“I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” Winston Churchill

So often, after about 12-14 years in conventional schooling systems, all we want to do is “get out”! There are exceptional educators out there who take time and energy to nurture not only the minds of their learners but their whole well-being.

They’re the ones who take note, take care and take kids seriously. But ultimately, these experiences lightly pepper our schooling years, and for most of the time, we’re taught the curriculum so that we can reach the milestones and earn a grade.

As Winston Churchill wisely noted, there’s a difference between learning and being taught. As we continue to learn along the path of life in our adult years, we can find that the breakaway from the scholastic structure can be a breath of fresh air for our learning journey. And - embracing this can help us make healthier decisions for our health, relationships, and finances.

Take Breaks

The methodology of schooling can cause us to work for long periods on a project without taking breaks. Taking breaks can be the easiest, most effective unlock for learning and growth. Breaks allow us to assimilate what we’ve been working on and consider different ways to tackle the next steps.

Whether this is our daily routine or when working on special projects, taking breaks (for a few minutes or a few days) can help us make healthier decisions and be more creative in our problem-solving.

Learn from Strangers

The best way to learn from strangers is to engage in conversations with new people! Standing in line at the licensing department, travelling on public transport or even simply hanging out at the local park opens up opportunities to meet and talk with new people.

Every conversation with a stranger is an opportunity to learn something new. When we are aware of this, we can observe our behaviour and become more present in our conversations with strangers.

Seek a Stimulating Job

It’s not always easy to land a job that you find challenging and stimulating, but since we spend so much time at work, finding an intellectually fulfilling job is a huge advantage to leverage our daily learning to make healthier decisions. Even if you don’t love everything about your job, finding ways to improve how your job is done can be equally invigorating, and we can learn so much in the process.

Remain flexible

Lifelong learners are always willing to change their mind. The more we learn, the more we realise that it’s not the truth that changes, but our understanding of that truth that deepens.

Superficially, it could seem like we’re changing our minds, but rather, we’re changing our position and growing our minds. This is why it’s better to find questions that can’t be answered than to hold onto answers that can’t be questioned.