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It's becoming increasingly apparent that lifelong learning is the key to fulfilment in life. Whether it's the fact that careers are no longer linear and many of us end up doing multiple jobs in our lifetimes, or we want to set an example of the power of education to our children, learning is the key. As we age, we should seek to keep our brains active and continue learning new skills. It's a proactive step in career management, allowing us to branch out or even to dream of launching our own businesses. After all, you don't want to look back and have regrets. However, if it's been a while since you last learnt anything new and the mere thought of exams and assessments brings you out in a cold sweat, what steps do you need to take to embrace life long learning?
Make A Commitment
Self improvement isn't as difficult as you may think, but it does take one factor that a lot of us struggle with - dedication. After all, in a busy life full of family commitments, caring responsibilities and work, it can be hard to find the time. Studying anything is demanding and takes focus - and usually at the tail end of a long hard day. The key is to tackle study efficiently. Use a scheduling app to keep your day on track and avoid falling into the trap of mindlessly scrolling through your social media feeds in the evening. Make your learning bite size and tackle it little and often. Keep in mind your end goal at all times and understand why you're studying if you need a reminder when things get tough or Netflix is calling your name. Make studying a habit and over time it will become second nature.
Keep It Organised
When you have a lot going on, it can become easy for your study materials to become disorganised. Use cloud storage solutions to keep your notes organised and accessible wherever you are - you never know when you'll find a spare five minutes for revision. This is the no matter what you're studying - it could be lessons through LinkedIn Learning or accredited mba degree programs delivered through online portals. You'll be able to study so much better if all your materials are digitally filed. Apps like OneNote can also help you to stay on top of tasks and revision.
Rinse And Repeat
If you're struggling to retain information, then repetition is key. Make sure that you are doing something with the information - that could be transferring long format notes to revision crib cards, or it might simply be explaining the information to someone else. Processing the information like this assists your brain in transferring it from your short term to your long term memory, where it can be retained. Using information in context is also key to truly understanding it. Diarise time for consistent practice so that you work smarter, not harder. Experts estimate it takes 20 hours of study to master the basic level of a given subject, so allow yourself plenty of time to get to grips with what you're learning.
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