What I know is that there is no great secret to life despite plenty of argument and round-a-bout musing. It’s pretty obvious, I think. We are here to progress, and we do that through learning. But what if we find learning difficult? Or what if we simply want to boost our ability to learn, especially about the things that we feel are important but have no love for? Or what if you are an educator, be that a coach, teacher, trainer, parent… who has a student who struggles to learn?
Here are 3 steps for supercharging your learning ability.
Step 1 – PASSIONIZE
No, it’s not an accepted word according to well, Microsoft Word (I’ve got the nice wavy red underline staring at me,) and while I thought I had done a Shakespeare and created a word that generations later might be attributed to me, I see with a quick search that somebody else, a notable consultant called Armers Moncure, has also used it. I’m not sure if I got in first but someone else may have uttered it years ago. Who knows – do we care? What do I mean by it? That’s the point.
Learning is always easier when we have a passion for a subject that we are studying. So, what if we don’t have a passion for the subject but find it necessary or compulsory? How can we become willingly fervent?
Can we passionize it? Can we inject passion into it? Can we get excited by what we have little interest in? Can we inspire education? Inspire our own education that is? I believe so. How?
Here are 2 ways.
Passionizing part A – ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
Yes, the brilliant Zig Ziglar paraphrased quote which is now cliché – the one found on the front page of “Memes That Inspire!” – You know it – the one about Attitude determining Altitude is hard truth – tough lovin’ truth. Sometimes we need to open the toolbox, get out the mental spanner and give ourselves an attitude adjustment.
Positive perspective is needed. Easier said than done? Yip. But within every broad subject there are elements that we can latch on to that are more aligned with our tastes. Start there, and often everything else will sneak its way in. It’s the old trick of hiding vegetables in the burger patties. Or crushing up your dog’s tablet and mixing it into her food.
Maybe you have to study biology. You have a distaste for it. But you do like working out. You like pumping iron. So there’s something you LIKE or even LOVE. You want bigger legs. Cool, there’s something you WANT. We’ve got something to latch on to! Start with checking out what muscles make up the hamstring group. Wait, hamstring isn’t a muscle? Nope! It’s just a term given for a group of muscles working in harmony to help you jump and sprint and stuff. There are 3 muscles in the “group”
Can you see how likes, loves, wants etc. can be used as foundations for learning?
So focus on what you like or are keen to know about first and let everything else that is pertinent, attach itself to your brain organically.
Another trick to attitude adjustment is to consider ways that the subject will help contribute to your future. Career, income, date-ability (smart is attractive!)
“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.” – John C. Maxwell
Passionizing part B – BE CREATIVE
If book to brain is not working for you consider other ways to get excited about what you are needing to learn.
Find someone who is already passionate about the subject and have a sit down with them. Or a stand up. Or a walk together. Whatever – get with a subject specific mentor. If you can’t find one in person I guarantee you can find one presenting a Youtube channel or hosting a podcast.
Cast yourself back to kindergarten and primary school. How did you learn as a kid? Pictures, charts, songs, activity, games, mnemonic devices… Adults can use those same methods.
Creativity is not just about art. Creativity is about divergent thinking – looking for different avenues, new pathways to solutions.
Something that has been discovered in scientific studies is that our creativity levels and our mood are connected.
If we reflect back to ‘part b’ where we talked about attitude adjustment, we can see how one thing leads to another. Positive energy can help boost our creative abilities and our creative thinking can help us to figure out better ways to explore subjects we may not have natural love for.
Einstein said – at least I think it was Einstein but he does get a lot of misattributions “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
Step 2: Apply
Step 2 and 3 can be flipped but I’ll run with apply first. It is said that knowledge is power but we know that it is actually the application of knowledge that is the true power. For starters, it’s a powerful way to retain learning. You can’t become a good driver by reading books on driving. Michael Jordan didn’t become the GOAT – or of you want to have that argument – one of the Greatest players of all time (basketball not baseball,) by reading an encyclopedia entry on basketball.
Quick note – for those born after early 90s an encyclopedia was basically a hardcopy Google.
Application of knowledge brings about competency, ability, understanding. If you don’t have the opportunity to apply newfound knowledge early, imagine its application. Imagine hard! I love going to a weekly trivia night with my wife and a couple of friends. When I’m studying and can’t apply the knowledge immediately I’ll often imagine being asked a question around the subject I’m learning about.
“One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.”
― Frank Herbert, Children of Dune
Step 3: Teach
We can teach to learn by learning to teach. And vice versa. I honestly believe that this is a super pill. Teach those around you. If you don’t have anyone to speak to, speak to the mirror, video yourself. If you like it use it. Start a Youtube channel for example. It doesn’t matter if nobody views it. It’s for your ultimate benefit. Start a notebook as if you’re taking notes for a future textbook. Start a blog or a podcast, or a blog and a podcast. I mean, I started a podcast (see Educate This,) not just to share what I have picked up over the years but what I hope to pick up in the years to come.
Of course, If the subject really starts to lock in and you find a passion for teaching it, consider getting a TAE40116 (AKA Certificate IV in Training and Assessment,) or other teaching qualification.
Teaching is not just great for enabling repetition – making rote learning more fun – but it can domino and improve the lives of others, not just your own.
The great philosopher Seneca said “While we teach, we learn” and science fiction author Robert Heinlen took it another step by saying “When 1 teaches, 2 learn.”
So there you go! 3 steps to supercharging your learning abilities.
Passionize, Apply, Teach
If you are looking to make a career out of teaching, training, coaching etc. Check out our TAE40116 (Certificate IV in Training and Assessment). Qualify Now are the specialists in TAE. If you are looking for more than a tick and flick but rather high end, trainer supported learning, we are your go to. They can help to inspire and reignite your love of education.