Never hesitate to invest time and money to Acquire New Skills

We have already reached the 7th month of the year! But it’s never too late to make a resolution. We shouldn’t need a new year to work on ourselves. And I feel that this time of the year is really a great opportunity to go through the past 6 months. This is the time to make the necessary adjustments. This is the time to look forward on what new things to learn in the upcoming months. According to physiology, learning new things is good for your brain. So, before you take up new skills, just go through the points discussed below. These would help you strengthen your decision of learning something new. 

Don’t Believe the Talent Myth

Previously, I used to believe that talent is inborn. For example, the ability to play a guitar, to draw, etc. That is, you either have it, or you don’t. However, after thoroughly researching in the recent years, I have adopted a different view. Scientists reveal that talent is far more determined by our actions than our genes. Your execution and persistence will always prevail over talent.

Invest your Time and Money in Things Meaningful for You

Ask yourself the reason of your learning of new skills. Think whether it will it be useful or not. Always enrol yourself in learning things that you like. If you would try to force yourself, you are likely to forget them. I remember all those times in school when I tried to memorize formulas without understanding their relevance. However, now I make real life connections and see how it all fits in the larger scheme of things.

Watch from the Experts and Then Practice

I, myself, am an aspiring digital marketer. I have been trying to learn SEO for a few months. I started a blog. Wrote a few posts. Found out for what works for me and what doesn’t. The more I execute, the more I learn. I started following the blogs of the pros. Why? This is because studying the writing styles of them will always be more beneficial, than perhaps enrolling for a digital marketing course. For me, this has completely proved to be true.

Learn by Doing On your Own

While learning something new, most of us get caught up in reading and gathering information about it. But we never actually get around to do it. However, the best way I learn something is by doing it. Regardless of how unprepared I feel, I ensure I am physically engaged constantly. I keep alternating between research and practice. 

Be Curious

Nothing stimulates learning quite like curiosity!  For me, the key to maintaining a sense of curiosity is to constantly learn new things. Though the pursuit of knowledge does not guarantee I will find an answer; nonetheless it will enrich me. Instead of letting a textbook guide my learning, I take the lead! Seek answers from many sources. Don’t merely memorize theories and techniques — hence, I question them at every step while executing my learning.

Celebrate Every Win

Every single little win that I experience on the learning process, I am sure to celebrate. This is my win! I often have a piece of chocolate, cheese or a handful of nuts and give myself a pat on the back. All these encourage me to move forward towards my goal again! Ultimately, I have learnt to have fun. I keep picturing the joy of reaching the end goal and being a better version of myself. I truly believe that to love life is to constantly challenge yourself to do better!

Set a Fundamental

To have a golden benchmark is fundamental for self-improvement and growth. In order to stay focused, I practice the need to have a clear goal. At first, the return on investment in terms of time and money spent is hard to gauge. But I carry on having my eye on a larger prize. I try to determine a specific goal and keep it front of mind as I learn. Learning is a life-long process. After achieving one big goal, I often set my sights on the next one. This is how I make learning a part of my daily routine. The more I do that, the less likely I am to stop. 

So, now while looking forward to the next 6 months of 2019, think about something totally amazing that you’ve always wanted to do for a while. Perhaps you want to learn cooking or mastering a new language. Maybe you want to improve your swimming technique. Or you might want to showcase your world through the lens of a camera. Whatever it is, acquiring new skills would only help you improve yourself. Thus, take the leap; clinch the challenge and get, set, go!