Happy New Year!!! As we tend to reflect upon the year past and look forward to the upcoming months in the calendar year, it is a good time to think about being a lifelong learner. Many times I will a hear a person say, "I am not a lifelong learner like you" only for the individual to tell me about a new hobby or skill he/she has started. I remember when one of my friends took up knitting after she completed her Bachelor's degree in Education. Once she finished school and started a full-time job, she felt there was enough time to start the hobby. The down side was that she did not see herself as being a lifelong learner because "it is just a hobby". Wasn't she interested in acquiring new skills? Didn't she want increase her knowledge about how to knit? Wouldn't she be maintaining a positive attitude towards knitting...especially since her first project was creating a blanket for her fist child? After she responded, "Yes" to each of those questions, I then stated, "It sounds to me like you are a lifelong learner...just not in a University classroom." As you possibly prepare to make a resolution for 2013, why not consider embracing lifelong learning and do something beneficial for yourself such as...
1. Take a class.
2. Learn a new skill.
3. Go outside of your comfort zone and try something new. You might actually like it!
4. Visit a new exhibit at a local museum.
5. Try to make a new recipe.
No one is asking you to break a World Record, write a best selling novel, or become a CEO. Instead focus on a topic that is meaningful to you and learn more information about it. You might be surprised about the results!
