Recently a friend mailed me a postcard with a quote,
“The more I know, the less I know.”
Isn’t that the truth?
Just because we’re no longer in school, it doesn’t mean our learning should slow down. Lifelong learning can help us stay active and relevant through our lifespans by participating in social, cultural, economic, spiritual and community affairs.
I was reading an article in Harvard Business Review, “Take Control of Your Learning at Work”, that talks about the importance of lifelong learning, and how our motivation to do so decreases with age, particularly into adulthood. It talks about the demand for employees who demonstrate high levels “learnability” as well as the desire and ability to quickly grow and adapt one’s skills to remain employable throughout their working life. I believe this is true, but there are other benefits to learning. It keeps your mind sharp, you’re more interesting, and it gives you self-confidence.
With September right around the corner, why not make your own back-to-school learning challenge? Whether on your own through self-directed learning or in an adult education or continuing education classrooms. Take a local community ed class you’re interested in, listen to podcasts, join a book club, enroll in a creative writing group, visit your library, or rotate reading various magazine publications. The options are endless!
The article closes with this, “Importantly, learning should never stop. Regardless of your past achievements and your present level of expertise, your future depends on your ability to keep learning.”
