Irrespective of your age, experience or profession, teaching yourself something new – self learning in other words – is a matter of taking responsibility for learning in your own hands. No one else really cares if you learn or not (with the possible exception of your parents) so it’s time to understand the four cardinal rules of self learning and applying these in everything from learning a new language to getting fit to learning a new sport…
1. Practical Application with Theory
Practical application – practice and practice – is key. The difference between an amateur and a world-class tennis player is 10,000 hours of practice but theory is absolutely vital to understand as well. Getting 10,000 hours of practice in the game of golf without understanding how to hold the golf club in a particular way and why to hold it like that will mean you become a not very good golfer.
2. Get Underneath the Hood
You must have the curiosity to learn, experiment, ask questions and apply what you have learnt to see what works better and what doesn’t. This curiosity and drive will lead you to talk to coaches and best practitioners, read books on the topic, find situations and events to observe and learn from and access resources on the internet on the topic. This will inevitably happen if you truly want to learn and are excited about the possibilities.
3. Learn by Teaching
When you have learnt something new, teach it to others and share your knowledge. The act of teaching imposes a discipline – a kind of pressure – where you feel the need to get your facts right and being confident about the content and its application. Teaching others makes us feel better and more confident. It is also a guaranteed way of ensuring that the learning stays within you, forever.
4. The Learning Continues Indefinitely
Just because you reach a certain level of proficiency in the new area does not mean you stop learning. Remember the 10,000 hours needed for mastery. You will meet many people along the way who have created their own versions of the learning. Learn from them and from their journey. Remind yourself constantly that there is so much to learn and not enough hours in the day.
Don’t brag about your achievements. In the not-too-distant future, you will end up as neurons in some family member’s memory or some blurred photos on a Google Drive in the distant cloud. In the meantime, enjoy your new learning experience!
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