Rekindle the fire of learning: Part 1 of
2
Get smart
To be a lifelong learner is an
antidote
to personal and career
stagnation
Most of us were once natural and
continuous learners, brimming with curiosity to explore and
learn.
JIM Kwik was an exceptional student in school, but in an
unfortunate way. After suffering head trauma at the age of five,
learning anything was a big challenge for him. But he somehow
struggled through school to qualify for college.
Once there, he decided to overcome his learning
problems and enrolled in numerous courses. Being totally committed
to studying, he forgot to eat, exercise and sleep well. His
obsession soon took its toll on him.
One day, he was so exhausted he passed out in a
public library, fell down the stairs and woke up in a hospital,
broken, bruised and dejected.
Then came a nurse with a cup of coffee on which was
written this quote by Albert Einstein: "Insanity is doing the same
thing over and over again and expecting different results!"
After reading Einstein's definition of insanity,
Kwik realised that school and college had been great places to
learn "what" but not "how". He realised that if he were to overcome
his limitations to learn, he would have to first learn how to
learn.
Kwik started studying the art and science of
learning, and within 30 days he could read faster, focus better and
retain more. Within 60 days, his grades were on the upswing. And
the rest is history - a story of trouble turned into triumph.
Kwik went on to become a learning expert and is now
a celebrity, the chief executive officer of Kwik Learning and
founder of Superhero You. He says: "Knowledge is power. Learning is
super power."
Losing the fire
Learning is not an alien
activity; don't we all start learning right after birth? If you
watch how children learn, you can't help but realise that you too
were once a natural and continuous learner, brimming with curiosity
to explore and learn.
But somehow, with age, that innate fire to learn
was extinguished, turning us into reluctant learners who need
constant prodding, nudging and incentives to embrace learning.
Soon the gap between our age and capabilities
continues to grow bigger, paving the way for career stagnation and
job insecurity.
Barriers to learning
What prevents us from learning naturally and continuously? There
are two barriers:
■ Inability to connect dots: Somehow, most people still
cannot connect the dots between their appetite for learning and
their capability, and between their capability and market value in
the fast-changing world around us.
■ Sub-optimal learning: Even if we do appreciate that
continuous learning is essential, we have not been trained in
strategies to learn more effectively. Without fixing the
fundamental problem - our own lack of desire and the ability to
learn - it is hard to be a lifelong learner, even with abundant
resources like books, educational courses, training, free online
courses and so on - at our disposal.
But what is learning in the first place?
Three dimensions of
learning
In an environment infused with constant pressure to "upgrade':
most people equate learning with pursuing some new certificate,
diploma or degree course. That is a narrow view of learning.
Can you guess what percentage of your waking hours
you would have spent in a formal learning setting (for example, a
classroom or a training programme) by age 70?
Don't be surprised to find that the figure is
around 5 per cent. The more important question is, how do we spend
the remaining 95 per cent of our time?
Fortunately, the concept of learning is much
broader and involves the following three dimensions:
■ Knowledge: What we know is knowledge. For example, if
someone knows about economics or mediaeval history or business
management, that's knowledge. Usually, we acquire knowledge through
academic programmes, books and so on.
■ Skills: A skill is an ability to do something. So if
someone can sell products, write code for software programmes or
fix a malfunctioning escalator, that's a skill. Skills are often
acquired through both formal and on-the-job training.
■ Attitude: Perhaps the most important, but often ignored,
dimension of learning is our attitude. Without growth in this
dimension, the gains in the other areas - knowledge and skills -
are often shortlived.
True continuous learning is about expanding all
three dimensions and going to bed each night smarter than when you
got up in the morning. How is that possible? By learning to
learn.
Tomorrow: The one skill that gives you the best
returns
Article by Atul Mathur, an engineer, technical writer and
Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment-certified trainer.
He will conduct a half·day workshop, Rekindle The Fire Of Learning,
on Wednesday, July 30. To register, visit www.atulmathur.com, e-mail atul@atulmathur.com or call
9489-6150.
Recruit, The Straits Times, Wednesday July 9, 2014, Pg C30
Rekindle the fire of learning: Part 2 of
2
Be thirsty
to know
Asking questions is the hallmark of the
lifelong learner
Periodic reflection is the key to continuous
learning.
OF ALL the skills you have, which one can give you the best
returns by boosting your career and personal growth - over a
lifetime?
That precious skill is "learning to learn", a meta
skill that affects everything else you will ever learn in your
life.
Futurist Alvin Toffler warned: "The illiterate of
the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but
those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn."
If you do realise the vast implications of
mastering "learning to learn" and want to make some progress in
that direction, here are a few small steps - tiny matchsticks - to
rekindle the fire of learning inside you:
Reflect and write
Many people do not do it, but periodic reflection is the key to
continuous learning. Confucius highlighted when he said: "By three
methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is the
noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by
experience, which is the bitterest."
Peter Drucker, the management thinker, also
stressed reflection when he said: "Follow effective action with
quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more
effective action."
To be on the path of continuous learning, do three things:
■ Start a diary;
■ Reflect at the end of each day on "what I learnt today";
and
■ Note it down.
Author Mark Twain, General George Patton,
naturalist Charles Darwin, composer Ludwig Beethoven, American
founding father Benjamin Franklin and Renaissance artist and
thinker Leonardo da Vinci all had one thing in common: They kept
notebooks to record their observations, ideas and impressions. Why
not follow in the footsteps of the greats?
Be thirsty and ask
questions
Without the thirst for knowing and understanding, one cannot
learn. But where does the thirst come from?
Before visiting a foreign country, what do you do?
You ask questions: Which are the tourist attractions? Which hotels
are within your budget? Which connecting flights are available?
When you gather information from the answers to these questions,
you quickly learn about the new place.
According to Paul Harris, a child psychologist and
professor at Harvard, a child asks about 40,000 questions between
the ages of two and five.
How many questions do we ask as adults? Do we
realise that with Google around, questions matter more than the
answers? To be thirsty, be curious and ask questions, remembering
that every question is a door to new learning.
Know how you learn best
In one of the classic Harvard Business Review articles, Managing
one self, Drucker wrote: "Of all the important pieces of
self-knowledge, understanding how you learn is the easiest to
acquire."
Not everyone learns the same way: Some people learn
by hearing, some by reading, some by pictures and some by moving
around. Drucker gives examples of British politician Winston
Churchill who was a great a great writer and learnt by writing and
Beethoven who kept copious notes. Drucker himself learnt by
talking.
To know how you learn best, visit the VARK
Inventory at http://business.vark-learn.com/questionnaire/
VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/write and
Kinaesthetic. Initially developed by Neil Flerning'in New Zealand
in 1987, VARK is a 16-question inventory to understand your unique
learning preferences.
VARK provides feedback on the following four
learning preferences:
■ Visual (V): People with visual preference
soak up information more easily if it is in the form of maps,
diagrams, charts, graphs, flow charts, pictures and so on. Visual
learners prefer explanatory diagrams in a user manual of a new
camera to bullet-point instructions.
■ Aural/auditory (A): Auditory preference
implies an affinity for information in the spoken form. Auditory
learners are more comfortable with phone conversations, group
discussions, meetings, oral feedback and the opportunity to
talk
things through.
■ Read/write (R): These learners are more
comfortable with information in the written form, such as reports,
papers, lists, hand-outs, books, bullets points, written plans and
manuals. They enjoy an advantage in the academic phase of
their career where information is mostly in the form of words.
■ Kinaesthetic (K): Kinaesthetic preference
suggests learning through action, personal experience, practice,
movement or simulation. People with this learn more easily by
watching a demonstration or trying things out themselves.
Conclusion
These three actions - starting a learning diary, being curious
and using your own learning style - can unleash the lifelong
learner in you, someone Toffler would describe as truly a literate
person.
There is a wise Chinese saying: "The best time to
plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now!" Why
not plant the seed of learning today?
Article by Atul Mathur, an engineer, technical writer and
Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment-certified trainer.
He will conduct a half-day workshop, Rekindle The Fire Of Learning,
on Wednesday, July 30. To register, visit www.atulmathur.com, e-mail atul@atulmathur.com or ca11
9489-6150.
Recruit, The Straits Times, Thursday July 10, 2014, Pg C30