How To Be A Student Of Life | PART 2
Growing up my Mum was always learning something new, whether it was cooking, healthy living, business studies or as I got older studying to become a life and relationship coach. I used to tease her for her attachment to books (mind you we had 3 GIANT bookcases overflowing with them) owning 50 million notebooks that were filled to the brim, always stopping to take photos or videos and constantly having her headphones in listening to some talk or audiobook. Little did I know I’d be doing the exact same thing a few years later, my Mum has always called herself a lifelong learner and she is always happiest when she is learning something new. I used to envy her because I hate school and never thought I would enjoy learning because of my learning difficulties. What I didn’t realise is my Mum didn’t like school either, she loves learning now because it’s based on things that interest her. Obviously, if you’re passionate about something you’re going to find it easier to learn. And therefore you easily make it a priority and make a commitment to expanding your knowledge, both consciously and unconsciously.
In part 1 of How To Become A Student Of Life, we discovered your unique learning style and what environment you learn best in, if you haven’t already you can read it here:
In this post, I’m going to share easy ways you can make learning a part of your daily life, you can adapt these tips and habits to work with your chosen passion or topic you are learning about.
THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS WE CAN LEARN!
- Facebook Groups
- Movies & Documentaries
- Books & Audio Books
- YouTube Videos
- Podcasts
- Masterminds
- Blogs & Websites
- Community Classes
- Volunteering
- Online Classes
- Mentoring
- Talking/Connecting With People
We are so fortunate to have access to so much knowledge right at our fingertips, both online and in person. It’s time we stopped taking it for granted and started utilizing it!
MAKE A COMMITMENT
Start by making a commitment to yourself to trade some of the time you would mindlessly spend scrolling through social media, on expanding your knowledge around your interest/passion. It doesn’t have to be much, but you do have to make a conscious decision to do it. Otherwise, you won’t see it as a priority and you will just continue to procrastinate from doing anything.
MAKE IT FUN
Learning doesn’t have to be boring, it can actually make mundane tasks a lot more interesting. Try listening to YouTube Videos, Audiobooks or Podcasts while you’re doing boring things like cleaning or getting ready for the day. I find I actually look forward to doing tasks if I have a new podcast episode to listen to. Not sure about what podcasts to listen to? Check out my post on 5 podcasts you NEED to listen to here
ROLE MODELS
From a young age, you instinctively have role models, whether it was someone in your life or on TV. By seeing them doing what you are interested in it inspires you and makes you excited for when you grow up. Which is part of the reason why when you ask little kids what they want to be when they grow up they will answer to be a fireman, dancer, scientist etc. Because they have seen someone they look up to doing what they love. Whether it’s through social media, on TV, in person or even throughout history, find someone whose story resonates with you and inspires you. As a result, you will have a constant visual reminder of what is possible and more if you set your mind to it.
FIND A MENTOR
Ever wondered why elite athletes or the top entrepreneurs and business owners still have mentors and coaches? It’s because they keep them motivated and inspired while gaining new ideas and perspectives they would never have thought of. As well as support when challenges are thrown their way and keep you accountable. If you are really serious about your passion why not look into getting a mentor? You can ask someone in your life that you look up to, to mentor you or you can also pay for a mentor. There are also lots of government-funded programs, that’s how I connected with my awesome mentor Danae Jones. Getting to talk to her about my ideas and gain actionable steps, new ideas and connections to make it happen has been amazing!
JOIN A MASTERMIND
If one on one isn’t your thing there are also Masterminds, a Mastermind is a group of people that come together to support, educate, brainstorm and stay accountable. It’s usually a maximum of 6 people and a facilitator that get together or call weekly or monthly. During a mastermind session you breakdown your goal/dream, what challenges your facing and you work together to find a solution for each member and create goals that the group keeps each other accountable to. Some masterminds have a specific goal like making a certain amount of income, where others are more flexible. Most masterminds you have to pay for, but you can also create a mini-mastermind with your friends where you just get together with yummy food, in a cosy space and work together to make your dreams a reality.
SOCIAL MEDIA & YOUTUBE
Fill your social media with people that inspire you, educate you or are living your dream. Join Facebook groups surrounding your interest, subscribe to more educational YouTubers and follow bloggers on Instagram or Pinterest. This way when you are scrolling through social media or binge-watching YouTube videos you leave with some new knowledge and feeling happier. I find I go on to social media to procrastinate, but since I switched up my feed and subscription box, I usually get inspired by something someone had posted and leave feeling motivated to get stuff done.
TAKE CLASSES
I know if you’re like me and strongly dislike school you would instantly reject the idea of taking any more classes, but it’s actually really interesting and enjoyable when you are learning about something you’re interested in and it keeps you accountable. There are classes on literally EVERYTHING these days both online and in person. If your someone who learns better in a formal learning environment there is lots of affordable community or night classes available. If you’re at high school there are pathways where you can take Tafe courses alongside your regular classes. If you learn better at your own pace or don’t have the time to attend formal classes there are thousands of online classes available right at your fingertips. Skillshare and Udemy are my favourites for affordable and informative classes.
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering is such a great way to get hands-on experience, whether it be at a charity, organization, rescue centres, homeless shelter or care home. You can make new connections with people in your field of interest, learn from their tips and stories all while making a positive difference in your local community and the world.
EXPAND YOUR CIRCLE
Push yourself out of your comfort zone and expand your social circle. Get to know people with similar interests as well as polar opposites, chat with others about their experiences and life lessons. Take conversations deeper than everyday small talk, I truly believe that some of the best knowledge and lessons come from others and their stories.
MOVIES & BOOKS
Watching movies, documentaries and reading books is such a great and easily accessible way to learn new things. Obviously, documentaries and non-fiction books are filled with amazing knowledge. But what you may not realize is the hidden messages behind fiction books and movies are just as powerful. Because they are usually based on life lessons and experiences like All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, it shows the true effect depression has on the person experiencing it as well as those around them. After reading the book I had a clearer understanding of the effects of depression and blackouts, which the information out there about depression never gave me. Some fiction books can leave me with more knowledge than a non-fiction book!
If you have found these tips really helpful but your not sure what your passion or interest is, that’s ok! We will be going through how to find your passion or hobby in part 3 and I’ll also be offering a very special gift to a few lucky people. So make sure you subscribe to my mailing list below to be notified as soon as I upload!
– How do you or are you going to make learning a part of your daily life? Comment down below, I’d love to know! xx