational platforms! Experiment with different approaches and see what works best for you. Here are 10 fun ways you can get started learning something new every day: 1. Meet up with friends for coffee in a new part of town 2. Set aside time for some leisure reading 3. Take a drawing class 4. Sign up for online coding lessons 5. Try out an unfamiliar sport 6. Practice improv 7.
9) Talk about what you are learning with people around you
The best way to learn something new is by talking about it with people around you. You can ask questions and hear new ideas from other people who have done that specific thing before you. A simple search on Google can help you out in learning how to do things better, but don't forget your friends when looking for answers. You might be surprised how knowledgeable they are! Talk about what you are learning with yourself: One of the most important ways to learn is by talking about what you are doing with yourself. Talking helps us organize our thoughts and understand them better. For example, if you want to learn a language, talk to yourself in that language while doing routine tasks like walking or cooking. This will help your brain associate certain words with actions and make them easier to remember later on. If there's a topic or skill that you want to get good at, start thinking of ways where you can incorporate it into daily life – not just through research or reading articles online – but through action as well!
10) Set aside time on weekends
Pick a day each weekend to learn something new. Then, start early by scheduling your time (or blocking it out) on your calendar so that you know you have time for learning. You might even consider actually writing it down; that way, you won't skip it! You can also set an intention for your study session by telling yourself that you're going to work on learning about a specific topic or skill for a certain period of time. When you do that, it helps keep you focused and motivated—and more likely to actually follow through with what you say you'll do. If you find yourself procrastinating, try setting smaller goals for each hour spent studying. For example, if you have a two-hour block of time scheduled to learn how to use PowerPoint, don't just dive in headfirst and expect to be able to pull it off in one sitting. Instead, break up your goal into smaller chunks: spend 30 minutes reading over tutorials online and then spend another 30 minutes trying them out on your own.
So these are a few tips for how to learn something new everyday; I hope it helps.