Back to the Basics of Learning – So You Can Achieve Your Goals
2020 has been a CRAZY year. Time has flown by so quickly, and I cannot believe that it is almost over. Although this year has been less than ideal for many of us, I hope that you are proud of how far you’ve come. With only two months left, now is a good time to refresh and start thinking about your ambitions for the next year.
The foundation of setting goals is remembering your core values and determining the path you want to take your life. Think about your journey this year - are you where you want to be? If not, consider what you want to do to get back on track.
After establishing some direction and a general idea of your goals, you might be wondering how you should go about achieving them (sometimes, we just don’t know where to start!). Whether your goal is geared toward personal growth, professional development or anything in between, recognizing the importance of learning is vital to success.
Andragogy (or adult learning theory) is described as the way in which adults learn and gain experience. Life presents a new (informal) lesson every day. In understanding why we, as adults, need to have our “learner caps” on is crucial to goal setting for a variety of reasons.
1. We learn best when we know WHY we need to learn. Learning should be self-motivated and goal oriented.
Learning without a commitment or desire usually does not produce lasting results. Why set goals for an area you’re not interested in improving?
When we tap into our intrinsic motivation to progress, we’re more likely to have a desire to learn about it and fulfill our goal. If we take the time to learn and build upon what we care about, we will genuinely enjoy the journey to achieving our goals.
If you want to learn how to become a better home cook, for example, it’d be much easier to fall into a rabbit hole of watching Gordon Ramsay videos and learning his techniques.
2. We prefer to be in control of our learning because we understand ourselves.
When we have a strong sense of self, we enjoy having the autonomy to choose what we want to learn more about. This is your life. Do what you want. You have the ability to choose what and how YOU want to learn.
Maybe you want to create a workout routine for yourself, and decide to incorporate more cardio into your workout. If you learn about new exercises and try them out, you can easily figure out what works best for you. Take what you’ve learned and run with it! (Pun definitely intended!)
3. Each adult has their own unique life experiences that are a great resource for learning.
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “learn from your mistakes” many times. This applies here too, but you can also learn from your successes!
You can learn from your friends and family, even from strangers! Every person’s experience in life is different, and each person has their own path. Share your own experiences, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about theirs.
“Never stop learning because life never stops teaching.”
As you continue to set your goals for the upcoming year, it is important to remember what’s “worth it” to YOU. To just scratch the surface, we need to ask ourselves:
What do I want?
Where do I want to be?
What are the steps to achieve this goal?
And last but not least, “What do I want to learn?”
Dream big. Set goals. Take action (through learning)!
Listen to the Seriously Though Podcast to learn more about how to achieve your personal and financial goals!
