It is never too late to learn new skills. The visionary founder of KFC, who started his entrepreneurial journey at 65, provided an example of how this can be achieved.
Also, it is a common myth that if you want to be completely fluent in a new language, you must start to learn it as a kid, but that is not true.
Additionally, if you want to be a gymnastic expert, you must be on the gym mats when you are out of the diaper; that is also not true.
Undoubtedly, learning a new skill can be tricky but not an impossible task to do. You can do that if you are dedicated and keen to learn a new skill. However, the time required compared to the eight-year-old might be higher, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.
Get some tips on how to master learning and boost your expertise by reading this article to the end. Let’s get right to it!
5 Effective Strategies to Master the Art of Learning
1. Define Your Goals
Making a clear decision about what you want and the best way to achieve that goal is the first step to achieving your goal.
Don’t just say, instead, act SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound). It will help you to be consistent and motivated every time.
For instance, instead of saying, ‘I will quit working as a law clerk,’ you can try saying, ‘I will stay at home and start my career as a software developer for a gaming company.’
But don’t just say, act accordingly. Make a plan, take action, and make remarkable progress towards it.
2. Practice Active Learning Strategies
You are learning quantum physics and all you learn about atoms and their particles. You may have a hard time learning through this passive learning process of learning and repeating.
Instead, start the implementation of active learning strategies. It will enable you to engage in hands-on activities like role-playing and group discussions.
Moreover, it helps you to think through different perspectives, as sharing knowledge benefits everyone. It will force you to process, examine, and comprehend the fundamentals.
3. Experiment with Different Learning Mediums
A popular theory suggests that people learn in different ways. Some people are more visual learners, while some understand better with the practical implementation.
Therefore, do not limit yourself to any old-school learning technique. For example, if you want to learn Chinese, the most useful tool will be a Chinese textbook. Nevertheless, reading a textbook will not improve your listening or speaking abilities.
Much information is available at your fingertips today, so take advantage of it wisely by mixing things up and finding the learning mediums that work for you.
4. Accept the Challenge
Mastering a new skill development can be intimidating. You might wonder, ‘I wish I could learn how to swim, but it’s too late.’
But remember, better late than never. That’s when you need to challenge yourself, which will take you closer to rapid skill development.
Believe in what Dweck once said: “People who believe that their talent can be developed with constant hard work and effort can challenge themselves with a growth mindset. Such people achieve more.”
5. Perfectionism Comes from Practice
Everyone knows about it, but it must be reinforced to emphasize its importance. Let us clarify there are 2 types of practicing that lead to success:
- Rote Learning: It involves the memorization of information with constant repetition. For instance, reciting the French alphabet repeatedly to memorize each letter’s pronunciation.
- Deliberate Practice: It is a technique that involves the practicing of skills you have learned in different situations. For instance, practicing different French words by imagining different situations. It will help you to learn different word combinations.
While rote learning may help you learn the rules, deliberate practice can help you implement and use those rules. Remember, kill development is more rapid when you practice.
Final Words
There are many ways to master the art of learning, and there is no shortcut to becoming an expert from any of the strategies above. You will be making mistakes, but you have to learn from mistakes as you progress.
And at your first ‘failure,’ you might begin to doubt your abilities and question whether or not you should learn a new skill.
How about taking your failures as motivational feedback?
Failures or mistakes should never hold you back. Rather than using them to hinder your success, use them as steppingstones. Don’t forget to take a moment each time you stumble to reflect on what you’ve accomplished. Eventually, you will master the skills you have been struggling with.
