Why You Should Work To Become A Lifelong Learner

It’s hard to make a conscious effort to learn when you have so many responsibilities in your daily life. Many people think after they’re finished with school — whether it be high school, university, or a trade — that they won’t have to engage in learning. However, this couldn’t be further than the truth.

Learning is a form of improving yourself. Whether you’re studying new topics or learning how to improve the relationships around you, learning is a vital tool for self-empowerment and progression. Here are some of the best ways to become a lifelong learner.

Keep a notebook handy

Utilizing notebooks is the best way to record important or interesting information. When your friend recommends an interesting Ted Talk, you’ll be likely to forget it unless you write it down. Notebooks are also great ways to organize your learning, keep track of the progress you make, and offer helpful reminders for when you should make your new skill a habit.

When you become a lifelong learner, you don’t have to become an expert in everything; however, simply performing research on topics you find interesting is a great way to start your learning experience. Dig up your old laboratory notebooks or brush off your student lab notebook.

Engage with others who want to learn

Like most things in life, learning is more fun when you get to share it with someone else. Learning is one of the most exciting parts of being alive and sharing information with others will keep your learning experience more interesting. Having discussions, joining a book club, or even becoming a trivia master with scientific notebook in hand is a great way to connect with others who care about self-improvement and lifelong learning.

Read, read, read

Read everything you can get your hands on. When you become an avid reader, you’re able to mull over information, backtrack on old points and perspectives, and craft your own ideologies based on the thoughts of others. Whether you’re into self-help books or career advice books, reading will open the door to a slew of new perspectives and put you on the right path toward introspection. They will also offer tips and tricks for applying these skills in daily life.

And take notes

Reading something is great, but you’re likely not going to remember every page of a 300-page book. This is where taking notes comes in.

By relying on a tool like a bound lab notebook, you’re able to review the important points and skills later in words you understand (after all, you wrote them). Your research notebook is a tool to open the door to becoming a lifelong learner. This is especially essential for those in the medical field where new technological innovations happen practically on the daily. The medical field is expected to grow by nearly 23% by 2024, making learning an ever-important skill for the doctor or pharmacist who wants to stay ahead of the game.

In the end, we’re all students. Even though your days of traditional schooling may be over, learning is a vital skill to improve your quality of life. Whether you learn new ways to improve your job performance, learn new ways to communicate with your partner, or simply want to learn to learn, becoming a lifelong learner is the best way to keep your ambitions high and your life interesting.