As children we are encouraged to learn something new everyday. We learn how to walk, to speak, to behave and play sports.
But suddenly… we are adults! Some of us graduate from college and its time for the real world. We may take a 9-5 job and do the same tasks every day, almost in autopilot.
Routine becomes part of our lives and without realizing we are not learning new things. Life becomes a blur of repetitive acts that we know how to do because we do them daily.
That routine limits our brain’s ability to learn new skills and knowledge. For me this is a bit worrisome because learning new things is important for our happiness. Studies shows that learning new things will give you a rush of dopamine, which is one of the chemicals that motivates human towards rewards and feeling accomplished. Who doesn’t want that feeling?
Curiosity and openness to new things are two important components to your learning path. Without them, Sir Isaac Newton would have never formulated the laws of physics, Alexander Fleming probably wouldn’t have discovered penicillin, and Marie Curie’s research on radioactivity may not exist. Just a few examples of people who didn’t have TV’s and smartphones.
Curiosity also help us with our social life. Studies have found that people who are curious are often viewed in social encounters as more interesting and engaging, and they are more apt to reach out to a wider variety of people.
So, now that you know all the goodie things about curiosity and its benefits, how can you start? Below there’s a few tips to get you started:
- Join a new class : sports, meditation, yoga, kickboxing. You name it! You will learn a new skill, feel good and maybe make new friends.
- Find 3 books that are different (biography, lifestyle, fiction) : make a goal to read them in less than a month. You can listen while you drive or instead of watching TV, read before bed. Trust me its time well invested!
- Watch a TED talk : I love these talks, you can learn something new in less than 20 minutes, share with others and discuss your opinions.
- Take a skill class : Join an online class or any program for a short learning lesson that will have an impact in your life and career. Put those new skills to work. We need to keep learning after school- stay in the loop! (Look for Coursera and Udemy or any online classes)
- Have fun! Watch a documentary that is interesting, go to a cooking class or better yet book a plane ticket to a different country where you can learn from the people and how they live.
As for me, I am all about learning new things: reading books, crafting myself with new skills, and discovering what truly ignites my creative soul. Not only the statement that learning new things makes us happy, but I found myself more empowered and more at peace.
I wish you a happy learning adventure by staying curious! Here I leave you with a TED Talk: How to gain control of your free time.
